Optum and MarinHealth form strategic partnership

Photo: Martin Barraud/Getty Images

MarinHealth Medical Center has become the latest health system to form a strategic relationship with Optum, announcing a partnership to advance its operational objectives in the revenue cycle and facilitate the patient experience for people living in Marin County, California.

Optum and MarinHealth will focus on operational efficiency for the health system, the organizations said. To do this, MarinHealth will employ Optum technology to streamline nonclinical administrative processes and simplify experiences for patients and providers. Optum also will provide revenue cycle management services and supporting technologies.

MarinHealth hopes the relationship will equip it with the necessary tools and resources to improve business processes and enhance infrastructure. Its goal is to remain an independent health system, with the newfound operational and administrative support allowing doctors and nurses to focus more on patient care.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

The partnership has a number of goals in mind. One is to harness technology to foster more transparency, with an eye toward simplifying and personalizing the healthcare experience for both patients and providers.

MarinHealth also wants to improve its revenue cycle management, using technologies to streamline the billing process for patients and administrators, as well as increase its operational efficiencies. This means simplifying patient registration, health plan services and coding, as well as modernizing patient accounts.

Another top goal: streamlining the supply chain processes in a way that allows for better caregiver access to products and services that support care.

As part of the relationship, certain MarinHealth employees will become employees of Optum, though they'll continue to directly support MarinHealth's work, the organizations said, and will have access to new skill development opportunities and technologies.

The organizations said they're committed to ensuring a smooth transition for patients, employees and providers.

THE LARGER TREND

MarinHealth is just the latest health system to form a strategic partnership with Optum. Others include SSM Health, John Muir Health, Boulder Community Health, Bassett Healthcare Network and Dignity Health.

In May, Optum announced a similar partnership with Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, New York. 

Optum collaborated on clinical and operational performance, providing a range of services, including revenue cycle management, advanced data and analytic capabilities, and information technology. 

In 2019, John Muir Health and Optum announced a collaboration in which Optum would manage key nonclinical functions, including information technology, revenue cycle management, analytics, purchasing and claims processing.

ON THE RECORD

"We look forward to working with Optum to improve business processes through cutting-edge technologies and actionable strategies," said Dr. David Klein, CEO of MarinHealth. "This new relationship allows our doctors and nurses to focus on what they do best, which is take care of patients, while Optum helps us to support some of our operational and administrative functions."

"Like our partners at MarinHealth, we believe people are best served by health systems and caregivers who are embedded in their local communities," said Rick Hardy, CEO of Optum Insight. "This relationship is another example of Optum's ongoing support of local care systems across the country and we are privileged to help MarinHealth continue to provide high-quality care to patients, as they have done for years."
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com