Joel J. Reich, a speaker at the marcus evans National Healthcare CMO/CMIO Summit 2014, on what changes ACOs will bring about. Interview with: Joel J. Reich, MD, FACEP, MMM, CPE, SVP for Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer, Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN)

1. How the ACO Model Will Impact the
CMO/CMIO Role
money and measuring performance in
new ways. How will power be shared?
How will they all work together? Who
will fund these organizations and
infrastructures? Who will be equipped to
lead these organizations?
What cultural transformation is
required to make this model work?
What do CMOs and CMIOs need to
know?
Interview with: Joel J. Reich, MD,
FACEP, MMM, CPE, SVP for Medical
Affairs/Chief Medical Officer,
Eastern Connecticut Health Network
(ECHN)
There will be many process and
technological changes coming with
Accountable Care Organizations
(ACOs), but the biggest challenge is
change itself, according to Joel J. Reich,
MD, FACEP, MMM, CPE, SVP for Medical
Affairs/Chief Medical Officer, Eastern
Connecticut Health Network (ECHN).
“With clinical integration and ACOs, we
are forming new business entities and
connecting the clinical and business
sides like we have never done before.
This requires cooperation, decisionmaking and governance sharing on a
difference scale,” he says.
A speaker at the marcus evans
National Healthcare CMO/CMIO
Summit 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada,
March 6-7, Reich discusses what will
change for the CMO and CMIO.
What organizational changes is the
ACO model bringing about?
Most of the changes are around the
changing culture, how the business and
clinical systems interconnect, and how
the idea is sold to physicians,
administrators and health plans.
The biggest challenge is change itself.
Organizations are moving from an
environment where they were
competing against each other to one
where they will be sharing patients,
First, there needs to be a clear vision of
the business purpose and an
understanding of the organizational
goals. They cannot go in believing they
have to do it, “because everyone else is
doing it”. They must understand what is
fundamentally driving change in the US
healthcare system, at the political and
economic level, and how it relates to
their local situation.
Third, they must be able to sell the
concept of pay for performance and risk
assumption to physicians and be able to
explain the impact on patients. You can
form a new business entity with by-laws
and dues, but buy-in from the people
who will be operating within the system
is crucial.
How must
cooperate?
the
different
entities
Starting at the top when the new
organization is being formed, it is
important to figure out how the
governance board is made up. Whether
it is a Medicare or a private ACO, there
must be a business case and a
significant number of physicians on the
board for policy development and
enforcement, decision-making, and
quality management. Contractual and
financial infrastructure has to be built,
as well as Information Technology (IT)
infrastructure.
Data from many disparate systems
(insurance transaction and clinical) must
be available in one place, in a system
that can collect, analyze and display the
data to manage care, measure
performance, and enable business
modeling.
How will this impact the CMO/CMIO
role?
Traditional leadership roles are changing
and new roles are emerging. CMOs are
getting progressively more involved in
clinical integration including IT. In some
organizations CMIOs are leading the IT
function, while in others they lead the
clinical aspects of IT. Some report to the
CIO but others to the CMO. The makeup
of the rest of the executive group
includes new roles such as Chief
Transformation, Integration or
Technology Officer.
Buy-in from
the people
who will be
operating
within the
system is
crucial

2. About the National Healthcare CMO/CMIO Summit 2014
The
marcus
groups
evans
deliver
Summits
peer-to-peer
information on strategic matters,
professional
trends
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breakthrough innovations.
This unique forum will take place at the Red Rock Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada,
March 6-7, 2014. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade
show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders
and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The
Summit includes presentations on effective CPOE adoption, overcoming the
challenges faced in fulfilling
Meaningful Use Stage 2, improving physician
documentation and dealing with EMR systems.
www.nhcmiosummit.com
Please note that the Summit is a
closed
number
business
of
event
participants
and
the
strictly
limited.
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