Population Health

The L.A. County program allows for a Web-based conversation between primary care doctors and specialists that can include the exchange of medical records and photographs.

The system is designed to extend the expertise of Jefferson clinicians to suburbanites through telehealth, urgent care centers and Abington's three community hospitals and clinics.

The stakes are huge because Medicaid enrollees are more likely to engage in unhealthy practices, such as smoking, and are less likely to get preventive care, studies show.

Narrow networks, accountable care, wellness screenings and health management all helped the city cut its annual cost increases for employee health from 10 percent to just over 1 percent.

"It has become necessary to build scale to meet community health needs well into the future," says Lancaster General CEO Thomas Beeman.

At a time when rural hospitals are closing and aging communities face a stroke epidemic, specialized ambulances can fill the gap.

The integration will give providers additional expertise as they navigate ICD-10, meaningful use, population health management, privacy and security, revenue and cost management and analytics.

Hospitals see the proverbial writing on the wall, and are preparing for the industry transition to value-based purchasing. But under a value model, many organizations will struggle, at least initially, to maintain their margins and to retain adequate market share in their regions.

Maryland hospital has turned heads in the industry for its approach to revenue cycle and has consistently hit high benchmarks in patient access, revenue integrity, claims adjudication and management.

AAC will acquire Sunrise House Foundation, which runs the New Jersey facility, and will invest $5 million in the 87,000-square-foot campus.