Mercy Secures $500,000 Grant to Speed Patient Access to Improved Care

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Aug 03, 2023, 08:00 ET

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercy has been awarded almost $500,000 by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to bring the latest clinical trial-proven treatments to patients more quickly. Last February, PCORI selected Mercy as one of 42 health systems nationwide to take part in its Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), a $50 million effort aimed at accelerating sustainable and scalable changes that ultimately benefit patients and their care.

"This funding will greatly improve Mercy's ability to bring the most up-to-date, data-driven treatment options to our patients," said JoAnne Levy, Mercy Research vice president and Mercy's HSII administrative official. "Patients across the U.S. often get frustrated when they see news of positive clinical research yet still wait years, sometimes decades, to gain access to new treatments. Through PCORI funding, we will improve that."

PCORI is an independent nonprofit organization that funds comparative clinical effectiveness research providing patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence to make better-informed health care decisions. As a participant in the initiative, Mercy will collaborate with and share best practices and metrics with more than 40 health systems. Over the next seven years, each participating health care system will be eligible to apply for and receive funding of up to $5 million per project.

"The opportunity to participate in this initiative with other systems like Cleveland Clinic, Duke University Health System and Kaiser Permanente enhances Mercy's capabilities and resources for leading with evidence and data to improve the care we provide our patients and the timeliness with which we deliver that care," said Ursula Wright, Mercy chief clinical excellence officer, vice president of care transitions and co-principal investigator for Mercy's HSII capacity building project. "This program aims to adopt innovative practices and technologies to improve clinical outcomes. The work we do together could have a lasting effect on patients everywhere. That's our hope."

HSII participants collectively represent 800 hospitals serving 79 million unique patients – almost a quarter of the U.S. population – across 41 states and the District of Columbia. Along with Mercy, participants include academic medical centers, community-based systems, integrated health care delivery and finance systems, safety net health systems, faith-based systems, public health care delivery systems and a medical center within the Veterans Health Administration. See the full list on PCORI's website.

Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized quality care and one of the nation's largest Accountable Care Organizations. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including more than 40 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children's, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has 900 physician practices and outpatient facilities, more than 4,000 physicians and advanced practitioners, and more than 40,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.