Phoebe Putney Health System partners with Geisinger and xG Health Solutions to transform its health care delivery methods

Partnership will bring Geisinger's proven innovations that reengineer how patient care is delivered

ALBANY, Ga. and COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The rapidly changing health care landscape is bringing with it profound changes in reimbursement methods, shifting significant financial risk from payers to care providers. Hospitals nationwide are adjusting to new regulations, loss of volume, sequestration cuts, and reform uncertainties. These changes are requiring hospitals to reorganize and reengineer the way they deliver care and to adjust rapidly to new payment reform.

Phoebe Putney Health System today announces a partnership with xG Health Solutions, a Geisinger Health System affiliate. Geisinger, a top performer in the health care industry, is considered to be a national model for how to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs.  xG Health offers expertise to health care systems across the nation and is the exclusive provider of Geisinger's intellectual property.

"Phoebe is committed to improving patient care and making health care more affordable.  Our goal is to perform in the top 10 percent of all hospitals in quality, outcomes, and patient satisfaction," says Joel Wernick, Phoebe chief executive officer. "For us to continue to serve our community's health care needs, we must innovate and evolve.  This newly formed partnership demonstrates Phoebe's commitment."

Geisinger has deep experience in health care transformation that includes value reengineering, accountable care, implementation of patient-centered medical homes, payer-provider collaboration, and 17 years of experience with an electronic health record. Geisinger methods have been proven to improve quality of care and population health while reducing cost, not only at Geisinger but also at other health systems.

Phoebe will work with xG Health to develop a strategic plan and roadmap for moving from a fee-for-service model to a value-oriented care delivery model and for transitioning from a focus on treating single episodes of acute illness to managing population health. Managing population health goes beyond treating patients in need of immediate care; instead it uses data to support coordination of all aspects' of each patient's care - from wellness and preventative care to management of chronic conditions.  These initiatives are necessary for health systems to thrive under new performance-based payment arrangements where providers will be paid based on the quality, not amount, of care they deliver to their patients.  xG Health will evaluate Phoebe Putney's current organizational structure, alignment of goals towards value-orientation, population health management capabilities, clinical and economic performance, and best opportunities to improve quality and efficiency of care.  xG experts will assess the health system as a whole and provide a deeper analysis of its cardiovascular service line to make a great program even better.  The xG Health team also will talk to local payers and employers about Phoebe Putney's interest in value re-engineering and to explore opportunities to establish new payment arrangements that are beneficial to all parties. 

"xG Health is delighted to have the opportunity to help Phoebe Putney Health System identify ways to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care it delivers,"  says Dr. Earl Steinberg, chief executive officer of xG Health Solutions and executive vice president of Innovation at Geisinger.  "We are extremely impressed by the commitment of Phoebe's Board and executive and clinical leadership to reengineer how the health system can deliver greater value to the patients, payers, employers and communities it serves."

Reengineering at Geisinger to deliver the right care at the right time has produced an 18 percent reduction in hospitalizations, 36 percent reduction in readmissions, 19 percent improvement in patient perception of care coordination, and improved clinical outcomes at a reduced cost of care.  xG Health has proven that Geisinger's methods work outside of Geisinger as well as at Geisinger. Partnerships between xG Health Solutions and other health systems have yielded over 16 percent reductions in admissions and readmissions, and 8 percent reductions in emergency room visits, while lowering health care cost.

About Phoebe Putney Health System

Phoebe Putney Health System is a network of hospitals, family medicine clinics, rehab facilities, auxiliary services, and medical education training facilities. Founded in 1911, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is one of Georgia's largest comprehensive regional medical centers. Phoebe is nationally recognized for clinical excellence and innovative community health programs. More than 390 affiliated doctors and 3,800 professional staff form a unique partnership to deliver world-class healing and prevention in southwest Georgia communities.

Phoebe Putney Memorial is a 691-bed teaching hospital and a regional center for cancer treatment, cardiac medicine/surgery, gastrointestinal disease, and women's health services. The Phoebe Cancer Center is one of the busiest and most advanced in the Southeast, and the Phoebe Heart and Vascular Center performs more open heart and cardiac catheterization procedures than all other hospitals in the region combined. Phoebe is one of only six designated perinatal centers in the state of Georgia and the region's only provider of neonatal intensive care, cardiovascular surgery, and radiation oncology services. Hospitals in the Phoebe system include Phoebe Dorminy Medical Center, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, Phoebe Worth Medical, and Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center, in addition to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. More information is available at www.phoebeputney.com.

About xG Health Solutions

xG Health Solutions' mission is to help health systems and others committed to high quality, value-based care succeed under risk-based payment arrangements. Our volume-to-value roadmap, care design and delivery, population health analytics, and financial optimization services are powered by Geisinger Health System's methods that have been proven to achieve best-in-class outcomes. xG Health is the primary provider of Geisinger's Health care Performance Improvement Intellectual Property.  xG Health also provides experienced professionals to partner in developing and implementing strategies focused on improving quality and reducing cost of care over the long haul. For more information, visit www.xghealth.com, or follow the latest xG Health news and more on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About Geisinger Health System

Geisinger Health System is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record, and the development of innovative care models such as ProvenHealth Navigator® and ProvenCare®. As the nation's largest rural health services organization, Geisinger serves more than 2.6 million residents throughout 44 counties in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The physician-led system is comprised of more than 19,500 employees, including a 1,000-member multi-specialty group practice, six hospital campuses, two research centers and a 448,000-member health plan, all of which leverage an estimated $6.1 billion positive impact on the Pennsylvania economy. The health system and the health plan have repeatedly garnered national accolades for integration, quality and service. In addition to fulfilling its patient care mission, Geisinger has a long-standing commitment to medical education, research and community service. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or follow the latest Geisinger news and more on Twitter and Facebook.

CONTACT:    
Rick Smith, Phoebe Putney – 229-312-7106
Tatiana Nikitina, xG Health – 443-203-1079

SOURCE Geisinger Health System