Category: “Multiple Hospital Systems”

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.

Now with five acute-care hospital campuses, dozens of outpatient centers throughout San Diego County, and more than 13,500 employees and 2,600 affiliated physicians, Scripps is ranked as one of the top 15 integrated health systems in the country by Truven Health Analytics. The system has made Fortune's "100 Best Hospitals to Work For" list for six consecutive years. Scripps CEO Chris Now Van Gorder is sharing the story of building this IDN in a riveting new book, "The Front-Line Leader: Building a High-Performance Organization From the Ground Up."

A major champion of ACA doesn't seem to be doing so well.

The health system in 2013
• $53.1 billion: Operating revenue in 2013
• $1.8 billion: Operating income in 2013
• $2.7 billion: Net income in 2013
• 9.1 million members
• 174,415 employees
• 17,425 physicians
• 48,285 nurses
• 38 hospitals
• 608 medical offices, facilities

Another sign private practice might become a thing of the past? You judge.

St. Luke's is the largest private employer in Idaho and the state's only locally owned, locally governed health system. St. Luke's is the state's first and only accountable care organization through its participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This year, the health system was recognized as one of the country's Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics.

Prime has agreed to invest more than $80 million into the hospital, including $30 million for capital improvements. Additionally, Prime will maintain St. Mary's as a 269-bed acute-care facility, maintain charity care levels, hire all existing employees and retain the hospital's physician base.

The six systems are Aspirus in Wausau; Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee; Bellin Health in Green Bay; Gundersen Health System in La Crosse; ThedaCare in Appleton; and UW Health in Madison. Together, they comprise 44 hospitals and more than 5,600 physicians, and they provide care to about 90% of the Badger State's population, according to a release announcing the partnership.

Matt Heywood, CEO of Aspirus, said in an interview that the ultimate goal of the non-equity partnership is to migrate toward an accountable care organization. The six health systems already have started offering a commercial health plan with Anthem Blue Cross, available through the federal and private-insurance exchanges. If and when the collaborative becomes an ACO, it will aim for inclusion in more health plans as a low-cost, high-quality provider network.

Net income at Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America rose 14 percent during the second quarter of this year, from $423 million in the second quarter of 2013 to $483 million this year.

Kaiser Permanente CIO Philip Fasano wrote an excellent book on Healthcare IT - a must read to learn more about both IT in the health care space and Kaiser. Mr. Fasano's move to the largest health insurer is a significant tell for our business, notably the increased reliance on big data as well as the alignment of insurance companies and care providers.

You simply can't sell boxes any more. The days of slinging iron with the pitch "get your ROI here - do more, get paid more" is over. That way of selling died when ACA was signed. Today you have to create value and be part of the cost/clinical value solution - not simply a vender. Toshiba's initiative is a stellar example of how those of us in the Medical Device Industry can partner with care providers. "Toshiba recognizes the ability of big data to monitor individual health, and in the future, to support day-to-day clinical decision making," said Rich Mather, PhD, director of clinical programs of Toshiba Medical Research Institute USA. "With our collaboration at Johns Hopkins, we hope to create a new paradigm in medicine that transforms healthcare into a more efficient, cost-effective and data-driven enterprise that will help to improve patient outcomes."

The Service Employees International Union-Healthcare Workers West is stepping up its campaign to block the sale of Daughters of Charity Health System to Prime Healthcare Services, which is accusing the union of racketeering and extortion.

Kaiser Permanente, the 32-hospital California-based system that also operates its own health plan, reported a 25% increase in its net surplus during the second quarter of the year as it added new members and scaled back its capital spending. This certainly explains their politics and advocacy of the ACA law.

Just yesterday it was reported how well Tenet was performing under ACA. I suppose when you lose less money that's an accurate assessment. Perhaps instead of cheerleadering ACA the news should be accurately reflecting what is going on. Tenet's miniscule growth (2.6%) is attributable to acquisitions and mergers - not ACA volume growth.

For-profit hospital operator Community Health Systems has agreed to pay more than $97 million plus interest to the federal government, settling allegations that it submitted false claims for short-stay admissions. “I think that there are a number of people in the healthcare industry who have a growing concern about corporate pressure influencing medical decision-making,” Organ said. The settlement does not end scrutiny on CHS. The government is still investigating billing practices at Health Management Associates hospitals, the former North Naples, Fla.-based hospital chain that CHS bought earlier this year.