VHA Inc. and Jefferson School of Population Health Announce Agreement

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VHA Inc., the national health care network, has entered into an agreement with the Jefferson School of Population Health to jointly create, market and present professional development programs and conferences on population health, governance and other related healthcare transformation topics.

Population health is broader than traditional health care, as it takes into consideration all of the factors (social, economic, environmental and behavioral) that impact health outcomes of individuals and communities across the continuum of care. Shifting demographics, the tremendous burden of chronic illness, and fragmentation in the U.S. health care system are major factors increasing the visibility and need for population health education and solutions. Health systems face broad challenges when pursuing population health, and to be successful, hospitals must create a culture that is ready to embrace a changing model of care.

"VHA has done a lot of research in understanding the fundamental pieces that need to exist in order for providers to be able to succeed in transforming to a population health model that will ultimately lead to the improved health of the entire community," said Dr. Keith Kosel, vice president, VHA and executive director, VHA's Center for Applied Healthcare Studies. "As with many transformational initiatives, strong leadership is critical. Our agreement with the Jefferson School of Population Health is a big step forward in preparing VHA members with the skills and knowledge to create policies and execute plans to improve the health of populations in the communities in which they operate."

As the first designated School of Population Health in the country, the Jefferson School of Population Health is dedicated to the exploration of policies and forces that determine the health and quality of life of populations locally, nationally and globally. The Jefferson School of Population Health, established in 2008, is one of six schools and colleges that form Thomas Jefferson University, a leading academic health center founded in Philadelphia in 1824 as Jefferson Medical College.

"Having worked alongside VHA for several years now, I know they can bring the right scale to a project to really drive significant and lasting change," said David Nash, MD, MBA, founding dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health. "I couldn't be more excited about the positive impact that working together with VHA will have on our mission around population health."

The first collaboration under this new agreement is the Population Health Symposium, the first in a series of regional programs through the U.S. to be held on Nov. 11-12, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  For more information on the event, click here.

About VHA

VHA Inc. is a national network of not-for-profit health care organizations working together to improve performance and efficiency in clinical, financial and operational management. Since 1977, when VHA established the first hospital membership organization, the company has applied its knowledge in analytics, contracting, consulting and network development to help members and customers achieve their strategic objectives. In 2013, VHA delivered $2.2 billion in savings and additional value to members. Serving 5,000 health system members and affiliates, VHA represents more than a quarter of the nation's hospitals. VHA also serves more than 118,000 non-acute health care customers enterprise-wide. VHA is based in Irving, Texas, and has 12 regional offices across the U.S. VHA, together with UHC, owns Novation, a supply chain company, and aptitude™, the health care industry's first online direct contracting market. VHA also owns Provista, a supply chain company serving the non-acute market as well as hospitality, education and corporate markets.  For more information, visit www.vha.com and follow us on Twitter (@VHA Inc).

About Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), the largest freestanding academic medical center in Philadelphia, is nationally renowned for medical and health sciences education and innovative research.  Thomas Jefferson University includes the Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC), one of the largest private medical schools in the country and ranked among the nation's best medical schools by U.S. News & World Report, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Jefferson Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions, and Population Health.  Jefferson University Physicians is TJU's multi-specialty physician practice consisting of the full-time faculty of SKMC.  Thomas Jefferson University partners with its clinical affiliate, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals.

SOURCE VHA Inc.