Optum is taking a "city by city" approach when rolling out its healthcare initiatives, according to new UnitedHealth Group president Sir Andrew Witty.
Sir Witty made the comments during a Dec. 4 talk at the 2019 Forbes Healthcare Summit, as reported by Forbes contributor Bruce Japsen.
Four things to know about the strategy:
1. Optum, the health services arm of UnitedHealth, aims to link hundreds of acquired clinics, surgery centers and urgent care facilities within certain markets.
2. Increasingly, Sir Witty said the centers will be "wired together" to create a more seamless experience for patients. Optum has started this initiative in 10 markets, including Denver, Seattle, Southern California, Las Vegas, Dallas, New York and New Jersey.
3. Sir Witty said providing Optum's owned and affiliated providers with necessary data and insights will improve patient outcomes, according to Forbes.
4. Providers have been keeping a close eye on Optum as the company continues to add physicians and facilities to its portfolio. In the past year alone, Optum has added 10,000 physicians to its roster, growing its network to 46,000 physicians.
Read the full report here.
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