ACCN Develops Bed Availability Systems

AAHSA alliance forges ahead

This is one in an occasional series of case studies on AAHSA member alliances. AAHSA members have formed or joined 65 alliances representing 18 percent of the membership.

The Alliance Continuing Care Network (ACCN), which serves the greater New York metropolitan area, has implemented a state-of-the-art bed availability system as a free service to hospitals and managed care organizations.

"The toll-free number (1-877-ACCN BED) provides bed availability information at 21 of the leading (long term care) facilities across the metropolitan area," said John David Smith, CEO of the ACCN. "With a single telephone call, hospital discharge planners and (managed care) case managers can place patients needing skilled nursing care, short-stay rehabilitation and subacute care for medically complex patients as well as home care, hospice care, AIDS care and/or pediatric care."

Smith said the ACCN is working on increasing referrals through it managed care contracts, and the bed availability toll-free system makes it easy for discharge planners and case managers to place patients in ACCN's participating not-for-profit facilities. Also, he added, ACCN is working on utilizing the shared expertise of its clinical staff to further elevate the high level of medical care patients receive.

Operational since 1995, ACCN came together to establish contracts with managed care organizations, implement cost-saving initiatives, and work as a team to strengthen administration, management, clinical problem solving, professional development, recruitment, communication, education, and pediatric and elder care advocacy. Membership has grown from five to 15 organizations representing 21 facilities, all of which are not-for-profit. The network is committed to providing high quality, cost-efficient health care and innovative products that address consumers' needs.

To date, ACCN has five managed care contracts with four more to be added shortly. An attractive service is that the network offers centralized contracting and credentialing for all 21 facilities, representing 7,100 nursing care beds and over 1,000 subacute beds. By the end of 1999, said Smith, ACCN will have successfully completed 168 credentialing applications.

What makes the network unique is that each of the 15 member organizations' CEOs plays an active role in its governance and operation. The CEO-led board established a strategic plan and meets monthly, as do its committees, to measure progress toward challenging goals related to clinical guidelines, cost containment, marketing, managed care, purchasing and information systems.

ACCN has a newsletter and has created a Web site (www.allcarenet.org) to link its member facilities with one another and the network. A quarterly newsletter also is planned for discharge planners, social workers and case managers in managed care organizations under an ACCN contract.

For more information about ACCN, contact Kerri Hennelly at (212) 697-3000, ext. 135; khennelly@loebtroper.com. For information on alliances in general, contact Diana Elani, (202) 508-9480; delani@aahsa.org.

Subacute Care
      A network of 21 continuing care facilities in the New York area debuted a toll-free service designed to make it easier to place patients leaving hospitals for subacute care. With a single telephone call, the service provides hospital discharge planners and HMO case managers with information on the beds available within the Alliance Continuing Care Network. Alliance's members include facilities in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. The number is 1-(877) ACCN-BED.