Sandra Van Trease to Serve on Board for The National Association of ACOs

(Jan. 18, 2019 – ST. LOUIS) – Sandra Van Trease, BJC HealthCare group president and president of BJC HealthCare ACO, has been elected to the board of directors for The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS). Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are health care organizations comprised of groups of doctors, hospitals and other providers taking responsibility for delivering high-quality, coordinated care as well as managing the total cost of health care for their patients.

NAACOS was formed by ACOs from across the country to foster the growth of ACO models of care, to participate with federal agencies in the development and implementation of public policy, to provide industry-wide uniformity on quality and performance measures, and to educate the public about the value of accountable care. It is the largest association of Medicare ACOs, representing 5.5 million beneficiary lives through over 340 ACO members.

As a board member for The National Association of ACOs, and chair of the policy committee, Van Trease will help shape priorities such as advocating on behalf of ACOs with Congress and the executive branch, educating ACOs in operational and clinical best practices, and providing education to the public about ACOs. Board members serve three-year terms.

BJC HealthCare formed its ACO in 2012, and currently provides services to approximately 40,000 Medicare Traditional and 20,000 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. BJC ACO was the only integrated health system in the St. Louis area to earn shared savings in 2017, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The BJC ACO overall quality score for 2017 was 98 percent, exceeding by nearly eight points the national average of 90 percent. The 2017 data was released in late 2018.