St. Louis, Mo., and Philadelphia, Penn.—Population health management works, and the latest case study from Lumeris demonstrates how working collaboratively with Philadelphia-based Aria Health is achieving the monumental shift from fee-for-service to value-based health care. This shift is credited to Aria’s success in changing its culture—by engaging physicians under new reimbursement models—and early financial results have confirmed that Aria’s strategy is working. Aria has already realized more than 80 percent of its value-based care opportunities, and a third party—IDC Health Insights—has also validated Aria’s initial successes.
Aria understood that, due to the transforming landscape of its industry, business as usual could no longer work. Sandy Gomberg, Chief Operating Officer at Aria, saw the vision, and understands the necessity of a business partner who has been through the process many times, and knows how to engage physicians to transform health care delivery. In 2013, Aria entered into a strategic partnership with Lumeris, which offers more than a decade of experience in managing population health.
“What we’ve learned is that it’s as much about a long-term relationship with people who can bring the skillsets for that transformation as it is about the technology” said Gomberg, who understands the importance of those internal and external relationships, including the physicians and their care teams.
“We needed to invest in [a strategy] up front, even before the money came in, and we needed to staff it in a way that was going to sustain that strategy.” Gomberg continues, “We have had to hire sophisticated data analysts in order to help us make sure we knew how to mine the data and work with our partners at Lumeris, and we’ve had to engage physicians in leadership roles that were different than their traditional jobs.”
To validate the findings from a third party, Lumeris enlisted the help of IDC Health Insights that helps health businesses with insightful, fact-based research and consulting services. From its IDC Customer Spotlight, IDC says, “Aria is embracing the move to population health management. The organization acknowledges and owns the fact that its business model will change. Looking toward the future, Aria has taken the key steps and made a significant investment in transitioning from a fee-for-service model to a fee-for-value model.”
To take those steps required a business partner that offers more than just technology, and more than just consulting. Lumeris offers the combination of strategic advising and technology that allow health care delivery organizations to embrace the concepts of value-based contracts (rewarding physicians for better care at reduced costs), and then giving physicians and care teams the appropriate technology and tools to make the new delivery model work.
Gomberg says, “One of the lessons learned has been there are lots of computer systems out there that can offer population health kinds of analytics. And the thing that we’ve learned in our quest for the right technology and the right partners is that it’s as much about the technology as it is about a longitudinal relationship with people who can bring the skill sets for that practice transformation, and so our relationship with Lumeris started with technology and has continued on that longitudinal partnership.”
“Working with Aria Health has been incredibly fulfilling,” said Jeff Smith, President of Lumeris’ Mid-Atlantic Region. “To be able to work with a client, in such a time of transformation, and share together in best practices and experiences learned is the most rewarding part of changing the delivery of health care. And, to achieve these remarkable outcomes together has been extremely satisfying—for both organizations,” Smith said.
To learn more, please visit Lumeris.com/Aria.
###
About Lumeris
Lumeris is a pioneer in population health management solutions. Through our operations, technology and consulting services, we enable healthcare organizations to successfully make the journey from volume- to value-based care. We help health systems create Population Health Services Organizations and define populations for risk. We empower providers and their accountable care teams with process improvement strategies, technology tools and clinical workflows to manage their patients and populations effectively. We work collaboratively with payers to ensure the right contracts, measures and incentives are in place to influence physician behavior and drive quality, cost and utilization performance. The depth and breadth of Lumeris’ solutions — combined with its decade of experience in value-based care — make the company an ideal partner for any healthcare organization seeking to transform its business and care-delivery model and remarkably improve its clinical and financial outcomes. For more information, call 1.888.586.3747 or visit Lumeris.com.
About Aria Health
Aria Health is the leading healthcare provider in Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County. Aria’s three acute care hospitals and growing outpatient and physician network help fulfill the daily mission of providing exceptional care to every patient, every time. With 485 licensed beds, Aria employs over 4,000 and has a medical staff membership of more than 1,000. To learn more, please visit us at ARIAHEALTH.org or call 1-877-808-ARIA (2742).
