# Forging Aligned Partnerships Between Value-Based Care Organizations and GEDs

Partnerships with value-based care organizations (VBCOs) empower geriatric emergency departments (GEDs) with additional disposition options from the traditional paths of admission, discharge, or observation. The resource alignment between VBCOs and GEDs can contribute to lower costs, fewer readmissions and, most critically, supporting a better patient experience and more satisfactory health outcomes for older adults. This toolkit provides a structured approach and operational resources to aid GEDs in identifying local VBCOs and initiating collaboration.

Geriatric EDs (GEDs) assessing older adult patients often find their acute needs don’t clearly align with the binary disposition decision of admit or discharge. Value-Based Care Organization (VBCO) partnerships expand the scope of disposition options to include follow-up measures and ongoing care management support that may improve short and long-term outcomes. By expanding the disposition choices, GEDs can enhance the patient experience to one that better matches the patient’s needs.

What's Inside?

In this toolkit, you will find the education, framework, and resources to develop a partnership with your local VBCO, including:

An overview of the compatible aims of GEDs and VBCOs

Understanding the value-based care landscape 

A database and online tools to help you identify VBCOs in your local community

How to mobilize action including communication to initiate collaboration, agendas to guide productive conversations and sample protocols for an aligned GED and VBCO handoff

Guidance for implementing the change and tracking its impact and success 

Removing the barriers to achieving a successful care connection between your GED and the VBCOs that support better outcomes for your patients 

West Health| October 21, 2025

Forging Aligned Partnerships Between Value-Based Care Organizations & Geriatric Emergency Departments: A Toolkit for Geriatric Emergency Departments

Download the toolkit and get a comprehensive resource to help you build a case for GED and VBCO collaboration including an action checklist and communication templates to accelerate your initiative.

View Toolkit