WALTHAM, Mass. – Dec. 18, 2019 – A group of more than 650 nephrologists have joined with Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation's leading provider of kidney care products and services, to raise $20 million in initial funding and announce the formation of InterWell Health, a population health management company focused on supporting the renal patient population across the full continuum of care.
Over the past several years, InterWell Health investors have participated in various value based arrangements, including the End Stage Renal Disease Seamless Care Organization (ESCO) program. With this experience and expertise as the newly-formed entity’s foundation, InterWell Health will facilitate and support renal providers across the country to create value in managing the chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease patient population by improving patient outcomes and lowering overall costs to the system.
“We are now well-positioned to accelerate the transition from volume to value under clinical care models and resources developed under a physician-driven governance model,” said Dylan Steer, MD, President of Balboa Nephrology in San Diego, California. “We are proud to be part of this innovative, patient-focused organization.”
InterWell Health will foster collaboration among clinicians across the country to support their value based operations. The combined clinical and analytical expertise of the nephrology practices and FMCNA will be leveraged to provide shared know-how, state-of-the-art models of care, and other resources for value based arrangements in local and national markets.
“InterWell Health is uniquely positioned to expand its high-performing network of renal providers to collaborate with both public and private payors under value based arrangements,” said Bill Valle, InterWell Health Board Member and Chief Executive Officer for FMCNA. “It combines the expertise of a diverse and preeminent group of nephrology practices with the experience of FMCNA and aims to advance value based contracting models that are attractive to payors and patients by driving better clinical outcomes at lower costs.”
“This is the next step in value based care and will provide the blueprint for all renal providers to engage in these types of arrangements,” said Ravindra Bollu, MD, Managing Partner of Kidney Care Specialists LLC in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “We believe with strong physician leadership, InterWell Health is well positioned to advance a rapid transformation of renal care models.”
About InterWell Health
InterWell Health is a national physician-centric joint venture partnership between Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) and select nephrology practices across the United States. This national provider network delivers population health management services to both public and private payors across the full continuum of chronic kidney disease, transplant, end stage renal disease, and conservative care. The combined resources and clinical and analytical expertise of the nephrology partners and FMCNA provide shared know-how and financial support in local markets. For more information, visit the InterWell Health website at https://interwellhealth.com.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities, outpatient cardiac and vascular labs and urgent care centers, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at https://fmcna.com.