'We never saw Risant Health coming': What leaders are saying about the Kaiser-Geisinger deal

'We never saw Risant Health coming': What leaders are saying about the Kaiser-Geisinger deal unknown

Kaiser Permanente said there was a nearly sixfold increase in social media chatter about value-based care in the week after it unveiled its new company, Risant Health, and first member health system, Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger in late April.

In a May 8 news release, the Oakland, Calif.-based health system also highlighted quotes from several national experts about the move:

— "We were all so focused on what will be the next healthcare move of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google that we never saw Risant Health coming!" said Vikas Chowdhry, founder of TraumaCare.AI.

— "Risant (will be) a 'repository of knowledge,' with potential for its member health systems to work toward a common goal of lower costs and better access to care," said Kevin Holloran, senior director of Fitch Ratings.

— "Two of the titans of systems-based care to manage costs and drive measurable outcomes. … My optimism hopes for ripple impacts to drive more hospitals towards value," said Brett Daniel, MD, chief medical information officer of Optum.

— "That’s a big deal in U.S. healthcare," said Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.

— "Whoa! Kaiser is one of the nation's leading healthcare organizations structured to reduce costs and improve outcomes. Geisinger is one of the most technologically innovative health systems in the US — driving tons of research. Love to see what comes of this," Michael Mina, MD, PhD, chief science officer of eMed.

— "The Kaiser-Geisinger partnership creates an enabling path for health systems to move down the journey to value-based care. For me, it was a really exciting development. ... I think there are only wins in this for patients," said Linda Finkel, CEO of Avia.