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HL Shorts: Tips for Operating a Successful ACO

Analysis  |  By Christopher Cheney  
   July 02, 2025

Kriel Ramcharitar, MD, MPH, vice president and CMO for value-based care at BayCare Health System shares his tips for running a successful accountable care organization.

Ramcharitar's leadership experience prior to joining BayCare in May includes serving as vice president and CMO of Memorial Hermann Health System's Accountable Care Organization and Population Health Service Organization.

There are several factors involved in operating a successful ACO, according to Ramcharitar.

"You need effective care coordination that is proportionate to the needs of your communities and populations," Ramcharitar says. "You need an evidence-based approach to pharmacy, including medication adherence and comprehensive medication management."

An ACO should have teams conducting outreach for quality gap closure, Ramcharitar explains. For example, an ACO should have outreach to patients who need breast cancer and colorectal cancer screening.

Find out about more of Ramcharitar's ACO tips by clicking on the video below. To read the accompanying HealthLeaders story, click here.

Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

To succeed in value-based care, health systems must have the right infrastructure and structures, including an electronic medical record to help the health system know how it is performing on metrics in terms of cost and quality.

The capabilities of successful accountable care organizations include effective care coordination proportionate to the needs of communities and populations.

Succeeding in population health involves a strong collaborative approach with primary care.


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