Jefferson Health's data-driven expansion strategy: Key thoughts from COO Laurence Merlis

Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health COO Laurence Merlis says the health system turned to retail giant Target as a model for data-driven expansion, focusing on high growth potential areas and responding to consumer demand for healthcare close to home.

"Jefferson Health is setting a bold aspirational goal of creating an ambulatory footprint over the next 10 years that assures a Jefferson provider is within five miles of every consumer in its multi-state (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) service area. Our goal is to deliver the high quality care that patients expect from Jefferson when, where and how they want it.

Jefferson's strategy for the future is based on a multi-pronged approach including: a robust on-demand and scheduled visit telemedicine platform, partnerships with retail pharmacies to operate clinics run by nurse practitioners; telehealth enabled 'booths' in malls and shopping centers staffed by medical assistants; primary care practices with sunrise, evening and weekend hours; ambulatory surgery and endoscopy centers providing lower cost care for lower acuity procedures; and regional, comprehensive 'one-stop shopping' ambulatory care centers that provide primary and specialty care, as well as diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

In developing its strategy, Jefferson moved away from the traditional view of primary service areas which is based on where the majority of hospital discharges come from, and looked to the success of the retail giant, Target, to create 'target areas' for growth and expansion. The approach is data-driven and recognizes that healthcare providers must respond to consumer expectations of convenient care, close to home.

Jefferson realized that relying on HOPD rates and building a facilities strategy around those rates has limited long-term utility. The location of Jefferson Health's newest ventures, a comprehensive cancer center and a large multispecialty ambulatory care center, were selected based on their ability to penetrate new geographies, not on proximity to its hospitals in order to take advantage of HOPD rates.

Jefferson is also partnering with physician groups to operate ambulatory surgery centers and currently has full or partial ownership in seven ASCs and expects to add more in conjunction with physician partners."

View the full article titled "8 hospital executives share outpatient strategy — ASCs, retail clinics, key partnerships & more"

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