About our Independent Physicians Association (IPA)
The Highland Healthcare Associates IPA (IPA), a not-for-profit physician organization with nearly 340 members, is dedicated to raising the quality of patient care, preserving physician independence and autonomy, and improving the professional lives of our physicians. If you are a physician who values your independence, and desires:
- Membership in an organization dedicated to preserving private practice, and is run by practicing physicians, rather than hospital or system administrators,
- To keep your current Community Hospital affiliation, and
- To select or keep your current Electronic Medical Record, rather than switching to a larger organization or system EMR
If you are a physician (or represent a physician), you are invited to contact our Executive Director, Nancy Sachetti by clicking here or by calling 781-756-2162.
Since formation of the IPA in 1990, the IPA has been governed by a Board of Directors comprised solely of full-time practicing physicians, a majority of whom are primary care physicians. Our physician organization is supported by a devoted team of Provider Relations & Contract Operations and Quality & Performance Improvement (QPI) professionals, and several PCP and Specialist Medical Directors (who are practicing physicians in our IPA). We have a history of negotiating market competitive health insurer contracts and a track record of strong risk contract performance.
In addition, we offer EMR and Health Information Exchange (HIE) services to our IPA Physicians through our “sister” organization, Highland Management. This dedicated team assists our physician practices with adoption of EMR systems and post “live” EMR support (e.g. MACRA), and they manage a Clinical Summary Repository (CSR). The IPA leadership believes that our physicians should have choices when selecting an EMR. Our CSR enables IPA physicians on a several different “supported EMR products” to centrally share patient information in a secure and HIPAA compliant manner.
Since 2005, we have been working diligently to further clinical integration within our IPA community of primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists, and across our larger physician network, New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA). Clinical integration is an active and ongoing set of programs, infrastructure and contracting, with the goal of measuring and improving the quality and efficiency of patient care.
The IPA first affiliated with NEQCA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tufts Medical Center, in September 2009. Together with NEQCA, we hold several commercial insurer contracts and participate in both Medicare and Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
Our dedicated Provider Relations team is here to support you with managing these payor relationships, trouble-shooting issues, and enrolling and on-boarding new physicians and staff in your practices.
The IPA is passionately committed to the quadruple aim: improving quality, efficiency, patient experience and physician satisfaction. The IPA’s PRIDE (Providing Incentives for the Delivery of Excellent) Patient Care Program aligns the physicians’ incentives with the Quadruple Aim. The PRIDE program includes significant efforts to better integrate the shared patient care responsibilities and collegiality between IPA PCPs, IPA Specialists and NEQCA Specialists and strengthen the collaboration within our community and NEQCA network.
Let’s explore how the Highland Healthcare Associates IPA can keep your practice independent and thriving, and how we can be put to work for you.
Highland Member Login