Trenton, NJ - Capital Health today announced the launch of its clinically integrated network, LINC– Leading Integrated Network of Clinicians, a move that will enable better coordination and partnership among the healthcare system and physicians to enhance patient care.
“We are very pleased to initiate this exciting new venture that will benefit patients and providers and move us forward into the future of innovative care for our patients,” said Al Maghazehe, president and chief executive officer of Capital Health.
According to David Dafilou, vice president of Capital Health and chief administrative officer of LINC, a CIN is a healthcare network that coordinates care across providers and sites-of-care in a manner that enhances value for consumers by improving quality and patient satisfaction, while at the same time, lowering healthcare costs.
“The recent changes in healthcare policy and reimbursement from both commercial and government payors offer new opportunities for hospitals and physicians to collaborate to provide the highest quality care possible and do so in the most efficient manner possible,” said Dafilou. “Capital Health’s reputation as a leading healthcare system has already led to interest from area physicians.”
In the new healthcare landscape, the CIN allows for the alignment of health system and physician goals by providing a structure that enables them to work together to improve patient experience, to monitor and control utilization of healthcare services and assure quality of care, and to selectively choose network physicians who are likely to further these objectives.
LINC is governed by a physician-led Board of Managers. Ultimately, the board will include approximately 10-12 physicians and 3 hospital representatives.
Dafilou said that clinically integrated networks (CINs) that meet criteria promulgated by the FTC can negotiate contracts directly with payers on behalf of physicians and the health system. CINs contract directly with payers in a variety of value based systems that can include the following:
- Transformational funding- for IT and Care Management resources
- Care Management fees- to support Patient Centered Medical Homes
- Pay for Performance incentives- for meeting quality/performance targets
- Shared savings- for reducing the cost trend, distributed to physicians
- Claims data and analytics- provides a complete view of the patient medical history
“At the end of the day, LINC is about providing high quality care to our patients. As a physician, I feel this new level of coordinated care allows me to practice medicine the way I’d always envisioned it – with a team approach that makes the patient the true center of care with the goal of preventing illness and disease,” said Dr. Robert Remstein, a primary care internist and Chief Clinical Officer of LINC, vice president for Accountable Care at Capital Health.