Rhode Island Primary Care and UnitedHealthcare Collaborate to Improve Patient Care in Rhode Island

Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation (RIPCPC) and UnitedHealthcare have launched an accountable care organization (ACO) to improve the care coordination and provide enhanced health services for more than 15,000 Rhode Island residents enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s employer-sponsored health plans.

RIPCPC has been dedicated to improving patient outcomes since 1994. The state’s largest independent practice association has a track record of developing innovative approaches to health care delivery that foster improved quality, enhanced patient satisfaction and reduced cost.

This new ACO will help continue shifting Rhode Island’s health care system to one that rewards quality and value rather than the volume of procedures performed. The practice’s 130 primary care physicians will manage all aspects of patients’ care, providing the right care in the right place at the right time. Physicians in the ACO will receive regular patient updates, enabling the care providers to monitor the care patients are receiving, and enhancing RIPCPC’s patient-management capabilities.

RIPCPC’s care providers will be eligible to receive payment incentives based on evidence-based measures such as hospital readmission rates, disease management and prevention, patient safety and care delivery, as well as total cost savings and patient satisfaction.

“We have long partnered with UnitedHealthcare to apply our expertise in health care innovation and patient-centered programs to improve the health of its plan participants and the broader Rhode Island community,” said Al Puerini, M.D., president and CEO, RIPCPC. “Together, we can continue to increase patient engagement to achieve better health outcomes and improve patient satisfaction, while reducing the overall cost of care.”