The implementation of major portions of the Affordable Care Act within the coming year will put America’s health care system under the public microscope as never before. While many of the changes had taken place well before the Act’s implementation, the Act will serve as a catalyst to accelerate those changes.

To better understand the impact, Accretive Health’s Chairman Mary Tolan spoke with seven leading hospital CEOs and COOs and discussed the major changes taking place within the industry.

Changes occurring include:

• The move from volume to value in which payment will be based increasingly on quality outcomes versus the traditional fee-for-service model, which has contributed to U.S. health care costs of $8,200 per person annually versus an Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) average of about $3,200 per person.

• Health care providers increasingly managing the health of populations versus individuals and taking on financial risk and being rewarded financially for keeping patients healthy.

• Increasing focus on the 5 percent of the population that drives 60 percent of the cost.

• The increased use of electronic health records, which is providing new data and creating new frontiers of knowledge to provide the highest quality care at the most reasonable cost.

• A shift from acute and hospital-based care to broad continuums of care ranging from illness prevention and wellness to skilled nursing and hospice care and, with it, increasing consolidation to manage the overall continuum of care more effectively.

• An improved patient role in decision-making and participation in their treatment.

• The impact of expanding Medicaid populations under the Affordable Care Act and expanding Medicare populations as the country ages.

What follows are views from some of the leading experts on health care today, including:

• Frank Corvino, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greenwich Hospital, and Executive Vice President, New Haven Health Systemquestion

• Michael Dowling, President and Chief Executive Officer, North Shore-LIJ Health System

• Norman Gruber, President and Chief Executive Officer, Salem Health

• Elliott Joseph, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hartford HealthCare

• Laura Kaiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Intermountain Healthcare

• Daljit Singh, President, Fortis Healthcare

• Mark Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, Columbia St. Mary’s