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Last updated on Wednesday, February 22, 2017
(BLOOMINGTON) - After many years of serving the community as an independent medical practice, Premier Healthcare, pending approval of the Indiana University Health board today, will join Indiana University Health Southern Indiana Physicians, effective May 1.
Premier Healthcare, the Bloomington-based, physician-led multispecialty health care group, was investigating options for strengthening its operations and recruiting physicians to the area. They approached IU Health about an alignment that would support their mission to deliver high-quality, compassionate, comprehensive and accessible healthcare.
Premier joins the highly successful and robust Southern Indiana Physicians which includes 265 employed providers in 19 specialties including 11 primary care centers in the South Central Region.
"With healthcare in a state of change, we were looking for a partnership that would strengthen recruitment efforts and allow for further alignment with Indiana University Health and Indiana University School of Medicine. As a group, we are looking forward to joining IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians and are excited about the opportunities a new regional campus will bring to the area," says Wesley W. Ratliff, MD, FCCP, president of Premier Healthcare. "By strengthening our relationship with the IU School of Medicine and IU Health we believe we will be able to better meet our vision of providing the highest quality of innovative health care to South Central Indiana," he adds. "We also look forward to working more closely with our colleagues from SIP to meet these challenges."
Matt Bailey, president of IU Health South Central Region and IU Health Bloomington Hospital, is pleased with the new relationship.
"As healthcare providers we share in the same goals. An alignment of this kind allows us to collaborate on quality measures and adopt best practices for patient outcomes. Ultimately, this new solution will create additional opportunities for all parties concerned as well as exceptional patient care," Bailey adds that, "Premier joining IU Health will strengthen our opportunities to work together on health issues in our communities. We value their input on patient care protocols and will work together to integrate technology to meet the demands of the future."
Premier Healthcare providers and staff will become employees of Indiana University Health Southern Indiana Physicians. The providers will continue to practice in their current locations. Eventually, a few physicians may relocate to create better collaboration with others in their specialties, but no major changes are expected.
Current patients will notice few, if any, immediate changes as a result of the announcement. All Premier locations will continue to serve their customers. Medical record transfers will not be required and IU Health will assume patient billing. It's anticipated that all insurance carriers honored by Premier are already currently honored by IU Health.
Premier was established in 1972 as Internal Medicine Associates or IMA. In 2010, leaders decided to grow the group and changed the organization's name to Premier Healthcare.
IU Health is comprised of hospitals, physicians and allied services dedicated to providing preeminent care throughout Indiana. Its collaborative partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine, gives patients access to innovative treatments and therapies.
IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians practice in 37 locations in the South Central Region, including four major facilities located in Paoli, Bedford, Morgan and Bloomington.
Indiana University Health Bloomington has provided leading care to south central Indiana for more than 105 years. As a not-for-profit organization, IU Health Bloomington serves a patient base of more than 415,000 people in 10 south central Indiana counties. It holds Magnet designation as well as Primary Stroke Center certification, is an accredited Chest Pain Center and received approval with commendation from the Commission on Cancer. To learn more about IU Health Bloomington, visit iuhealth.org/bloomington or call 812.353.5252.
As the only nationally recognized healthcare system in Indiana, Indiana University Health is dedicated to providing a unified standard of preeminent care. A unique partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine - one of the nation's leading medical schools - and the depth of experience from the most complete network of highly skilled specialty and primary care physicians, gives IU Health unparalleled strength in delivering assurance to patients. Discover the strength at iuhealth.org.
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