MemorialCare Joins Innovative Effort to Solve Nation's Drug Shortage

Civica Rx partnership helps ensure essential, affordable, accessible generic medicines

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Jul 17, 2019, 10:56 ET

LOS ANGELES and ORANGE Counties, Calif., July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare, a national leader in value-based care, is partnering with Civica Rx, the not-for-profit collaborative generic drug company, to drive down costs and increase supplies of life-saving medicines.

Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., is President & CEO, MemorialCare Health System in Southern California, a non-profit integrated delivery system with more than 200 care locations; top hospitals—MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills; MemorialCare Medical Group, Greater Newport Physicians, Seaside Health Plan and dozens of outpatient surgery, medical imaging, urgent care, breast health and dialysis centers. (PRNewsfoto/MemorialCare)

MemorialCare joins other prominent health systems, including Mayo Clinic, to sign on with Civica. More than 900 U.S. hospitals and health systems have joined the venture, with many more expressing interest. Through a collaborative approach, the partnership is identifying production needs of in-demand drugs and developing high-quality FDA-approved medications at affordable prices within a robust supply chain.

"Civica's new, highly-collaborative approach is needed to solve America's drug shortage crisis," says Barry Arbuckle, PhD, MemorialCare President & CEO. "MemorialCare's long-time national leadership in delivering high-quality, accessible care and superb patient experience at a reduced cost has resulted in remarkable outcomes and benefits to local communities."

MemorialCare continues to revolutionize healthcare with rapid movement to convenient, less costly and high-quality outpatient centers. The nonprofit health system offers more than 200 sites of care, in addition to four hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties. MemorialCare is uniquely positioned to provide consumers, employers and health plans high value healthcare in the right location, with the right services and at the right price, which aligns with the critically important mission of Civica.

"We are thrilled to welcome highly-regarded health systems like MemorialCare to Civica," says Martin VanTrieste, President and CEO of Civica Rx. "Drug shortages have become a national crisis in which patient treatments and surgeries are canceled, delayed or suboptimal. We thank MemorialCare for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and affordable in hospitals across the country."

Civica expects to bring 14 hospital-administered generic drugs to hospitals and healthcare systems in 2019 as the company's initial efforts, with many additional medications prioritized by the healthcare systems as the next phase of focus.

MemorialCare is a nationally acclaimed leader in value-based care serving Southern California's Los Angeles and Orange counties with more than 200 care locations. The nonprofit health system includes one of the West's two largest hospital campuses: MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, largest children's hospital in the two-county area. MemorialCare also includes top-rated community hospitals MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, and centers for teaching future physicians, nurses and other clinicians. MemorialCare also includes the highly honored MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians, Seaside Health Plan and the region's largest network of health centers and community-based urgent care, imaging, surgery and dialysis centers stretching from Southern Orange County through Long Beach and the South Bay. Among its many honors are Best U.S. Health Systems, Top Places to Work, Largest U.S. Children's Hospitals, Top 50 Hospitals, Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals, and more. Visit MemorialCare online at www.memorialcare.org/locations. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MemorialCareHealthSystem. Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/MemorialCare.