Health care across the country continues to evolve as an industry. Locally, collaboration among health organizations helps foster increased access to services, improves quality of care and alleviates rising costs.
In recent years, many hospitals and health systems began to focus on building what are known as Clinically Integrated Networks (CIN’s). These organizational structures bring together networks of physicians and hospitals that share responsibility for providing care to patients. Participants in CINs share quality data as well as best practices in order to improve clinical quality and reduce costs for patients.
Mercy Health’s CIN operates under the name of Mercy Health Select in Ohio and parts of Kentucky, and has become a leader among clinical networks with more than 2,700 providers, 24 hospitals, 114 skilled nursing facilities and 36 home health agencies in its network.
Salem Regional Medical Center (SRMC) has chosen to join the Mercy Health Select network as an independent community hospital, which will include its participation in value-based contracts that Mercy Health Select has with payers such as Medicare Advantage, commercial and Mercy Health employee health plans.
“Salem Regional Medical Center chose to collaborate on this initiative with Mercy Health Select so that we can work together on behalf of our region’s patients to help reduce the costs of health care, while enhancing quality and patient care outcomes,” said Dr. Anita Hackstedde, President/CEO of Salem Regional Medical Center. “As health care continues to transform, physicians and hospitals need to work in a more collaborative fashion to prevent disease and improve the health of our communities. This initiative enables Mercy Health and SRMC to each continue to best serve our patients while remaining true to our mission and vision as organizations.”
“Having SRMC join the Mercy Health Select organization is a great opportunity for us as health care providers to learn together and progress in the health care environment in which we live today,” said Donald Kline, Chief Executive Officer at Mercy Health – Youngstown. “We want our providers to work towards value-based health care, keeping costs low and maintaining high-quality of care for those in the Valley,” he added.
Mercy Health – Youngstown and Salem Regional Medical Center continue to work towards making health care easier and building a healthier Mahoning Valley.