UHC, Child Health Corporation of America Sign Agreement to Share Unique Comparative Pediatric Practice Data in the UHC-AAMC Faculty Practice Solutions Center®

CHICAGO and SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of the UHC-AAMC Faculty Practice Solutions Center® (FPSC), a joint service of UHC and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), UHC signed an agreement with Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA) this month to share and strengthen faculty practice comparative data unique to the pediatric practice community.

Under the agreement, the CHCA's 43 member-owned and affiliated physician practices are able to subscribe to the established FPSC practice and revenue cycle management services now in use in nearly 90 faculty practice groups affiliated with major academic medical centers across the country.

Under the agreement terms, a specialized comparative database will be created to support CHCA's performance improvement, public policy, and advocacy initiatives.

"There are strong synergies between our organizations in the areas of comparative data, performance improvement services, peer networking, and shared cultures of service," said Bob Browne, UHC associate vice president of physician services. "This collaboration provides an excellent opportunity for the UHC-AAMC FPSC and CHCA to bring enhanced focus to the strategic management information needs and interests of the pediatric practice community. These data are vital in today's health care environment," he noted.

"With the ever-changing health care environment, providers are increasingly looking to benchmarking data to improve their services. This collaboration will bring CHCA Owner Hospitals and affiliated physicians the advantages of access to a national comparative database for continuous performance improvement in pediatric care," said Edna Rindner, CHCA vice president.

CHCA children's hospitals represent more than 20,000 physicians. A number of CHCA Owner Hospitals are either part of UHC member systems or share an academic affiliation. The FPSC's subscribing faculty practice organizations represent more than 70,000 physicians.

About UHC

UHC, formed in 1984, is an alliance of 113 academic medical centers and 254 of their affiliated hospitals, representing more than 90% of the nation's nonprofit academic medical centers. UHC offers its members specific programs and services to improve clinical, operational, financial, and patient safety performance. Visit uhc.edu.

About FPSC

The UHC-AAMC Faculty Practice Solutions Center® bridges the critical gaps in the academic practice community's management data needs by providing data to inform and improve physician productivity; coding and compliance; charge capture; and collections, denials, and contract rates management. Visit www.facultypractice.org.

About CHCA

Child Health Corporation of America, an exclusive alliance of 43 freestanding children's hospitals based in Shawnee Mission, Kan, offers programs that improve the clinical and operational performance of children's hospitals. On April 1, 2011, CHCA, the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) and the National Association of Children's Hospitals (NACH) announced their merger to support their common goals. For more information, visit chca.com.

SOURCE UHC