Jefferson Health Care, Inc.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and Jefferson Health have signed a long-term renewal of their innovative contract. The renewal marks a continued commitment by the two organizations to work together to enhance health care quality and access in the region, as well as maintaining affordability. It also extends Jefferson Health's participation in Independence's Total Value of Care value-based care program. The contract, which for the first time includes Einstein Healthcare Network and Jefferson Health New Jersey, will go into effect on January 1, 2023. Continue Reading Dr. Joseph G. Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University, and Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross "This long-term contract renewal is a significant and positive step forward in our work with Jefferson Health," said Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross. "It acknowledges the near-term cost pressures that certain health systems are facing right now and increases our ability to find innovative ways to work together on value-based initiatives that keep costs down for our members and customers." "This agreement will enable Jefferson to further our mission to improve lives in the communities we serve," said Dr. Joseph G. Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University. "We look forward to working together with Independence Blue Cross to further expand our innovative programs and explore additional partnerships that will enhance overall health in the region." Value-based care has been an important focus of Independence and Jefferson Health's work together since 2017. Through Independence's value-based care program, aligned with Jefferson Health's extensive population health resources, the two organizations work together to deliver well-coordinated and team-based care. They also share in the accountability for both the quality and cost of care. Working this way drives more efficient and effective care that focuses on patients' and members' needs. Jefferson Health and Independence are also committed to collaborating on and co-investing in innovative approaches to care. These approaches could improve health outcomes, break down barriers to care, improve upon health care inequities, and drive increased cost efficiency in the system. Two examples of this work include: Telehealth-Enabled Integrated Palliative Care for People with Dementia, a project that Jefferson Health is running, and Independence is funding through its Clinical Care Innovation Program. The program uses a telehealth and web-based advanced care planning model to help reduce barriers that older urban dwelling people with dementia face when trying to access palliative care. The goal is for this model to improve health and wellness at a population level and potentially reduce overall cost of care. Accelerate Health Equity, a multi-year initiative that brings together organizations across the Philadelphia region – including Independence and Jefferson Health – to combat health inequities and eliminate barriers to achieving equitable health outcomes. It's designed to produce tangible improvement in these issues and, ultimately, positive change in health outcomes in Philadelphia. Over the next few years, Independence and Jefferson Health plan to expand their work together. Integrating physical and behavioral health will be a particular area of focus, as will efforts to improve maternal and cardiovascular health. About Independence Blue Cross Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. About Jefferson Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 43,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and four schools offering 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,400 students. Jefferson Health serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 18 hospitals and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. SOURCE Independence Blue Cross

None Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please submit the good news—or the bad—from your shop, and we will feature it here at the end of each week. Providence Health System  Rafael Martinez-Chapman joined Providence Health System Dec. 12 as senior vice president and treasurer of the Washington-based not-for-profit health system. Martinez-Chapman comes to Providence from Lumen Technologies where he was promoted to the position of senior vice president, treasurer and head of corporate finance. He previously held similar roles at CenturyLink, Wachovia Securities and JPMorgan. Martinez-Chapman will report to Chief Financial Officer Greg Hoffman. Martinez-Chapman brings knowledge of capital markets, risk and cash management and capital allocation and structure. The hire comes less than a month after Providence posted a $164 million operating loss in quarter three, a notable setback after the health system already reported being down $934 million in the second quarter. High labor costs, weak volumes and other economywide pressures were blamed for the financial downturn. Providence Health Plan Providence Health Plan (PHP) announced the expansion of its leadership team with the addition of Scott Burton as market president of commercial and Shannon Drotning as market president of consumer and specialty. Following a year of growth, both individuals were promoted internally thanks to demonstrated success as the health plan expanded coverage in new markets. Burton joined PHP as vice president of growth strategies earlier this year. Burton will now be responsible for state and regional commercial sales and growth strategy, leading the sales and account services teams, managing operations of all health plan commercial business and developing PHP's commercial strategy. He most recently supported enterprise objectives as director of commercial sales and enterprise account revenue at Cambia Health Solutions. Since September 2019, Drotning has led PHP’s Medicare and individuals lines of business. She began her career with PHP as a customer service representative in 1994. During her tenure at the company, she has led the expansion of services for members, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Advantage Group, including entry into the Orange County, California, market. She will now be responsible for state and regional consumer and specialty sales and growth strategies as well as overseeing the consumer lines of business.     LifePoint Health LifePoint Health named Rena Marsh as the healthcare delivery network’s new chief diversity officer, effective Dec. 5. March joins Lifepoint from her position as diversity and inclusion oversight specialist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. In this position, she provided DEI and equal employment opportunity oversight, analysis and review at Federal Reserve banks and U.S. bank holding companies. She previously held roles as the director of human resources at LMI and CACI International. Early in her career, she served as human resources business partner for Fannie Mae, communications lead at Science Applications International Corporations and diversity programs manager for the mission systems sector at Northrop Grumman Corporation. LifePoint has boasted some recent high-powered partners including Google Cloud; the  healthcare company will use its technology to synchronize its health systems. Commonwealth Fund Commonwealth Fund named Joseph Betancourt as its new president on Jan. 17. Betancourt will succeed David Blumenthal, M.D., as the head of the national philanthropic organization. During his tenure, which began in 2013, Blumenthal led initiatives to address racial and ethnic disparities across healthcare. Blumenthal announced in May that he would be stepping down at the end of 2022. Most recently, Betancourt was senior vice president for equity and community health at Massachusetts General Hospital where he oversaw the hospital’s center for diversity and inclusion, disparities solutions center, center for community health improvement and centers focused on gun violence prevention, community health innovation, immigrant health and global health. Betancourt will be the Commonwealth Fund's first Latino president. > The World Health Organization appointed Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu as chief nursing officer. > Jefferson Health tapped Baligh Yehia, M.D., as the new president of the Philadelphia-based health system. > Marshfield Clinic Health System announced that Susan Turney will step down from the role of chief executive officer following the Wisconsin-based health system’s proposed merger with Duluth, Minnesota-based Essentia Health. > UnitedHealth Group's board of directors names Kristen Gil, also a vice president at Alphabet, as its new board member. > Centene has promoted Ken Fasola to president and Jim Murray to chief operating officer as current president and COO Brent Layton plans to retire.  > MedTrainer has unveiled Kevin Stineman as the new chief operating officer and Evan Horibe as the vice president of sales at the healthcare compliance software company. > Akido has named Leslie Margolin as the head of healthcare networks of the care delivery platform. > Genesis Health System, based in Davenport, Iowa, announced that CEO Doug Cropper will retire in June 2023. > Prisma Health revealed that Nick Patel, M.D., has left his post as chief digital officer. > The Oregon Health Authority has appointed James Schroeder, chief executive officer of Health Share of Oregon, as its interim director. > Cleveland Clinic London welcomes Lindsey Condron as chief of operations, Rai Mughal as chief information officer for London sites and Abigail Stapleton as executive director of international strategy. > Temple University Health System appoints Carl Sirio, M.D., as its new chief medical officer. > New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has nominated two new members for the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Board of Directors: Hetty Rosenstein and Kelly Maer. > Generate Biomedicines taps Dimitris Agrafiotis as chief digital officer. > Constellation, a tech-enabled advertising company, welcomed Melissa Gunn as the new senior vice president and head of pharma.

Venture capital firm General Catalyst announced a slew of new health system partners on Tuesday, bringing its total number of collaborators in the U.S. to 14. The 10 new partners include Banner Health, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Health First, MetroHealth, OhioHealth, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), UC Davis Health, UC Irvine Health and Universal Health Services (UHS). General Catalyst had previously revealed partnerships with WellSpan Health, Jefferson Health, Intermountain and HCA as well as Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. The VC aims to work with these health systems to determine areas for innovation, then co-invest in or build health tech companies. Daryl Tol, General Catalyst's head of health assurance ecosystem, told MobiHealthNews the firm wanted to have a range of providers across the country, including academic medical centers, for-profit health systems and not-for-profit providers. Tol said the health systems' approach to change also affected General Catalyst's decision. "Do they have a really engaged and supportive executive team? Is there dissatisfaction with the way things are, and a readiness to shift? Is there good board engagement and strategy around transformation?" he said. "So we looked at both the broader diversity of systems, and we looked at the internal characteristics as well." THE LARGER TREND General Catalyst announced its first partnership with HCA in August 2021. Tol said the VC has been piloting partnerships with the early partners. They visit the systems, listen to strategy and concerns, and work on yearly activation plans. Tol, who formerly held multiple executive roles at AdventHealth in Florida, joined General Catalyst earlier this year. He said the VC has a long-term focus when it comes to these health system partnerships, and they'll consider multiple avenues to innovation, from expanding a tool they already use, to investing in or co-developing a new solution. More partners could be added as well. "I think we'll add more over time and grow our bandwidth and capability over time," he said. "But I also think it's going to take a little time to refine our approach, to make sure it's working, to measure, to hold ourselves accountable, before we start growing for the sake of growth."