NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sound Accountable Care, an accountable care organization (ACO) within Sound Physicians, led shared savings for all Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs focused on long-term care and facility-based beneficiaries in performance year 2024.
In only its second year of performance, Sound Accountable Care saved Medicare nearly $114 million in total shared savings, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). However, it’s the actions behind the savings that demonstrate the significance of Sound Accountable Care’s impact:
- Emergency department visits decreased by 7.6%
- Short-term hospitalizations decreased by 13.3%
- ED visits leading to hospitalization decreased by 13.8%
Sound Accountable Care accomplished these results through an unrelenting focus on three foundational areas:
- Data-driven support: Advanced analytics identify patients who benefit from earlier intervention, post-discharge follow-ups from acute-care settings, and targeted review of outlier performance and utilization.
- Care coordination at scale: Dedicated quality improvement nurses support practices to strengthen care coordination, especially during transitions of care. Telemedicine clinicians facilitate treating residents in place when medically appropriate.
- Provider engagement: Aligning clinical workflows and goals, adding in-facility telemedicine to provide blanket coverage, and sharing real-time performance data fosters a culture of accountability and collaboration across the network.
The result is patients who are better cared for, and who realize improved outcomes. Every avoided hospital visit preserves quality of life and eases the burden on residents and their families.
“Because we focus exclusively on Medicare patients in long-term care settings, we are able to be innovative in our approach,” said Tom Kim, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Sound Accountable Care. “Our clinician-led collaboration creates significant improvements in outcomes and makes meaningful differences in the lives of our patients.”
Telemedicine is another key service propelling results. By partnering closely with facilities and aligning data with actionable steps, telemedicine can enhance the resident experience, support clinical teams, and reduce unnecessary admissions and readmissions after hours, on weekends and holidays.
Sound Accountable Care will demonstrate its proven approach at the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association annual conference March 26-28 in Anaheim, Calif. Stop by Booth #203 to speak with Dr. Brian Carpenter, Chief Medical Officer for Telemedicine, and the rest of our team. For more on our patient-centered services, visit https://aco.soundphysicians.com/.
About Sound Accountable Care, a Sound Physicians ACO
Sound Accountable Care is a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO focused exclusively on Medicare beneficiaries living in long-term care and assisted living facilities. With a dedicated clinical team led by physicians–and deep roots in value-based care cultivated over more than two decades–Sound Accountable Care’s aim is to support its partners in providing uncompromising care to patients while enhancing financial performance. We invest deeply in our people, partners, and technology–including telemedicine–to ensure we connect patients with the care they need and deserve.
Media Contact
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SOURCE Sound Accountable Care