CommonSpirit Health's Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is teaming up with Amazon's One Medical to provide specialty care to the online retailer's primary care patients.
The collaboration provides One Medical members in the greater Seattle area with broad access to more than 2,000 specialists as part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s integrated network of providers, outpatient facilities and hospitals, the two organizations said in a press release.
One Medical currently has eight primary care clinics in the Seattle area, and Virginia Mason will be a specialty referral partner for its local patients.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to offer seamless coordinated care across primary and specialty settings to help deliver the highest levels of health, care and value,” said Trent Green, CEO at One Medical, in a statement. “Teaming up with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health further advances One Medical’s mission of transforming health care to improve the patient care experience in the Seattle area.”
One Medical, which Amazon scooped up in a $3.9 billion deal in February, offers hybrid care through its mobile app that enables 24/7 virtual care services, including on-demand video visits, provider messaging, “Treat Me Now” digital assessments for common health concerns and prescription renewals.
Launched in 2007, One Medical operates as a membership-based, tech-integrated, consumer-focused primary care platform offering care at brick-and-mortar clinics as well as near-site and worksite care.
The One Medical deal expanded Amazon's reach into primary care as it now officially operates 220 clinics in 29 metropolitan areas. The deal also gives Amazon rapid access to the lucrative employer market as One Medical works with more than 8,500 companies and has a trove of member health data.
"Increasingly, healthcare consumers want patient-centered care delivered where they are, when they need it, with access via technology-driven solutions," says Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president of CommonSpirit Health's northwest region, in a statement. "This new collaboration provides One Medical members with access to the region’s best specialty care providers, and together we'll be able to provide better continuity of care, a better patient experience and ultimately better health outcomes."
Amazon's One Medical has formed similar collaborations with health systems in most markets where it operates.
Healthcare giant CommonSpirit Health acquired Seattle-based Virginia Mason in January 2021. The health system combined with Tacoma, Washington-based CHI Franciscan to form an integrated health system that encompasses 10 hospitals, including three large medical centers, and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health executive leaders say the health system is committed to "innovative partnerships with organizations like One Medical, who share core values of improving the medical experience for patients by leveraging technology solutions and increasing access to value-based care, which lowers overall total health care costs for patients."
One Medical's memberships cost $199 per year, but Amazon just rolled out discounted virtual primary care services as a perk for its estimated 200 million Prime members. Amazon Prime members can now add One Medical memberships for $9 per month, or $99 annually, and up to five additional family members for $6 per month.
Amazon Health executives are now looking at ways to combine One Medical's expertise in patient care with Amazon's tech capabilities to scale up integrated primary care and dramatically improve both the patient and provider experiences, One Medical Chief Medical Officer Andrew Diamond, M.D., Ph.D., told Fierce Healthcare during the HLTH 2023 conference in October.
One Medical also can leverage Amazon's deep tech expertise to build more advanced predictive models to identify patients at high risk of a serious health event and intervene earlier by sending "nudges" or other digital engagements.