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"Hospitalists help primary care physicians and specialists fully realize the big picture of patient care and coordinate all points of the continuum of population health management in acute and post-acute hospital settings." — Mark P. Foster, IMS President and CEO PHOTO COURTESY OF INPATIENT MEDICAL SERVICES, AKRON, OH The move from fee-for-service payment models by the ACA has increased scru- tiny on duplicated services or services deemed unnecessary. By closely follow- ing inpatients through their continuum of care, IMS hospitalists help to prevent extraneous services and their cost. "It's highly relevant to the direction health care is moving, as value, efficien- cies and reimbursement metrics that affect facilities and physicians are such important components of the ACA," Foster says. "We are able to provide more efficient as well as higher quality care, because our physicians closely fol- low patients throughout hospitalization." Expert case management has been shown to contain and reduce costs. By the same token, optimal analytics, bill- ing and record keeping, coupled with accurate and efficient coding, increase reimbursements. IMS forges strong relationships with the facilities it serves to accomplish all of the above. As for the future, IMS appears well- positioned to navigate the complexities of a highly regulated healthcare landscape. In 2012, IMS partnered with Sverica, a private equity firm with headquarters in Boston and San Francisco. The financial, operational and technological support provided by this firm will ensure that IMS continues to meet the needs of its clients for years to come. "We focus on the patient and, by doing so, meet the needs of the primary care provider and the hospital or long- term acute care facility," Foster says. "IMS services improve the process and experience for all parties involved in patient care." For more information about Inpatient Medical Services, visit www.imshospital ist.com, or call 330-576-0500. ■ especially true since enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). " T he AC A re qu i res a m a r r ia ge between quality care and efficient man- agement across the entire continuum," Foster explains. "IMS provides services at a critical point in the continuum, when patients leave the care of their primary provider and enter the hospital. Our hospitalists evaluate whether the hospital is the appropriate setting for each patient. And if we can transfer them to a more effective and cost-saving facility, we do so." IMS and its hospitalists often work closely with hospital administrators, for example, on staffing models, quality improvement programs and safety initiatives. COV ER FE AT UR E JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON, OH 8 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ JA N UA RY/ F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 5