CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwired - Dec 11, 2013) - The recent announcement of a major statewide alliance across four Ohio hospital brands -- that includes University Hospitals, Summa Health System, Catholic Health Partners and Mount Carmel -- raises an important question: How will these hospitals collaborate to improve the quality of care for patients across Ohio?

According to Steve Parsons, Cleveland principal of Findley Davies, a human resources consulting firm, health care providers will gravitate toward population health management (PHM). "It is a new way of looking at the whole patient. Instead of treating the disease, health care providers will be more proactive in providing total care and focusing more on prevention," says Parsons.

This shift in patient care is already happening. The partnership of four major Ohio hospitals recently created Health Innovation Ohio, a collaborative effort to share best practices for managing the health of individuals and groups. "We are working to improve care outcomes and reduce costs by aligning services and incentives across workplace health programs, doctors' offices and hospitals," says Eric J. Bieber, MD, chief medical officer, University Hospitals and president, UH Accountable Care Organization.

Because PHM is an approach that aims to improve the health of an entire population, wellness programs within companies, including hospitals, will play an integral role in changing how the public looks at health care. New HIPAA wellness rules will require companies to implement workplace wellness programs that offer rewards to participants. The wellness rules will apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers (including grandfathered plans), for plan or policy years starting on or after January 1, 2014. Findley Davies currently works with companies across the country to comply with those federal rules and implement wellness programs. Findley Davies created the Wellness Path to Compliance to help employers navigate the new rules.

For more information on wellness programs and the new regulations, visit www.findleydavies.com.

Media Inquiries: Contact Lisa Kay at (216) 875-1946, LKay@findleydavies.com or Celina Fabrizio at (614) 224-8114, cfabrizio@paulwerth.com to connect with an expert from Findley Davies. We could also connect you with a hospital or company that is currently implementing a wellness program.

About Findley Davies
Findley Davies works with companies to maximize the effectiveness of their human resources strategies and programs that help clients attract, motivate and retain talent; enhance the effectiveness of HR processes; leverage technology; improve financial performance through effective management of costs; and structure solutions that drive organizational alignment. Established in 1969, Findley Davies is owned and led by a group of senior consultants working from offices in Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Greensboro and Toledo. For more information visit www.findleydavies.com.