Sutter Health and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

We deliver on that promise by proactively implementing programs across our integrated network that continuously improve the quality and value of healthcare for our patients. Early and substantial investments into programs like electronic health records, e-ICU, telemedicine, ambulatory care and chronic disease management demonstrate the foresight our integrated system had into understanding shifting trends in healthcare and the changing needs of our diverse communities.

We deliver on that promise through investment in setting research and innovation standards that not only improve our patient care, but the healthcare industry as a whole. With a $50+ million investment in annual research efforts, we’ve made great strides in improving critical healthcare issues like heart failure, stroke, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, recovery after liver and kidney transplant and diabetes – with more to come. Going beyond our medical research efforts, we also have a Design and Innovation Team dedicated to finding, developing and capitalizing on the latest technology and medical advancements to improve the patient experience.

We deliver on that promise by working to ensure healthcare is accessible and inclusive to everyone by offering comprehensive patient services and quality health programs tailored to the diverse communities we serve. We serve all who enter our doors — regardless of race, income, gender or background — and extend care beyond our walls by investing in community-based services, mobile clinics, transportation services and much more.

We deliver on that promise through smart management of our resources, focus on efficiency and prioritization of innovation to help control costs and improve affordability. Through an integrated system, we’re able to coordinate healthcare services from one caregiver or facility to another, reducing complications in care, lowering hospital re-admission rates and bringing down the overall cost of care. The Affordable Care Act continues to help individuals gain health coverage through Medi-Cal, but Medi-Cal reimbursements don’t cover Sutter’s full costs of providing care. In 2018, we spent $435 million more than the state paid the system to care for Medi-Cal patients. As an integrated network of care, Sutter Health is positioned to withstand changes in the financial markets, giving us the opportunity to further expand community access to high-quality healthcare regardless of external pressures that might impact more fragmented systems. Our integration across regions, clinical settings and data environments is delivering care models with some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation — outperforming state and national averages in nearly every measure of quality.