 While remaining independent, the collaborative members have a
footprint of 4,821 hospital beds spanning Missouri, Illinois and
Kansas, and combined annual revenues of almost $7 billion, allowing
the members of the BJC Collaborative to focus on achieving savings;
deploying clinical programs and services to improve access to and
quality of health care for patients; lowering health care costs; and
creating additional efficiencies that will be beneficial to patients
and the communities served by the member organizations.
The four systems that are part of this new collaborative are
leaders in their regions and have entered into this new relationship
with a commitment to doing what is best for their patients. The
collaborative is buoyed by the tenets of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act that encourage partnerships and innovation to
improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs. Its members
believe they are well-positioned to work together to achieve
economies of scale, learn from each other and share best practices
that will ultimately lead to better patient outcomes, improve health
care access and lower costs.
BJC HealthCare is a 13-hospital system with urban, suburban and
rural hospitals serving eastern Missouri and southern Illinois. With
nationally recognized adult and pediatric teaching hospitals
affiliated with the Washington University School of Medicine, 28,000
employees, approximately 275 employed physicians, as well as
behavioral health, corporate, home and community health services,
BJC is among the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the
country.
CoxHealth is the only locally owned not-for-profit health system
in Springfield, Mo. It is accredited by The Joint Commission,
distinguished as one of the nation's Top 100 Integrated Health Care
Systems (2006-2012), and recognized as a U.S. News and World Report
Best Regional Hospital. In fiscal 2011, CoxHealth provided more than
$122 million in community benefit to serve the unmet needs of the
community. Established in 1906, CoxHealth serves more than 900,000
people in a 25-county service area in southwest Missouri and
northwest Arkansas, offering a comprehensive array of primary and
specialty care including three hospitals and more than 65 clinics in
20 communities. The health system includes Oxford HealthCare,
routinely the nation's second-largest hospital-based home health
agency; Home Parenteral Services, with home infusion therapy;
CoxHealth Foundation; Cox College; Cox Health Plans; and more.
In central Illinois, Memorial Health System is a three-hospital,
nonprofit health care organization serving Illinois patients in a
40-county region. With a teaching hospital affiliated with Southern
Illinois University School of Medicine, two critical-access
hospitals, 6,000 employees, 75 employed physicians and midlevel
providers, behavioral health and home services, Memorial Health
System is the largest private employer in the greater Springfield
area.
Saint Luke's Health System is the largest nonprofit health care
provider in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The system consists
of 11 area hospitals and several primary and specialty care
practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient and home
care services. It has 9,700 employees and 318 employed physicians.
Affiliated with the University of Missouri -- Kansas City School of
Medicine, Saint Luke's is renowned for its programs in heart and
stroke care, national honors including the Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award, and consistent top rankings for high-quality health
care by Kansas City consumers. Founded in 1882 as a faith-based,
not-for-profit organization, Saint Luke's Health System's mission
includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health
care and the advancement of medical research and education.
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"This is a good day for BJC and a great day for patients served
by each of our hospitals," said Steven Lipstein, president and CEO
of BJC HealthCare and board chairman of the collaborative. "We are
embarking on an innovative journey to work across systems and states
in ways that have not been done before. We are confident that being
able to learn from others and share what we know will be beneficial
to all of our patients."
"The organizations in the BJC Collaborative share common values
and a commitment to be national leaders for excellence in patient
care," said Edgar J. Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health
System. "Through this collaborative, we will work together to treat
more patients, lower our costs and deliver higher quality care. The
BJC Collaborative will create many opportunities for us to grow and
learn from one another."
Steven Edwards, president and CEO of Cox Health, says the
collaborative will build upon the strengths of the four
institutions. "The strength of our collaboration is in building upon
the expertise of each member," says Edwards. "Together we are
stronger, and the benefits will be experienced by our patients in
greater quality and safety, highly trained professionals, and
cost-effective care."
Melinda L. Estes, M.D., president and CEO of Saint Luke's Health
System, says the collaborative will provide numerous benefits for
patients, staff and the communities served by Saint Luke's. "This
collaborative provides a unique opportunity for these leading
regional health systems to leverage our combined knowledge and
resources to ensure we continue to provide exceptional care for the
communities we serve," said Dr. Estes. "Because we share similar
missions, we can work together to maximize value for our patients
and expand the ways we deliver care." Estes also serves as vice
chair of the board for the collaborative.
Opportunities that may be explored by
the collaborative include developing and sharing best practices
around:
-
Population health
management -- population health information and assessment,
physician recruitment and engagement strategies, and accountable
care organization and medical home development.
-
Clinical and
service quality -- performance improvement, staff development
and training, including e-learning, management and leadership
development, clinical skills training, clinical decision
support, safety event reporting, and emergency preparedness.
-
Capital asset
management -- supply chain relationships, facilities design,
clinical engineering, technology evaluation, energy conservation
and facilities management.
-
Financial services
-- capital resource analysis, treasury operations, revenue
cycle, business intelligence and actuarial expertise.
-
Information
systems and technology -- meaningful use of health IT, data
center management, data warehousing, software applications,
hardware configurations and emerging technologies, and data
security and patient confidentiality.
Working together on these and other initiatives that are
imperative to achieving better patient outcomes and lower costs, the
collaborative will bring to patients and families sustainable
advantages that can be replicated by systems across the country.
[Text from file received from
Memorial Medical Center]
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