The Phoenix, Az.-based Banner Health and health IT giant Cerner (Kansas City, Mo.) are teaming up to leverage new developments in health information technology and population health management.
According to an announcement from the companies, the multi-year strategic partnership will aim to advance and innovate health and care delivery. This collaboration builds upon decades of prior engagements between the two organizations, including the deployment of the Cerner Millennium electronic health record (EHR) across 26 Banner hospitals that has resulted in 21 of these hospitals being recognized as Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) Stage 7 organizations.
Banner Health and Cerner will continue to roll out Cerner Millennium across all of Banner’s campuses and clinics, which will include a comprehensive strategy to align the provider’s clinic-based record with the hospital’s acute care record, officials say. What’s more, the two organizations will roll out and adopt several Cerner HealtheIntent enabled solutions across the organization. This platform is designed to aggregate the clinical, financial and operational data that occurs as part of care delivery and then normalize the data to allow for deeper insights and interventions for both individuals and entire populations.
Banner, one of the largest healthcare systems in the country, has been recognized nationally for quality outcomes associated with population health management models that involve collaboration between Banner Health Network (BHN) and private and government insurers. In these collaborations, BHN shares the financial risk of caring for and managing patients and members with the insurers. As part of the commitment, key Cerner leaders and associates will relocate and be permanently assigned to Banner’s headquarters in Phoenix. This partnership will include the development and opening of an on-site conference and visitor center that will test and showcase these innovations and their impact on health management resources, officials say.
“At Banner we’re convinced that the transformation of healthcare—better outcomes and enhanced services for less costs—will largely occur through population health management plans that improve usage and management of services in hospitals and clinics,” Peter S. Fine, Banner Health president and CEO, said in a statement. “Effective and innovative electronic solutions will be at the heart of this transformation, and Cerner is an ideal partner as a leading organization in these efforts.”
