St. Luke’s University Health Network and Geisinger sign agreement

PR Newswire

BETHLEHEM, Pa., Aug. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials at St. Luke's University Health Network, Geisinger Health System and Geisinger Health Plan today announced the signing of a Master Collaboration Agreement. The collaboration will take advantage of the collective strengths of the organizations to further improve access to affordable and high quality healthcare to persons living in nearly 50 counties in Pennsylvania.

David T. Feinberg, M.D., MBA, President and CEO of Geisinger Health System

Geisinger sought to team up with St. Luke's based on its reputation for exceptional quality, strategic vision and willingness to implement new and innovative models of care in collaboration with physicians. When executive leadership from the organizations began discussing ways to work together, they realized they shared similar cultures and a commitment to community health, physician-led change, and a demonstrated track record in medical research, education and innovation.

"When you get to the heart of it, we are two organizations focused on taking the best care of patients and we're excited to partner with a healthcare system that aligns with our vision and values," said David T. Feinberg, M.D., MBA, President and CEO of Geisinger Health System. "Geisinger is thrilled to expand the scope of our relationship with St. Luke's to advance population health, improve quality and provide better access to care."

St. Luke's, a nationally-recognized healthcare system, provides services at six (soon to be seven) hospitals and more than 270 sites, primarily in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County, New Jersey.

Geisinger, viewed as a national model in providing both high-quality and cost-effective medical care, 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, rated among the top health plans in the nation, has more than 551,000 members in 43 counties throughout central and northeast Pennsylvania.*

"We have earned a reputation as a high quality provider of healthcare services delivered at the lowest cost in the region," said Richard A. Anderson, President and CEO of St. Luke's University Health Network. "The collaboration and partnership with Geisinger creates enormous opportunities to enhance preventive health services and improve the health of the growing number of people who depend on St. Luke's for their care."

The objectives of the collaboration include:

Sharing knowledge and experience related to population health and innovation around new value-based payment models.
The introduction of a Medicare Advantage product to be sponsored by the two health systems for Medicare recipients across the Lehigh Valley. This insurance plan's objective is to offer improved management of chronic conditions and health outcomes and 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 relationship will provide opportunities to benefit commercial and employer groups in the region.

"In this ever-evolving healthcare environment, our goal is to provide better care and better value for patients. We do this by collaborating with physicians and healthcare systems," said Steven Youso, president and CEO, Geisinger Health Plan. "We expect this collaboration to help us fulfill that commitment even further for those we serve."

About St. Luke'sFounded in 1872, St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated and nationally recognized network providing services at six, soon to be seven, hospitals and more than 270 outpatient sites. The network's service area includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, and Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and in Warren County in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing health education, St. Luke's operates the nation's oldest School of Nursing and 22 graduate medical educational programs. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke's created the region's first Medical School. Repeatedly, St. Luke's has earned Truven's Top 100 Major Teaching Hospital designation as well as Top 50 Cardiovascular program in addition to other honors for clinical excellence. St. Luke's is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke's information technology applications such as electronic medical records, telehealth, online scheduling and pricing information. St. Luke's is also recognized as one of the state's lowest cost providers in comparison to major teaching hospitals.

About Geisinger
Geisinger Health System is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record and the development of innovative care delivery models such as ProvenHealth Navigator® and ProvenCare®. As one of the nation's largest health service organizations, Geisinger serves more than 3 million residents throughout 45 counties in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania, and also in southern New Jersey with the addition of AtlantiCare, a National Malcolm Baldrige Award recipient. The physician-led system is comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 12 hospital campuses, two research centers and a 551,000-member health plan, all of which leverage an estimated $10.5 billion positive impact on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey economy. Geisinger has repeatedly garnered national accolades for integration, quality and service. In addition to fulfilling its patient care mission, Geisinger has a long-standing commitment to medical education, research and community service. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or follow the latest Geisinger news and more on Twitter and Facebook.

*NCQA's Private and Medicare Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-2016. Geisinger Health Plan's PPO is listed in NCQA Health Insurance Plan Ratings under Geisinger Quality Options. Geisinger Gold HMO is listed in NCQA Health Insurance Plan Ratings under Geisinger Health Plan.

CONTACT: St. Luke's: Mariella Miller, 484-526-4134
mariella.miller@sluhn.org

Geisinger: Wendy Wilson, 570-840-0878
wkwilson@geisinger.edu