Dr. Nina Taggart Elected to Board of Directors of NAACOS

Nina Taggart, MA, MD, MBA, FAAO, Senior Medical Director of Accountable Care at Valley Preferred, the physician hospital organization affiliated with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), has been elected to the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) 2021 Board of Directors. Dr. Taggart’s experience with the ACO at LVHN, which coincides with Valley Preferred’s core aims of promoting success under value-based reimbursement, was foundational in her election.

“There is enormous opportunity with ACOs, because they provide a framework for patients and providers to work together to innovate regarding enhanced care quality, increased value, and improved health outcomes,” says Mark Wendling, MD, Valley Preferred’s Executive Director. “ACOs are an important payment model in the shift to value-based care and are one of the most promising avenues for bending the cost curve and providing high-quality patient care.”

In basic terms, ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated, high-quality care to their Medicare patients. When an ACO succeeds both in delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, the ACO will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program.

The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) announced its 2021 Board of Directors in December 2020. The organization continues to grow in prominence as ACOs become an increasingly critical part of how health care is paid for and delivered. The Board of Directors helps set NAACOS’ advocacy and member services for its more than 370 ACO members. The 2021 Board consists of nine seats for single ACOs, six seats for organizations with multiple ACOs, one private payer ACO seat, and the CEO, Clif Gaus.

Dr. Taggart’s election to the board is a complement to the many roles she has played in the insurance, executive, and clinical practice arenas over the last 30 years. In addition to her role with Valley Preferred, she serves as Physician Administrator, Population Health, at LVHN’s Center for Connected Care & Innovation and its subsidiary Populytics, Inc. Asphysician lead involved in designing, implementing, and scaling support for LVHN and its affiliated ACO and PHO, she focuses on accountability for both clinical and financial risk for the populations served and enabling success under value-based reimbursement. She is part of the leadership team guiding Populytics’ National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recognized suite of Population Health and Wellness Programs.

Previously, Dr. Taggart served as Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Clinical Operations, for Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and as Corporate Medical Director, Vice President for Clinical Programs at Allone Health Management Solutions in Wilkes Barre, Pa.

Dr. Taggart, currently a medical ophthalmologist at Eye Care Specialists of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Hazleton, Pa., received her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY, her MBA in health care from Alvernia College, Reading, Pa., her MA in biology from Haverford College, Haverford, Pa., and her AB in biology from Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa. She was NIH Fellow in the Rockefeller University-Cornell Medical Scientist Training Program  and completed her residency in Ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, NY.