APP Key Messages | August 26, 2021

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August 26, 2021

In this issue

2020 MSSP Results
Devoted Health
COVID-19 Updates
Supporting Your Practice

Announcing Our 2020 MSSP Results

Earlier today, we announced the great news that our three Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs combined generated the highest savings of any integrated health system in the nation at $110 million in 2020 – bringing our total savings for the federal government and taxpayers to $423 million since entering the program in 2012. APP aligned physicians in our Illinois MSSP ACO played an integral role in achieving these outstanding results. Despite the numerous challenges we faced this past year, you rallied as a team and coordinated care to ensure our patients received the highest quality outcomes. Learn more.

Get to Know Devoted Health

We recently announced that APP will participate with Devoted Health, one of the fastest growing Medicare Advantage (MA) companies, to launch an MA HMO plan for seniors across northern Illinois in 2022. The plan will include the strength and scope of our Illinois clinically-integrated network, including our APP aligned and Illinois medical group physicians and APCs. RSVP for an upcoming 30-minute webinar to learn more:

Tuesday, Aug. 31: 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 1: 9 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 2: 1 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 9: 9 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: 11 a.m.

This communication is for internal educational purposes only and should not be forwarded to patients. All 2022 plan offerings are dependent on CMS contract approval.

Submitting vaccine verification

Advocate Aurora Health is requiring all team members, including physicians, medical staff members and other privileged practitioners, students, remote workers, volunteers and vendors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 15.

You will need to submit verification of vaccination status, even if you were vaccinated at an Advocate Aurora vaccine clinic. This is because aligned physician data is not stored in Advocate Aurora’s employee health database. We appreciate your partnership to ensure we have accurate records. Please reach out to your primary Advocate hospital’s Medical Staff Services team with any questions.

COVID-19 booster update: We're providing boosters to eligible moderately and severely immunocompromised patients. These individuals can now schedule a booster via our LiveWell app or by contacting their PCP’s office.

Returning to Limited Visitor Guidelines policy: Due to the increasing spread of COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant in our communities, we’re returning to our Limited Visitor Policy on Aug. 30 in our hospitals, emergency departments and clinics that have shared hospital entrances.

National tocilizumab shortage: There is currently a nationwide shortage of tocilizumab (Actemra), which is limiting supply across Advocate Aurora Health. Review this SBAR.

CDC reminders regarding “off-label use” of FDA-approved vaccines: The CDC and FDA do NOT recommend off-label use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine which was fully approved (under new name of Comirnaty) by the FDA for ages 16 years and older earlier this week.

Malignant Hematology Project: Less than 50% of patients with blood cancers (Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other cancers affecting the bone marrow) achieve protective levels of antibodies after two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Cancer Service Line has launched a project to measure antibody levels before and after the 3rd dose booster to help our oncologists learn more about how to keep our patients with blood cancers safe. Review this patient flyer to help answer questions from patients.

Epic Transformation

Epic Connect "Day in the Life"

As our first six APP aligned practices prepare to go live on Epic Connect in September, we continue to share feedback on their journey.

I'm excited to implement Epic in my practice because of its ability to interface with multiple hospital and physician EMRs. I believe this will help my practice deliver the best care for our patients. The implementation team has been excellent and available anytime for questions. It has been a very organized process from the pre-contract meetings to the training. The training staff has been excellent and has been able to find answers quickly for any questions brought up during training sessions that are custom to my practice. I am looking forward to a smooth transition and grateful to have the opportunity to have Epic in my practice. I am happy to talk to anyone about our experience thus far.

Beth H. Samuelsohn, DO

North Suburban Family Medicine, Lutheran PHO

Refresher: About Epic Connect

The Epic Connect platform will support us in our vision to transform how we deliver care and lead the nation in delivering better health care value. More than just an ambulatory EMR, this single platform of Advocate Aurora Health’s instance of Epic integrates claims, billing, referrals, scheduling and more.

Some key benefits include:

One patient. One record: enhances safety and high reliability
Real-time claims status and billing information to save time and improve efficiency
Robust care gap and clinical risk adjustment features
Manual entry for Cerner decreased
CPT II coding reduction
Point-of-care clinical decision support and alerts to assist in meeting CI goals
CareEverywhere gives you access to your patients’ health records from across Advocate Aurora Health as well as other systems on Epic
Enhanced access from any device, from anywhere
LiveWell app pulls in all Advocate Aurora encounters and health data into one user friendly portal for patients
Seamless referrals under one system

Epic Sepsis Best Practice Advisory (BPA) Go-Live on Sept. 21

The prevention, identification and treatment of sepsis is critical to achieving our goal of zero patient harm. In line with our high reliability journey, a systemwide Epic Sepsis BPA with related workflows will go-live on Sept. 21 within Advocate Aurora acute care sites. Training and education is underway and will continue as we approach go-live during Sepsis Awareness Month (September). Read SBAR and FAQ.

Supporting Your Practice

Clinical Integration program: Review recent issue's update.

Flu shot deadline: All team members, including physicians and APCs, must receive a flu shot by Oct. 29 or complete a medical or religious exemption form by Sept. 17. Flu shots will be offered in September; details and flu shot availability will be forthcoming. View FAQ.

Elevating Our Expertise

The Advocate Aurora Research Institute recently published its 2020 annual report, detailing nearly 1,200 projects including 17 COVID-19 research studies. Read about how our research is positively impacting patients.

Additional research updates:

Continuing Medical Education

Ethics virtual event focused on black maternal mortality

Sept. 9 | 10 a.m. - noon

Keynote Speaker:

Keisha S. Ray, PhD, Assistant Professor, McGovern Center for Humanities & Ethics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School

The 2021 Plous family lecture and panel conversation seeks to increase awareness of how health inequities and systematic racism contribute to significant racial disparities in maternal health, and how bioethics can help confront them. Participate in the virtual break-out sessions with colleagues.