West Conshohocken, Pa. – August 5, 2020 – Tandigm Health announced today the launch of Tandigm Physician Services, a management services organization (MSO) designed to give physician practices advanced capabilities for delivering value-based care.
The new organization, formed in partnership with Gateway Medical Associates, will provide a proven set of tools and technologies – already achieving improvements in the quality and value of health for Tandigm and Gateway patients – and make them available to additional practices looking for support to thrive under value-based healthcare models.
Ultimately, this model is designed to strengthen the viability of independent practices, improve financial performance, and give providers the freedom and flexibility to focus on the clinical work at the heart of providing patient-centric, high-value care. The model will not only improve patients’ overall well-being by making sure they receive the right care, at the right time, and in the most appropriate settings, but will significantly contribute to greater economic health for the region.
“Tandigm has proven that we can help patients stay healthy and improve quality if we empower the providers and clinicians on the front lines with the right data, tools, incentives, and support systems,” said Frank Ingari, CEO of Tandigm Health. “Partnering with Gateway Medical Associates to launch Tandigm Physician Services will allow us to bring this model to more practices and improve care for more patients. Value is the future of healthcare, and we expect this MSO will accelerate the sustainable transition to high-quality, high-value care in our region.”
Studies continue to show that large amounts of U.S. healthcare spending are unnecessary or wasteful, by some estimates nearly $1 trillion per year. The U.S. healthcare system is the most expensive in the world and Philadelphia is among the highest-cost regions. Yet, despite the high cost, health outcomes in the U.S. and the Philadelphia area continue to lag.
Against this backdrop, value-based care – which prioritizes quality over quantity, putting the patient health outcome at the center of the model – has gained momentum as a catalyst for improving the state of the current healthcare system and realigning incentives. This shift may accelerate more rapidly as the healthcare system recovers from the disruption of COVID-19, which severely strained practices operating under the traditional fee-for-service model.
Tandigm Health is the market leader in enabling primary care physicians and other providers to practice value-based care. Tandigm has produced concrete health improvements and cost-savings for patients in its network.
“Sharing the same vision with Tandigm has enabled our medical group to expand value-based care in our community and excel in the care that we provide to our patients,” said Dr. John Khalifa, MD, President of Gateway Medical Associates. “We are excited to both partner with Tandigm and launch Tandigm Physician Services by becoming the first practice to utilize its services, aiming to make these services widely available to the physician community.”
Tandigm Physician Services will leverage the expertise of Tandigm and Gateway, two physician-led organizations that are among the most trusted in the region. The company’s services will support the effective and efficient operation of practices, as well as the scale and evolving capabilities needed to thrive in value-based arrangements with multiple insurers and managed care organizations, enabling physicians to focus on what they were trained to do – providing personal and high-quality care to their patients.
“To evolve with the industry and to set our organization up for continued success, we are pleased to have a like-minded partner in Tandigm who is committed to preserving independent medical groups,” said Timothy Rodgers, CEO of Gateway Medical Associates. “We look forward to using our joint experience and expertise to the benefit of providers and patients as we advance the implementation of value-based care models.”
The MSO model has been successful in other regions as a way for physician practices to remain independent while improving their infrastructure, efficiency and ability to compete in a health care market that has trended toward consolidation.
“From its inception, Tandigm has been about empowering physicians, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to serve patients fully,” said Dr. Tony Coletta, MD, Executive Chairman of Tandigm Health. “The launch of Tandigm Physician Services continues that mission as we support more practices and bring high-value, quality care to more patients.”