The University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor has joined Together Health Network as a referral provider for complex, or quaternary, health care services, said Scott Eathorne, M.D., CEO of Together Health, a joint venture between Ascension Health Michigan and Trinity Health Michigan.
Formed in 2014, Southfield-based Together Health is a clinically integrated network that includes more than 25 hospitals and 5,000 physicians across Michigan.
Quaternary care services are those complex inpatient and outpatient services that generally are provided only in selected settings such as the University of Michigan Medical Center hospitals in Ann Arbor. Services include transplant services, highly specialized pediatric care and cancer clinical trial services that Ascension Health Michigan and Trinity Health do not offer.
"The University of Michigan has highly renowned physicians and services," Eathorne said in a statement. "This new provider agreement brings UMHS' nationally ranked health care expertise to our members throughout the state where Together Health Network operates."
Eathorne said there may be more clinical ventures between Together Health and UM.
David Spahlinger, M.D., president of clinical services with UM Health System, said the venture with Together Health will benefit patients and providers in several ways. "Our health care providers will have access to more hospital and ambulatory partners across Michigan," he said. "This will benefit both our clinical practice and our medical training programs. This is a great benefit to our patients, to our doctors, nurses and other caregivers, and to our students."
Together Health Network was designed to offer advanced care coordination services through competitively-priced health plan products to health insurers and in direct contracts with employers.
In 2014, Together Health signed its one and only contract with Blue Care Network for a Medicare product called ConnectedCare in Genesee, Kalamazoo, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
"University of Michigan Health System joins Together Health as network provider" originally appeared in Crain's Detroit Business.
