Franciscan Alliance launches Accountable Care Organization

Health system takes vital step in responding to national health care reform

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Franciscan Alliance has formed an accountable care organization (ACO), a model designed to improve patient care, reduce medical costs and enhance the delivery of health care.

For months, the state’s largest Catholic-based health-care system diligently has been working to establish an ACO, a vital component of health care reform as it progresses nationally.

“It has been our vision to provide better and more affordable care to our patients and elevate efficiency among our hospitals, physicians and insurers,” said Kevin Leahy, Franciscan Alliance president and chief executive officer. “”The ACO we are creating benefits patients by giving them more of a role in directing their own care, offering them more incentives for disease prevention and pursuing healthier lifestyles, and significantly reducing duplicative medical tests.”

Franciscan Alliance – with 13 hospitals in Indiana and Illinois – provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year with the most effective medical treatments, state-of-the-art medical equipment and an abundance of compassionate care.

The system employs 18,200 co-workers including 556 physicians – both primary care and specialists – and expects to grow its physician team to more than 630 physicians next year, serving the system’s service-area population of 3.7 million people.

From an industry perspective, the ACO model encourages organizations such as hospitals, physician practices and insurance providers to collaborate closely, thus bringing down the overall costs of medical care.

Franciscan Alliance (formerly the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc.) took the first step in creating an ACO in late 2010. Franciscan St. Francis Health Network in Indianapolis forged an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, providing patients enrolled in Hoosier Healthwise and the Healthy Indiana Plan with access to a more integrated health system.

The program, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2011, expands access to an estimated 28,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in south-central Indiana.

To learn more about the Franciscan Alliance, go to: http://www.franciscanalliance.org/.

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Contact:
Sister M. Aline Shultz, OSF
Vice President-Development, Marketing and Public Relations
Franciscan Alliance
219.864.2202 (office)
sister.aline@franciscanalliance.org

Franciscan Alliance unveils new logos for system and hospitals

Ongoing rebranding symbolizes unified mission of system's 13 hospitals

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL JANUARY 25, 2011 | As part of Franciscan Alliance's ongoing rebranding initiative, the Board of Trustees and senior leadership of Franciscan Alliance (formerly Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.) are unveiling the logo marks for the system and its 13 hospitals throughout Indiana and northeastern Illinois.

For consistency and clarity of Franciscan Alliance's unified mission to provide the highest-quality, value-based, compassionate medical care, the word "Franciscan" was placed before each hospital name, and the word "Health" added at the end.

Two exceptions: The name of St. Clare Medical Center in Crawfordsville is being changed to Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Crawfordsville to more accurately reflect the hospital's existing management and patient care alignment with its two regionally aligned hospitals (Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette East and Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette Central) in the Western Indiana Region of Franciscan Alliance. And, the name of Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC — Munster is not being changed.

The system's new hospital names are:

• Franciscan St. Anthony Health — Crown Point
• Franciscan St. Anthony Health — Michigan City
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Crawfordsville
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette East
• Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette Central
• Franciscan St. Francis Health — Beech Grove
• Franciscan St. Francis Health — Indianapolis
• Franciscan St. Francis Health — Mooresville
• Franciscan St. James Health — Chicago Heights
• Franciscan St. James Health — Olympia Fields
• Franciscan St. Margaret Health — Hammond
• Franciscan St. Margaret Health — Dyer
• Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC — Munster

Sister Jane Marie Klein, O.S.F., chairperson for the Board of Trustees of Franciscan Alliance, said, "With the rapid changes occurring in the health care industry, we are adapting to the 'new norm' while remaining deeply rooted in our ministry and values."

Kevin Leahy, Franciscan Alliance president and chief executive officer, said, "The development of a strong, consistent identity and brand replicated across the entire system is an important part of telling our story with one voice. And it is a unifying symbol of what my fellow 18,000 plus Franciscan Alliance physicians, nurses, employees and volunteers do every day to create positive experiences for our patients and their families."

To be as cost efficient as possible, the new logos will be assimilated into the various applications across the system and at each hospital in a planned and organized manner. Leahy said, "We are prioritizing our efforts, and the integration of our new logo will occur over the next 12 months or longer."

Franciscan Alliance provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year with the most effective medical treatments, state-of-the-art medical equipment and an abundance of compassionate care.

The system employs 18,200 co-workers including 556 physicians — both primary care and specialists — and expects to grow its physician team to more than 630 physicians this year, serving the system's service-area population of 3.7 million people.

To learn more about the Franciscan Alliance, visit http://www.franciscanalliance.org/.

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About Franciscan Alliance

Franciscan Alliance is one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the Midwest with 13 growing hospitals and a number of nationally recognized Centers of Health Care Excellence. Franciscan Alliance includes: Franciscan St. Anthony Health — Crown Point, Ind.; Franciscan St. Anthony Health — Michigan City, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Crawfordsville, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette East, Ind.; Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health — Lafayette Central, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health — Beech Grove, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health — Indianapolis, Ind.; Franciscan St. Francis Health — Mooresville, Ind.; Franciscan St. James Health — Chicago Heights, Ill.; Franciscan St. James Health — Olympia Fields, Ill.; Franciscan St. Margaret Health — Hammond, Ind.; Franciscan St. Margaret Health — Dyer, Ind.; and Franciscan Physicians Hospital, LLC — Munster, Ind.

Media Relations

Michael Shepherd
708-756-1000, Ext.3455
Michael.Shepherd@franciscanalliance.org