Comment on Smyser addresses Accountable Care Community

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The region’s Accountable Care Community is about to turn 1 year old, and that population health effort did some reflecting Thursday at the Bristol Regional Medical Center. The ACC is a collaborative group with the goal to transform the health of this region. It consists of more than 200 individual organizations with more than 250 representatives who have joined forces to improve community health. A formalized partnership of Ballad Health, Healthy Kingsport and the United Way of Southwest Virginia serves as the ACC's backbone, which uses the collective impact model to align the efforts of all sectors of a community or region to accomplish shared objectives. An ACC leadership council, comprised of 24 regional, multi-sector leaders, helps set direction and aligns focus overall and within sectors — such as education, business and community organizations — with every member organization having a unique role. Dr.