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| Issue No. 4 |
December 2009 |
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Greetings!
The holidays often mean a slow-down in business iniatives and newsworthy undertakings. That doesn't seem to be the case in employer-managed healthcare where Cerner announced that it will acquire on-site health center manager, IMC Health Care, Inc. This combines a leader in healthcare IT, which has its own on-site services for employees, with an established provider. The combined entity will be something to watch over the next twelve months and beyond.
In addition, CHS announced the beginning of a second research project with Georgia Tech. This follows in the footsteps of an earlier partnership with Georgia Tech to develop a Workforce Health Assessment Model. |
| Cerner Announces Acquisition of IMC Health Care, Inc. |
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In a December 18, 2009 Press Release from Cerner Corporation it was announced that Cerner will acquire the on-site provider, IMC Health Care, Inc. which currently has 15 employer clients with 23 on-site clinics throughout the U.S. This move will allow the existing IMC Health Care clients additional access to Cerner IT solutions (EMR, medical equipment interfaces with the EMR, etc.) and allow Cerner access to the expertise of IMC Health Care when it comes to hands-management of on-site clinics.
There is no way to predict what this will do to the marketplace or employer-managed healthcare, short or long-term. However, this clearly demonstrates the consolidation that started with the Walgreen's acquisition of CHD/I-trax and WholeHealth. This continues a vertical consolidation which implies on-going recognition that on-site vendors are now viewed as important channels of distribution. However, if poorly executed, arrangements like this can have unintended consequences.
To see photos of Cerner's employee on-site facilities, click here.
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| CHS/Georgia Tech Expand Research |
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CHS and Georgia Tech already have a history of working together on employer-managed healthcare issues. Their WHAM (Workforce Health Assessment Model) was completed in November 2008 and is in use at CHS client sites now. The WHAM product allows employers to ". . estimate various health risks in the workplace and assists in finding cost-effective strategies to reduce those risks and the burdensome long-term costs."
This next phase in the GA Tech/CHS relationship apparently will focus on further research in ". . patient centered and evidence based design principles to provide new standards of practice in primary care and screening." It appears that this research will be focused on architectural solutions to improving onsite clinic design. |
| For more on-site clinic news, visit our Web site at www.onsiteclinics.org . | |
We reported on the Novia CareClinics/St. Vincent's (Ascension Health) arrangement recently, and today the news is that one of the major IT healthcare players is purchasing IMC Health Care. Look soon for announcements on insurance companies doing JV's with vendors and background on a couple of other very interesting deals "in the works". These recent major announcements prove that the marketplace is evolving.
In addition (as you can probably see from the above references), while Congress may seem to be at an impasse with regards to healthcare reform, providers and employers aren't laying back waiting for the government to solve the problem of ever-expanding costs and the impact of poor health on productivity in the workforce. Vendors are out there forging ahead, finding solutions, or doing the research necessary to improve healthcare every day. CHS, Cerner, IMC Health Care, Georgia Tech, and many, many others are busy tackling these tough issues.
Other agencies and not-for-profits are also in the thick of things. Take for example, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, online at www.pcpcc.net. This is a group of stakeholders trying to advance the concept of the patient-centered medical home. Many of the employers involved in this group have on-site services (Caterpillar, QuadMed, etc.), and the good news is that it includes many universities, insurers, and physicians. All of these groups have major expertise and an important stake in healthcare, outcomes, and costs. We look forward to good things coming from this organization and its work.
We'll be back next week, but in the interim, have a safe and wonderful holiday.
Sincerely,
Mike La Penna
The La Penna Group, Inc.
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