Hill Physicians and Muir Medical Group IPA Announce Plans to Join Forces

Muir Medical Group, IPA to become part of Hill Physicians Medical Group on January 1, 2018

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Sep 22, 2017, 16:06 ET

SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ – Hill Physicians, California's largest independent physician association (IPA), and Muir Medical Group IPA, Inc, the largest IPA serving the East Bay, today announced plans to join under the umbrella of Hill Physicians Medical Group effective January 1, 2018.

"As the industry consolidates to achieve economies of scale that help manage cost of care, we were seeking a partner to help us expand our presence in Contra Costa County," said David Joyner, Hill Physicians' CEO.

"Both Muir Medical Group, IPA and Hill Physicians enjoy a long history of delivering high performing, physician-driven care focused on improving the patient experience and outcomes and reducing the per capita cost of care to patients of the respective groups. We are excited about the prospects of leveraging each other's strengths to continue to improve all facets of the care we deliver."

It is expected that a majority of the 150 primary care physicians and 400 specialists currently contracted as part of the Muir Medical Group IPA will become part of the Hill Physicians Medical Group. Patients comprising these physicians' panels will not see an interruption in service as only their medical group affiliation will change. As the 4,000-plus physician network of Hill Physicians expands, patients of both groups will gain even greater choice and access to care throughout the greater Bay Area.

Both parties noted that final plans to operationalize the partnership will be ironed out in the coming months. Long term, the operations platforms of Muir IPA and Hill's management services organization, PriMed, will be integrated. Additionally, both groups are currently expanding the use of the Epic electronic health record (EHR) within their respective systems.

"The synergies created by both groups expanding their use of an industry-leading EHR cannot be under-estimated," stated Steve Kaplan, MD, President of Muir Medical Group IPA. "We help each other grow stronger in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, and share a common commitment to quality of care and a vision of how to best support the independent provider practice. These factors and more make for a logical partnership that is perhaps long overdue."

Muir Medical Group IPA and the John Muir Health System recently terminated their agreement, helping prompt the Walnut Creek-based physician group's decision to transition to Hill Physicians.

About Hill Physicians Medical Group
Hill Physicians Medical Group is the largest independent physician association in Northern
California and is a nationally known leader in innovative healthcare. The Integrated Healthcare
Association and California Association of Physician Groups have recognized Hill Physicians as one of the top-performing medical groups in the state. For more information visit www.HillPhysicians.com.

About Muir Medical Group IPA
Muir Medical Group IPA, Inc. is the largest IPA in the East Bay and has been providing health care services to its member since 1986. Its mission is to improve its communities through high quality, affordable, patient-centered healthcare. It furthers that mission by having its physicians provide medical and business insight that drives continual improvement in healthcare, adopting new ideas and methods to enhance patient care and delivery systems across disciplines, and making the physician-patient relationship paramount in every decision it makes.