Physician Groups Join Forces to Improve Care

SUMMIT, N.J., Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Vista Health System IPA (VISTA) and Central Jersey Physician Network IPA (CJPN) announced today the formation of Optimus Healthcare Partners LLC, an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Optimus Healthcare Partners will provide the organizational platform where independent physicians work together to provide patients the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right cost. Initially Optimus Healthcare Partners will enroll physicians from the combined 650 physician membership of VISTA and CJPN, then quickly expanding throughout New Jersey to include physician groups committed to the core mission of transforming healthcare delivery. Both IPA's will continue separate operations as well.  

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Thomas H. Kloos, M.D. President of VISTA, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the new organization notes that "Optimus physicians will incorporate patient-centered principles of improved access to care, whole person orientation, evidence-based care management, enhanced care coordination, and new compensation models rewarding good patient outcomes that will lead the way in health care transformation. In these difficult economic times it is important for physicians to bring true health care value to their patients and the employers who provide healthcare benefits. For physicians who wish to remain independent, we offer an alternative to the absorption of their practices by a hospital system or a larger group."

Jim Barr, M.D. Medical/Executive Director of CJPN, and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Optimus remarks, "There are numerous hospitals, integrated delivery systems, multispecialty groups and health plans experimenting with new compensation models that attempt to drive quality through aligned incentives. Optimus Healthcare Partners provides the best vehicle to protect physician and patient interests, while still providing value in the health care systems of tomorrow."  

About VISTA Health System, LLC is an Independent Practice Association (IPA) established in 1994. It is an entirely physician-owned network of primary care and specialty physicians in Northern and Central New Jersey with practices located in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, Union and Warren counties. Vista is comprised of 500 physicians including 200 primary care and 300 specialty physicians. Vista's programs have supported their members' transition to electronic health records, use of its patient registry, and ePrescribing.   Several of Vista practices are recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as Patient Centered Medical Homes as well as many physicians recognized in Diabetes Care.

About CJPN IPA: Central Jersey Physician Network IPA is a multispecialty independent practice association located mostly in the Somerset and Middlesex Counties of central New Jersey.  Established in 1997, CJPN has grown to almost 150 physicians focused on providing a high-quality, cost-effective medical management product for the purchasers and consumers of health care.  CJPN physicians utilize electronic medical records, patient registry software, e-prescribing and other tools to provide the best patient experience. Many of their primary care practices recently achieved recognition by the NCQA as Patient-Centered Medical Homes.

SOURCE Vista Health System