Mercy is banking on partnerships and other initiatives to help tackle issues related to costs, access, provider shortages and an aging population.
For the St. Louis-based health system, which has approximately 50,000 employees, 50 hospitals and more than 1,000 outpatient locations across multiple states, this means teaming up with the Alice L. Walton Foundation and the Heartland Whole Health Institute.Together, they are investing $700 million over 30 years to improve care access in Northwest Arkansas.
"It's really the product of different parties coming together around a shared vision," Mercy President and CEO Steve Mackin told Becker's.
As part of the initiative, Cleveland Clinic will provide cardiovascular expertise for Mercy's opening of a cardiovascular center on its campus in Rogers, Ark.
The Alice L. Walton Foundation, founded by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, will contribute $350 million to develop an outpatient center of excellence for specialty care in Bentonville, Ark. The initiative will include new cardiac services, virtual care, and efforts to attract, train and retain top physicians in the region.
The Heartland Whole Health Institute, a nonprofit founded by Ms. Walton in 2019, will also collaborate with Mercy and Cleveland Clinic on their efforts.
Mr. Mackin noted that Mercy has had a long-standing presence in Arkansas, which faces unique challenges with access to specialists, as the area experiences population growth, leading many patients to seek care outside the state. The partnership in Northwest Arkansas, announced in the fall, aims to address these issues.
"Some of this access issue stems from how the payment model works in Arkansas," Mr. Mackin said. "Commercial insurance rates tend to be lower compared to other states. Then, you have this remarkable force in Alice Walton, who wants to make healthcare transformation her life's work — making healthcare accessible and bringing high-end, value-based specialty care to Northwest Arkansas, turning it into a regional hub."
Ms. Walton has also funded the 154,000-square-foot Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, which is slated to welcome its first class of students to its four-year medical degree program in 2025. Mercy will serve as the primary educational partner for the school.
Ms. Walton "wanted to find a local partner that was a high-quality system, which is where Mercy came in," Mr. Mackin said, adding that students will be trained in Mercy facilities and other locations, with Mercy as a key partner.
"The education they're bringing is holistic," he said. "These students will be trained in team-based care models, leveraging [artificial intelligence] and technology, and using virtual care from day one. They'll have a different experience than traditional medical schools."
Mr. Mackin said these efforts come amid Mercy's focus on virtual care innovation, data infrastructure and deploying technology such as AI to make care more accessible and effective for patients.
"This journey started years ago," he said. "Our virtual healthcare experience began over 10 years ago. As a system, we have a decade of team-based care experience, extending virtual solutions not just to our high-end medical centers, but also across our critical access and rural footprint. It's fully integrated into our care model."
As an example, he pointed to Mercy's 10-year collaboration agreement with Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, signed in summer 2022. The organizations announced in May that they had reached a milestone in data collaboration and, as founding members of Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect — a distributed data network — they would join forces to examine de-identified patient data to discover new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease.
Mercy has also deployed more than 200 artificial intelligence models, which are fully integrated into the health system's operating model. This includes a model that supports cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to help avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency visits.
Since implementing the model, the health system has reduced chemo readmissions by 26% and chemo emergency department visits by more than 42%.
Additionally, Mercy has applied an AI algorithm that has reduced transition times from the emergency department to inpatient admissions by nearly an hour.
"AI works only when you have a consistent system of care," Mr. Mackin said. "If clinics or hospitals operate inconsistently, AI solutions hit dead ends. Our goal is to ensure no patient is left behind. If an AI solution benefits providers and patients, we scale it across the entire system."
When asked about challenges in scaling virtual and specialty care, as well as effective strategies, he emphasized the importance of organizational commitment and aligning providers around care models and standards.
"Because if you don't do that, you can't scale technology or AI," he said.
"We've done a really good job of engaging our providers. They've seen the benefit to their practice in bringing in some of these technological solutions. It's helped them focus on their highest and best work and taken some of the administrative burden off their plates."