IDNs in the News

West: Cedars-Sinai gives record $36.5 million to Los Angeles community

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has awarded a record $36.5 million in grants and sponsorships to nonprofit organizations throughout Los Angeles that are working to improve access to healthcare, civic engagement, social determinants of health and other nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes.

More than 200 community organizations received grants during the fiscal year that ended June 30. The groups are the latest to benefit from Cedars-Sinai’s growing commitment to the safety net that serves vulnerable populations. Cedars-Sinai grantmaking has increased more than $5 million each year for the past four years.

South: CaroMont Health to open multi-specialty outpatient surgery center in Belmont

CaroMont Health, in partnership with Carolina Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center, OrthoCarolina, and Neuroscience & Spine Center of the Carolinas, announced plans to open an ambulatory surgery center in Belmont, North Carolina. The multi-specialty facility, Belmont Surgery Center, will bring together the region’s top orthopedic and spine surgeons to provide exceptional care and treatment.

Located on CaroMont Health’s new Belmont campus, the state-ofthe-art outpatient surgery center will occupy 14,000 square feet on the first floor of a medical office building that lies adjacent to CaroMont Regional Medical Center-Belmont.

With two operating suites and two procedure rooms, Belmont Surgery Center will primarily offer musculoskeletal outpatient surgery, including orthopedic and sports medicine, neuro-spine, full and partial joint replacement, and pain management procedures.

Belmont Surgery Center is currently under construction as part of CaroMont Health’s four-floor Medical Pavilion. The surgery center is expected to open in mid-2023.

South: Mercy to invest $500 million to expand healthcare in Northwest Arkansas

Mercy will invest $500 million in the next phase of its health care expansion in Northwest Arkansas. Phase two’s projects will include a stateof-the-art cancer center, emergency department and isolation room expansion, additional clinic locations, more outpatient care facilities and nearly doubling the current number of primary care physicians and specialists.

Mercy’s $500 million investment brings its total commitment to Northwest Arkansas to almost $1 billion in less than a decade. In 2016, Mercy announced the $300 million phase one, which included a 275,000-square-foot patient tower, 1,000 new health care jobs and

primary care and specialty clinics in Benton and Washington counties.

Mercy will invest $500 million in the next phase of its health care expansion in Northwest Arkansas. Phase two’s projects will include a state-of-the-art cancer center. In a region ranked by the U.S. Census Bureau as the sixth-fastest growing midsize metro area in the nation, Mercy’s continued growth is critical to its mission of meeting the needs of the community. The new $500 million NWA investment includes: ʯ A state-of-the-art cancer center ʯ An addition of more than 100 primary care physicians and specialists ʯ An expanded emergency department ʯ An expansion of isolation rooms ʯ Building out the top floors of the hospital to increase the number of patient beds to nearly 400 ʯ New clinic locations ʯ Expanded services in primary care, neuroscience, emergency, women’s and children’s, orthopedics, gastroenterology and behavioral health ʯ Expanded ambulatory offerings to include urgent care, infusion and imaging

Mercy’s phase two delivers many resources that are needed to keep pace with the significant growth of the region, including the cancer center.

Midwest: Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals launch new accelerator program to support economic equity and growth for local, diverse suppliers

Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals have joined forces to boost the economic health of Northeast Ohio’s diverse business communities.

The health systems recently launched the Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) Supplier Accelerator, a business development mentorship program. It is designed to expand the knowledge and impact of local businesses owned by traditionally underrepresented entrepreneurs including members of the LGBTQ+ community, minorities, veterans and women.

To support participants in growing their companies, and being competitive in the market, the six-month training program offers: ʯ Business development coaching and learning the sourcing process of large corporations ʯ Direct access to leaders from

Cleveland Clinic and University

Hospitals and other subject matter experts ʯ Networking opportunities with decision makers at both health systems, key suppliers and community organizations ʯ Comprehensive business review to provide feedback for developing and growing the business ʯ $10,000 cash prize upon completion of the program

“We are incredibly proud to welcome our first cohort of diverse business owners in construction, engineering, graphic design and sheet metal manufacturing to the DEI Supplier Accelerator,” said Steve Downey, chief supply chain and patient services officer at Cleveland Clinic. “Investing in the growth and success of minority and women-owned businesses builds on our commitment to the communities we serve. We look forward to working alongside University Hospitals to leverage our combined resources and expertise to help these entrepreneurs strengthen their core business, grow and thrive. As we support them in achieving their goals, the impact will create a positive ripple effect in the community.”

North: Geisinger working with Excelerate to lower cost of care

Geisinger has joined forces with Excelerate to deliver significant and sustainable savings through a physician-engagement sourcing model for physician preference items, pharmacy and clinically sensitive commodities.

Excelerate works to decrease costs and ensure the most effective use of products. The program sources and contracts for surgical supplies with a heavy emphasis on clinical utilization guidelines for devices and surgical implants, including hip and knee replacement implants, spinal surgery devices and pacemakers. More than 100 active members of Excelerate’s program save 15% to 20% on average.

“Working with Excelerate will allow us to deliver high-quality care to our patients at a lower cost by taking advantage of their qualityfirst model for patient-centered decisions regarding the devices and supplies used by our physicians,” said Michael Suk, M.D., J.D., chief physician officer, Geisinger System Services and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Our physicians and staff are key drivers of this program, and their support will allow us to make better health easier for our patients through clinical-supply integration.”

Excelerate will help Geisinger aggregate supply chain spending and reduce the costs to the system and patients by reducing variation of products and creating physician and clinician alignment in products used across the system for procedures.