Suture Express receives 2017 Healthcare Emerging Model Award
Share Moving Media, publisher of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting, announced that Suture Express (Overland Park, KS) is the recipient of the 2017 Healthcare Emerging Model Award. The award recognizes companies and organizations that are bringing innovative solutions, services and products to meet the challenges that providers face in today’s marketplace. Suture Express was the recipient of the 2017 Healthcare Emerging Model Award for the company’s unique work with health systems that self-distribute or have a hybrid model.
“We hear a lot from hospitals, health systems and IDNs that the distribution model for the healthcare supply chain continues to change,” said John Pritchard, publisher of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting. “The 2017 Healthcare Emerging Model Award acknowledges Suture Express for their custom, innovative offerings to meet the needs of health systems.”
Suture Express recently sponsored a webinar, “The Many Faces of Self-Distribution,” where supply chain leaders discussed the challenges and best practices of self-distribution models. You can download the webinar at https://sutureexpress.com/the-many-faces-of-self-distribution-supply-webinar/.
Premier Inc c-suite survey finds healthcare providers are taking action to address opioid epidemic
Healthcare providers are continuing to take action to address the opioid epidemic, according to a recent C-Suite survey from Premier Inc. Approximately 90 percent of C-Suite leaders from Premier member health systems are prioritizing strategies to curb opioid use. According to the survey, the majority of C-Suite leaders are focusing their efforts on conducting patient assessments with standardized tools upon admission to evaluate pain levels, staff education on resources for safe opioid use and alternative methods for pain relief. Leaders also suggested they are engaging in patient education on pain management treatment and the safe use of opioids; collab- orating with state, local and community partners; and us- ing technology for clinical decision support, patient alerts, prescribing practices and continuous electronic monitoring of patient-controlled analgesia.
“With the number of people dying from opioid overdoses quadrupling since 1999 and the death toll continuing to climb, the President has deemed the opioid epidemic a public health emergency,” said Susan DeVore, president and CEO at Premier. “Premier and its members are continuing to take significant steps to improve pain management efforts, and reduce addiction, overuse and misuse by spreading and scaling tools, resources and practices focused on improving healthcare quality and patient safety.”
Premier has launched a series of efforts to address the opioid epidemic and make care safer. This includes a recently-published Safer Pain Management Toolkit for its members, which provides information on the history of opioids abuse, inappropriate access, and patient safety and pain management methods to improve care delivery processes.
Hackensack Meridian Health to merge with JFK
Health, become largest health system in NJ Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, NJ) revealed plans to combine operations with JFK Health (Edison, NJ). The merger will make Hackensack Meridian the largest health system in New Jersey. With the merger, Hackensack Meridian will consist of 16 hospitals and more than 160 patient care locations across the state. The combined health system will include nearly 33,000 employees and 6,500 staff physicians. Hackensack Meridian will invest $12 million to expand the cardiac catheterization lab at JFK Medical Center, the 498-bed flagship hospital of JFK Health. Officials said they expect to complete the project this year, pending regulatory approval.
University of Pennsylvania Health System acquires Princeton HealthCare System
The University of Pennsylvania Health System completed its acquisition of Princeton HealthCare System (Plainsboro, NJ) January 9, 2018. Under the acquisition agreement, PHCS and its affiliates will be rebranded Penn Medicine Princeton Health.
TPC and Vizient announce strategic agreement
TPC (Plano, TX), a network of independent health systems located in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas, signed an agreement with Vizient Inc (Irving, TX) for comprehensive sourcing, performance improvement and cost management services, including strategic sourcing, utilization management, and clinical and operational consulting, as well as, service line, clinical and supply chain analytics. Through the multi-year agreement that begins in early 2018, Vizient will serve as the preferred national GPO and strategic cost management partner for TPC’s network of health systems. This agreement reestablishes the TPC and Vizient relationship that was previously severed in late 2016.
Medical City Dallas names new CFO
Medical City Dallas appointed Melissa McLeroy as CFO. McLeroy comes to Medical City Dallas from Medical City Plano and Medical City Frisco, where she was CFO. McLeroy previously worked at Medical City Dallas, where she served in a number of roles, including VP of finance and controller.
HealthSouth rebrands as Encompass Health Corp
HealthSouth Corp (Birmingham, AL) changed its name to Encompass Health Corp. The operator has changed its ticker symbol on the NYSE from “HLS” to “EHC.” The Encompass Health includes 127 hospitals and 235 home health and hospice agencies in 36 states and Puerto Rico. The rollout of the Encompass Health brand includes changing names and logos across its field operations as well as corporate resources. The operator’s facilities will also transition to the Encompass Health name, beginning April 1, with locations in Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas. The full rollout is expected to be complete by Q1 2019.
Baylor Scott & White Health, Tenet announceagreement with Pipeline Health regarding sale of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center White Rock
Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas, TX) and Tenet Healthcare Corporation (Nashville, TN) reached a definitive agreement to sell 218-bed Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – White Rock hospital to Pipeline Health LLC. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – White Rock is part of a joint venture partnership with Baylor Scott & White Health, in which Tenet is the minority owner. The transaction is expected to be completed in Q1 2018, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
Anthem Inc acquires HealthSun
Anthem Inc (Indianapolis, IN) completed its acquisition of HealthSun, one of the fastest-growing integrated Medicare Advantage health plans and health care delivery networks in Florida. HealthSun serves more than 40,000 Medicare Advantage consumers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties through its network of 19 wholly-owned primary care and specialty centers. It also provides pharmacy support, transportation services, a dedicated network of physician specialists, and integrated medical cost management. HealthSun will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anthem and its associates will join Anthem’s Government Business Division. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.