United Physicians and Beaumont Physician Organization to Merge

BINGHAM FARMS, Mich., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Physicians, Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement with Beaumont Physician Organization leadership to merge the two organizations. The merged entities will operate under the name of United Physicians, Inc.

"Together, we can immediately begin working on combining our strengths and best practices to work more closely with Beaumont Health System on strategies for success in the changing health care environment," says Michael Williams, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of United Physicians. "The physician alignment will serve patients well as we work to design a system for transitions of care that is focused on service excellence, quality and value."

A physician organization of independent doctors practicing in Southeastern Michigan, UP has a mission to deliver a health care system of excellence to our community through a coordinated, efficient and integrated network of physicians. It currently has more than 1,800 members, who are physicians on the medical staffs of Beaumont Health System and other local health systems.

BPO's primary mission is focused on reimbursement contracting for its physician members, including maximizing quality of care. It has more than 1,600 members, all of whom are members of the Beaumont medical staff.

The transition of BPO physicians to UP will begin immediately and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31.

"A reunited United Physicians, working closely with Beaumont Health System, is the winning formula for these complex times," says Marc Weisman, D.O., Medical Director of the Beaumont Physician Organization. "The real winners will be the patients and communities of southeastern Michigan."

UP and BPO will coordinate with health plans to effect a seamless transition. The IT infrastructure that United Physicians has built under its wholly owned subsidiary, Ingenium, LLC, will readily accommodate additional physicians and is already fully interfaced with Beaumont's oneChart (Epic) electronic medical record system.

"Both United Physicians and Beaumont Physician Organization have served their members well in helping to improve the quality of health care," says Ananias Diokno, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Beaumont Health System. "The combined organization will help with development of a clinical integration program where Beaumont and its private-practice and employed physicians work together to control costs and improve the quality of health care services in the population that it serves."

According to Gene Michalski, President and Chief Executive Officer, Beaumont Health System, "Hospitals, physicians and physician organizations need to work more closely together than ever before. We are looking forward to working with a stronger, unified physician organization to respond to health care changes and challenges. As we work with the merged physician organization, we will continue to develop the Beaumont Medical Group, made up of more than 700 Beaumont employed physicians, and maintain our efforts to engage and align with our private-practice physicians."

About United Physicians
United Physicians, Inc. is Michigan's largest health management company.  Founded in 2000, United Physicians is an independent physician organization representing more than 1,800 physicians with medical staff privileges at hospitals throughout Southeast Michigan. Our mission is to deliver a healthcare system of excellence to our community through a coordinated, efficient and integrated network of physicians.  Visit www.updoctors.com.

About Beaumont Physicians Organization
Beaumont Physician Organization is a group of private and employed physicians representing Beaumont doctors' interests to maximize outcomes for patients and physicians through fair, efficient and transparent medical management and contracting services. BPO, a fully physician owned entity, works closely with the Beaumont Hospitals for mutual benefit. Visit www.beaumontpo.com.

About Beaumont Health System
Beaumont Health System is a three-hospital regional health system with a total of 1,726 licensed beds, more than 14,000 full-time equivalent employees and 3,700 physicians. In addition to its hospitals, Beaumont operates numerous community-based medical centers in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, family practice and internal medicine practices, five nursing centers, a research institute, home care services and hospice.  Beaumont is the exclusive clinical teaching site for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.  Visit Beaumont's website at www.beaumont.edu.

SOURCE United Physicians, Inc.