Suburban Health Organization Launches Clinically Integrated Network

Six Suburban Health Organization member Hospitals have aligned to form ‘Suburban Care Collaborative’, a Clinically Integrated Network. This formal physician-led legal structure is designed to facilitate a heightened degree of collaboration and interdependence among participating Hospitals and Clinicians to enhance the quality of care, lower healthcare expenditure, optimize the efficiency of healthcare services and provide an optimized experience for patients and providers. In addition to enhancing health care outcomes, we anticipate that the CIN will ultimately mitigate Captive risk exposure, facilitate shared services development between Hospitals, and promote further success of direct-to-employer relationships.

These goals are to be achieved via the leadership of groups of physicians representing the participating Hospitals, as well as through enhanced performance management and transparent reporting. The CIN has its own Physician-led Board, Bylaws, its own Policies and Procedures, and a Physician-led committee structure. Ultimately these goals depend on the input and engagement of participating clinicians. The committees are therefore also charged with ‘bandwidth’ oversight and communication planning to optimize such engagement. Michelle Fenoughty MD, MBA has been confirmed as CIN Board Chair, with David Dunkle MD, MBA serving as Vice Chair, and Craig Wilson MD, MHSc serving as Executive Director. Mike Gizzi, Chief Integration Officer for SHO will serve as Compliance Officer.

Whereas Suburban member Hospitals have partnered in value-based contracts for the past decade or more, the CIN is structured in such a way that Physicians lead the strategy/tactics, lead communication and bandwidth management, identify and oversee outcomes metrics, and hold one another accountable for performance outcomes. Our desire is that the CIN benefits all SHO member Hospitals regardless of their CIN participation by allowing for an enhanced and data-driven identification and sharing of best practices including sharing clinical guidelines developed by CIN committees. Dr Wilson will be working hard to ensure that the CIN will only favorably impact SHO member Hospitals that are unable to participate in the CIN, but welcome further membership.

For more information regarding Suburban Care Collaborative, please visit our CIN website.