1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"Growing an ACO — Easier Said Than Done" by Jason Roberson.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
September/October 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Baylor Health Care System, a Dallas-based not-for-profit hospital system, is working to become an accountable care organization by 2015. Reaching that goal will not be easy. Like others exploring ACOs, Baylor must contend with decades-old federal and state laws, once written to protect patients, but now outdated for new-age payment models. Internally Baylor still must manage an imminent cultural shock of physicians' wages being determined by stacks of quality data.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I reviewed insurance laws of all 50 states and recorded my findings in a spreadsheet to assit the reporting.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I spent two days with a home health care nurse, sat bedside with a dying patient, spent days in the office of Baylor Health Care System CEO and interviewed no less than 10 accountable care organization experts for this story.
6. Results (if any).
Nothing unusual.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
With any larger health care story, start with the human interest reporting first. It will help focus your research and provide the necessary motivation for finishing the task.