Boston Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic to partner on pediatric heart care

Boston Children's Hospital and Cleveland Clinic have unveiled partnership plans, announcing an agreement to provide complex pediatric heart services through Cleveland Clinic's national network.

"This collaboration is the first of its kind to offer complex pediatric care directly to employers nationally," Boston Children's said in a statement.

The collaboration includes Boston Children's becoming a member of Cleveland Clinic's network, a national network of high-value cardiovascular care providers who contract with employers and other payers. In the future, the two world-renowned organizations aim to expand the services offered to include other complex and rare pediatric care that justifies patient travel.

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Boston Children's will also have special status in the network, and will help lead the pediatric program, including the establishment and management of patient care best practices, clinical research, measuring outcomes and reporting on quality, Boston Children's said.

"During this time of increasing demand for value in the healthcare marketplace, teaming up with another renowned institution such as Cleveland Clinic provides a way for more patients from across the nation to access world-class specialized care," said Steven J. Fishman, M.D., Pediatric Surgeon, President of the Physicians' Organization and Senior Vice President of Access and Business Services at Boston Children's. "This agreement offers high-quality healthcare while managing costs."

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Boston Children's Hospital has performed roughly 6,900 cardiac surgeries, 7,600 catheterizations and 3,400 electrophysiology procedures over the last five years. They also reported approximately 23,500 echocardiograms and 25,200 clinic visits last year. 

Cleveland Clinic offers curated providers and services directly to national employers and payers. Since its pediatric heart program took off in 1985, its physicians have performed more than 150 pediatric heart transplant surgeries. The hospital also reported 8,331 pediatric outpatient visits, 7,114 echocardiograms and 438 catheterization procedures in 2016.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn