The Integrated Healthcare Association, a statewide-based leadership group that promotes quality improvement, accountability and affordability of healthcare in California, has named its top 45 performing physician organizations for 2009, based on the IHA statewide Pay for Performance program measures.
The IHA also presented awards to the physician organization within each P4P region that demonstrated the most quality improvement from 2008 to 2009. Both top performer and most-improved awards are based on performance in four P4P measurement domains: clinical quality, patient experience, information technology‐enabled systemness and coordinated diabetes care.
The Hill Physicians Medical Group in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Region was the only physician organization to achieve both the top performer and most-improved awards for 2009.
"We're very pleased the hard work that goes on behind the scenes has a demonstrable effect on quality of care and overall member experience," said Steve McDermott, the group's chief executive officer. "Our focus on timely, personalized care supported by technology and best practices is the right thing to do for the individual member, for the physician and for the overall health of the communities we serve."
Arch Health Partners of San Diego, one of the most improved last year, was named a top performer this year. Based on its scores, Arch Health Partners will receive $260,000.
"Our vision focuses on coordinating quality medical care for our patients at all levels. At each opportunity, we emphasize education, prevention and patient satisfaction," said Stuart Graham, MD, a pediatrician and a board member. "We believe in personal relationship as the beginning of quality care and we empower our team to work with patients to individualize care for their needs."
Top performing physician organizations are identified by calculating a score in each of the four P4P measurement domains, which are then weighted to compute an overall composite score. The 45 organizations statewide with the highest overall composite scores designated as top performers by region are:
Bay Area Region
- Affinity Medical Group;
- Hill Physicians Medical Group – Bay Region;
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Diablo Service Area Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Greater Southern Alameda Area Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Oakland/Richmond Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Redwood City Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – San Francisco Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – San Jose Medical Cente;r
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – San Mateo/South San Francisco Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – San Rafael Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Santa Clara/Milpitas/Campbell/Mountain View Medical Center.
Central Valley Region
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Kern County;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Fresno Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Stockton/Modesto/Manteca/Tracy Medical Center.
Inland Empire Region
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Fontana;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Riverside.
Los Angeles Region
- Cedars‐Sinai Medical Group;
- HealthCare Partners Medical Group;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Antelope Valley;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Baldwin Park;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Downey;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Los Angeles;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Panorama City;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – South Bay;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – West Los Angeles;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Woodland Hills;
- UCLA Medical Group.
Orange County Region
- Bristol Park Medical Group;
- Edinger Medical Group;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Orange County;
- St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group;
- St. Jude Heritage Medical Group.
Sacramento/North Region
- Hill Physicians Medical Group – Solano Region;
- Mercy Medical Group/CHW Medical Foundation;
- Sutter Medical Group;
- Sutter West Medical Group;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Napa/Solano Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – North Valley/Roseville/Sacramento Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – Santa Rosa Medical Center;
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. – South Sacramento Medical Center.
San Diego Region
- Arch Health Partners;
- Sharp Rees‐Stealy Medical Group;
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group – San Diego;
- UC San Diego Medical Group.
Physician organizations that have demonstrated the most improvement over the previous year are recognized in memory of Ronald P. Bangasser, MD, who was a family physician and vice chairman of the board of Beaver Medical Group and a significant contributor to P4P and quality improvement initiatives.
Physician organizations in each P4P region that demonstrated the most quality improvement from 2008 to 2009 were:
- Bay Area Region: Hill Physicians Medical Group, Bay Region;
- Central Valley Region: Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, a Sutter Health Affiliate;
- Inland Empire Region: San Bernardino Medical Group, Inc.;
- Los Angeles Region: Bright Health Physicians of PIH;
- Orange County Region: St. Joseph Hospital Affiliated Physicians;
- Sacramento/North Region: Hill Physicians Medical Group, Sacramento Region;
- San Diego Region: Encompass Medical Group.
The 2009 measurement year results are also used by seven health plans – Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, CIGNA HealthCare of California, Health Net of California, Western Health Advantage and UnitedHealthcare – to calculate incentive payments for distribution to physician groups in 2010.
Health plan incentive payments paid in 2009 were $52 million to physician organizations as a result of meeting P4P measurement criteria for clinical quality, patient experience and information technology. Each health plan develops its own formula to determine payments, taking into consideration recommendations from the IHA P4P steering committee. Payments for 2009 are distributed during the fall of 2010.