Health care spending in America is expected to reach $3.7 trillion this year and see a 5.5 percent yearly increase in the next decade, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To minimize cost while remaining focused on improving the quality of care and patient experience, CHI Franciscan Health has engaged in a series of partnerships.
During the last few years, the health system has partnered with Virginia Mason to offer radiation oncology services, Kindred Healthcare to offer inpatient rehabilitation services, and MultiCare Health System to build a behavioral health hospital in Tacoma. The health system also partnered with CityMD to operate urgent care facilities across the state that are primarily staffed with board-certified physicians, offering a level of care not typical in an urgent care setting.
The partnerships help the health system avoid duplicating services. “There’s no need for CHI Franciscan, for example, to invest millions of dollars in new rehabilitation services when there is a national provider, like Kindred, that’s already a recognized expert and can bring its expertise to our patients,” says Tom Kruse, CHI Franciscan’s chief strategy officer. “Partnerships deliver the best available services for patients while keeping costs down.”
Read more about CHI Franciscan Health’s partnerships. (Tim Pfarr)
