A major multi-hospital health system is partnering with a national, health plan-owned data analytics solutions company, in an unusual partnership that is erasing some traditional lines of demarcation between and among providers, health plans, and vendors.
According to a press release issued on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 7, the 23-hospital, St. Louis-based “SSM Health and [the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based] Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), announced an innovative collaboration focused on making quality care more accessible and affordable for people across the Midwest. Together, the organizations will work to improve the overall well-being of individuals and communities – while addressing the complex social and economic factors affecting each person’s health. SSM Health and Optum will partner across certain functions – including inpatient care management, digital transformation and revenue cycle management – to improve health outcomes and patients’ health care experiences. The organizations also will collaborate to redefine the consumer health care journey through the design and development of a seamless digital experience to simplify patient access to the care and services they need.”
“Creating a new ecosystem of care requires bringing together the best and the brightest to collaborate for the common good,” said Laura S. Kaiser, FACHE, president and chief executive officer, SSM Health, in a statement included in the press release. “The commitment of UnitedHealth Group and Optum to improving health care experiences and outcomes for everyone aligns well with SSM Health’s Mission to ensure all people have access to high-quality, compassionate and affordable care. We are excited to partner with them to achieve our vision of transforming health care in America – and address the health equity gap for the most vulnerable in society.”
The press release went on to state that, “To help advance health equity, UnitedHealth Group and SSM Health will jointly invest in vital community health programs to ensure the disadvantaged and vulnerable have equal access to quality health care services. These efforts will focus on closing the health equity gap and critical health priorities in the communities SSM Health serves throughout the Midwest.”
“We are thrilled to partner with SSM Health to advance a next-generation holistic approach to health that empowers all people to lead their healthiest lives,” said Dan Schumacher, chief strategy and growth officer of UnitedHealth Group, in a statement included in the press release. “This new relationship further builds on Optum’s support of local care systems across the country to enhance affordable, patient-centric care that is easy to access, sustainable and high-quality.”
As the press release noted, “To better serve the health care needs of people across the Midwestern communities SSM Health serves, SSM Health and Optum will:
> Use clinical technologies, advanced analytic tools and delivery of data-driven insights at the point of care to reduce care variation and co-develop an inpatient care delivery model that improves quality and patient outcomes, while reducing unnecessary costs.
> Implement new and best-in-class technologies to innovate and streamline the billing experience for patients and providers and accelerate SSM Health’s progress to market-leading patient satisfaction across all revenue cycle operations.
> Advance consumer engagement by designing a seamless digital experience that spans the patient journey. This will simplify patient access to the care and services they need, improving their experiences and resulting in stronger provider-patient relationships, increased patient loyalty and lower costs.”
What’s more, “SSM Health is a leading health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest, and we are honored to partner with them in providing exceptional health care services,” said Rick Hardy, chief executive officer, OptumInsight, said in a statement included in the press release. “We look forward to sharing our advanced technology and insights, while benefiting from SSM Health’s clinical expertise and experience in community health, patient engagement and integrated health care delivery.”
One indicator of the unusualness of the arrangement announced Thursday: “As a part of this new relationship, certain SSM Health team members across revenue cycle management and hospital care management will become employees of Optum. They will continue to support SSM Health and its Mission – working in their current locations across Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Both SSM Health and Optum are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and exceptional experience for patients, employees and providers.”
