Overlake Medical Center and EvergreenHealth Announce Joint Venture

Bellevue/Kirkland, Wash. – Overlake Medical Center and EvergreenHealth have formed Eastside Health Alliance, a joint venture to improve access, coordination of care and offer the greatest quality and value to residents of the Puget Sound’s Eastside.

The joint venture is structured around three defined initiatives:

1. Collaboration in cardiac, neuroscience and thoracic surgery services to offer comprehensive care for the Eastside community.
2. A Coordinated Quality Program (CQP) to share safety and quality data and best practices.
3. Formation of a single Eastside Clinically Integrated Network (CIN), known as the Eastside Health Network, which combines Overlake Provider Network and Evergreen Health Partners to standardize quality improvement; patient care management for proper utilization of care; clinical protocol development; and work directly with business and payers to enhance value and lower the cost of care.

“Our organizations share the goal of providing the highest quality, best value, safest and most comprehensive care,” said Overlake President and CEO J. Michael Marsh. “Through this joint venture, we are able to better compete in the ever-changing health care marketplace and benefit from the sharing of best practices, operational efficiencies, enhanced care, and bolstering our organizations’ position as the Eastside’s preferred health care systems.”

The Eastside Health Network, in partnership with Eastside physicians, will participate in existing and new accountable care networks. Additionally, the organizations will share infrastructure expenses and gain population health expertise while also aligning independent and employed physicians across the Eastside for improved care coordination and quality.

“Providing our community with access to more highly coordinated subspecialty care will serve to improve the health and well-being of the entire Eastside,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Robert Malte. “EvergreenHealth and Overlake Medical Center have a history of working together, and in collaboration with independent providers through our clinically integrated networks. Our new joint venture will further this collaboration and help us simultaneously improve clinical outcomes for our patients and reduce the per capita cost of care for the benefit of patients, businesses and our region.”

The organizations will remain separate entities and the joint venture will have no impact on either organization’s governance, administration, or tax exempt status. The strategic alliance will be a 50/50 joint venture, structured as a limited liability company (LLC) around the three initiatives noted above. The joint venture will be governed by a new Board of Directors, with equal representation appointed by both boards.

To learn more about Eastside Health Alliance and Eastside Health Network, visit eastsidehealthalliance.org.