Emory Healthcare, the clinical arm of Emory University, and Kaiser Permanente will collaborate to develop a new care model that provides Kaiser Permanente members with a fully integrated health care experience, and in the process advances patient- and family-centered care in metro Atlanta and beyond. Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital will become the primary hospitals for Kaiser Permanente physicians and members.

In announcing their formal agreement, the two organizations underscore their shared values in quality, innovation, education, affordability and service. Building on each other’s strengths, Kaiser Permanente and Emory will expand and improve their renowned capabilities in population health management, ambulatory and hospital care, research and academics, and improving the health of the communities they serve.

“The long-term benefits of this collaboration will serve as a national model for other health systems and extend beyond our two organizations,” says Jonathan S. Lewin, CEO of Emory Healthcare and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs of Emory University. “Patients and communities far beyond Georgia will benefit from the transformation in care, affordability, research, prevention and health outcomes that will come from this initiative. Emory and Kaiser Permanente share closely aligned missions to serve our communities and bring together the best of academic scholarship, research and patient- and family-centered care.”  

The two organizations, including their physician and clinical leadership, will also work to improve community health, address health care disparities, make health care more affordable, and enhance education for skilled and compassionate health care professionals. The agreement commits both organizations to create an integrated care and coverage model for Kaiser Permanente members at Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. In anticipation of this agreement, Kaiser Permanente has provided a capital contribution toward expansion of both hospitals to accommodate the new and existing patients while maintaining outstanding quality, service and access.

“This unique collaboration will combine the highly complementary strengths of Kaiser Permanente and Emory Healthcare, both of which have rich histories in medical excellence, exceptional service, research and quality,” says Jim Simpson, Georgia President, Kaiser Permanente. “Our joint focus will be to create a premier, integrated care and coverage model committed to improving health and affordability for our members, and better addressing health disparities, while working collaboratively to increase the number of people and communities who benefit from what our organizations can accomplish together.”

“Our physician groups view one another with the highest respect and look forward to learning and collaborating together,” says Mary Wilson, MD, Executive Medical Director and President of The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Inc. “We are aligned in our values and mission to deliver the highest quality care while honoring the unique needs of our patients. I am excited to partner on our inpatient model of care, as well as leverage our mutual research capabilities to further impact the practice of medicine. Together we will transform the care and quality we deliver to the patients we serve.”

Highlights of the agreement include:

• The collaboration will include development of infrastructure and joint capacity planning, and the implementation of collaborative processes on physician staffing, enhanced technology, care coordination, active engagement of patients and families, and ongoing evaluation of performance measures.

• The Southeast Permanente Medical Group physicians, who care for Kaiser Permanente members, will treat their patients at Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. These physicians will oversee their members’ care experience with active engagement of Kaiser Permanente’s care managers and with support from Emory providers.

• Kaiser Permanente will maintain some existing service affiliations, including labor and delivery services, which will continue to be provided at Northside Hospital.

• Emory Healthcare will continue its existing relationships with all of its affiliated health plans and will continue to serve their members and all existing patients without a change in service or access. 

Both organizations anticipate caring for Kaiser Permanente members at Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in October 2018. Throughout the next several months of implementing the agreement, Kaiser Permanente will focus on ensuring its patients continue to receive seamless, high-quality, affordable care.