Strategic Partnerships in Home Health Care

Tom Sayre, VP of Strategy and Business Development and Rod Plunkett, VP of Population Health Management, CommonSpirit Health at Home

CommonSpirit Health at Home has been a leader in the home-based services industry for over 40 years. Our organization is prepared for the future of health care as we respond to the current trends and advancements in the care delivery model, envision a healthier tomorrow for the people in our communities and lead with humankindness. 

In addition to our strong history of providing quality, compassionate care, we also have a strong  track record of partnering with health systems to sustain and revitalize valuable home health services to help build healthy communities. 

Our partnerships are what make our outreach stronger and our service level, second to none. Our partners are a vital part of what makes CommonSpirit Health at Home an innovative and evolving solution to our communities post-acute care needs.  

What makes us a good partner is our commitment to adapt to the changing health care environment; ensuring a stronger and more vibrant organization as we expand our ministry within our communities. 

With each new joint venture we have learned from the experience of building partnerships and we are very intentional in our approach with each new opportunity. We enter each partnership with a strong sense of reverence for what our partner has accomplished so we can learn from their successes and support proven best practices. 

The benefits of our partnerships comes from leveraging each other's strengths to optimize outcomes that support our overall, collective goals. We know that together, we are better. For example, within the first year, a number of our partners with 2 Star quality ratings have seen an increase to a 4 Star rating, including significant improvements in re-hospitalization rates. 

Care is increasingly delivered outside the walls of acute care facilities as technology advancements drive the shift, supported by evolving payment mechanisms.  CommonSpirit Health at Home is taking a leadership role in expanding the continuum to better position our health system partners in a value-based environment and improving access to innovative solutions where patients and families prefer to receive their care - at home. 

Our proven operating model gives our partners the benefits of a large scale operation providing knowledge of best practices, current trends, innovative solutions and best-in-class technology platforms. Not only is our EMR and operating platform technologically advanced, it offers standardization and efficiencies that have re-engineered daily operations to the benefit of employees, patients and our partners. 

Collaboration allows each partner to build upon our collective experience, reputation, and capacity to build a distinctive partnership that serves as a national model for quality, service, innovation, and sustainability of home-based services.

From the very beginning, we have been committed to our health care partners. Starting with one home care location in Cincinnati, OH we quickly built strong relationships and partnerships both locally and regionally that led to the addition of locations and services across the US.  

Through our joint venture model, we have a successful track record of improving the financial, clinical and operational performance for health systems that recognize the value-proposition of home-based services, but often lack the expertise, infrastructure and day-to-day focus necessary to operate a sustainable home-based service line.

This extensive experience, including 10 joint ventures and 30 management services agreements with progressive health systems across the country, provides us with a powerful perspective and an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that home-based services pose for health systems. 

Standing side by side with our partners, we are changing the landscape of healthcare together.