GE Healthcare, Navicent Health Announce Plan to Reduce Costs, Improve Patient Care

Staff Report From Middle Georgia CEO

Friday, February 23rd, 2018

GE Healthcare and Navicent Health have announced plans to transform healthcare delivery and reduce the cost of care in central Georgia for the benefit of the local community.  Over the course of the next six years, the two entities will work side by side to make system-wide improvements that will cover every aspect of care delivery and generate up to $150 million in improvements for Navicent Health.

“We are excited to collaborate with GE Healthcare, a company that brings access to market leading resources, expertise, advanced analytics, and proprietary tools to help us transform how we deliver care to our patients,” said Dr. Ninfa Saunders, FACHE, President and CEO, Navicent Health.  “This is NOT a quick fix, rather a steady and strategic approach to developing sustainable solutions that will enhance our entire system allowing us to deliver higher-quality care at a lower, and more consistent, cost.”

Based on mutual goals, the collaboration will target clinical, operational and financial outcomes – all of which are expected to promote growth, enhance synergies across the system and accelerate efforts to provide high quality care in an environment that appeals to its employees. By working together, GE Healthcare and Navicent Health expect to drive change and reshape the future of the health system, creating a “One Navicent Health” continuum of care to deliver high quality, efficient and relevant care to its community and beyond.  Over the course of the relationship, the two organizations will adjust and respond to industry trends and meet the current needs of the community.  For example, GE Healthcare will help Navicent Health build operational pathways to improve patient flow and create analytics that provide the care team with critical information which will allow them to make real-time decisions to improve patient care and optimize the capacity of the system.

“The future of healthcare is about recognizing the needs of the system, then aligning technologies, services, and activation of new methods to support the system as it creates access for the right patient, at the right time,” said Helen Stewart, Managing Principal, GE Healthcare Partners. “Hospitals face increasing cost pressures, patient demands and workforce challenges that put a strain on staff and their ability to provide quality patient.  Navicent Health demonstrates an eagerness to apply innovative thinking and a passion for real change, which makes them an ideal partner for us.”
 
Navicent Health is the latest health system to join GE Healthcare’s cohort of systems which have embarked on long-term, strategic risks-sharing relationships with the company over the last two years.  This is GE Healthcare’s sixth collaboration of its kind.

“By working with GE Healthcare, we are confident that we will experience operational excellence and improved patient satisfaction while achieving financial stability,” said Michael Esposito, Chief Operating Officer, Navicent Health.  “We believe this strategic collaboration will help solidify Navicent Health’s position as a leading healthcare provider in this community and strengthen our commitment to delivering clinical, operational and financial outcomes for our patients, employees and the communities we serve.”