As the healthcare industry continues to grapple with reform, many healthcare systems are turning to Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN) as a way to improve care while also controlling costs. IDNs involve hospitals and other providers working together in organized networks to deliver care and often share savings with an employer by taking some responsibility for the financial performance of their population. While this model can be successful, recent studies have shown that optimizing the IDN’s composition can lead to even better results for providers, patients and employers.

One way to strengthen an IDN is by employing a Medical Neighborhood partner. A Medical Neighborhood can be a cluster of providers within an IDN. Each provider in the Neighborhood excels at clinical outcomes for specific medical events—reducing poor outcomes and wasted healthcare. They can be supported by an expert care director who (1) helps the patient choose among exceptional providers for their specific need, (2) facilitates communication and coordination of patient care between providers, and (3) arranges for advance, full payment. The Medical Neighborhood can bundle or package hospitals, specialists, diagnostics and other services so that patients can easily choose outstanding provider teams and pay them for the care they need.

Medical Neighborhoods can achieve impressive savings which healthcare systems can use to reduce the patients out-of-pocket responsibility to a more affordable amount that can be paid in full in advance of their medical event. Employers can also pay in advance and earn a “cash” reduction.

The US healthcare system has large variation in quality of care and substantial wasted care, which affords a great opportunity to extract savings. With an IDN, healthcare systems often share in the savings they create by improving care and controlling costs. IDNs can get an impressive bump to their shared savings with a Medical Neighborhood.

As hospitals look to innovations such as IDNs, it’s beneficial to understand how they can optimize by partnering with a Medical Neighborhood.  

As many hospital systems have deployed IDN’s, they need to do more to differentiate their premiums and benefits from traditional networks.  They must achieve a more meaningful increase to the quality of care and a larger reduction in the cost of care.  This is where adding a Medical Neighborhood with Vibrant, can be a game-changer. 

A Medical Neighborhood should be able to deliver three key elements: 

1. Concierge-level professional CareDirectors are at the center of patient experience.  They educate, guide and support the patients when they need specific specialty care.  
2. A carefully chosen team of outstanding providers who can field any referral from a CareDirector and maximize patient outcomes.  Savings for patients, employers, and healthcare systems will go up as the quality of the care improves.
3. A direct payment platform with a cash-driven approach.  With this capability, the patient’s unaffordable out-of-pocket cost can be reduced by 50%, and healthcare systems can eliminate their costly payment processes and leverage a cash Medical Neighborhood to get more patients, more shared savings, and full fast payment with less overhead.

Healthcare systems are in a more competitive environment than ever before. They need to demonstrate innovation, evolution, and the ability to serve their patients the smartest way possible. That’s why many hospitals have been partnering with Vibrant Medical Neighborhoods as a strategy to optimize their integrated delivery networks.  At the end of the day, it brings new quality-educated patients, enables healthcare systems to reduce their patient’s out-of-pocket cost burden by 50%, and pays them in full in advance.  

Interested?  Let us know how we can help you make this happen!