Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) are groups of doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who voluntarily come together with the goal of delivering: 

  • Better care for patients 

  • Better health for communities 

  • Smarter spending through improvement 

As one of Wisconsin's first ACOs, UW Health ACO is a partnership between UW Health, UnityPoint Health — Meriter physicians, clinics, hospitals, Access Community Health Center and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Together, UW Health ACO participants work to better coordinate your care whether you are in the primary care office, seeing a specialist, admitted to the hospital or at home.

Here are some of the ways that UW Health ACO works to improve your care and overall health: 

  • You are the center of care, and your providers are better able to keep you informed and honor your choices.

  • Care providers communicate with each other to provide better-coordinated care. 

  • Care providers have more information about your medical conditions, prescriptions and visits enabling them to provide the right care at the right time in the right setting. 

  • Care providers will be accountable to you and to payers for providing better care and better care coordination.

ACO name and location

UW Health ACO, Inc.
7974 UW Health Court MC: 1020
Middleton, WI 53562

ACO primary contact

Robin Lankton, President UW Health ACO, Inc.
UW Health ACO, Inc.
uwhealthaco@uwhealth.org
(608) 821-4998

Medicare Shared Savings Program Public Reporting Information

Public reporting template

ACO clinical and administrative leadership

Robin Lankton
UW Health
President and CEO, UW Health ACO, Inc.

Kirsten Abramson, MD
UW Health
Vice President, UW Health ACO, Inc.

Sancia Ferguson, MD
UW Health
Medical Director, UW Health ACO, Inc.

ACO governing body

Elizabeth Trowbridge, MD (chair)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Katie Brietzman (Consumer advocate)
NewBridge Madison
Voting power: 10%

Yohualli B. Anaya, MD (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Alexis Eastman, MD (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Joanne Holland (member)
Access Community Health Centers
Voting power: 10%

Ryan Klein (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

R. Allan Jhagroo, MD (member)
UW Health
Voting power: 10%

Farah Khan, MD (member)
UnityPoint Health - Meriter
Voting power: 10%

Julieanne Pofahl (Medicare beneficiary)
Voting power: 10%

MSSP SNF Affiliate List

MSSP SNF affiliate list

ACO REACH model results

Shared savings and losses

Performance Year 1 (2023): -$7,313,214.10

Quality performance

ACO REACH update

UW Health ACO has voluntarily terminated its participation in ACO REACH and is no longer participating in the ACO REACH Professional Model for 2024. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed termination was effective March 31, 2024.

Direct contracting professional model results

Shared savings and losses

Performance Year 1 (2022): $2,439,046

  • The proportion of shared savings invested in infrastructure, redesigned care processes and other resources necessary to improve outcomes and reduce Medicare costs for beneficiaries:

    • Performance Year 1: $1,411,546

  • The proportion of shared savings distributed to Next Generation participants and preferred providers:

    • Performance Year 1: $1,027,500

Quality performance

Next Generation ACO Model results

Shared savings and losses

Performance Year 3 (2018): $4,587,813
Performance Year 4 (2019): $9,182,423
Performance Year 5 (2020): $8,772,746
Performance Year 6 (2021): $2,758,988

  • The proportion of shared savings invested in infrastructure, redesigned care processes and other resources necessary to improve outcomes and reduce Medicare costs for beneficiaries:

    • Performance Year 3: $2,587,813

    • Performance Year 4: $3,384,672 

    • Performance Year 5: $2,772,746

    • Performance Year 6: $1,439,758

  • The proportion of shared savings distributed to Next Generation participants and preferred providers:

    • Performance Year 3: $2,000,000

    • Performance Year 4: $5,797,751 

    • Performance Year 5: $6,000,000

    • Performance Year 6: $1,319,230

Quality performance

For UW Health patients:
(800) 552-4255

For UnityPoint Health - Meriter patients:
(608) 417-6027

For Access Community Health patients:
(608) 443-5480

Population health partners with our providers and staff to develop programs designed to improve health. These programs may take place in the hospital, clinic, community or in your home.

We also work in partnership with our colleagues in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Community Relations on initiatives that promote health equity.

Learn more about Population Health at UW Health

Learn about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UW Health

Learn about Community Relations at UW Health