Officials at St. Luke's University Health Network, Geisinger Health System and Geisinger Health Plan said the organizations will partner in Pennsylvania in order to share data that will allow them to have better population health services and launch a Medicare Advantage for patients in the Lehigh Valley.
Geisinger initially sought a partnership with St. Luke's based in part on its willingness to implement new models of care in collaboration with physicians. Discussions between the two organizations revealed shared similar values, among them a commitment to change led by the physicians themselves.
The organizations said the collaboration's objectives include the sharing of knowledge and experience related to population health, especially as it concerns value-based payment models.
[Also: Geisinger gives patients upper hand in deciding new nurse dress code]
They also plan to introduce a Medicare Advantage product to be sponsored for Medicare recipients across the Lehigh Valley. This insurance plan will offer improved management of chronic conditions and health outcomes, as well as enhanced access to services not covered under traditional Medicare and Medigap plans.
St. Luke's 10,000 plus employees and their dependents will also become members of Geisinger Health Plan on January 1, 2017. Geisinger Health Plan currently provides the management of pharmacy services to St. Luke's employees.
The groups said the relationship will benefit commercial and employer groups in the region.
[Also: Geisinger CEO David Feinberg calls 2016 the 'year of the patient']
St. Luke's, a regional nonprofit, provides services at six hospitals and more than 270 sites, primarily in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania, as well as Warren County, New Jersey.
Geisinger provides services at 12 hospital campuses and 350 sites throughout 45 counties in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Geisinger Health Plan has more than 551,000 members in 43 counties throughout central and northeast Pennsylvania.
Twitter: @JELagasse