The goal of creating better care coordination is pushing traditional competitors into more collaborative agreements. The latest example comes from Missouri, where 5 health systems announced the formation of a new health network encompassing more than 9,300 employees and approximately 1,000 employed and affiliated physicians.

The founding members of the Health Network of Missouri are Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia, Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach and University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia. Unlike a traditional business merger, the collaborative Health Network of Missouri allows the member health systems and hospitals to partner on common goals while maintaining independence and presumably competition. The agreement calls for each system to have equal representation in governance of the network regardless of their size. This puts University of Missouri Health Care — the largest partner both in terms of employees and counties served — on the same level as the smaller hospitals and health systems in the network.

According to the press release announcing the formation of the network, physicians and other leaders from each health system will form task forces to do most of the planned work of the network. Current goals include:

• Improving care outcomes.
• Sharing data and best practices.
• Creating better access to care.
• Smoothly coordinating patient care among various providers through a clinically integrated network.
• Lowering health care costs and creating efficiencies in care delivery.

“MU Health Care’s goal in joining the Health Network of Missouri is to continue to ensure our patients receive exceptional care,” stated Mitch Wasden, MU Health Care chief executive officer and chief operating officer in the press release. “While remaining independent, the hospitals and health systems in this network will be in a position to drive positive change and improve health care for the patients in our communities.”

The members of the Health Network of Missouri are not alone in seeking novel forms of cooperation between competitors to achieve larger strategic aims. A Healthcare Financial Management Association survey of members recently found that strategy now beats traditional reasons for healthcare providers to merge or allign. (Read more.)