ABINGTON, Penn., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Abington Memorial Hospital and Independence Blue Cross announced today that they have signed a new, multi-year contract, effective August 1, 2005.
"We are very pleased to have come to a fair and reasonable agreement that reflects a partnership in providing care with a focus on quality and patient safety," said Richard L. Jones, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Abington Memorial Hospital, a 508-bed, regional acute care hospital with a medical staff of more than 800 physicians and 5,000 employees.
Joseph A. Frick, president and chief executive officer of Independence Blue Cross (IBC), said "We are particularly proud of the professionalism, the focus and the fact-based approach that both organizations used to arrive at this new multi-year agreement.
"IBC is committed to balancing the stewardship of our members' premium dollars with our relationships with our network hospitals and physicians," said Frick who heads Southeastern Pennsylvania's leading health insurer, providing coverage to nearly 3.5 million people nationwide. "We look forward to working with Abington Hospital and its physician network in delivering high quality, safe and affordable heath care."
Abington Memorial Hospital's professionals provide medical care and services to residents of Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. A regional provider, AMH has the only Level II accredited trauma center in Montgomery County, and offers highly specialized services in cardiac care, cancer care, maternal child health, geriatrics and orthopedics.
This month, Independence Blue Cross's Personal Choice was rated the No. 1 PPO in the nation and its Keystone HMO was ranked as the No. 1 HMO in the region by health care consumers in a leading independent consumer magazine. For more than 65 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered quality health care products and services designed specifically to meet the changing needs of members, employers, groups and providers.
In 2003, AMH was the recipient of two notable awards: the American Hospital Association's Quest for Quality Award; and The John M Eisenberg Patient Safety Award from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the National Quality Forum. The hospital also achieved Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2004, making it the first acute care hospital in the Philadelphia area to achieve this designation.
As a Blue Cross participating hospital, Abington will continue to offer services on an in-network basis -- without interruption -- to all members of Blue Cross and those plans administered by Blue Cross, including: Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Personal Choice, Keystone Health Plan East, Blue 65 Medicare Supplemental and AmeriHealth.
Independence Blue CrossCONTACT: Liz Williams, of Independence Blue Cross, +1-215-241-2220; orLinda Millevoi, or Beth Ann Neill, both of Abington Memorial Hospital,+1-215-481-8966
