KENNETT SQUARE, PA — LTC ACO is expanding its focus on performance analytics and hospice coordination as participating long-term care providers prepare for the next performance year under Medicare’s value-based care framework, following a two-day meeting of clinical leaders and industry partners in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 5-6.
The organization’s 2026 Partner Summit brought together participating medical practices, clinical leaders and outside experts to address Medicare accountable care organization benchmarking, quality performance, regulatory compliance and operational challenges affecting long-term care providers.
Central to the discussions was how practices can use performance data to identify deficiencies earlier, improve clinical decision-making and coordinate care across nursing facilities and other healthcare organizations.
LTC ACO demonstrated performance dashboards intended to help participating practices move beyond reviewing historical results and identify opportunities for improvement during the performance year.
The tools are designed to make quality and operational information more accessible, allowing clinical teams to prioritize interventions, address performance gaps and monitor their progress.
Participating providers also examined how to use performance reports, improve clinical documentation and strengthen relationships with nursing facilities.
Those priorities reflect the operational demands of accountable care arrangements, which link healthcare delivery to measures of quality, spending and patient outcomes.
“The strength of LTC ACO has always been in the experience and expertise of our partners,” Brittain Brantley, the organization’s acting president and chief operating officer, stated.
The discussions also placed greater emphasis on hospice and palliative care, particularly the timing of services and coordination among providers caring for patients with serious illnesses.
Ab Brody, assistant dean for transformational excellence in aging at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, examined the clinical and financial implications of hospice care, including differences in provider quality, dementia-related needs and gaps in care coordination.
His presentation identified earlier palliative care involvement and stronger collaboration among accountable care organizations, primary care practices, nursing facilities and hospice providers as potential ways to improve care.
The discussion also challenged the use of hospice length of stay as an isolated performance measure.
Instead, participants examined how enrollment timing, hospital utilization, care transitions, quality and patient and family experiences contribute to the overall value of hospice services.
Very late hospice enrollment and hospitalizations following hospice discharge were identified as areas warranting additional attention because of their potential effects on care continuity and total healthcare spending.
“Hospice and palliative care can create meaningful value for patients, families, and the organizations caring for them, but that value depends on timing, quality, and coordination,” Brody stated.
For LTC ACO, the emphasis on serious-illness care adds another dimension to efforts to improve performance across participating practices and their facility partners.
The organization is seeking to connect clinical priorities with operational tools that help providers recognize patient needs, coordinate services and address quality gaps.
Sessions also addressed preparation for the coming performance year, including Medicare benchmarking, clinical documentation requirements and compliance responsibilities.
A panel of participating providers discussed approaches to selecting ACO initiatives, interpreting performance reports and working with nursing facilities to improve results.
LTC ACO plans to continue the work through educational programming, office hours and direct engagement with participating practices.
The initiatives are intended to translate the operational and clinical priorities identified in Louisville into changes in how participating providers monitor performance and coordinate long-term care services.
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