Missouri providers establish care network
Three Missouri healthcare providers have formed a multi-state provider network.
Mercy, Mosaic Life Care and University of Missouri Health Care combined have more than 5,600 hospital beds, more than 47,000 employees and approximately 3,000 employed and affiliated physicians. The health systems serve patients in urban and rural areas of Missouri and surrounding states, according to a release.
The three organizations have been meeting for several years to share best practices, including service delivery transformation, information technology, preparation of the workforce for the future and population health principles.
“Our goal is to build on similar patient-centered cultures, leverage technology and use our combined clinical and administrative expertise to increase access and improve healthcare for patients in Missouri and beyond,” said Harold A. Williamson Jr., MD, executive vice chancellor of the MU Health System.
“As individual health systems, each of our organizations has demonstrated progress in redesigning our care models and implementing innovative solutions to withstand the challenges of a rapidly changing healthcare environment,” said Mike McCurry, executive vice president and COO of Mercy. “Patients benefit when providers collaborate to accelerate improvements in quality, care coordination and access.”
The new collaborative, MPact Health, will be structured to allow members to work together as equal partners on common goals while enabling each health system to serve the health care needs of its communities and preserve its independence and unique identity.
“We’re very focused on what consumers want and need, now and in the future,” said Mark Laney, MD, president and CEO of Mosaic Life Care and MPact Health board chair. “MPact Health is designed to deliver value: low cost, high quality and high satisfaction.”
The work of the network will be conducted by task forces comprised of leaders and physicians from each health system. Task forces already are working on expanding telemedicine to underserved areas of Missouri, enhancing healthcare quality led by physician teams, creating a database for analytical research and evidence-based medicine to support population health management and working with payers to offer innovative network options that are patient-centered and offer high-quality care at a lower cost.
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Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.