For Employers

​​​More integrated, high-quality care that is more affordable for everyone

The UW Medicine Accountable Care Network offers employers a new way to provide integrated, high-quality healthcare to their employees. At its core, our network is a value proposition to employers. By working together, we can change the healthcare equation to improve patient experience and improve the health of both individuals and populations. In turn, the care we provide becomes more affordable for both companies and their employees.

By establishing specific performance measurements for the quality and coordination of care that we provide, we ensure that patients receive the exceptional care they deserve. Employers gain the confidence that the healthcare product they have invested in will improve the health and well-being of their workforces.

A product designed specifically to meet each company’s needs

The UW Medicine Accountable Care Network is an extension of UW Medicine’s patient- and family-centered approach to delivering high-quality healthcare. Our members include many of the region’s finest healthcare organizations, all sharing a commitment to high-quality, compassionate care.

But we know that what’s right for one employer isn’t necessarily what’s right for the next. That’s why we work with each employer to select a specific cross-section of hospitals and clinics with the geographic reach and services to meet their company’s needs. Each provider in our network is fully committed to providing high-quality care and delivering on the enhanced patient services provided through our accountable care network.

When employees select the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network, they have access to an enhanced level of service. This includes quicker access to providers, greater after-hours availability, and access to more online tools to support healthcare planning and management.

 

The UW Medicine Accountable Care Network spans many cities and neighborhoods, and includes:

1,328+

primary care providers

9,160+

specialists

1,745+

clinics

21

hospitals

54

urgent care clinics

20

emergency departments

For a list of our accountable care network services and geographic reach, please visit the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network webpage.

Shared goals, shared savings

The UW Medicine Accountable Care Network works with each employer to be accountable for the quality and cost of care delivered to patients. We share deficits and savings with employers based on performance metrics for patient satisfaction, quality and per member/per month benchmarks. In addition to enhanced clinical services, employees who select the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network option will benefit from lower monthly premiums and smaller co-pays.

Throughout the process, we work with employers to use evidence-based practices to improve the patient experience, including measuring and evaluating progress on different health indicators. By working together, we keep patients healthy and out of the hospital, before potential health conditions require more extensive – and expensive – care.

Uniquely equipped to deliver

For the past 10 years, UW Medicine has invested in the human resources and information technology platforms needed to deliver accountable care.

Our patient- and family-centered culture has oriented all entities within the UW Medicine system to place the patient’s needs at the center of everything we do. Our long-standing goals – including patient safety and satisfaction, quality outcome measures, cost controls and employee satisfaction – are the foundation for our success as an accountable care network. We selected member organizations for the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network that share this same philosophy, to ensure that no matter where patients go in our network, they will experience the same level of patient-focused care.

UW Medicine has made substantial investments in the tools required to serve as an integrated healthcare organization. These include our Contact Center, information technology systems and other tools to improve each patient’s healthcare experience. One example is our work to meet federal Meaningful Use goals to use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to improve quality and safety and reduce health disparities; engage patients and their families; improve care coordination; and maintain privacy and security of patient health information. The goals of Meaningful Use are better clinical outcomes, improved population health outcomes and increased transparency.

Working together to transform healthcare

The UW Medicine Accountable Care Network works with each employer and their health plans to deliver on the promise of accountable care. The partnership begins with the design of a healthcare product that meets the needs of each company’s employees – but that is just the start. As part of our commitment to accountability, we are continuously adapting and responding to employees’ healthcare needs as they change over time. Together, we will measure and evaluate our progress using a variety of health indicators and other outcomes.

Contact Information

For business inquiries or to request more information about the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network, please contact:

Business Affairs, UW Medicine
uwmbusaf@uw.edu