ONEIDA, NY & COOPERSTOWN, NY – Oneida Healthcare and Bassett Healthcare Network announce their intention to pursue a partnership agreement aimed at enhancing the delivery of health care services in the Oneida region, with a strong emphasis on population health management and expanded access to primary care.
Oneida Healthcare President and CEO Gene Morreale says the Board of Trustees has been considering the benefits of formalizing a partnership with a larger health system for the past three years, and ultimately decided on pursuing a relationship with Bassett because of the organization’s depth of experience in primary care delivery and Bassett’s early success in the arena of population health management and accountable care.
“The partnership Oneida Healthcare and Bassett are embarking on will help both systems address the needs of patients in the changing health care environment, while also responding to new reimbursement models that focus on managing the population’s health more cost-effectively and reducing the fragmentation in patient care, explains Morreale.
Bassett Healthcare Network President and CEO Vance M. Brown, MD., notes, “Today, more than ever, the delivery of health care requires a network of coordinated services, built upon a strong foundation of primary and preventative care. Our collective goal is to improve the population’s quality of life through good preventive care, care coordination and a strong emphasis on care management and the management of chronic diseases.”
The agreement between OHC and Bassett will provide opportunities to exchange best practices that reduce costs and provide better outcomes for patients. Bassett was an early adopter of population health and accountable care arrangements and is nationally recognized for leading the way in creating integrated systems that include school-based health care centers and patient-centered medical homes.
Earlier this year, Bassett opened the doors on a new primary care center in Oneida that provides preventive primary care as well as laboratory, X-ray and orthopedic services. Since establishing its health center in Oneida, Bassett has been exploring opportunities to partner with a central New York health care provider in support of its population health strategies.
The partnership agreement between Bassett and Oneida Healthcare would allow OHC to remain an independent organization governed by its current board, with an opportunity to revisit the partnership in two to three years and decide whether to continue, revise the arrangement to reflect changes in the health care environment or terminate the partnership.
The collaboration between BHN and OHC would also allow OHC to participate in the Bassett ACO, Bassett Accountable Care Partners, LLC, a Medicare Shared Savings arrangement; Bassett’s Accountable Care and Quality Arrangement with Excellus, as well as participate in Bassett-branded insurance products offered through Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on the NY Health Exchange.
About Oneida Healthcare
Oneida Healthcare serves an area comprised of approximately 24 communities in Madison and western Oneida counties with a population of about 80,000. Operated by Oneida Health Systems, Inc, a New York State not-for-profit corporation, the organization includes a 101-bed acute care hospital, 160-bed extended-care and short-term rehab facility, 4 primary care offices, 2 women’s health offices, a maternal health clinic, four outreach laboratory draw stations; physical therapy center; 2 imaging centers; sleep lab, an after-hours care center and specialists offices in Neurology, Orthopedics, and ENT. To learn more about Oneida Healthcare, visit www.oneidahealthcare.org.
About Bassett Healthcare Network
Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600 square mile region in upstate New York. The organization includes six corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, 20 school-based health centers, two skilled nursing facilities, and other health partners in related fields. Bassett Medical Center, the foundation of the network, is a 180-bed acute care inpatient teaching hospital located in Cooperstown, NY. To learn more about services available throughout the Bassett Healthcare Network, visit www.bassett.org. Follow Bassett on Facebook and Twitter at facebook.com/Bassett.Network and twitter.com/BassettNetwork.