Large internal medicine, specialists group aligns with Franciscan St. Francis Health

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Internal Medicine Consultants (IIMC), one of the largest internal medicine and specialty groups in Indiana, and Franciscan St. Francis Health today (Oct. 11) announced an exclusive services provider agreement, formalizing and strengthening the relationship the two organizations have shared for decades.

IIMC specialists include internal medicine, pulmonary, critical care, rheumatology, family practice, infectious disease and sleep medicine specialists serving central Indiana

The agreement, effective Oct. 1, supports an even more integrated continuum of care and case management. Patients will benefit because there will be less rotation of physicians and nurse practitioners from outside the St. Francis system.

“The agreement advances a more holistic framework,” said Robert J. Brody, president and CEO for Franciscan St. Francis Health. “IIMC physicians treat highly complex internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care cases.

“They have a crucial role in the development of integrated care management, which provides a full spectrum of population care from wellness to hospital outpatient and inpatient care to home and hospice care,” Brody continued. “Coordinated delivery of expert care, enhanced communications, and outstanding technology paired with the mutual goal of providing the highest level clinical outcomes for patients, results in better care and patient experience.”

“Our decision to align exclusively with Franciscan St. Francis Health is based in trust and a shared history of providing outstanding care to patients, said William Buffie, M.D., who has served as IIMC’s CEO since 1997 and directs Franciscan St. Francis’ hospitalist program. “Of the integrated heath systems or accountable care organizations being formed, we know that St. Francis offers the specific advantages such as the electronic medical records system, range of associated specialists and many convenient access points.”

With hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville, Franciscan St. Francis Health is part of the Mishawaka-based Franciscan Alliance, a 14-hospital system in Indiana and Illinois. The system employs 18,000 workers including more than 600 physicians, provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges each year.

To learn more about Franciscan St. Francis Health, go to http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/.

Indiana Internal Medicine Consultants has nearly 40 specialized physicians caring for thousands of patients in the central Indiana. To learn more about this group, go to http://www.iimconline.net/meet.html.