Yellowstone High Value Network Launches With 24 Critical-Access Hospitals Across Montana

YHVN’s clinically integrated network, operational initiatives designed to drive quality and care coordination enhancements, share best practices and strengthen local communities

The Yellowstone High Value Network (YHVN) is launching, with 24 critical-access hospitals in Montana working together on clinical and business initiatives to strengthen healthcare in rural communities, YHVN announced today.

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The Yellowstone High Value Network comprises 24 critical-access hospitals across the state of Montana.

The foundation of the network is a clinically integrated network (CIN) caring for a population of more than 753,000 patients. Yellowstone members also will collaborate to share operational best practices and lower the cost of purchasing equipment and services.

“The hospitals coming together to form the Yellowstone network want to gain the advantages of scale for further enhancing quality care and lowering costs while remaining independent,” said Steve Todd, CEO of St. Luke Community Healthcare, Ronan, Mont., and chair of the Yellowstone board. “Sustaining independent hospitals in our communities allows us to tailor decisions about healthcare to the needs of our patients and providers.”

The Yellowstone network is in discussions with other rural hospitals in Montana interested in joining as members and expects to grow.

The active daily management of YHVN will be led by principals from Cibolo Health, including Nathan H. White, president, and A. Clinton MacKinney, MD, chief medical officer. Cibolo Health helps independent rural hospitals create clinically integrated networks with their peers to overcome the obstacles rural healthcare providers face.

Yellowstone High Value Network is the fourth rural hospital network organized and operated by Cibolo Health, joining networks in North Dakota, Minnesota and Ohio.

Clinical, operational committees to be launched

The clinically integrated network will drive initiatives that enhance quality and care coordination, and reduce administrative burdens for providers. This work will be led by the Yellowstone Clinical Integration Committee (CIC), featuring a clinician from each member hospital.

Among the committee’s primary duties will be to develop a set of quality measures and lead the implementation of a data-sharing platform. These initiatives will drive efforts to work with insurers on value-based care, including by supporting physicians and other providers in care delivery.

Gregory Hanson, MD, president and CEO of Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains, MT said medical providers will gain access to more data for making treatment decisions and more opportunities to share clinical best practices through the Yellowstone network.

“Working together through Yellowstone, we can provide rural medical providers with more meaningful data and best practices from rural settings similar to the one they are practicing in,” Dr. Hanson said. “The network also will support the conversations providers have with patients about preventive care by making it easier for patients to schedule and complete that care.”

Yellowstone network also will form a parallel committee consisting of operational leaders from member hospitals. They will share best practices on operational measures and work together to lower the cost of purchasing equipment and services. Each member hospital can choose which of these collaborations to participate in.

About Yellowstone High Value Network

The Yellowstone High Value Network is a collaboration of 24 critical-access hospitals dedicated to working together to serve the healthcare needs of their communities while remaining independent. YHVN’s foundation is a clinically integrated network (CIN) caring for a population of more than 753,000 patients. The network also features collaborations designed to control contracting costs and share operational best practices. To learn more, visit our website.

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“The hospitals coming together to form the Yellowstone network want to gain the advantages of scale for further enhancing quality care and lowering costs while remaining independent." --Steve Todd, Yellowstone chair and CEO of St. Luke Community Healthcare