HEALTHCARE NEWS FLASH September 16, 2014
Table of Contents Sales & Marketing ................................................................................................................. 3 Finance ............................................................................................................................... 10 Technology .......................................................................................................................... 14 Strategy .............................................................................................................................. 17
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Sales & Marketing iPhone 6: Apple And Mayo Clinic Partnership Could Be Smart Medicine September 09, 2014 | Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2014/09/09/iphone-6-apple-and-mayo-clinicpartnership-could-be-smart-medicine-2/ When Apple unveils the iPhone 6 and teases the iWatch on Tuesday, it’ll share tech’s biggest stage with one of the biggest names in health care: Mayo Clinic. The tech titan and giant health system have been working together for two years, as Mayo Clinic helped influence the design of Apple’s new Health app and HealthKit API. And at Tuesday’s iPhone launch event, Mayo Clinic staff will be on hand to show off Apple’s health care software — and how Apple can ostensibly help doctors practice better medicine, Evan Ramstad of the Star-Tribune reports in an interesting scoop. The Apple-Mayo Clinic relationship played a notable role at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference back in June, when Apple first announced its new HealthKit software and Health app for the iPhone. At the time, Mayo Clinic’s top doctor offered a key endorsement of Apple: “We believe Apple’s HealthKit will revolutionize how the health industry interacts with people,” according to Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. John Noseworthy. Mayo Clinic was “proud to be at the forefront of this innovative technology,” Noseworthy added. It’s not hyperbole — Noseworthy’s health system really will be at the forefront of Apple’s health strategy, or at least front-and-center for Apple’s iPhone launch event. For instance, when Apple shows off the iPhone’s new Health app — which is intended to be a central repository for a wide range of patient data — Mayo Clinic will follow up by demonstrating how data from the app can “flow into the more sophisticated management system of a major health center,” Ramstad reports. The health system has been piloting several health care applications for the iPhone. Mayo Clinic currently is testing a service to alert patients when their Apple apps detect abnormal health results, and help schedule them for follow-up visits, Christina Farr reported last month for Reuters. Mayo Clinic staff on Monday also confirmed what’s been heavily rumored: Apple is launching an iWatch, and the health system hopes to play some role in helping the iWatch drive patient health improvement, Darius Tahir reports for Modern Healthcare. Apple and Mayo Clinic are giants in their respective industries.
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Apple revenue topped $171 billion for fiscal year 2013, and the company is expected to sell as many as 235 million iPhones in 2015.
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Meanwhile, Mayo Clinic reached more than 63 million patients through its new Mayo Clinic Care Network in 2013, with more than $9 billion in revenue.
And both organizations have ambitions to go further, which could make their partnership especially fortuitous. For Apple, Mayo Clinic offers legitimacy — and a high-profile teammate — as Apple makes its first concerted push into the multi-trillion dollar health care industry. (The company reportedly thinks it has a “moral obligation” to move into health care.) Mayo Clinic’s high-performing doctors also could provide ideal beta testers for a flurry of new HealthKit apps, too. For Mayo Clinic, the exposure to Apple’s millions of users could help solidify its goal to be the nation’s most prominent health system. In an interview that Mayo Clinic CEO Noseworthy recently did with us on the Advisory Board Daily Briefing, he discussed his ambition to have Mayo Clinic nearly triple its footprint and serve 200 million patients by the year 2020. But there are real questions — and legitimate risks — about Apple and Mayo Clinic’s shared aspiration. Some analysts argue that Apple’s new iPhone, iWatch, and health apps will help revolutionize the health care industry … but those are heavy expectations for devices that likely need FDA approval before debuting any groundbreaking technologies. And Apple’s not the first big name to try and enter the market; many other tech firms, like Google and Microsoft, have tried to jump into health care, if only to come up short. Apple’s push into the health care space also comes just days after an embarrassing breach of the company’s iCloud platform, as hackers stole nude photos of dozens of female celebrities. And if there’s a data breach involving Mayo Clinic health data, the hospital system stands to be more than embarrassed — it runs the risk of damaging its 150 years of hard-won brand equity, built around patient sensitivity. “Our legacy is trusted and affordable care,” said Dr. John Wald, the medical director for the Mayo Clinic’s public affairs, told Healthcare IT News in June. “If we lose that trusted aspect, we’ve lost everything.”
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Methodist Health System joins Mayo Clinic network September 09, 2014 | Biz Journals http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2014/09/09/methodist-health-system-joins-mayoclinic-network.html?page=all Dallas-based Methodist Health System has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network in an initiative to improve quality and control the cost of care, officials from both systems announced Tuesday. Methodist will join Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo’s expanding network of affiliates nationwide. The partnership allows Methodist health care providers to consult with Mayo specialists and get advice on matters ranging from patient care to improving operations. Methodist, one of North Texas’ oldest nonprofit health systems, was selected after a comprehensive evaluation that ranged from its clinical and business practices to quality, safety, service and patient satisfaction. Mayo Clinic and Methodist share a commitment to improving the delivery of health care through high-quality, collaborative medical care, said Stephen Mansfield, president and CEO of Methodist Health System. “Methodist is home to some of the most accomplished and preeminent physicians in the Southwest,” Mansfield said. “Working with Mayo Clinic through the Mayo Clinic Care Network will be accretive for Methodist physicians and will afford access to world-class Mayo Clinic specialization for patients treated at Methodist Health System.” Methodist physicians will now be able to collaborate with Mayo Clinic on patient care, community health and health care delivery. Using digital technology to consult and share information, these doctors will have access to the latest evidence-based medical information and will connect with Mayo specialists on complex medical cases. “The Mayo Clinic Care Network is about strengthening existing relationships with high-quality, likeminded health care institutions,” Dr. David Hayes, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, said in a press release. “Our colleagues at Methodist are well-known for their excellent patient care in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.” Some of the tools available to Mayo Clinic Care Network members include: •
eConsults to allow network physicians to connect electronically with Mayo Clinic specialists when they want additional input regarding a patient’s care.
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AskMayoExpert to provide point-of-care information compiled by Mayo physicians on disease management, care guidelines, treatment recommendations and reference materials for a variety of medical conditions.
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eTumor Board Conferences to allow physicians to present and discuss management of complex cancer cases with a Mayo Clinic multidisciplinary panel and other members of the network.
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BLIS Partners with American HealthCare Lending to Offer BLISPay Orthopedic Patient Financing September 08, 2014 | InsuranceNewsNet.com http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/09/08/blis-partners-with-american-healthcarelending-to-offer-blispay-orthopedic-patie-a-552751.html BLIS, Inc. has partnered with American HealthCare Lending to make ‘BLISPay’ patient financing available for expenses related to orthopedic procedures performed by BLIS approved surgeons. The partnership establishes low monthly payment plans for orthopedic procedures in amounts between $2,000 and $100,000. An online application process provides immediate approval decisions. Once approved, patients can receive funds in their bank account in as little as five days. American HealthCare Lending offers competitive interest rates and some of the longest terms in the industry to allow for low monthly payment options. No down payments or collateral are required, and there are no penalties for prepayment. “With the changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act, we’ve seen patient responsibility reach all time highs and deductibles increasing at a faster pace than ever before. BLIS has been a innovator for years and saw this opportunity to provide more options and better service to their customers,” says Shaun Sorensen, President & CEO of American Healthcare Lending. “We’re thrilled to be working together and see nothing but success ahead.” This orthopedic surgery financing program is only available for use in orthopedic surgical practices where surgeons have been approved to participate in the BLISCare complication insurance protection plan. BLISCare insures surgeons who can then protect their patients against additional medical costs should a covered complication occur during their orthopedic procedure. “BLIS is focused on providing access to care by removing financial barriers,” says Regi Schindler, BLIS CEO. “Orthopedic surgery is a new line of business for us. Our BLISCare product is now in use with a select number of the highest quality orthopedic surgery programs in the country. As the surgery market continues to evolve with more and more out of pocket financial responsibility resides with patients. Now with our BLISPay lending program we can assist them with up front costs.”
RMC steps into future with Piedmont Healthcare partnership September 05, 2014 | Rockdalenews.com http://www.rockdalenews.com/section/170/article/20860/ Rockdale Medical Center and Piedmont Healthcare announced a new partnership that will provide RMC patients access to expanded services and bring resources and expertise from Piedmont’s physicians and staff. This innovative affiliation was celebrated Thursday in a ceremony at RMC marking the hospital’s 60th anniversary. “We have partnered with Piedmont Healthcare in a clinical affiliation that’s just the beginning to many great things to come,” said RMC CEO Deborah Armstrong.
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For the Rockdale County community and those in adjacent counties, the affiliation between Piedmont Healthcare and RMC expands access to a wide range of Piedmont’s highly specialized services such as heart valve repair, organ transplants and brain tumor treatment. The partnership has already begun yielding benefits by providing consulting for RMC’s state application to provide interventional cardiac services, such as angioplasties and stents, at the hospital. Piedmont Clinic CEO Dr. Robert Brownsworth said, “We were delighted to help Deborah and her team in the application for advancing cardiac care with the PCI program which was just announced last week. We’re going to be assisting with the development of that program with Rockdale Medical Center. This is the first time we’ve done this in the metropolitan medical market.” Piedmont’s heart program has been named best in Atlanta for overall cardiac care, cardiac surgery and coronary intervention by HealthGrades for three consecutive years. “Clinical affiliations between community hospitals and regional tertiary care providers are becoming a best practice across the country for improving regional healthcare delivery systems and extending collaboration of quality care,” said Piedmont’s Chief Operating Officer Greg Hurst. “Rockdale Medical Center’s location and engaged medical staff complement Piedmont owned and affiliated hospitals and physician practices located south and east of Atlanta.” As part of the affiliation, physicians from the Rockdale medical staff can apply for membership in the Piedmont Clinic, a network of 1,100 physicians. “Rockdale Medical Center has a commitment to quality care, and we benefit from our physicians’ membership in the Piedmont Clinic, a clinically integrated network in which quality, service, effectiveness and safety metrics are used to ensure continuous improvements in patient care,” said Lisa Gillespie, MD, chief medical officer, Rockdale Medical Center. In today’s healthcare market, partnerships are key, said Armstrong. “Integration of physicians, hospitals and health systems is fundamental to enhancing quality of care and realizing efficiencies in today’s complicated healthcare environment,” said Armstrong. “Our new affiliation with Piedmont Healthcare will allow our organizations to combine our strengths to enhance quality, improve healthcare efficiency and coordination as well as offer comprehensive clinical services to more patients throughout the region.” David Dill, President of the central group for LifePoint Hospitals, echoed this point at the ceremony. “The only way we’re successful as an organization is growing services in a high quality fashion close to home. When LifePoint looks for partners, there has to be a common vision between the two parties. In this vision, it is strengthening services, keeping patients close to home. Not moving patients away, not having patients go somewhere else, keeping services close to home tied in with a strong partner with a strong commitment... to high quality care,” said Dill. “We have found that partner in Piedmont, I know Piedmont has found that partner with us.” LifePoint has had experience forming affiliations with healthcare systems among its 65 hospitals, such as with the Duke University Healthcare system.
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Since its formation in 1992, the Piedmont Clinic has been a leader in the development of aligned care models. Piedmont Healthcare also announced separately Thursday that it is forming a partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Center Network for its Atlanta and Fayette hospitals. Those hospitals are among only 13 in the country that are part of the MD Anderson Cancer Network. During Thursday’s ceremony, RMC’s six decades of operation and service to the community was noted with a county commission declaration, presented by Commission Chairman Richard Oden. It was also celebrated with a State House and State Senate resolution presented by State Representatives Tonya Anderson, Pam Dickerson, Dee Dawkns-Haigler, Dale Rutledge, Pam Stephenson and Sen. Rick Jeffares commending the hospital. Rockdale Medical Center is a 138-bed acute-care hospital fully accredited by The Joint Commission. Rockdale Medical Center was purchased in 2009 by LifePoint Hospitals, which operates more than 65 hospital campuses in 21 states, many of them community hospitals. Since the purchase of RMC five years ago, LifePoint has invested about $34 million in capital, exceeding the amount that had been promised over a seven to 10 year period when the purchase agreement was made, according to LifePoint President David Dill. The company has also paid more than $2 million in property taxes to local government coffers since RMC moved from non-profit to for-profit status. Piedmont Healthcare, a not-for-profit organization, is the parent company of five hospitals, two employed physician groups, and Piedmont Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives. Piedmont Healthcare also includes the Piedmont Clinic, a physician network with more than 1000 members.
Centene Announces New Claims Processing Center Creating Up To 200 Jobs In The City Of Ferguson, Mo. September 02, 2014 | InsuranceNewsNet.com http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/09/02/centene-announces-new-claims-processingcenter-creating-up-to-200-jobs-in-the-ci-a-550538.html Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today plans to build a new claims processing center in Ferguson, Missouri creating 150 to 200 full-time jobs with a multitude of benefits, including extensive health care, dental and vision insurance. The facility will process claims from Centene’sMissouri based Home State Health Plan and overflow from its other health plans across the country. “This is the right thing to do for the community, state and our shareholders,” said Centene CEO and Chairman Michael Neidorff. “It is time for action not talk.” Centene has initiated the process and has an aggressive plan in place for developing the project. While a normal project of this scope generally takes up to 18 months, Centene has authorized an expedited timeline.
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In the meantime, the company is looking for a temporary site for training and development. “The new Centene service center complex will include employee development and training, an on-site daycare, full service cafeteria and an auditorium for educational advancement,” explained Neidorff. “I would like to thank the leadership of the state, county and local governments, particularly Governor Jay Nixon who has worked closely to make these exciting plans come to fruition,” said Centene Chief Financial Officer William Scheffel. Centene will begin taking applications for the new claims processing center jobs before the end of 2014.
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Finance Moody’s affirms Alexian Brothers Health System’s ‘A2’ rating, outlook stable September 15, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/moody-s-affirms-alexian-brothers-healthsystem-s-a2-rating-outlook-stable.html Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the “A2” rating assigned to Arlington Heights, Ill.-based Alexian Brothers Health System, which affects approximately $154 million of debt issued through the Illinois Finance Authority. The rating affirmation was supported by a number of factors, including ABHS’ good operating results. The health system had an 11.8 percent operating cash flow margin for fiscal year 2014. The rating affirmation was also supported by ABHS’ strong market share, as the health system maintains the leading market share in its primary service area. The health system also faces some challenges, which were considered in the rating affirmation, such as having eight competing hospitals in an approximately 16-mile radius. The affirmation of the health system’s stable outlook reflects the expectation that ABHS will sustain good operating margins. The outlook affirmation was also based on the health system maintaining its relationship with St. Louis-based Ascension Health, which it joined in January 2012.
Moody’s affirms St. John Health System’s ‘A2’ rating September 12, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/moody-s-affirms-st-john-health-system-s-a2rating.html Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the “A2” rating on Tulsa, Okla.-based St. John Health System’s outstanding debt. The rating affirmation was supported by the health system’s strong market and solid investment position. St. John’s investments have grown, and the health system had 187 days cash on hand as of June 30. In addition, the health system’s debt structure risks are modest, as it has mostly fixed rate debt. The affirmation of St. John’s rating was also supported by its integration with St. Louis-based Ascension Health — the largest Catholic health system in the U.S. In April 2013, Ascension completed its acquisition of Marian Health System, a Tulsa, Okla.-based provider with three regional health systems, including St. John.
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St. John also faces some challenges, such as its location in a very competitive market with other large systems, which were considered for the rating affirmation.
Molina Healthcare’s new centralized procurement operation saves time, money September 08, 2014 | Fierce Health Finance http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/molina-healthcares-new-centralized-procurementoperation-saves-time-money/2014-09-08?page=full Bryce Berg says user-friendly, cloud-based system keeps administrative costs down while organization continues to grow Accounts payable (AP) and the cloud may hold the secret to providing quality healthcare. At least that’s what Molina Healthcare--an organization that provides healthcare to financially vulnerable families and individuals covered by government programs--discovered when it created an in-house centralized procurement operation, a move that kept administrative costs down while it expanded staff and membership. Rapid growth was the main reason the Long Beach, California-based organization, which offers health plans in nine states and has medical clinics in California, Florida, New Mexico, Virginia, Washington and Utah, decided to centralize the process, Bryce Berg, vice president of corporate administration (pictured right), told FierceHealthFinance in an exclusive interview. When Berg came to Molina in 2010, the organization was experiencing dramatic growth. At the time, it had gone from 3,000 to 4,000 employees (it now has nearly 9,100 employees). Yet it was still having individual business units handle the company’s contracting and procurement--the same processes and procedures it followed when it was a small and medium business. “When I arrived, I noticed that everything was being done in a manual way, but in ways that didn’t scale. I had concerns with the amount of work we needed to get done and as the complexity of it increases, I could see it coming to a tragic end,” he said. With senior leadership support, Berg first introduced an enterprise resource planning system to the company for procurement. Although the system was appropriate for finances, it was complex and difficult for the average casual user. It took 12 clicks to accomplish the task and most people outside the department forgot everything they had learned in training within a few weeks, since they weren’t spending time in the system all day. That’s when senior leaders allowed Berg to try something new, and he received approval to establish a centralized AP department, in addition to evaluating vendors to create a cloud-based procurement system. His goal: to simulate the Amazon experience and develop a process that required little training, one that was intuitive and easy to use. “We wanted to make it easier to use than not use. If it’s hard to use it, people will go around it,” he said.
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The department requires that the system is used to process every invoice or check request, otherwise staff won’t approve it for payment. The result is a fast and easy email-based requisition process. Executives can approve a requisition or invoice via their mobile devices when they are traveling and not in the office. Shortly after the organization implemented the system, Berg noticed the average requisition time went from seven to eight days, to below 48 hours. “The cost savings are significant,” he said. “When I first started, we were implementing 5,000 invoices a month. But with our growth, today we process 13,000 invoices a month. Based on the scale, it’s two and a half times the work and would require a significant amount of overtime, especially at the end of the month, trying to process everything before month’s end. That is large costs on scanning, printing out forms, rescanning and storage of all documents.” The new cloud-based technology cut out paper and scanning (the company removed 85 percent of the paper it used in its old AP process, saving more than 150,000 pieces of paper to date), and the need for data entry, while increasing the volume of invoices, according to Berg. Instead of 11 clerks in 11 different locations obtaining signatures and processing forms, the centralized process allowed Berg to reassign those staff to other duties, more as investigators and more meaningful than data entry. Because the system hyperlinks requisitions, orders, invoices and payments, it saves staff time when they research a problem. “We’ve taken a clerical job and made it a higher quality job, an enriching job experience. Now they can investigate what goes wrong. A former AP clerk had a dead end job but now they can move on to other positions in the company,” Berg said. Before the organization implemented the cloud-based system, the information had to be entered four times into four different systems in order to process a purchase order. Now it is keyed in once. “The quality of the data is much higher because it’s not keyed in multiple times. It’s more efficient and the error rate is much lower,” he said. Although manual processes may make sense in smaller organizations, Berg says as hospitals and health systems grow there may come a time when they want an electronic solution. For Molina, the manual processes couldn’t sustain a company that projects revenue of $12.5 billion in 2015. “There is no silver bullet that is going to fit every situation,” Berg said. “You have to look around at the problems you have and find a system that will match the problems you are trying to solve. You also have to look three to five years into the future to make sure you fit the need so you don’t have to redo it two years from now.”
BMC receives grant from Cardinal Health Foundation to help improve effectiveness of patient care September 08, 2014 | News Medical http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140908/BMC-receives-grant-from-Cardinal-HealthFoundation-to-help-improve-effectiveness-of-patient-care.aspx The Cardinal Health Foundation announced it has awarded Virginia R. Litle, MD, a Thoracic Surgeon at Boston Medical Center (BMC) grant funding from the E3 Grant Program to implement best practices and help improve the effectiveness, efficiency and excellence of patient care.
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The funding will be used to study the efficacy of a Caprini Risk Assessment Model to reduce venothromboembolic (VTE) complications after thoracic surgery and to implement an efficient and low-cost anticoagulation compliance protocol after patient discharge. This is an initiative within the thoracic surgery division at BMC to reduce the incidence of post-operative VTE events across the continuum of care in an at-risk population. VTE is among the most common preventable and potentially fatal postoperative complications in all surgical patients. Litle also is Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). Surgical resident Krista Hachey, MD, and BUSM student Philip Hewes will be part-time research assistants. The Cardinal Health E3 Grant Program awarded funding to health care providers in 22 states. Since the inception of the E3 Grant Program, the Cardinal Health Foundation has awarded more than $7 million in funding to 249 hospitals, health systems or other health-related organizations across the country. This year’s E3 Grant Program called for proposals that addressed one of three areas: projects that will improve medication safety, particularly as patients move from hospital environments to the home and other health care settings; projects that, in partnership with the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), improve operating room safety and test a protocol for assessing risk and implementing changes in the operating room to reduce pressure ulcers during surgery; or projects that result in the implementation of best practices in the care of babies born addicted to opiates. After six years of providing support to health care providers, we are so pleased to continue offering these grants to organizations that are working to implement best practices and improve the effectiveness, excellence and efficiency of patient care,” said Dianne Radigan, vice president of Community Relations. “Cardinal Health has a vested interest in helping health care providers save days, dollars and lives by working collaboratively to improve the quality of care nationwide. We congratulate Boston Medical Center for their work to achieve meaningful, long-term improvements.”
Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealth to develop transparency tools September 04, 2014 | Fierce Health Payer http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/story/aetna-humana-and-unitedhealth-developtransparency-tools/2014-09-04 Aetna (NYSE:AET), Humana (NYSE:HUM) and UnitedHealthcare (NYSE:UNH) will team up with the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) to develop online tools to enhance members’ experiences, while also providing the most important information about price and quality of their coverage, the HCCI announced today. Additional players--Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente and Partners HealthCare--are in the midst of developing consumer transparency standards that will help implement value-based health plan designs. HCCI will, in turn, use these ideas to develop quality transparency initiatives of its own. “HCCI’s transparency tools will give consumers a single, comprehensive destination for data on health care cost and quality to help them make more informed decisions about treatments and services,” said David Newman, executive director of HCCI.
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Technology CHI Franciscan Health, Virginia Mason and others form health network September 14, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/chi-franciscanhealth-virginia-mason-and-others-form-health-network.html Eight hospitals, 163 clinics, 24 ancillary provider locations and 2,875 primary and specialty physicians have formed a new health network — Puget Sound High-Value Network. Some of the providers in the new network include: Tacoma, Wash.-based CHI Franciscan Health (formerly Franciscan Health System); Bellevue, Wash.-based Overlake Medical Center; Bothell, Wash.-based Lakeshore Clinic; and Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center. The network will be managed by First Choice Health in Seattle. Providers in the network will develop initiatives focused on coordinating patient care and improving quality of care while cutting healthcare costs. The network is available to self-insured employers with 50 or more employees. “We’ve forged a network of industry-leading organizations and providers who — in addition to being among the most respected in our region — have committed to an approach that will allow us to reduce costs to employers, making it very competitive,” said John Robinson, MD, CMO at First Choice Health.
Aetna, Weill Cornell Physicians form ACO in New York September 11, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/accountable-care-organizations/aetna-weill-cornellphysicians-form-aco-in-new-york.html Health insurer Aetna and New York-based Weill Cornell Physicians have entered into an accountable care agreement aimed at improving health outcomes for roughly 9,000 of Aetna’s commercial and Medicare members in New York. Under the agreement, 1,237 physicians in the Weill Cornell group will help coordinate care for the Aetna members with the assistance of healthcare professionals and care managers. “Aetna and Weill Cornell Physicians share the responsibility of giving the 9,000 New Yorkers we both serve high-quality, efficient and coordinated care,” said David Kobus, senior vice president of Aetna’s New York Network. “Together, Aetna and Weill Cornell are stepping forward to collaborate and share in the accountability of positive patient outcomes.”
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Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Mount Carmel Health Partners launch ACO in Ohio September 10, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/accountable-care-organizations/anthem-blue-cross-andblue-shield-mount-carmel-health-partners-launch-aco-in-ohio.html Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health Partners — a physician-hospital organization — and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio are launching a commercial accountable care organization in central Ohio. Mount Carmel Health Partners is part of Mount Carmel Health System, which has more than 1,200 primary care and specialty physicians. The goal of the ACO is to use coordinated care to improve health outcomes while cutting healthcare costs. Both organizations will analyze data on quality, costs, and utilization to help identify opportunities to improve care. “This partnership with Anthem furthers our goals of our clinically integrated network to provide the best of care to the individual patient, care for the population as a whole and do so in a cost effective manner,” said Daniel Wendorff, MD, president of Mount Carmel Health Partners.
IBM’s Watson rolls out to wider healthcare market September 05, 2014 | mmm-online.com http://www.mmm-online.com/ibms-watson-rolls-out-to-wider-healthcaremarket/article/369841/ @Point of Care has integrated IBM’s much-touted Watson cognitive technology into its real-time clinical-decision platform, company CEO and founder Bob Stern announced this week. The @Point of Care platform, designed to streamline doctor/patient interaction, will now allow clinicians to access more information faster, employing the same language they’d use in conversations with a trusted peer. Here’s how it works: Let’s say a patient asks his doctor about treatment scenarios involving any one of several conditions—MS, rheumatoid arthritis, Hep-C, Parkinson’s and COPD among them. The doctor can simply re-pose the question to @Point of Care, using natural language, and receive either an answer or scads of relevant information within seconds. “Say the question is, ‘Which neurotransmitters and growth factors are potential predictors of cognitive impairment in MS?’ What [@Point of Care] can now do is look at the entirety of the sentence structure and pull up the most reasonable answer,” explains Sandeep Pulim, MD, @Point of Care’s chief medical information officer. “This isn’t just typical search. Doctors don’t have to think, ‘What am I searching for?’ All they have to do is ask the question.” If clinicians don’t find the answer to their immediate liking, they can tap a “learn more” icon at the bottom of the screen.
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In addition, the more Watson is used, the smarter it becomes. “Think of it as a baby who needs to be educated and taught,” Pulim says. “The more questions you ask it, the more Watson learns. It figures out what the key articles and journal abstracts are. It can interpret.” The @Point of Care integration marks an expansion for the use of Watson technology by physicians. Since 2012, the technology has been taught, so to speak, by cancer doctors at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who have been familiarizing it with information from journals and health records. Up next for @Point of Care: adding tools to its patient and clinician dashboards. “Pharma companies are approaching us to distribute key tools through the platform and maybe add them directly to the dashboard,” Pulim reports. “Maybe it would be a pain-assessment tool. Maybe it would be a treatment algorithm for diabetes. There are lots of cool things that are coming.”
Noble Health Alliance to Leverage Independence Blue Cross for Medical Benefits Administration September 03, 2014 | InsuranceNewsNet.com http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/09/03/noble-health-alliance-to-leverageindependence-blue-cross-for-medical-benefits-a-a-550835.html Noble Health Alliance reported that Its has achieved two important milestones with the selection of Independence Blue Cross (Independence) to serve as the sole administrator for the self- insured medical benefits plans that cover 39,000 employees and dependents of the four health systems in Noble. In its release, the alliance said that Independence will also serve as the preferred health insurer for the development and implementation of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) that will support the delivery of clinically integrated care through Noble’s clinically integrated network of healthcare providers. “With Independence Blue Cross, we are collaborating with the region’s preferred health insurer, an organization that shares our goal of improving both the quality and efficiency of health care, and is highly regarded by the same communities served by the hospitals in the Noble Health Alliance,” said Patrick R. Young, chairman and CEO of Noble Health Alliance. “We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration presents for our physicians, employees, patients, and health systems.” “We’re pleased to expand our collaboration with Noble in this broad, new way to help improve the health and well-being of the Noble health systems’ employees and the patients they serve,” said Independence president and CEO Daniel J. Hilferty. “In addition, we look forward to working with Noble leaders to create a dynamic and successful ACO strategy by sharing what we’ve learned and successes from our ACO payment model, which is beginning to show meaningful results in improving the quality and efficiency of care among many health systems and hospitals in our region.” “An effective ACO needs a strong insurance collaborator,” said Susan L. Williams, M.D., chief medical officer for Noble, “and Independence Blue Cross has excellent data capabilities which will be a powerful tool in helping our physicians provide better, more efficient and quality driven care.”
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Strategy Ochsner Health to purchase River Parishes Hospital, end inpatient services September 11, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/ochsner-health-topurchase-river-parishes-hospital-end-inpatient-services.html River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace, La., has agreed to join New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System. Under the agreement between Ochsner and the hospital’s current parent company, Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals, Ochsner will run River Parishes as an outpatient medical facility, with a focus on emergency, outpatient diagnostic and primary care services. The health system will work with other hospitals it has partnered with in the region to meet needs for surgery and inpatient services. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by Nov. 1. Approximately 60 percent of the hospital’s fulltime staff will be let go by the time the transaction is complete and the hospital stops offering inpatient services, David Gaines, Ochsner’s vice president of public affairs, told The Times-Picayune. Mr. Gaines also said the hospital has struggled because of declining volumes of only 10 to 12 overnight patients per day.
Sylvania Franciscan, CHI reach merger agreement September 11, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/sylvania-franciscanchi-reach-merger-agreement.html Sylvania Franciscan Health in Toldeo, Ohio, and Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives have reached a definitive merger agreement. Under the agreement, CHI will assume ownership of the seven-hospital system from the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio. CHI will become Sylvania Franciscan’s sole sponsor. The transfer of ownership still requires the approval of the congregational minister and general council of the Sisters of St. Francis, the CHI Board of Stewardship Trustees, and federal, state and Catholic authorities. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The two organizations signed a letter of intent in May. At the time, Sylvania Franciscan CEO Jim Pope said that while the system was in a strong position, healthcare reform requires providers “to offer integrated systems of care for specific geographical populations.”
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BPO firms recruiting nurses as clinical analysts September 08, 2014 | The Mindanao Examiner http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20140908085911 Flipino nurses who are looking for opportunities to gainfully practice their profession should consider applying for well-paying clinical service and medical coding jobs in the business process outsourcing or BPO sector, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said. “We have a growing number of BPO companies here, particularly those servicing the US healthcare industry, that are recruiting nurses for local employment. We are hopeful that these job openings will somewhat help ease joblessness among nurses,” said Romulo, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education. He said unemployment remains high among nurses, mainly because the country continues to produce a large surplus of them. This year alone, the Professional Regulatory Commission issued licenses to 22,222 new registered nurses. “These outsourcing jobs for nurses require strong communication as well as analytical skills, and the readiness to work in shifts,” Romulo said. He said Teaneck, New Jersey-based Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., is signing up “nursing associates” to build up its global clinical services. It has five offices in the cities of Pasig, Taguig, Makati and Cebu. Makati-based VMCO Corp., a subsidiary of Visaya Knowledge Process Outsourcing Corp., is also enlisting nursing graduates as well as registered nurses for medical coding jobs, according to Romulo. He said medical coders review and analyze in detail the medical records of hospitals, physicians and diagnostic centers, and list out all findings and treatments, including procedures performed. They then convert the records into international medical codes, making it easier for healthcare providers in America to electronically manage and access their data, he said. Romulo said Ireland-based Accenture plc is also drafting Filipino nurses for local employment as clinical support analysts. Accenture favors the hiring of local nurses who have passed the US State Boards of Nursing Inc.’s National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, and US-registered Filipino nurses with active or inactive US licenses. Accenture already has more than 35,000 Filipino employees in 16 offices in Metro Manila and Cebu. Romulo authored the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which has helped to attract global corporations to either establish new in-house outsourcing units here in Manila, or to relegate their non-core, business support activities to highly specialized independent BPO firms operating here. The law mandates all entities, including BPO firms, to protect the confidentiality of personal information collected from clients and stored in information-technology (IT) systems, in accordance with rigorous international privacy standards.
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The Philippines’ highly labor-intensive, BPO and IT-enabled services industry includes contact center services; back offices; medical, legal and other data transcription and coding; animation; software development; engineering design; and digital content. The IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines sees the industry yielding up to $27 billion in annual revenues and directly employing some 1.3 million Filipinos by 2016.
Northstar Healthcare Acquiring Interests in Houston Hospital and ASC September 03, 2014 | Market Watch http://www.marketwatch.com/story/northstar-healthcare-acquiring-interests-in-houstonhospital-and-asc-2014-09-03-71733046 Northstar Healthcare Inc. (NHC) today announced that it has reached an agreement with First Surgical Partners Holdings, Inc. (“First Surgical”) to form a new entity to own and operate the Houston, Texas hospital and surgical center businesses owned by First Surgical. Under the Agreement, Northstar and First Surgical will form a new limited liability company to assume the operations of First Street Hospital and First Street Surgical Center. The new entity will be owned 51% by Northstar and 49% by First Surgical. Northstar will manage the operations of the hospital and surgical center under a management agreement. Northstar will contribute $7.5 million to the new entity which will be raised by an anticipated brokered private placement. Closing of the transaction is conditional on the successful completion of the private placement and other customary conditions. “This transaction with First Surgical will be transformative to Northstar,” said Dr. Donald Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of Northstar. “In the past year, Northstar has developed MRI centers, urgent care facilities, an Arizona surgical center, a network of primary care physicians and very strong patient recruitment programs. First Surgical is regarded in Houston as having the finest facilities with the most prestigious physicians. First Surgical’s inclusion into Northstar’s developing healthcare system will now allow for substantial revenues from patients who require more complex surgery than can be done on an outpatient basis.” Dr. Jacob Varon, Chairman of First Surgical stated that: “Northstar’s reputation as an innovative revenue producing partner through marketing efforts is a perfect fit for First Surgical.” “These facilities will help Northstar diversify and expand our revenue streams,” said Harry Fleming, President of Northstar. “This transaction is in line with our efforts to create unique revenue generation platforms in the healthcare industry. We are extremely confident that we can materially affect First Surgical’s $28 million revenue stream with the Northstar model.”
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GlobalHealth acquires Medicare Advantage plans September 02, 2014 | NewsOK http://newsok.com/globalhealth-acquires-medicare-advantage-plans/article/5338224 GlobalHealth insurance company plans to hire 50 employees in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to transition the Oklahoma business of a Houston-based company that offers Medicare Advantage preferred provider plans, the company announced on Tuesday. GlobalHealth has acquired Today’s Options of Oklahoma, which provides Medicare Advantage plans to nearly 6,000 Oklahoma seniors under the product name Generations Healthcare. The acquisition will allow GlobalHealth to continue to expand its market share and “provide more Oklahomans with access to affordable health care,” Chief Executive Scott Vaughn said. Since Vaughn, a former partner with BKD CPAs & Advisors, took GlobalHealth’s CEO position four years ago, the company and the Oklahoma City clinic, which employ 230, have increased annual revenues from $95 million to $170 million, he told The Oklahoman in April. Vaughn attributed the jump to competitive pricing and improved customer service. GlobalHealth, which in February was bought by New York-based equity firm Kinderhook Industries, offers the most popular, and lowest-cost insurance plan — a home maintenance organization — among those available to state employees. In addition to the 40,000 people it covers through that plan, the insurer in January 2013 began offering Medicare Advantage plans, or plans that offer Medicare recipients both Part A hospital and Part B doctor’s office benefits. Last fall, the company became one of five companies offering insurance in Oklahoma’s new federally run online health insurance marketplace. About 1,500 Oklahomans bought individual policies with GlobalHealth.
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