In 2009, they launched the Brookings–Dartmouth ACO pilot program, which involved five diverse provider groups who agreed to take responsibility for overall quality and costs of care for their patients, had a committed payer partner, and had sufficient patient population to support comprehensive care coordination and performance measurement. In addition to providing technical consultation and support, Brookings–Dartmouth conducted case study evaluations of four of the organizations to inform providers, payers, and policy makers about the process of ACO formation,2 and developed a Learning Network of emerging ACOs and supporting organizations and companies.
