With support from FaegreBD Consulting, the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, Ohio has been developing the concept of an Accountable Care Community (ACC). The ACC is a new integrated health model which aims to foster collaborations borne of shared responsibility among various sector participants to transform health in Northeast Ohio.

The institute convened a group of experts from leading health organizations around the country to discuss the need for this new model of health. The goal of this "Healthier by Design: Creating Accountable Care Communities" forum was to discuss strategies for building an efficient, sustainable model of care that promotes health, prevents disease, addresses gaps in the system, and increases access to high-quality services while lowering costs.

The insights from this discussion and analysis of the needs of the local market have been captured in a white paper that introduces the concept, collaborators and stakeholders; infrastructure and mechanisms; implementation steps; and metrics for assessing success of an ACC. Read the full paper.