Texas Department of Insurance Approves State's First Health Care Collaborative Between Independent Physicians, Memorial Hermann and Apex Health Solutions

New partnership with physicians in Southeast Texas to enable transitions to value-based care

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Apr 16, 2019, 13:00 ET

HOUSTON, April 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Memorial Hermann Health System is pleased to announce the state's first-of-its-kind health care collaborative, a partnership between independent physicians, Memorial Hermann and an industry expert represented by Apex Health Solutions.

Approved by the Texas Department of Insurance, the health care collaborative is a risk-bearing partnership of mutually committed providers and industry experts working together to enhance both the quality and the affordability of care provided to its community members. Created by the Texas Legislature, the statute and regulatory framework for the collaborative allow room for flexibility in how the entities and payments are structured, so physicians, hospitals and other participants can share costs and information while providing a better, more well-rounded health product.

The founding members of the Memorial Hermann Health Care Collaborative include Martin Basaldua, M.D., and John Vanderzyl, M.D., as well as Scott Huebner, CEO and Founder of Apex Health Solutions. The collaborative aims to address population health through the establishment of a high-performance primary care physician network that will work closely with patients enrolled in the Memorial Hermann Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plan to close care gaps, identify best practices, engage patients and coordinate care. The overall objective is to improve quality, cost and the patient experience.

"This health care collaborative presents a unique opportunity to offer a new generation of value-based solutions through a strategic partnership between community physicians, our system and industry experts," Chuck Stokes, President and CEO of Memorial Hermann, said. "The distinctive structure of this new venture will allow us to continue our collective focus on the delivery of quality care at an affordable cost while improving the overall patient experience."

Under this pioneering collaborative, patients enrolled in Memorial Hermann Health Plan's Medicare Advantage plan will be closely managed by leading primary care providers who will address their healthcare needs through a comprehensive array of programs, track their health status and care management using a cohesive data platform, and coordinate their full continuum of care, including multi-specialty services, acute care, post-acute care and diagnostic services.

"As independent physicians, we are excited to be part of this groundbreaking initiative leading the way in Texas that will bring value to our fellow community healthcare providers, as well as to the patients we serve," Dr. Basaldua said.

"Like us, many physicians have operated in value-based initiatives with health plan partners in the past, but this is truly the first time we've been able to work in such a capacity with a health system as reputable and well-respected as Memorial Hermann," Dr. Vanderzyl said.

One of the other differentiating factors of the collaborative is the inclusion of industry experts as business partners in the oversight, development and operations of the venture.

"The prospect of closely coordinating with independent physicians in the community and a world-renowned health system, while jointly focusing on delivering exceptional outcomes and a best-in-class patient experience, was such a great opportunity for us," Huebner said. "We look forward to aligning with our new partners to develop a high-performing network that will better manage the lives of those in our patient population by delivering the best possible quality care at the best possible value."

Media contact:
Kathryn Williams // 713.242.2397
[email protected]

SOURCE Memorial Hermann Health System