Cincinnati's Independent Physician Collaborative Adds 10 More Practices- Now 439 Doctors

On the heels of January's public announcement of a newly formed collaborative among 8 larger Cincinnati physician groups, new updates indicate an additional 5 large Cincinnati practices and 2 larger Dayton practices have joined the effort. 

• Specialties include orthopedics, gastroenterology, urology, oncology and others. 
• According to Business First, this puts the total within the collaborative at 439 doctors and 3,480 full-time staff. 
• The Independent Physician Collaborative website is located HERE and links to the Business First Article is located HERE.

Insurance presses against hospital mergers (NY Times / Forbes)

Hospital merger announcements seem to be almost a daily occurrence. The reasons are somewhat obvious. Scale  offers efficiency. Better position for coordinating care among population(s). Strength in a competitive marketplace. The latter seems to have received some opposition lately, specifically in a New York Times article "Healthcare's Overlooked Cost Factor" and the article in Forbes in my blog posting below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/business/examinations-of-health-costs-overlook-mergers.html?pagewanted=all

Insurance begins opposition to hospital mergers - Forbes

Hospitals, Under Fire For High Prices, Say Mergers Overblown - Forbes

Nationwide Children's Adds 11 Acres

Nationwide Children's purchases 11 acres for $19.2 Million- the former Afrocentric Facility. The locations and sites are changing but the theme is continuing- hospitals are expanding in a big way!

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has stretched its real estate holdings along East Livingston Avenue from its main campus at Parsons Avenue all the way to South Grant Avenue.... The hospital on Thursday completed its $19.2 million purchase of 11 acres on Thursday when it bought the Africentric Alternative School’s football field and surrounding land. Link to article 

Source: Brian Ball, Business First

20 To Know in Healthcare answer a variety of questions

Business First recently published this distinguished list. Chad Pinnell (one of my partners) and I are very pleased to have been nominated. We were invited to participate in a round table with other nominees, and  Business First will be releasing an excerpt of the round table soon. Thanks to Business First and Clark Schaefer Hackett for creating this program provide a monthly spotlight for healthcare and other industries.

There are many interesting individuals on this list, and interesting is to dive into their responses to the questions:

     1.  Why did you get into this profession?

     2.  Is it as fulfilling as you thought it would be?

  

     3.  What’s the most exciting thing happening today in your industry?

     4.  What’s the biggest worry?

     5.  Name one thing you would change about the health-care industry in the U.S.

     6.  What do you consider your greatest achievement to be in your role with your company?

     7.  What do you feel you have yet to accomplish?

     8.  What’s one piece of advice you can give for to someone who wants to build a career similar to yours?

     9.  To what other industries should health care look for inspiration to be more efficient and  effective?

Nominees included the following, their names are linked to their responses for the above referenced questions:

Amy Rohling McGee, Health Policy Institute of Ohio

Dr. Nick Baird, Alliance to make US Healthiest

Kelly Kelleher, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Clay Marsh, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Anthony Dennis, BioOhio

Matthew Weekley, Plante & Moran PLLC

Jeff Biehl, Access Health Columbus

Peter Pavarini, Squire Sanders LLP

Chad Pinnell, Equity Inc.

Aaron Wandtke, Executive Staffing Solutions

Kenneth Weixel, Deloitte & Touche LLP

Greg Moody, Governor’s Office of Health Transformation

Cathy Levine, UHCAN Ohio

Karen Morrison, OhioHealth Foundation

Dr. Teresa Long, City of Columbus

Bob Gesing, Trinity Health Group

Kevin Conrad, Rogers Benefit Group

Jeff Klingler, Central Ohio Hospital Council

Larry Harris, Willow Brook Christian Communities

Paul Heiserman, Equity Inc.

The Ohio Orthopedic Center of Excellence and The Cardinal Orthopedic Institute announce merger

In keeping with a trend we've seen recently, (The Zangmeister Center and Columbus Oncology / Hematology Associates merger, article below) these two major orthopedic groups have announced a merger, creating a Columbus orthopedic "Super Group"  This new organization will house more than 50 orthopedic surgeons and specialists at more than 11 locations distributed throughout the central Ohio area and surrounding regions.... Seems like a recurring theme is the strength in numbers!

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/OrthopedicMerger/prweb10126490.htm


http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/12/07/independent-orthopaedic-practices.html?page=all

American Health Network named Central Ohio's first ACO

It's been an interesting ride, and I was wondering who would be the first in the market. No doubt, there will be a lot more change to come....Business first article here:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/01/columbus-gets-its-first-obamacare.html