Piedmont, WellStar seek to create new care delivery model in Georgia

Piedmont Healthcare and WellStar Health System are partnering to form the Georgia Health Collaborative, an initiative that will allow the two organizations to remain independent while pooling resources to develop and implement new care delivery models.

The two organizations, which both operate multiple healthcare facilities across northern Georgia, will serve a primary service area population of more than three million, according to a Nov. 12 statement. The Piedmont Physicians Group, Piedmont Heart Institute and WellStar Medical Group combined are comprised of 10 hospitals with a total of 2,393 beds, seven urgent care centers and more than 700 physicians.

“Even the strongest health systems recognize that creating a sustainable healthcare industry is going to require significant change, said Gregory A. Hurst, president and interim chief operating officer of Piedmont. “A collaborative allows us to create both scale and efficiency without the same debt and integration challenges.”

Program details are currently under discussion and a board of directors for the collaborative will be established in the near future, according to the statement.