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Picture of a Partnership A S THE SE T WO HE A LTHCA RE GI A NT S JOIN H A NDS, PREPARE FOR A STE ADY STRE AM OF ANNOUNCEMENTS A ND E XCITING E X PA NSION DE TA IL S. + Making it official — Penn State Health and Highmark Health announced their innovative partnership in December 2017, following years of successful payor-provider collaboration in the region. Together, they will invest $1 billion to develop a regional healthcare network. The partnership does not restrict Penn State Health's ability to contract with other insurers, nor does it require patients to be Highmark customers. Highmark remains free to contract with other healthcare institutions. + Who's who — The Penn State Health Board of Directors grew in February to include Deborah Rice-Johnson, president of Highmark Inc.; Karen Hanlon, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer for Highmark Health; and Thomas VanKirk, executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary for Highmark Health. Tony G. Farah, MD, executive vice president and chief medical and clinical transformation officer for Highmark Health, joined the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Board of Directors. + Mapping growth — In April, Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading also announced its expansion of radiation oncology services, including plans to build an addition to its existing building and purchase a TrueBeam radiotherapy system. + Further plans — Organizational leaders expect the partnership to open many oppor - tunities to regional residents in terms of care access, clinical trial participation and available expertise. Penn State Health is open to discussing collaborations with interested individual physicians and regional practices. "Over time, we believe Penn State Health will continue to recruit some of the best leaders in cancer care to join an already nationally recognized faculty," says Rice-Johnson. "The grant will also provide support for development of new cancer treatment drugs and clinical trials to test promising new therapies." STRONG TIES In addition to the acquisition, expansion and grant announcements, the partnership gives Highmark leaders three seats on the Penn State Health Board of Directors and one seat on the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Board of Directors. It also enables advanced analysis of population health management, cost-control methods, care delivery models and chronic disease management. The organizations have already begun sharing data and are exploring innovative jointly marketed health insurance products to emphasize value-based, patient-focused care. Leaders of Penn State Health and Highmark discussed the formal partnership for about 18 months before making the announcement o¢cial. But their congenial, collaborative relationship goes back much further. Past alliances include a 2007 deal between the two organizations for a 10-year employee health insurance plan, as well as substantial past donations to Penn State Children's Hospital and cancer research. The two co-created Surgery Live! — an educational program that allows high school students to virtually observe surgery happening at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and interact with surgeons in real-time from Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. Surgery Live! celebrates its 10th anniversary on April 25. The latest incarnation of the organizations' collaborative spirit has started strong. "Both organizations are very much aligned toward the same goals of a community network that increases access to high-quality and a—ordable health care," says Rice-Johnson. "We plan to be partners for decades and grow together. We have many positive milestones ahead." ■ Rosemary Manbachi, a Penn State Cancer Institute patient, rings a bell symbolizing the end of an individual's cancer treatment at a Penn State Health press conference on April 5. Looking on are David Holmberg, left, Highmark Health president and CEO, and Ray Hohl, MD, center, Penn State Cancer Institute director. Tony G. Farah, MD Deborah Rice- Johnson Karen Hanlon Thomas VanKirk Advanced Research David DeGraff, PhD, of Penn State Cancer Institute is researching how to reprogram an aggressive type of bladder cancer into one that is more responsive to treatment. Read more about his groundbreaking work on Penn State Medicine. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S M I D ž P E N N ■ 2 018 0 7