Allenmore Hospital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Todd Kelley, MultiCare Health System
(253) 403-1716

Jennifer Aalgaard, Good Samaritan Hospital
(253) 697-2029

(TACOMA) -- MultiCare Health System is now sixth nationally on an annual listing of integrated health networks (IHN), as compiled by SDI (formerly Verispan). Five Pacific Northwest health systems made the list, with MultiCare attaining the highest spot.

The 2009 Top 100 IHN listing ranks local and regional networks across the United States that meet critical success factors. The rating evaluates each network's ability to operate as a unified organization in each of eight categories: integration, integrated technology, services and access, financial stability, hospital utilization, outpatient utilization, physicians and contractual capabilities.

This is the seventh consecutive year MultiCare has ranked in the Top 100, more than any other integrated health network in Washington State.

“For MultiCare to achieve another rise in the rankings is a real credit to those who have worked so hard to make MultiCare the provider of choice for residents in the South Puget Sound,” said Good Samaritan President John Long. “The hallmarks of this strong showing are unwavering commitment to quality patient care and strong financial performance.”

MultiCare has been steadily rising in the Top 100 IHN listing. In 2008, MultiCare jumped from 56th to eighth on the list, due in large part to the ongoing integration of electronic health records across the system and the affiliation with Good Samaritan Community Healthcare.

The affiliation with MultiCare gave Good Samaritan the surge of support needed to continue its goal of becoming the regional medical center of choice for east Pierce County. With recent program and facility expansions in areas such as cardiac care and the $400 million campus re-development, Good Samaritan will achieve its goal with the completion of a new Patient Care Tower in 2011.

MultiCare also continues to integrate electronic health records (EHR) within the clinics and hospitals. This has made MultiCare one of few health systems in the nation to implement a comprehensive electronic health records system. Called MultiCare Connect, the system allows immediate, secure access to a single, comprehensive health record each time a patient visits a MultiCare hospital or doctor. The Good Samaritan clinics recently were added to this system and it will be integrated at Good Samaritan Hospital with the opening of the new Patient Care Tower.

Most recently, MultiCare and Good Samaritan integrated the home health & hospice services, becoming MultiCare•Good Samaritan Home Health & Hospice with an ability to provide coordinated services throughout Pierce and South King Counties.

MultiCare also recently opened an Ambulatory Surgery Clinic and a new radiation oncology system in Gig Harbor, further integrating outpatient services and making care more available to the community.

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MultiCare is a leading-edge, integrated health organization made up of four hospitals, numerous primary care and urgent care clinics, multi-specialty centers, Hospice and Home Health services, and many other services. A not-for-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington since 1882, MultiCare has grown over the years in response to community needs. Today we are the area's largest provider of health care services, serving patients at 93 locations in Pierce, South King, Kitsap and Thurston counties.

About SDI
On July 29th, 2008, Verispan, LLC was acquired by SDI. Since 1982, SDI has been delivering innovative healthcare data products and analytic services to the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, medical device, financial services, and consumer packaged goods industries. SDI is the leading provider of de-identified patient-level data analytics and offers a broad array of solutions and insights across the continuum of care. These include custom and syndicated patient-level data studies; localized disease and treatment surveillance and projection; market research audits; healthcare profiles; comprehensive managed care offerings; clinical trial optimization; direct-to-patient pharmacy programs; marketing effectiveness; sales targeting and compensation products; data integration, warehousing, and mining; list services; and direct marketing services. Its current roster includes the top 50 pharmaceutical/biotech companies.