Maryland: CMS’s ONC unveil final rules for Stage 3 Meaningful Use, EHR Certification
CMS’s (Baltimore, MD) Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT released its final rules for Stage 3 of the meaningful use program, modifications for 2015 through 2017, and the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria. Providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHRs) can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments. Under the meaningful use modifications for 2015 through 2017 eligible professionals will have just 10 reporting objectives, down from 18 in the previous two stages; eligible hospitals will have just nine reporting objectives, down from 20; includes a more flexible reporting period; moves the reporting period for participants to the calendar year instead of the fiscal year. Under the final rule, Stage 3 will be optional in 2017, and providers who elect to begin Stage 3 that year will be able to attest for a 90-day reporting period; be mandatory in 2018; have eight reporting objectives for eligible professionals and hospitals, more than 60 percent of which require interoperability, compared with 33 percent under Stage 2.
Minnesota: Fairview Health Services plans merger with University of MN Physicians
Fairview Health Services (Minneapolis, MN) and University of Minnesota Physicians (Minneapolis, MN) announced plans to merge. The new organization would be known as University of Minnesota Health and integrate University of Minnesota Physicians clinics into a new network. The two groups are currently partners on several clinical initiatives as well as Fairview’s Pioneer Medicare ACO. A final agreement is expected by the end of March 2016, with the merger scheduled to close in July.
New York: Saint Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (NY) to join Montefiore Health System
Saint Luke’s Cornwall Hospital Health System’s (Newburgh, NY) and the board of directors of Montefiore Health System (Bronx, NY) approved a non-financial arrangement under which Saint Luke’s will become part of the Montefiore system. Saint Luke’s will maintain control of its own finances and operations but gain access to Montefiore’s academic medicine and specialty resources. The financially struggling nonprofit hospital began looking for a partnership in 2014. Finalization of the arrangement is pending regulatory approval.
Florida-Georgia: Baptist Health, Flagler Hospital, Southeast GA Health System form joint venture
Baptist Health System (Jacksonville, FL), Flagler Hospital (St Augustine, FL), and Southeast Georgia Health System (Brunswick, GA) formed a new cooperative venture called Coastal Community Health (Jacksonville, FL). Each organization will remain independently owned and operated. Baptist Health System CEO Hugh Greene will lead the new venture. The primary goal of the new company will be to share best practices, take advantage of economies of scale and greater purchasing power, and improve clinical care. Coastal Community Health’s initiatives also include expanding pediatric services, investing in telemedicine, and coordinating disaster planning.
Arizona: Banner University Medical Center Phoenix begins $160M ED construction project
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ) broke ground on a $160 million emergency department. The 106,400-sq-ft facility will contain 60 exam rooms, a trauma unit, and 40 observation beds. It will also include shell space for future expansion. It is part of a planned $400 million, 16-story patient tower that is expected to receive regulatory approval in December 2015. HKS Inc (Washington, DC) will serve as architect for both projects. The ED is scheduled to open in July 2017.