Join the Children's Health Alliance

Consider becoming a member of the Children’s Health Alliance.  Membership in the Alliance has many benefits for you and for your clinic. The Children’s Health Alliance is the only single-specialty physician association in Oregon. Unlike other physician associations, the Alliance offers services and contracts that are specific to pediatric practice.

For example, we currently have contracts with Providence Health Plan EPO, HealthNet, PacificSource, and CareOregon. In 2008, our goal is to add two more health plan contracts. Our contracts with Care Oregon and Providence Health Plans include incentives to participate in Alliance quality improvement activities.

We negotiate vender contracts for medical supplies, vaccines, office supplies and equipment, as well as other services. For example:

• Medical supplies, devices, and equipment are negotiated with Cardinal Health.
• Our group purchasing organization is AmeriNet.
• The vender for flu vaccine is sanofi pasteur.
• Immunization venders are Merck and sanofi pasteur.
• Other services for which we have negotiated discounts include PayerConnection Claims Clearinghouse, and Interpreter Services.

The Alliance offers a unique opportunity to add value collectively. We can improve health care for children in our community by setting the standards and measures in children’s health on specific initiatives. This enables us to negotiate contracts that offer fair reimbursement and provisions specific to pediatrics.

Financial Benefits

At least every other year, the Alliance calculates the financial benefits of membership to ensure that there is a return on investment for our members. In 2007, the average cost savings or revenue per full-time equivalent pediatrician that we were able to quantify was over $7500. This amount varied by clinic. The amount will increase as we add health plan contracts and vendor discounts.

If you want to know more about becoming a member, please see our qualifications for membership and fees.

Qualifications for Membership

To become a member, you must:

• Have a professional license.
• Have a current federal drug enforcement administration registration number.
• Be eligible or certified by the American Board of Medical specialties as a specialist in pediatrics.
• Be a medical staff member with clinical privileges in an active or associate category, at Emanuel Hospital.
• Have medical malpractice coverage of at least $1 M per occurrence and $3 M aggregate.
• Practice primary care pediatrics.
• Be able to sign a contract.
• Abide by all aspects of the bylaws and rules and regulations of the Alliance.
• Cooperate with the Alliance and its members in the implementation of the Alliance’s policies and objectives.
• Pay dues and any assessments as required by the Board of Directors.
• Adhere to the medical ethics of the county and state medical society where you are practicing.
• Be able to deliver to the Alliance adequate information for proper evaluation regarding competence, training, character and other qualifications as required.
• Be able to participate in the quality initiatives of the Alliance.

Fees

The Alliance is completely funded by its membership. Any rebates, administrative dues, and discounts are passed on to our members. This eliminates conflicts of interest and offers transparency in our organization and our relationships with vendors, health plans and health systems.

The Alliance has a one-time set up fee for new members and annual membership dues per full time equivalent (FTE) pediatrician. The annual dues are billed twice a year and are payable in three installments.

If you are interested in joining the membership of the Alliance, please contact us.

Copyright 2008 Children’s Health Alliance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

5901 SW Macadam Avenue, Ste 220 • Portland, Oregon 97239
Phone: 503.222.5703 Fax: 503.224.393
Email: info@ch-alliance.org

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Portland, OR