Category: “Regional News – Northwest”

Eight hospitals, 163 clinics, 24 ancillary provider locations and 2,875 primary and specialty physicians have formed a new health network — Puget Sound High-Value Network. Some of the providers in the new network include: Tacoma, Wash.-based CHI Franciscan Health (formerly Franciscan Health System); Bellevue, Wash.-based Overlake Medical Center; Bothell, Wash.-based Lakeshore Clinic; and Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center. The network will be managed by First Choice Health in Seattle.

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix
Banner Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix
Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa
Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert
Banner Heart Hospital in Mesa
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West
Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City and
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale
In Colorado, McKee Medical Center recognized for a high-performing specialty.

St. Luke's is the largest private employer in Idaho and the state's only locally owned, locally governed health system. St. Luke's is the state's first and only accountable care organization through its participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This year, the health system was recognized as one of the country's Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics.

Ira Byock, M.D., to launch the new Providence Institute for Human Caring

"Most hospital systems have a mission statement that says we exist to deliver care to patients," says James, Intermountain's chief quality officer. "Yet, if you apply the old litmus test, 'You manage what you measure,' you'll find that the role of administration in most healthcare organizations is to manage a facility within which independent physicians deliver care. Leaders vigorously track budgets and variance reports. But those reports are typically organized around departments within a hospital—versus the care that is delivered by that hospital."

The medical imaging technology industry supports an estimated 12,000 jobs and generates approximately $3.1 billion in total economic activity in the state of Washington.

Carolinas HealthCare System vs. Novant Health (Charlotte, N.C.)

Cerner vs. Epic

Cleveland Clinic vs. Mayo Clinic (National)

Community Health Systems vs. HCA (National)

Duke Medicine vs. UNC Healthcare (Raleigh-Durham, N.C.)

Highmark/West Penn Allegheny vs. UPMC (Pittsburgh)

Houston Methodist vs. Memorial Hermann vs. St. Luke's Health (Houston)

Kaiser Permanente vs. Sutter Health (Northern California)

NorthShore University HealthSystem vs. Northwestern Medicine (Chicago)

Saint Alphonsus Health System vs. St. Luke's Health System/Treasure Valley Hospital (Boise, Idaho)

The negative outlook reflects challenges Sutter Health is currently facing, including its poor performance in fiscal year 2013 and a capital plan of $5 billion over the next five years. Sutter Health posted a $22 million loss from operations in fiscal year 2013, compared with an operating profit of $549 million in 2012

Across the country, a historically fragmented hospital market is organizing around a select group of for-profit and not-for-profit systems. And that means competition has increased for fewer acquisition targets that still remain on the market.