Three health care systems — Mercy, Mosaic Life Care and University of Missouri Health Care — said on May 12 that they formed a multistate provider network to build on their similar patient-centered cultures, to draw from their combined clinical and administrative expertise and to increase access and improve health care for patients, the systems said. They serve patients in urban and rural areas of Missouri and surrounding states.
The Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy;St. Joseph, Mo.-based Mosaic Life Care and Columbia, Mo.-based MU Health Care have, in total, 5,600 hospital beds, more than 47,000 employees and about 3,000 employed and affiliated physicians. Mercy is a Catholic nonprofit health care system with hospitals in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Mosaic Life Care is a nonprofit that serves a 23-county area in northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska. MU Health Care is an academic medical center in central Missouri.
The new collaborative will be called MPact Health, according to a news release. Barb Meyer, Mercy vice president of marketing and communications, said the initial focus will be in the state of Missouri but that two of the systems have a presence outside of Missouri, so they see opportunities in other states as well.
Each health system will maintain its independence and own identity, as the health care systems work together on common goals.
The work of the network will be conducted by task forces with leaders, including physicians, from each health system. Their work includes expanding telemedicine to underserved Missouri areas; enhancing health care quality led by physician teams; creating a database for analytical research and evidence-based medicine to support population health management; working with payers to offer network options that provide high-quality care at lower cost; and exploring the development of a clinically integrated network of employed, independent and private practice physicians focused on improving health care quality and outcomes.
MPact Health will be governed by a nine-member board, with three members from each system. Dirck Clark has been named president of MPact Health. He was formerly chief strategy officer for Mosaic Life Care. He also serves as board chair for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.
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