Accountable Care Organization

Northwestern Medicine ACO, LLC, is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This recognizes our ability to work together with CMS and participating physicians to provide high-quality service to our Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries, ensuring they receive the right care at the right time in the right setting. As an organization, we work closely with physicians and other healthcare providers participating in the ACO to promote seamless, coordinated care.

Northwestern Medicine Physician Network ACO helps providers to track a Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiary’s services across multiple care settings to ensure that each healthcare provider who has a role in a Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiary’s care can have a complete picture—providing an improved care experience for each patient. This section describes important information for the public about Northwestern Medicine Physician Network ACO.


ACO Name and Location

Northwestern Medicine ACO, LLC
541 North Fairbanks Court, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60611


ACO Primary Contact

Jessica Walradt
312.926.5637
Jessica.Walradt@nm.org

Organizational Information

ACO participants:

ACO Participants ACO Participant in Joint Venture (Enter Y or N)
Aagaard 5, LLC N
Advanced Center for Internal Medicine N
Algimantas S Kerpe N
Allergy & Asthma Medical Associates N
Anjali Mehta N
Anne Marie Kudelka, MD, FACC, Center for Heart Health, LLC N
Armbrust 7 LLC N
Beata I Styka N
Bethany Cluskey N
Central DuPage Emergency Physicians PC N
Central DuPage Physician Group N
Constants Adams N
David K Zich N
Diane L Ozog, MDSC N
Emergency Medical Associates of Palos LTD N
Ewa V Hampston MD SC N
Grayslake Medical Group N
Instep Poidatry N
Internal Medicine Associates N
JeeYoon Park N
John Carroll N
Lakeshore Obstetrics and Gynecology N
Mass Medical SC N
Melinda Lukens N
NM Khan MD SC N
North Shore Medical Associates N
North Shore Primary Care N
North Suburban Family Physicians N
Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation N
Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery N
Northwestern Surgical Associates N
Patricia Katz N
Perry L Kamel MD SC N
Personalized Phsyciains Group LTd N
Premier General Medicine N
Radiology Subspecialists of Northern Illinois N
Ronald W Riegelhaupt N
Sean D O'Connor MD SC N
Shelly L Betman MD SC N
Suburban Neurology Group N
Surgery Group SC N
Timothy C Hain N
Valley Emergency Care Management N
Wheaton Eye N

ACO governing body:

Member Member's Voting Power (Expressed as a percentage) Membership Type ACO Participant TIN Legal Business Name/DBA, if Applicable
First Name Last Name Title/Position
Douglas Ambler
MD/Chair 12.5% Physician Representative Central DuPage Physician Group
Steven Armbrust
MD/Voting Member 12.5.% Physician Representative Armbrust 7, LLC
Christine Amstadt
DO/Voting Member 12.5.% Physician Representative Central DuPage Physician Group
Brian Walsh
Voting Member 12.5.% System Representative Central DuPage Hospital Association
Jon Aagaard
MD/Voting Member 12.5.% Physician Representative Aagaard 5, LLC
Phillip Roemer
MD/Voting Member 12.5.% Physician Representative Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
Cheryl
Wilkes MD/Voting Member 12.5.% Physician Representative Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
David Watt
Voting Member 12.5.% Medicare Beneficiary Representative N/A

Key ACO clinical and administrative leadership:

ACO Executive Brian Walsh
Medical Director Douglas Ambler
Compliance Officer Justine Dover
Quality Assurance/Improvement Officer Vanessa Flaherty

Associated committees and committee leadership:

Committee Name Committee Leader Name and Position
Physician and Patient Engagement Committee Dr. Douglas Ambler, Medical Director
Quality Improvement Committee Vanessa Flaherty

Types of ACO participants, or combinations of participants, that formed the ACO:

  • Hospital employing ACO professionals
  • Networks of individual practices of ACO professionals

Shared Savings and Losses

Amount of Shared Savings/Losses

  • Third Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2022, $0
  • Second Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2021, $0
    • Performance Year 2020, $0
    • Performance Year 2019, $0
    • Performance Year 2018, $0
  • First Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2017, $0
    • Performance Year 2016, $0
    • Performance Year 2015, $0

Shared Savings Distribution

  • Third Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2022
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
  • Second Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2021
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
    • Performance Year 2020
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
    • Performance Year 2019
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
    • Performance Year 2018
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
  • First Agreement Period
    • Performance Year 2017
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
    • Performance Year 2016
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A
    • Performance Year 2015
      • Proportion invested in infrastructure: N/A
      • Proportion invested in redesigned care processes/resources: N/A
      • Proportion of distribution to ACO participants: N/A

    Quality Performance Results

    2022 Quality Performance Results:

    Quality performance results are based on CMS Web Interface.

    Measure # Measure Name Collection Type Rate ACO Mean
    Quality ID#: 001 Diabetes: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Poor Control CMS Web Interface 6.57 10.71
    Quality ID#: 134 Preventative Care and Screening: Screening for Depression and Follow-up Plan CMS Web Interface 87.90 76.97
    Quality ID#: 236 Controlling High Blood Pressure CMS Web Interface 73.44 76.16
    Quality ID#: 318 Falls: Screening for Future Fall Risk CMS Web Interface 98.10 87.83
    Quality ID#: 110 Preventative Care and Screening: Influenza Immunization CMS Web Interface 93.05 77.34
    Quality ID#: 226 Preventative Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention CMS Web Interface 92.31 79.27
    Quality ID#: 113 Colorectal Cancer Screening CMS Web Interface 83.98 75.32
    Quality ID#: 112 Breast Cancer Screening CMS Web Interface 80.48 78.07
    Quality ID#: 438 Statin Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease CMS Web Interface 89.96 86.37
    Quality ID#: 370 Depression Remission at Twelve Months CMS Web Interface 1.96 16.03
    Quality ID#: 321 CAHPS for MIPS CAHPS for MIPS Survey N/A N/A
    Measure#: 479 Hospital-Wide, 30-Day, All-Cause Unplanned Readmission (HWR) Rate for MIPS Groups Administrative Claims 0.1576 0.1510
    Measure#: 484 Clinician and Clinician Group Risk-standardized Hospital Admission Rates for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions Administrative Claims 39.74 30.97

    For previous years’ Financial and Quality Performance Results, please visit: data.cms.gov