HEALTHCARE NEWS FLASH September 01, 2014
Table of Contents Sales & Marketing ................................................................................................................. 3 Finance ................................................................................................................................. 8 Technology .......................................................................................................................... 13 Strategy .............................................................................................................................. 19
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Sales & Marketing Minnesota BCBS opens retail store August 29, 2014 | Fierce Health Payer http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/story/minnesota-bcbs-opens-retail-store/2014-08-29 It’s happening across America, and it’s taking hold: insurance and retail. The most recent player in this game is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, who announced yesterday that it will join the ranks of other retail-store insurers by making shopping for health insurance “even more personalized.” The company has signed a multi-year lease to operate a 3,500 square-foot space in the Yorkdale Shoppes mall on York Ave. in Edina, Minn., according to a the statement released by BCBS of Minnesota. The store will be the first-of-its-kind in Minnesota, offering both individual consumers and Medicare enrollees face-to-face sales and service support direct from Blue Cross employees, the statement said. The Minnesota Blue’s retail store will boast “a modern and welcoming interior design,” and will feature a reception check-in desk, private offices for personalized consultations, and a community gathering space for informational sessions and health and wellness activities, according to company. “We are excited to be the first health plan to open a retail location that is specifically designed to provide a full spectrum of shopping options, personalized service and health engagement opportunities,” said Michael Guyette, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, in the statement. The store is slated to remain open year-round. Throughout the year, consumers will have in-person opportunities for learning more about how a Blue Cross plan can best meet their particular needs, the Blue said. And with the shift to a more consumer-focused market, brick-and-mortar health insurance stores are becoming more popular and accessible across the country as insurers implement retail strategies to better serve their customers. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota follows UnitedHealth, Florida BCBS, North Carolina BCBS, Highmark and Kaiser Permanente in opening retail stores, as reported previously in FierceHealthPayer.
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Cigna rolling out its private health care exchange in New Jersey on Sept. 1 August 29, 2014 | NJBIZ http://www.njbiz.com/article/20140825/NJBIZ01/140829872/Cigna-rolling-out-its-private-healthcare-exchange-in-New-Jersey-on-Sept-1 The health insurer Cigna on Sept. 1 will launch nationwide and in New Jersey its version of the “private exchange” where employers let workers shop for their health coverage from a menu of different plans and prices. The employer may give workers a set sum of money to spend, and employees can either select the most affordable option or “buy up” with their own money to get a richer suite of benefits. Cigna rolled out its private exchange, Cigna Guided Solutions, in four U.S. markets in 2014 and will go national next Monday. The last two years have seen a surge of new private exchanges, from benefits consultants Aon and Mercer and from health insurers, including Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Aetna and AmeriHealth New Jersey. A 2013 survey found that 45 percent of employers will either consider or actually offer a private exchange to their full-time workers by 2018. Cigna said it does not disclose the size of its New Jersey membership but said the majority of its New Jersey members are in employer-sponsored health plans, as opposed to individual plans. Jake Biscoglio, vice president, private exchange business for Cigna, said the private exchange uses technology to guide employees when choosing a health plan, which eases the administrative burden on employers. He said other advantages include providing a wide range of benefits choices to the ultimate consumer — the employee — as well as more affordable health insurance solutions for both the employer and the employees. And, given these advantages, “We expect that there will be steady growth in the private exchange,” Biscoglio said. He said the Cigna exchange has so far sparked “interest from our existing clients as well as very strong interest from clients that do not have relationships with Cigna.” He said Cigna will “have the ability to create new client relationships through Cigna Guided Solutions as well as through the traditional (health plan) offerings that we have in the market today.” Cigna began rolling out its new private exchange earlier this year in Atlanta, Dallas, metro Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay area. Employers can offer a private exchange as a “defined contribution” plan, where the employer gives workers an allowance for health benefits and the employees can opt to spend more to get more benefits. The employer does not have to go the defined contribution route, but so far about a third of the employers have opted to do so, Biscoglio said. Some employees chose high-deductible plans that lower the amount of their paycheck deduction for health care; others opted to spend more and buy more benefits. “Employees want to get the right coverage for themselves and their families, and offer broad choice and give them tools that help them really understand what those choices are and allow them to purchase the plan that is best for them,” Biscoglio said.
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The technology that enables employees to go online and choose their health benefits is a key component of the private exchange “It is important for employers to offer more choices to employees, but they don’t want to create more work,” Biscoglio said. “The human resources professionals have a lot on their plate already, and offering more choice can create more work.” Streamlining the administration of health plans “is something that we have been very focused on.” He said employees “want a simplified, easy-to-use shopping experience. And they want assistance if they need it, if they have to ask questions.” He said Cigna provides 24/7 customer service, 365 days a year. The suite of products available through Cigna’s private exchange includes a variety of medical, pharmacy, dental, vision, life/accident and disability plans.
UltraLinq Healthcare Solutions Inc. Partners with athenahealth August 22, 2014 | PRLEAP.COM http://www.prleap.com/pr/227269/ultralinq-healthcare-solutions-inc-partners UltraLinq, a provider of cloud-based image management, today announced a partnership with athenahealth as part of athenahealth’s More Disruption Please (MDP) program. Together, the companies will work to link athenahealth’s growing network of more than 55,000 health care providers with the capabilities of UltraLinq so that providers can more efficiently view, report on, share, and archive a broad range of their medical images. “UltraLinq delivers a powerful tool for anyone looking to seamlessly manage their medical images,” said Stephen Farber, CEO of UltraLinq Healthcare Solutions. “UltraLinq has worked hard to enable its users to be able do what they need to with their exams, from AAA to X-ray. This partnership means we are now able to offer an easy and integrated complete practice solution to all athenahealth users, bringing medicine one step closer to the goal of interoperability and accessibility.” athenahealth is a cloud-based services company with a vision to build an information backbone to help make health care work as it should. Through the MDP program, athenahealth is accelerating high-value innovation via the cloud, providing new services to help providers thrive in the face of industry change and pressure. MDP partners with innovators, entrepreneurs, companies, investors, and individuals-those who are passionate about overthrowing established approaches in health care that simply aren’t working, aren’t good enough, or aren’t advancing the industry. MDP invites qualified companies like UltraLinq to gain access to the more than 55,000 providers that are already plugged into athenahealth’s cloud-based network.
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UNC Health Care Joins Forces with Alignment Healthcare August 21, 2014 | InsuranceNewsNet.com http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/08/21/unc-health-care-joins-forces-with-alignmenthealthcare-a-546213.html UNC Health Care has formed an operational and strategic partnership with Alignment Healthcare for population health management. In a release, the Company noted that the partnership will kick off with the offering of a new Medicare Advantage HMO plan for seniors in Wake County, North Carolina. “By partnering with Alignment, community physicians, and insurance providers, we are creating a new model for care that will improve health care for Wake County seniors and provide peace of mind to families knowing their loved ones are receiving high quality care,” said Allen Daugird, President, UNC Physicians Network and UNC Health Care’s Chief Value Officer. “This program offers a new type of health plan that will improve patient outcomes, increase quality of care, and reduce costs by tapping into UNC Health Care’s broad network of providers and depth of clinical expertise. “Our intent is to provide the highest quality care to our seniors to improve their health while reducing their total cost of care. We aim to partner with our seniors and their families to do this. The clinical care model will tailor care for patients to improve outcomes and quality. For example, by identifying patients with chronic health problems, providers can pro-actively work with them to keep them out of the hospital and improve their overall health.” “Our strategic partnership with UNC Health Care and the ability to provide an unrivaled care coordination model to the eligible seniors in Wake County will create a new care standard in North Carolina,” said Hyong Kim, Chief Medical Officer, Alignment Healthcare. “UNC is a like-minded partner who wants to improve its corner of the US healthcare system. Our program enables integration by creating alignment across all parties so that the consumer’s healthcare experience and clinical outcome both improve. Together, UNC and Alignment are connecting the dots of population-based management - one patient at a time.” “Everyone benefits with this plan and we have a more healthy community as a result,” said Daugird. “Over time we hope to replicate this plan to care for other populations across the state, thus furthering our mission of caring for all North Carolinians.”
UnitedHealthcare’s Oxford starts N.J.-only health care network August 20, 2014 | NJBIZ http://www.njbiz.com/article/20140820/NJBIZ01/140829979/UnitedHealthcare’s-Oxford-startsNJ-only-health-care-network UnitedHealthcare’s Oxford division is launching a New Jersey-only network of doctors and hospitals that will provide lower-cost health plans to employers who use the 18,000 doctors and 65 hospitals in the new Oxford Garden State Network.
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Chuck Cerniglia, vice president, small business sales for UnitedHealthcare, said employers on average will see 10 percent lower health insurance premiums if they choose the new health plans in the Garden State Network, which launches Sept. 1. “It limits access to New Jersey-only providers and it is a solution for New Jersey employers where a smaller network offers a reduction in cost,” he said. He added that employers will continue to have the option of offering their employees the company’s larger networks alongside the more limited — but also more affordable — Garden State network. He said while a New Jersey-only network won’t work for all employers, many clearly are seeking lessexpensive health care options. “There needs to be more competitive, lower cost (health plans) in the marketplace that employers can take advantage of,” Cerniglia said. “There is the rising cost of health care, and we need to find ways to lower that cost.” The Garden State network has 13 different plan designs that follow the Affordable Care Act guidelines for the different benefit levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Cerniglia said for some New Jersey employers “this will be the perfect option for them.” The rising cost of health care has prompted employers to consider dropping health coverage and “This could be the defining line of offering coverage or not offering coverage if it hits the right price point.” Insurance broker David Oscar of Altigro in Fairfield said health insurers are moving to so-called “narrow networks” that deliver lower premiums in exchange for restricting members to a smaller group of health care providers. He said he will analyze the Garden State Network and determine if it would help his clients. “At first glance, it looks like it would be worth it to investigate this,” Oscar said. He said one client, a business with 30 employees, would save $4,000 a month in health care premiums by switching to the Garden State Network. Oscar said he needs to determine if the client will be satisfied with the providers in the new network, and with any changes in plan design that go along with making the switch, but “If you are talking about $4,000 a month, that is not a shabby number.” UnitedHealthcare has about 1.5 million members in New Jersey, the majority of them in employerbased health plans. Cerniglia said existing clients may switch to the Garden State Network, which he predicted will also bring new business to the company. “I can tell you that we’ve had an overwhelming response from brokers in the community.” He said hundreds of brokers have taken part in webinars “to learn more about these products.”
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Finance Insurers and hospitals clash over out-of-pocket expenses August 29, 2014 | Fierce Health Payer http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/story/insurers-and-hospitals-clash-over-out-pocketexpenses/2014-08-29 Insurers have a bone to pick with certain New Jersey hospitals. Bayonne Medical Center, in particular, is reaping the benefits from the state’s regulation that restricts balance billing, reports Healthcare Dive. Under the provision, which is meant to protect consumers from getting hit with surprise medical bills, insurers must pay for emergency treatment at hospitals and facilities where their coverage is not accepted. But Bayonne Medical Center has found a way around this. Because New Jersey doesn’t cap the bill’s amount that hospitals send insurers, the facility turned a $17 million profit within two years, notes the article. Insurers have been fighting against costly out-of-network hospital bills for quite some time. Back in April, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tenneessee filed a lawsuit against TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center after the hospital billed a patient’s emergency room-service for more than $44,000, FierceHealthPayer previously reported. Aetna (NYSE: AET) has reported similar disparities between their out-of-network charges versus Medicare reimbursement. For instance, from January 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014, Bayonne and its two sister hospitals, CarePoint Health, charged the insurer an average of $127,667 for pneumonia treatments. The average Medicare reimbursement rate for the same treatments is $9,251, according to Healthcare Dive. Insurers worry that the for-profit-hospital-model ultimately will increase premiums and hurt patients. Since turning to a for-profit model, many hospitals in New Jersey “have driven up costs for all of Aetna’s New Jersey members, conservatively, by a total of $15 million each year,” a spokesman for Aetna told Healthcare Dive. So how can payers and providers work together to maintain a sufficient network without racking up costs? Balance. For starters, insurers who lack experienced in-network hospital services should provide coverage for that service out-of-network, free of cost. That way, consumers are not held accountable for unnecessary payments, FierceHealthPayer previously reported.
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Lower Costs, More Proactive Care in Aetna and Banner Health Network Accountable Care Collaboration August 27, 2014 | Heraldonline.com http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/08/27/6267420_lower-costs-more-proactivecare.html?&rh=1 Hospital admissions decline; quality measures improve Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Banner Health Network (BHN) today announced that their accountable care collaboration resulted in a shared savings of approximately $5 million on Aetna Whole Health fullyinsured commercial membership in 2013 and a five percent decline in average medical cost on the members. At the same time, Aetna and BHN improved cancer screening rates, blood sugar management in diabetic members and reduced avoidable hospital admissions. The results demonstrate that patients benefit when physicians and health plans share resources and work together in accountable care models. Further, Aetna and BHN saw savings and improved medical cost trend on additional membership outside the Aetna Whole Health product. An accountable care collaboration is a group of health care providers who assume responsibility for the quality and cost of care for a group of patients. The collaboration between BHN and Aetna gives consumers and employers better health care options. Consumers who receive care in this new model save money by using providers in BHN. They also benefit from a more coordinated, personalized experience that is designed to produce better overall health outcomes. Through care coordination by a clinical team and proactive management of patients’ needs, rather than episode-based treatment of illness, providers in accountable care models can provide more efficient and cost-effective care. Health plans support the practice with relevant patient care data, analysis and quality measurement along with financial rewards for improved care quality. “Aetna and BHN have a collaborative relationship that is to the benefit of our members and employers,” said Chuck Lehn, BHN’s Chief Executive Officer. “These results are rewarding because they validate our model-- it is possible to deliver quality care at more affordable prices.” Aetna and BHN began their accountable care collaboration in 2011 and the tools and learning from this relationship supported BHN’s Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model in 2012. Aetna and BHN offer the Aetna Whole Health plans – ACO-centered health plan products – to employers and individuals in the Phoenix area. The products are also available to individuals on the public exchange. In addition, Aetna care management and technologies support BHN in delivering patient-centered, accountable care to its Pioneer Medicare beneficiaries as well as Banner Health employees in seven states. “The success of this collaboration demonstrates that insurance carriers and providers can work together in a unified approach to provide quality, coordinated care while reducing health care costs,” said Tom Dameron, Aetna’s local market president for Arizona. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Banner to help our members live healthier, more productive lives.” Significant results seen during the second full year of the accountable care collaboration between Aetna and BHN include:
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Improvements in cancer screening rates, including cervical and colorectal cancer screening;
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Reductions in the percent of diabetic members with poorly controlled blood sugar levels;
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Reductions in radiology services of approximately 9 percent;
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Increases in generic prescribing rate by almost 4 percent; and
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Reductions in avoidable admissions by approximately 9 percent.
Aetna is working with health care organizations across the country to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care for all health care consumers. Nationally, more than 2.3 million members are served by value-based health care models.
Atlanta hospital tries pegging costs to actual activities August 27, 2014 | Fierce Health Finance http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/atlanta-hospital-tries-pegging-costs-actualactivities/2014-08-27 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has entered a new frontier in healthcare finance: equating a hospital’s labor costs to the actual steps required to treat a patient, Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The facility engages in activity-based costing--essentially correlating money spent to actual activity, according to the article. So far, the hospital has engaged in activity-based costing for environmental services, diabetes education, patient access to the emergency room and medical records maintenance. As a result, hospital officials found they weren’t properly accounting for the costs for these services. The cost of access to care is the same for a level five patient who walks into the emergency room as a level one patient who is wheeled in unconscious, according to the article. “When we re-class them, those costs were spread based on the (relative value units)...” Mike Riley, Children’s Healthcare’s director of performance analytics, told Becker’s. “So we were able to say we’re going to spread this cost evenly per patient.” Reassessing labor costs could prove critical to hospitals and they way they handle finances. In 2010, the American Hospital Association concluded that labor costs are the single-biggest driver of cost increases within the acute care inpatient setting, significantly larger than the costs of insurance, supplies, drugs or other components of hospital operation. Streamlining some labor processes could save hospitals millions of dollars. Although Atlanta Children’s has not issued any specific cost-savings figures, hospital officials say the biggest step in implementing such a strategy is obtaining buy-in from all relevant members of the hospital staff.
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“Make sure you understand how their services are delivered and what services you provide…so that when you start down this process you don’t realize it’s not what you thought it was,” Brad Webb, Atlanta Children’s manager of cost analytics told Becker’s. “In a large organization … they might just look at the description on the cost center and decide how to spread overhead. That description of that department in the accounting system doesn’t always match what they’re doing on the ground.”
Mayo reports big boost to bottom line August 25, 2014 | Fierce Health Finance http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/mayo-reports-big-boost-bottom-line/2014-08-25 The insured patient generation created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is gravy for the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic posted huge gains to its bottom line as a result of the ACA. It makes unaudited financial data public because of the municipal bonds it has issued to improve its infrastructure in Rochester, the city where it’s based, the Rochester Post-Bulletin reported. Mayo Clinic’s net income rose 74 percent during the first half of 2014 to $347 million. That compares to $197.4 million during the first half of 2013. Its revenue was relatively flat, up 5 percent, to $4.77 billion compared to last year’s first half revenue of $4.55 billion. The bump Mayo received in net income was related to the enactment of the ACA starting in early 2014, the Post-Bulletin speculated. For-profit hospital chains such as HCA Holdings, Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Universal Health Services also reported a rise in earnings as a result of the ACA, which led to an increase in insured patients and a drop in uncompensated care. Another for-profit chain, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., recently reported a 44 percent increase in its profit. Mayo’s expenditures for salaries and benefits also dropped $33 million, suggesting it may have cut some positions. Mayo has been in an aggressive expansion mode in its home state of Minnesota, where it is spending $5.6 billion on new construction. It was able to obtain nearly $600 million in state funds to supplement its building projects. Mayo officials themselves were mum on the reasons behind the bottom line boost. “Mayo Clinic publicly reports on our operational and audited financial results once a year,” spokesperson Karl W. Oestreich told the Post-Bulletin. “Mayo ... will only be providing comment once a year when we release our year-end operational and financial results.”
Skilled Healthcare, Genesis HealthCare agree to combine August 18, 2014 | Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/us-genesis-skilled-health-idUSKBN0GI1XU20140818 Skilled Healthcare Group Inc (SKH.N) and privately held Genesis HealthCare said on Monday they have agreed to combine in an all-stock transaction that will create one of the largest U.S. operators of long-term care facilities.
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Under terms of the agreement, Skilled Healthcare shareholders will own 25.75 percent of the equity in the combined company, while Genesis shareholders will own the other 74.25 percent. The combined company will operate under the Genesis HealthCare name and will trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Genesis Chief Executive Officer George Hager will lead the new company, which will be based at Genesis’ offices in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Genesis operates skilled nursing centers and senior living communities and supplies rehabilitation services to other healthcare providers. Skilled Healthcare, based in Foothill Ranch, California, runs long-term care facilities and provides a range of services to patients after they leave the hospital. Cuts in Medicare insurance reimbursement rates and efforts under President Barack Obama’s health reform law to tie payments to improved patient outcomes are driving a wave of consolidation among hospitals and other healthcare providers. Hager, in an interview, said the deal will reduce costs, improve purchasing power and leverage technology for the combined company. “We are positioning the companies to react to a system that is changing and becoming more outcomes-based and pay-for-performance-based,” the CEO said. In the so-called post-acute sector that provides services to patients after they’ve been discharged from the hospital, home healthcare provider Gentiva Health Services Inc (GTIV.O) rejected an offer last month from Kindred Healthcare Inc (KND.N) to buy a stake in the company. Gentiva said it had received a new $634.2 million buyout offer from an unnamed party. Genesis and Skilled Healthcare together will have annual revenue of more than $5.5 billion and more than 500 facilities in 34 states. The deal, which has been approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in early 2015. In another development, Toledo, Ohio-based Health Care REIT Inc (HCN.N) said it expects to pursue a cashless exercise of an option to buy a 9.9 percent stake in Genesis that it obtained when it acquired real estate from the company in April 2011.
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Technology Verizon Unveils QR Code Login That Eliminates Usernames and Passwords for Healthcare August 26, 2014 | HIT Consultant Media http://hitconsultant.net/2014/08/26/verizon-unveils-qr-code-login-that-eliminates-usernamesand-passwords-for-healthcare/ Verizon’s QR Code Login by their Universal Identity Services enables healthcare providers to help address strict HIPAA compliance mandates. We’ve all heard time and again that passwords are a nightmare and we need strong multifactor authentication solutions to help reduce HIPAA violated security breaches. Today, Verizon has announced a new type of login enabled by their Universal Identity Services that will eliminate usernames and passwords. The Universal ID grants to access to provider portals or other types of online healthcare sites and also enables healthcare providers to help address strict HIPAA compliance mandates. According to the “Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report,” two out of three data breaches are attributable to lost or stolen user names and passwords, or both — and based on recent news reports, things aren’t getting better. “Lost and stolen passwords remain the No. 1 way that systems are compromised,” said Tracy Hulver, chief identity strategist for Verizon. “We continue to see user names and passwords fail as a secure way to log in, no matter how complex the password. With Verizon’s QR code login, we are making progress in protecting users without increasing the hassle, headache or expense for the user and the enterprise.” A new feature of Verizon’s Universal Identity Services portfolio, the QR code login is ideal for healthcare to help reduce fraud, phishing attacks and can even reduce unnecessary expenses associated with help desk support and password resets. How the QR Code Works Users will be able to enroll for a Verizon Universal ID directly from a participating Web page. After registering, users can download to their smartphone a mobile app that scans a dynamically generated QR code on the login page. Once the user’s identity is confirmed, he or she is authenticated to the website. The QR code login can be used alone, as a “scan and go”, or combined with a PIN number or password for healthcare transactions that require stronger security. “The beauty of the QR code is its flexibility,” added Hulver. “It can be used alone or with other stronger measures to give enterprises and their users just the right level of security simply and easily.”
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Making security stronger and affordable Verizon’s Universal Identity Services provide multifactor authentication that is delivered from the cloud enabling faster, simpler, secure user access—anytime from virtually anywhere and any device. Universal Identity Services offers three levels of identity strength, from a basic identity to a very strong identity. For example, to simply access an online account a consumer can use a basic strength identity, but to perform a financial transaction or access sensitive records, a stronger ID can be established that requires the user to provide additional data for identity verification. Since the entire service is enabled by Verizon’s secure cloud, enterprises do not need to invest in a new infrastructure. Plus, there are no hard tokens to buy or replace.
Collain Healthcare Debuts All-In-One Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring Platform August 21, 2014 | HIT Consultant Media http://hitconsultant.net/2014/08/21/collain-healthcare-debuts-all-in-one-telehealth-remotepatient-monitoring-platform/ Collain Healthcare, an LG CNS Company, debuts Interactive Virtual Care Team™, a revolutionary, allin-one telehealth & remote patient monitoring Platform enabling truly-coordinated care. Today, Collain Healthcare, an LG CNS Company, announced that Interactive Virtual Care Team™ (IVC Team™), an incredibly flexible, rapidly deployable, and massively scalable next-generation population health management suite of applications, is now available. The launch marks the first time in healthcare history that a patient-centric mobile personal health record (mPHR) combining comprehensive telehealth, remote patient monitoring (RPM), medication management, clinical decision support system (CDSS) and semantic interoperability engine solutions are available within a single platform, capable of connecting data sources (e.g., electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges (HIEs)) and enabling patient data flow across the entire care continuum. With the advent of the IVC Team solution, healthcare organizations of all kinds can benefit from healthcare IT efficiencies, streamlined, 24/7 management of at-risk patients, and better clinical and economic outcomes for population health initiatives, care referrals and transitions, and clinical trials or studies. The Challenge From the beginning of its development, the IVC Team platform was designed to put patients at the center of care—and the care decision-making and delivery processes—by enabling healthcare providers to deliver timely, personalized, efficient care across the care continuum, while at the same time empowering patients to take a more active role in their own healthcare. The IVC Team solution was developed to maximize clinical workflow efficiencies, so patient information, e.g., vital sign data, is collected through a simple and powerful mobile application (available on iOS and Android) via a broad range of Bluetooth-enabled devices and is automatically uploaded to ‘the cloud’ to be available across connected EHRs and HIEs on a real-time basis.
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Platform Overview Provider, payer, operator and sponsor organizations using the IVC Team platform can potentially spot changes in patient status or condition before they result in unnecessary acute care utilizations, hospital readmissions, adverse events or other episodes of costly and preventable healthcare expenditures. Clinicians monitoring patient status are alerted in real-time to act, based on customizable patient data range settings, which can be configured at both the population and individual patient levels. Clinicians now have the power to intervene earlier and faster, armed with real-time data to drive better diagnosis, decision making, triage and treatment, e.g., by initiating a phone call or a Video Visit to engage with patients directly and to provide education or interventions with screen- and picture-sharing and white-board tools. As a result, care teams can more efficiently and proactively manage changes in condition, monitor medication adherence, impact patient engagement, and intervene on a timelier basis. And because of the next-generation level of backend HIT system connectivity that the IVC Team platform can provide, data can truly follow the patient and is made available in real-time to care teams as patients transition across care settings, which supports robust reporting and analytics—suggestive, predictive and prescriptive—and actual population health management and truly coordinated care. According to Maryann Choi, MD, MPH, MS, CMD, “The reality and practice of telemedicine is changing. Phone calls, video conferencing and setting-dependent approaches alone have proven ineffective for identifying and managing patients at risk because they fail to put the patient truly at the center of care.” Working directly with providers, the patient experience was re-imagined by leveraging the pervasiveness of smart, mobile technologies; tools for education, empowerment and engagement; intelligent, data analytics, plus patient data availability across the care continuum—for and unprecedented, holistic view of patients. Dr. Choi summarizes, “Education is a key difference for keeping patients home longer, safer, and with a sense of control over their lives. Patient engagement will make or break new care delivery models for population health management under healthcare reform, and IVC Team empowers providers to manage and measure it.” The IVC Team suite of products takes LG CNS’ partners, customers and clients one step closer to healthcare’s overarching goal of seamless care coordination and a single, comprehensive care plan. It is also a solution set that supports Meaningful Use attestation on multiple levels and across multiple stages, e.g., helping to support patient-specific education resources, eVisits, chronic care self-management programs and condition-specific self-management tools. Finally, it is a concept that provides the basis for a truly integrated care delivery network, connecting payers, providers, caregivers, patients and their families across care settings, from rural and community-based health programs, to home care, hospice, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, to affiliated practices and regional clinics, to multi-hospital systems, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), to the valuebased accountable care organizations (ACOs), and patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). Collain Healthcare is launching the Interactive Virtual Care Team suite of products immediately.
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Humana, Health Choice Utah Preferred Network ink accountable care deal August 20, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/accountable-care-organizations/humana-health-choiceutah-preferred-network-ink-accountable-care-deal.html Salt Lake City-based Health Choice Utah Preferred Network and health insurer Humana have entered into an accountable care agreement aimed at providing improved quality of care to Humana Medicare Advantage members based in four counties in Utah. Under the agreement, the organizations will utilize care coordination with an aim of providing patients with improved quality care while cutting healthcare costs. The coordinated care services will be available to Humana Medicare Advantage members in four counties: Salt Lake; Davis; Weber; and Utah. “We continue to focus on providing outstanding clinical care that is patient- and family-centered,” said Mike Uchrin, CEO of Health Choice. “This is a natural collaboration, given Humana’s excellent programs, and we are pleased that Humana members can benefit from the quality of care provided by our physicians and clinics.”
Wireless Device Manufacturer to Help Provide In-Home Healthcare August 19, 2014 | HealthTechZone.com http://www.healthtechzone.com/topics/healthcare/articles/2014/08/18/386916-wireless-devicemanufacturer-help-provide-in-home-healthcare.htm A global semiconductor and wireless device manufacturer reported last week on its developing relationship with several medical providers to help advance care both inside and outside hospitals and to better reach at-risk populations. Qualcomm Life Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, is now working with Resmed, a manufacturer of products that treat sleep disorders, King’s Daughters Medical Center, a hospital in Ashland, Ky., and CareCentrix, a medical organization that focuses on in-home care. Qualcomm Life provides wireless data collection products that can help devices deliver information about patient care and therefore allow practitioners to make informed decisions about patient care. Rick Valencia, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Life, spoke about how those wireless solutions can help advance the overall state of medical care and the company’s partnership with the various medical entities. “This is a very exciting time in the connected health space and we are pleased to have these innovative companies join in our mission to mobilize health care to increase access to care and improve patient outcomes,” Valencia said. “With more than 400 companies in the Qualcomm Life Ecosystem, we are uniquely positioned to reinvent health care by shifting connected health solutions from a novel technology to a standard of care.”
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Qualcomm Life will be using its cloud-based 2net platform to deliver wireless connections between devices and information receivers. It allows for SSL encrypted data transfers over the 2net Hub by using a 2net software module; through a 2net mobile core that functions through Android protocol; through mobile devices that have an embedded cellular component; or through service platforms that take advantage of application programming interfaces. In short, the 2net platform is made to deliver connections through various methods and keep patient devices linked to their practitioners. ResMed will be integrating 2net with its Astral 100 and Astral 150 life support ventilators. King’s Daughters Medical Center will be working with 2net to help connect rural patients in Ohio and West Virginia with their community-based health providers. John Driscoll, CareCentrix CEO spoke about his organizations’ support of the 2net product. “We are passionately committed to creating a world where anyone can age and heal in the comfort of their home,” Driscoll said. “Collaborating with Qualcomm Life will help us build on our long track record of driving value for health plans and providers in the post-acute arena.”
Dignity Health goes big for data August 19, 2014 | Healthcare IT News http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/dignity-health-goes-big-data Intent is to reduce readmissions, tailor patient care Dignity Health, one of the largest health systems in the country, with a 20-state network, will build a cloud-based data analytics platform. The health system tapped Cary, N.C.-based SAS to lead the big data and predictive analytics project. The platform will be powered by a library of clinical, social and behavioral analytics, according to Dignity Health executives. The initiative is aimed at helping doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers better understand each patient and tailor care to improve health while reducing costs. In the short term, Dignity Health and SAS will use the big data analytics platform to reduce readmission rates, determine best practices for addressing congestive heart failure and sepsis, manage pharmacy costs and outcomes and create tools to improve each patient’s experience. “In order to deliver the right care at the right place, cost and time for every patient, we must connect and share data across all our hospitals, health centers and provider network,” said Dignity Health CIO Deanna Wise, in announcing the move. “The SAS cloud-based analytics platform will help us better analyze data to optimize and customize our treatment for each patient and improve the care we deliver.” Big data and analytic insights collected from the platform will help improve patient care and health outcomes at Dignity Health in the following areas:
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Care planning for individuals and populations, including predictive modeling and disease management.
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Insights to strengthen reimbursement models, with a focus on paying for outcomes.
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Measurement and transparency of performance data to drive best practices on outcomes and value.
Analytics will enable Dignity Health to assign a probability to future events such as the risk of readmission, the likelihood of sepsis or kidney failure, and then apply best practices to intervene early and reduce the possibility of avoidable future complications and costs, Wise explained. The platform powered by SAS will affect how physicians at Dignity Health’s 39-hospital system treat patients and how Dignity Health coordinates care among the more than 9,000 affiliated providers. The improvements are expected to reduce cost of care. “Dignity Health and SAS share a common vision for the critical role that analytics will play in the future of health care delivery,” said Graham Hughes, MD, SAS chief medical officer, said in a news release. “We will bring our best experts and leverage the unmatched power of SAS’ complete suite of analytics software to help Dignity Health establish a new benchmark for care delivery innovation, with a focus on improving patient health outcomes and controlling costs.” As SAS executives see it, the new platform will make possible “just in time” sophisticated insights incorporated into point-of-care workflows.
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Strategy Memorial Hospital to join Stratus Healthcare August 25, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/memorial-hospitalto-join-stratus-healthcare.html Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge, Ga., has agreed to join Stratus Healthcare, an alliance of central and south Georgia hospitals focused on improving care quality, according to a report from The Post-Searchlight. Including Memorial Hospital, the alliance — originally formed in July 2013 — is composed of 31 hospitals and 1,800 physicians, according to the report. Under the partnership agreement, Memorial Hospital will remain independent while sharing best practices and resources with the other members of the alliance, in addition to helping with the development of coordinated information systems, cost reduction and population health management. Memorial CEO Billy Walker said becoming a member of Stratus will enable the hospital to improve healthcare delivery and clinical outcomes, increase patient access using telehealth and properly position itself for the transition from volume-based reimbursement to pay-for-performance, according to the report.
Microsoft taps into mHealth August 21, 2014 | Healthcare IT News http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/microsoft-taps-mhealth Will work on diabetes pilot project With nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes -- and racking up $245 billion in costs each year -- many stakeholders have been looking for innovative ways to help those individuals better keep tabs on their condition. With its new mobile health project, Microsoft is the latest company to offer a diabetes management platform. Microsoft on Thursday announced it was inking a deal with wireless provider TracFone to extend mHealth technology to underserved and high-risk populations, specifically aimed at patients living with diabetes. The two companies have teamed up with Miami-based Health Choice Network to launch a pilot program aimed at examining how access to mobile technology affects patient disease-management and outcomes. Through the pilot project, HCN will provide smartphones to some 100 patients enrolled in the Care Management Medical Home Center diabetes pilot, complete with short message service abilities and Microsoft’s HIPAA-compliant email and messaging communications. Patients will have the ability to access Microsoft’s HealthVault, the company’s Web-based platform that allows patients to store their protected health information and stay on top of medication adherence.
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The platform, officials say, will also allow patients to receive appointment reminders and keep track of glucose levels. “Putting existing technologies to use for today’s patients will help improve healthcare, coordination and outcomes, as well as better manage costs,” said Lee Stevens, director of health information exchange policy and interoperability at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in an Aug. 21 statement. “Combining the power of a smartphone with a personal health record platform that brings disparate data together in a secure environment is an important step toward the goal of providing better patient engagement and more mobile healthcare in the U.S.” This is not the only healthcare-related project Microsoft has signed on with, officials note. “Microsoft is in the process of developing additional pilot projects, but our first one, which is scheduled to launch by the end of the year, will involve Health Choice Network of Miami, Florida,” said Steve Aylward, general manager of solutions and strategy for U.S. Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft, in an emailed statement.
Duke LifePoint Healthcare To Buy Conemaugh Health System August 21, 2014 | NASDAQ http://www.nasdaq.com/article/duke-lifepoint-healthcare-to-buy-conemaugh-health-system20140821-00312 Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture of Duke University Health System, Inc. and LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. ( LPNT ), said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Conemaugh Health System. The financial terms of the deal exceed $500 million. Conemaugh Health System is the largest healthcare provider in west central Pennsylvania. The company serves over a half-million patients each year through the Conemaugh Physician Group and Medical Staff, a network of hospitals, specialty clinics and patient focused programs. Conemaugh has more than 4,500 employees and 350 physicians. The transaction is expected to be completed by the first of September. In mid-March 2014, Conemaugh Health System said its board signed a letter of intent for the company’s acquisition by Duke Life Point. At that time, the board decided that Conemaugh Health System could become stronger if it partnered with a like-minded organization in order to strengthen quality and access to health care in the West Central Pennsylvania region. Founded in 2011, Duke LifePoint Healthcare was established with a vision to build a strong network of hospitals and health care providers. Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals is an operator of general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the U.S. Under the deal, Duke LifePoint will acquire Conemaugh Health System’s three hospitals, outpatient centers and Conemaugh Physician Group practices. Proceeds remaining from the transaction will be used by a locally governed charitable foundation to fund future programs to meet community needs. Duke LifePoint said it will offer employment to all Conemaugh Health System employees and also work with Conemaugh leaders to establish a local board of trustees that will include local community members, local physicians and a representative from Duke.
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Duke LifePoint has also committed to invest $425 million in Conemaugh’s services and facilities over the next ten years. This includes investments within the next two years to build outpatient centers in Richland and Ebensburg, and a medical education conference center, and to enhance the system’s informational technology platform. LPNT closed Wednesday’s trading at $74.82, down $0.17 or 0.23 percent on a volume of 255,926 shares.
Mount Sinai Health, Crystal Run Healthcare form alliance August 21, 2014 | Becker’s Hospital Review http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/mount-sinai-healthcrystal-run-healthcare-form-alliance.html New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System and Crystal Run Healthcare, a multispecialty group practice based in Rock Hill, N.Y., have created an alliance to achieve the triple aim of better care, better health and lower costs. As part of the Mount Sinai-Crystal Run Alliance for Healthcare Transformation, the two healthcare organizations will share best practices, strengthen provider networks, share financial and intellectual resources, and explore innovative approaches to creating value. Crystal Run will remain independent, owned and led by physicians, although the group practice and the health system will look for ways to integrate clinically and financially to benefit their patients. “Crystal Run is honored and privileged to be partnering with the Mount Sinai Health System,” said Hal Teitelbaum, MD, JD, Crystal Run’s managing partner and CEO. “Mount Sinai has an exceptional legacy of innovation, groundbreaking research and outstanding patient care and commitment, while Crystal Run has enjoyed success in developing patient-centric community based physician practices, in employing entrepreneurial approaches to meeting patient needs for access to quality care and in implementing value-focused strategies in pursuit of health care transformation. The combination of our strengths and our commitment to transformation of the health care system will be nothing short of game changing.”
Cigna HealthCare, NCH team up to deliver quality care related to cancer August 20, 2014 | News Medical http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140820/Cigna-HealthCare-NCH-team-up-to-deliverquality-care-related-to-cancer.aspx New Century Health (NCH) and Cigna HealthCare of Arizona today announced an alliance focused on delivering quality care related to cancer. Cigna customers covered under Arizona Medicare Advantage plans who receive care through the Cigna Medical Group (CMG) are included in this new program with NCH.
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“Customers belong at the center of a health system that promotes quality and improves both affordability and satisfaction,” said Edward Kim, President and General Manager of Cigna HealthCare of Arizona and Cigna Medical Group. “Cigna and NCH are dedicated to achieving improved care for the patients we serve. This new collaboration will support a more seamless, quality health experience that is simpler and specifically directed towards cancer diagnosis and treatment.” “We are excited to work with CIGNA to improve the quality of cancer care for their members,” said Atul Dhir, MD, DPhil, and Chief Executive Officer of New Century Health. “With the advances in the treatments for cancer, NCH’s goal is to provide the capabilities to the physicians and payers to ensure that the highest quality, evidence based treatments are provided in an efficient and cost effective manner.” Cigna Medical Group is working with health care organizations across Maricopa County to develop programs and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care for all of its Cigna health care customers.
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