Regence, Adventist Health and Tuality Healthcare Forge Accountable Care Network

PORTLAND, Ore., July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Adventist Health and Tuality Healthcare are joining together to form an accountable care network aimed at advancing the health of patients, improving their experience, and lowering costs. This new Regence network will offer members in Portland's east and west side communities a broader network of providers specializing in high quality, affordable care.

The agreement includes an innovative payment model that shifts from traditional fee-for-service arrangements to an outcome-based model emphasizing quality and total cost of care. The new payment model includes a risk-based accountable health program with shared incentive measures based on quality and cost benchmarks that will allow Regence to offer products with lower premiums compared to the current marketplace, and add features aimed at engaging members in their health care decisions. Patients will also benefit from increased coordination of care, and proactive measures for populations at high risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Studies show that these collaborative, outcome-based health care models help improve quality of care and result in higher patient satisfaction.

"We're excited to join with Adventist and Tuality, two partners who have demonstrated a commitment to quality and innovation," said Don Antonucci, president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. "This agreement is a win-win that gives Regence members access to a broader network of smarter, more coordinated care at lower costs."

"Tuality, Adventist and Regence share a vision that collaboration is necessary to increase health care access and improve people's ability to afford coverage," said Dick Stenson, president and chief executive officer of Tuality Healthcare. "We believe this collaboration will result in quality, efficient and affordable health care."

"This robust partnership reflects our commitment to provide patients a positive healing experience in a cost effective manner," said Tom Russell, president and CEO of Adventist Medical Center. "It also provides the community access to some of the most highly skilled and compassionate providers in the region."

"Accountable care agreements such as this collaboration between Regence, Adventist and Tuality will allow us to significantly and permanently transform the health care delivery system into one that achieves a greater value and patient orientation in health care," said Patti Laughren, vice president of accountable health  services for Regence.

This announcement is the latest as part of Regence's comprehensive Accountable Health strategy within the Regence family of companies in Oregon, Utah, Washington and Idaho to help foster collaborative physician-patient relationships that improve quality of care. Since 2007, Regence has worked with providers, employers, and individual members throughout its four-state region to implement collaborative care models. Additional collaborative arrangements with doctors and hospitals throughout the Northwest region are expected in the coming weeks.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a leading health plan in Oregon, with nearly 750,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and is affiliated with Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Together, the companies serve more than two million members in the Northwest/Intermountain Region. The Regence affiliated companies are committed to improving the health of its members and communities, and to transforming the health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceOregon.

About Adventist Health-Portland
Adventist Health-Portland includes  Adventist Medical Center (AMC), located in southeast Portland, a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. It has been ranked as one of America's Safest Hospitals and is in the top 5% nationwide for patient safety. Adventist Health-Portland also operates more than 30 primary care and specialty clinics in the metro area. The organization is represented by nearly 2,000 employees and 500 physicians who choose to treat and admit their patients into the Adventist Health Network of services.

Adventist Health-Portland is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system serving communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 28,900 includes more than 21,200 employees; 4,500 medical staff physicians; and 3,200 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist health values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 170 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 14 home care agencies, six hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. We invite you to visit www.adventisthealthnw.com for more information.

About Tuality Healthcare
Tuality Healthcare is the leading healthcare provider in western Washington County. Our system consists of hospitals in Hillsboro and Forest Grove, plus numerous outpatient clinics. Tuality serves a market area of 350,000 and growing. We offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical services, including comprehensive cardiac, cancer and stroke care. Tuality has a medical staff of nearly 300 doctors and is one of the region's largest employers with a staff of over 1,200. The following features set Tuality apart from other healthcare providers: A near perfect core measure score of 99.1 out of 100 in a recent accreditation survey from the Joint Commission; the leading geriatric psychiatry unit in the Pacific Northwest; easy access to Tuality Community Hospital via TriMet's MAX light-rail service; a certified primary stroke center which recently received a Gold Plus Quality Achievement award from the American Heart Association, and an accredited cancer center, the second facility in the state of Oregon to be accredited by the American College of Radiology. For more information, please visit www.tuality.org or www.facebook.com/Tuality.

SOURCE Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon