Blue Shield of California has expanded its Accountable Care Organization (ACO) network in Southern California through a new collaboration with PrimeCare Medical Network, Inc., the Inland Empire’s largest network of independently contracted physicians and San Antonio Regional Hospital.

The collaboration will provide enhanced care coordination for local residents, making it easier to share important health information across the health care system, so providers involved in a patient’s care support the same treatment plan.

Blue Shield’s newest ACO helps transition the region’s health care system from one that reimburses for quantity of services to one that rewards the quality of patients’ health outcomes while seeking to make care more affordable. The network will serve more than 13,000 people in the Chino/Upland/Rancho Cucamonga region who are enrolled in Blue Shield’s HMO plans.

“A shared clinical strategy with health care providers is the foundation of our ACO program and an integral part of our ongoing effort to connect Californians with quality care in a cost-effective way,” said Kristen Miranda, senior vice president of strategic partnerships and innovation at Blue Shield of California.

PrimeCare is a health care delivery network serving more than 187,000 people in the Inland Empire. PrimeCare primary care physicians and specialists have been serving patients since 1994.

“Together with Blue Shield of California and San Antonio Regional Hospital, we expect to achieve even better health outcomes and greater patient satisfaction,” said Leigh Hutchins, president and CEO of PrimeCare.

San Antonio Regional Hospital is an acute-care hospital that has been serving the community for more than a century and treats more than 200,000 patients each year.

The hospital system includes its main campus in Upland that will soon open a new 52-bed emergency department and patient tower with private rooms to continue its legacy of serving the needs of a growing region. The system also includes medical plazas in Eastvale, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

“Through Blue Shield’s ACO network, we will collaboratively work with Blue Shield, PrimeCare and our physicians to enhance the clinical care provided for our patients,” said Harris Koenig, president and CEO of San Antonio Regional Hospital.

Since its first ACO in 2010, Blue Shield’s network now includes 37 ACOs, serving about 340,000 people.