September 22, 2025 1 min

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Why Metrics Matter at Deacon Health

Healthcare

At Deacon Health, we live and breathe outcomes. Not just because we’re proud of them (we are), but because our partners depend on them.
Hospitals and health systems don’t have the luxury of “trust us” in today’s healthcare landscape. Under value-based models like CMS’s TEAM, ACO REACH, and MSSP, reimbursement is tied directly to performance. If you can’t show results (improved outcomes, reduced utilization, lower costs) you’re leaving money on the table. Or worse, opening yourself up to penalties.
We get that. It’s why our approach has always been data-driven and evidence-based. It’s also why we don’t just share metrics—we show our work.

Metrics That Matter

Here’s a snapshot of what Deacon’s platform and clinical model have achieved:

$120M+ in Medicare savings across 50K+ episodes
13.5% average MLR reduction
94% patient satisfaction
5.5% 90-day readmission rate (vs. 17.5% national average)
3% SNF utilization (vs. 28% national average)
2% inpatient rehab utilization (vs. 9% national average)

We hear it all the time: “These numbers seem too good to be true.”

So let’s break down why they’re not.

Behind the Metrics: Real Data, Real Programs, Real Results

From 2018 to 2024, Deacon participated in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement-Advanced (BPCI-A) initiative, a CMS program designed to improve care coordination and reduce unnecessary spending across surgical episodes.

In BPCI-A, CMS gave participating organizations three years of historical claims data. This allowed us to build baseline benchmarks and track performance with absolute transparency. All metrics were calculated using actual CMS reconciliation data, not internal modeling or guesswork.

Here’s how it worked:

Readmission rate: The number of patients who were readmitted within 90 days of discharge, divided by the total number of patients we managed from January to June 2024.
SNF and IRF utilization: The number of patients who received care in a skilled nursing facility or inpatient rehab, divided by the total number of patients we managed during that same 6 month period.
Savings: Verified by CMS across the 32 networks and over 250 surgeons we worked with during the BPCI-A program—actual dollars returned to Medicare, based on bundled episode performance.

These numbers represent the culmination of a rigorous, highly accountable care coordination model, backed by 24/7 navigation support, real-time data integration, and proactive intervention across every episode of care.

Why We Share Our Metrics (Loudly and Often)

Hospitals need partners who deliver results. But more than that, they need partners who stand behind the numbers. Partners who don’t just report outcomes, but prove them.

We promote our metrics because they matter:

They demonstrate efficacy and ROI
They keep us accountable
They build trust with hospitals, payers, and ACOs
They tell the story of patient-centered, evidence-based care that actually works

And just as importantly, we tailor those metrics to you.

When engaging new clients, we don’t promise one-size-fits-all results. We analyze your historical claims data on post-acute spend and apply Deacon’s proven benchmarks conservatively, projecting what success could look like under your specific circumstances, with your actual patient population.

We show our work, and we can replicate it.

Metrics that Help You Meet the TEAM Mandate

Deacon’s success in BPCI-A is a blueprint for helping hospitals prepare for the upcoming CMS TEAM mandate.

Starting in 2026, nearly 800 hospitals will be responsible for the full 30-day surgical episode. That means outcomes like readmissions and post-acute utilization matter more than ever. Those who get ahead of it can really capitalize on the opportunity.

Our historical performance (and the transparent, data-driven methodology behind it) gives hospitals the confidence and clarity to approach TEAM proactively, improve their margins, and ultimately elevate patient care.

Let’s Talk About Your Numbers

If you’re preparing for TEAM, you need a partner who can help you see what success looks like—and how to achieve it.

Let us walk you through our data and turn strategy into outcomes that speak for themselves.