Lessons Learned from TEAM Implementation: What Mass General Brigham Is Doing Before Downside Risk Starts
Published by APMConnect Sept 2026
Year one of the Transforming Episode Accountability Model is upside only. That changes in January 2027, and the health systems building TEAM programs right now are doing it against that clock. The population health team at Mass General Brigham spent this session showing APM Connect members what their program actually looks like in operation: how patients get identified, who touches them before and after surgery, and which post-acute habits are turning out to be the hardest to change. It was built for people already running these programs, not for an audience that still needs the model explained.
WHAT WE COVERED
MGB runs TEAM across six hospitals and roughly 5,000 Medicare episodes a year. In 2026 to date the program has logged 1,562 episodes, with lower extremity joint replacement the largest group and spinal fusion second.
Three clinical layers reach patients in the episode.
Home is the goal when it is safe and appropriate.
A daily transitional care management huddle to assess a lower level of care.
For patients whose only barrier is caregiver support, MGB is piloting up to 48 hours of home health aide coverage.
Timing of care team intervention versus episode is a binding constraint.
The full session, including about 20 minutes of audience questions on documentation, staffing, and post-acute decision rights, is here: FORUM
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