Becker's Hospital Review

96 Executive Briefing direct-to-employer contracts. The CIN was developed as a pediatric partner for a direct-to-employer contract between Boeing and University of Washington Medicine, as well as UW's larger ACO, which currently encompasses more than 1,000 primary care providers and more than 4,000 specialists. SCCN began the URAC accreditation process in 2017 to build credibility in contract negotiations with payers. "We were talking with more and more purchasers about other value-based arrangements," says Ginger Hines, senior director of operations at SCCN, which is currently in the midst of their accreditation review process. "We realized accreditation would allow us to demonstrate we were organized and in full compliance with FTC regulations. It would help give our board and sponsoring organization — Seattle Children's — the confidence we are in alignment around being clinically integrated." URAC accreditation is recognized as a seal of approval by many health plans because most state-based payers and Medicaid managed care companies are also URAC accredited. "It's very well respected in the health plan market," Ms. Hines says. Tips for success Achieving accreditation is no easy feat. Here are six top suggestions to make the process smoother, pulled from the playbooks of St. Vincent's, Seattle Children's and Phoenix Children's integrated networks. 1. Make sure accreditation is right for your organization. Accreditation is a major undertaking. "You don't go into this lightly," Ms. Hines advises. "It's a lot of work, but if you are serious about becoming a CIN, it's totally worth it." Mr. Lanning agreed the process is extensive. CINs will gain the most from accreditation if they are in it for the right reasons. "Make sure you are doing it to improve yourself and keep it going on an ongoing basis, not just to get a rubber stamp every few years." 2. Get buy-in from the top. "Make sure you have support from the top down," Mr. Osborne says. His key to success: Ensure C-suite leadership and board members have a clear vision of what community physician engagement and accreditation will look like in their delivery network. Empowered with that vision, administrators can deliver a consistent message and engage stakeholders throughout the process. 3. Choose your accreditation team wisely. "Traditionally, networks have relied on current hospital expertise [to oversee accreditation]. However, CINs are a totally different ballgame," Mr. Osborne says. "Fresh talent with good, innovative ideas really helps support achieving the accreditation." Building a robust team doesn't require a massive human resource investment. However, Mr. Osborne recommends enlisting the appropriate number of employees to ensure the workload is manageable. 4. Start early and stay organized. "If I were starting a new CIN, I would start the URAC process sooner," Ms. Hines says. "Or at least look at the 35 standards and make sure you are dotting the I's and crossing the T's as you set up your CIN." Mr. Lanning agreed. "I would have started a year earlier than I did," says Mr. Lanning. "It's a lot even though we are a small organization." The process requires a significant amount of documentation, which is easier to organize proactively than to sift through reactively. 5. Dedicate a space to the process. "It takes some resources in terms of time and manpower," Ms. Hines says. "We set up a war room to get us over the hump." After months of work, the project coordinator at SCCN pulled together approximately 1,000 pages of documentation for URAC's 35 standards for accreditation. They used the "war room" to map out the standards on the walls and the documentation together so executives, staff and management could review and redline the content. 6. Keep it simple. Organizations should be mindful that accreditation is an ongoing improvement process. "Don't overcomplicate it," Mr. Osborne says. "We spent so much time overthinking a lot of the aspects. A lot of health systems spend time thinking this is something we need to create systems for and buy technology and overstaff and engage hundreds of employees. Even 50 employees — it doesn't necessarily take all that. Start simple. Keep it simple, and don't let perfection stand in the way of progress." Differentiate your CIN with accreditation As the healthcare industry moves toward value-based care, independent providers see value in joining CINs to gain access to clinical resources and improve their market standing. Accreditation is one way to bring the CIN to the next level. For hospitals, medical groups and community physicians just starting their CIN journey, accreditation programs help ensure their newly launched CIN is positioned for long-term success. Not only will it instill a culture of continuous improvement, but the accreditation process will provide a framework for operational efficiency and antitrust compliance. URAC accreditation is recognized as a seal of quality throughout the industry, helping newly minted CINs gain credibility with potential partners and supporting existing CINs thrive in the time of value-based contracts. While the process may seem formidable, your organization will come out on the other side as more efficient, more organized and more focused on improving the value of care for patients. "URAC very much acts as a partner," Mr. Osborne says. "Their No. 1 goal is to ensure we are not just checking the boxes, but we are really doing what we say we're doing." n Founded in 1990, URAC is the independent leader in advancing healthcare quality through lead- ership, accreditation, measurement and innovation. URAC offers a wide range of quality bench- marking programs that reflect the latest changes in healthcare and provide a symbol of excel- lence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability. URAC's evidence-based measures and standards are developed through inclusive engagement with a broad range of stakeholders committed to improving the quality of healthcare. For more information, visit urac.org.

• Cover