Indianapolis-based Community Health Network has launched a joint venture with management company VillageMD to provide analytics and disease-management services to primary-care physicians.
Doug Stratton, a former Cigna executive and Indiana health official, is CEO of the newly created company, which is expected to start operations on Oct.1.
Community Health Network will contract with the joint venture for disease-management services, said Bryan Mills, CEO of the eight-hospital system. Primaria Health will draw on strategies tested across Community Health Network's employees with success, Mills said. Stratton previously worked with Community Health Network to coordinate programs for those with high-cost, complicated diseases. Stratton did similar work with the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state's health program for low-income residents.
New disease-prevention and -management strategies will help Community Health Network prepare for risk-based contracts with private and public payers, Mills said.
Primaria Health will not contract with payers.
Primaria also plans to market itself to independent primary-care doctors. About 1,000 of them operate across the 38 counties in Primaria Health's market, said Tim Barry, CEO of VillageMD.
The company will use data analytics, medication management and other strategies to manage care for chronically ill, costly patients including those diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and diabetes.
