JAMA Commentary Discusses Accountable Care Systems; Report Examines Care Provided by HRSA-Funded Health Care Centers

• "Health Care Reform Requires Accountable Care Systems," Journal of the American Medical Association: In the JAMA commentary, Stephen Shortell of the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health and Lawrence Casalino of the Department of Health Studies at the University of Chicago propose the concept of accountable care systems, which would "implement organized processes for improving the quality and controlling the costs of care and be held accountable for the results." The authors suggest five ACS models: multispecialty group practice, hospital medical staff organization, physician-hospital organization, interdependent physician organization, and health plan-provider organization or network. Shortell and Casalino write that incentives must be developed to encourage physicians to join or form organizations that can improve health care quality and reduce costs, and they make several recommendations to create incentives that maintain patient and physician choice (Shortell/Casalino, JAMA, 7/2).
  
  
• "Health Centers -- America's Primary Care Safety Net: Reflections on Success, 2002-2007," Health Resources and Services Administration: The report uses personal stories, examples and background statistics to describe the effects of HRSA-funded health centers on the more than 16 million low-income, minority patients treated at the centers annually. The report also examines efforts by HRSA grantees to overcome language and cultural barriers in providing care (HRSA release, 7/1).