Congenial Healthcare of Peabody, Mass. has signed a multi-year agreement to become part of the 2,000-member Wellforce physician community. The Wellforce Health System includes Tufts Medical Center, Circle Health, MelroseWakefield Healthcare and Home Health Foundation.
“Wellforce offers a unique value proposition for its community of physicians: independent and employed, academic and community, specialty and primary care. Wellforce has proven that academic and community medicine can effectively work in partnership to improve quality, lower healthcare costs, keep care local and advance the practice of medicine. As a result, we are an attractive choice for physician groups of all types – including those who wish to remain in private practice,” said Michael Wagner, MD, Wellforce Chief Physician Executive.
“Congenial’s physician leaders are progressive, collaborative and innovative – making the group a great strategic and cultural fit for Wellforce.” “Congenial is pleased to join an organization that is highly committed to physicians in private practice and that shares our philosophy and approach to patient care,” said Alain Chaoui, MD, Congenial Healthcare President. “We are looking forward to collaborating with our colleagues at Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital and MelroseWakefield.”
Congenial will join Wellforce as a Local Care Organization (LCO) within New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA), the network of nearly 1,700 community and academic physicians affiliated with Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children.
“NEQCA is delighted to welcome Congenial and its high-performing clinicians into our Network,” said Joseph Frolkis, MD, NEQCA CEO. “NEQCA is an organization where private-practice physicians have a strong voice in how decisions are made about patient care delivery and reimbursement. We look forward to engaging Congenial in NEQCA’s population health and value-based care initiatives in pursuit of the Quadruple Aims of better health, better care, lower cost and improved clinician satisfaction.”
Congenial’s vision and mission is consistent Wellforce’s “Practice of the Future” initiative now underway at Circle Health / Lowell General Physician Hospital Organization. Wellforce’s Practice of the Future program engages medical groups in creating high-value care experiences for patients and populations while advancing physician practice sustainability.
“It is evident Congenial is fully committed to delivering high-value care experiences for patients and populations,” said Emily Young, Vice President of Population Health and Transformation, Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital. “There is much we can learn from each other as Congenial engages in the transformational work taking place among practices within Lowell General PHO and elsewhere in Wellforce.”
About Congenial Healthcare
With headquarters in Peabody Massachusetts, Congenial Healthcare comprises five practice sites with more than 30 primary, specialty and advanced care clinicians who serve 44,000 patients on Boston’s North Shore. The medical group was established to preserve the private practice model by allowing physicians to maintain autonomy, share practice costs and provide the highest quality and cost-effective care for patients. Congenial embraces the Patient-Centered Medical Home model and its progressive primary care program integrates behavioral health and medically assisted treatment for substance use disorder. Prior to joining Wellforce, Congenial was part of the Beth Israel Lahey physician network.
About New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA)
New England Quality Care Alliance is a network of community and academic physicians dedicated to providing comprehensive, innovative, high-quality and affordable health care that brings value to their patients and the community. NEQCA comprises more than 500 primary care physicians and pediatricians, along with more than 1,100 specialists, located in practices across Eastern Massachusetts. NEQCA is part of Tufts Medical Center, the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and the Floating Hospital for Children, the full-service children’s hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine.
About Lowell General Physician Hospital Organization
Lowell General PHO is approximately 400 physicians strong. The PHO was founded in partnership with Lowell General Hospital in 1995 with the goal of developing a local, integrated delivery system providing outstanding quality care to patients in the Greater Lowell area. Their caregivers share the vision to create a healthcare environment that demands quality, promotes wellness, improves outcomes, eliminates errors, enhances communication and creates a full spectrum of healthcare value to its patients.
