Baptist, St. Vincent's and ContinuumRx to Enter Birmingham Home Infusion Market through New Joint Venture

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ContinuumRx announced today that it has entered into a joint venture with Baptist Health System and St. Vincent's Health System. Combined, the two health systems own and operate eight hospitals in the Greater Birmingham Area. The new joint venture will serve patients in the area requiring home infusion services. The healthcare systems and ContinuumRx are seeking to provide patients with a well-coordinated transition from hospital-to-home as they continue to receive infusion therapy to manage their condition.

Home Infusion services are typically ordered for those patients discharged from the hospital with continuing need for intravenous antibiotics, enteral feeding or total parenteral nutrition. High-cost chronic disease states such as cancer, gastrointestinal problems, heart failure, and others also often require home infusion therapy. Ongoing home therapy progress information is provided to each patient's primary care and specialty physicians electronically or through available consultations, giving physicians access to important clinical information.

"ContinuumRx has demonstrated in other markets significant experience in coordinating and managing the successful outcome of patients with chronic and complex conditions," said Scott Fenn, Baptist's Chief Integration Officer. "Their vision of where home infusion fits into the overall transformation of healthcare played a major factor in our decision. We are excited to have them as the operating partner for our home infusion service."

"The addition of home infusion services to our system is an important part of our commitment to caring for our patients in the home setting," said John O'Neil, President and CEO of St. Vincent's Health System. "Our partnership with ContinuumRx gives us a regional partner with the scale and expertise to be successful."

ContinuumRx has executed joint venture agreements with six hospital systems that own and operate 20 hospitals in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi. ContinuumRx plans to further develop its southeastern footprint through joint ventures with major healthcare systems in 2012 and then expand into other regions across the United States.

"New models of care continue to evolve as providers and payers seek to improve upon our current healthcare system," said Brian Booth, Executive Vice President of ContinuumRx. "Our goal is to deliver a service that aligns with their vision of improved care coordination and economic alignment across the entire care continuum."

Nearly one in five Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days -- a readmission many patients could have avoided if their care outside of the hospital had been aggressive and better coordinated. Improving coordination and communication among physicians and other providers across the entire healthcare continuum is one of the primary drivers behind emerging Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

About Baptist Health System
Founded in 1922, Baptist Health System is one of the largest health care systems in Alabama and one of the state's largest employers. The System is a not-for-profit, 501(c) corporation that owns and manages four hospitals in the state of Alabama. Baptist Health System is a ministry of the churches of the Birmingham Baptist Association, whose representatives elect the Board of Trustees. It was founded by a group of local Baptist congregations.  For more information, visit www.bhsala.com.

About St. Vincent's Health System
St. Vincent's Health System is made up of five facilities: St. Vincent's Birmingham, St. Vincent's Blount, St. Vincent's East, St. Vincent's St. Clair, and St. Vincent's One Nineteen Health and Wellness. Together, we provide a special brand of high-touch, high-tech quality care to people in more than 40 different zip codes. Our healthcare family has an extensive network of skilled physicians and associates, as well as the most advanced technologies available. We are a part of Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic and non-profit health system, with more than 100,000 associates serving in 20 states and the District of Columbia. We are committed to providing healthcare that works, healthcare that is safe, and healthcare that leaves no one behind for life. For more information, please visit http://www.stvhs.com.

About ContinuumRx
ContinuumRx is based in Birmingham, Alabama and develops joint ventures with market-leading health systems to provide home infusion and specialty pharmacy services to the patients they serve. Through its unique integrated model with health systems and their affiliated providers, ContinuumRx is creating a better model of care for patients with chronic and complex conditions. Its team of clinical experts and advanced fulfillment model provides hospitals with a seamless service offering that can reduce the patient's length of stay, help avoid unnecessary readmissions and allow payors to reduce overall healthcare costs. For more information, please visit www.continuumrx.com.

SOURCE ContinuumRx