September 8, 2016 - Leaders of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and Regence BlueShield of Idaho are announcing completion of an agreement designed to improve health care affordability and cost predictability for patients throughout the region. While both the hospital and insurer have worked together to meet the health care needs of community members for decades, the new agreement commits both parties to an approach that will better manage costs for Regence members who seek care from St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.
“Regence and St. Joseph’s are Lewiston neighbors. This community is home for both of us. The updated agreement we have creates a multiyear framework for us to work together in an even more constructive way,” said Scott Kreiling, president of Regence BlueShield of Idaho. “I’m excited to be entering this new chapter in our longstanding relationship with St. Joe’s because I truly believe we’ll be advancing the health care interests of the people we both serve.”
“As the largest full service medical center between Boise and Spokane, we know residents of our region have come to depend on us – to be there when they need us. We’ve offered the security of safe, high quality, easily accessible care for well over a century,” said Thomas Fitz, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center President/CEO. “With this new extended working agreement with Regence, we’ll be able to offer a greater measure of peace of mind and predictability to the businesses and people of north Idaho,” Fitz added.
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center is north Idaho’s only hospital to have Blue Distinction Center designation for Knee & Hip Replacement as well as for Spine Surgery. It is also a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care. The intent of the national Blue Distinction program is to identify medical facilities that deliver better overall quality and medical outcomes for a specific area of specialty care, helping patients and doctors to make more informed site-of-care choices.
About St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is the largest full-service medical center in the region providing advanced-level specialty healthcare. Our commitment to providing exceptional care for our community means having highly skilled and certified physicians and exceptional hospital team members, and a quality facility with the latest in medical technology. St. Joseph offers more than 120 board-certified physicians and providers, active in primary care and specialty practice. Our medical group collective of 56 providers represents 19 specialties, from primary and family practice, to breast imaging, oncology and cardiology. At St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, we are committed to personal care, and strive to enhance the quality of life of the community we serve through the promotion of health, by assuring compassion, sharing knowledge, providing technology, and communicating a love for what we do.
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center – Together in Health. For more information, visit sjrmc.org
About Regence BlueShield of Idaho
Regence BlueShield of Idaho, based in Lewiston, has been serving Idahoans for 70 years and now provides more than 141,000 members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit mutual insurance company and independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers in Idaho and nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldofidaho or twitter.com/regenceidaho.