Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/961245
88 POPULATION HEALTH 88 CEO/STRATEGY Apple opens medical clinics for its employees this spring By Alia Paavola A pple is launching AC Wellness, a group of primary health clinics for its own employees and their fami- lies in spring 2018, reported CNBC. The new primary care clinics will initially only serve Apple's employees in Santa Clara County in California, where its headquarters is located. Currently, there are only two clin- ics included in the venture. Apple quietly created the website acwellness.com with de- tails about its move to establish these health clinics and a careers page listing jobs. AC Wellness, which Apple's web- site calls a "subsidiary of Apple, Inc.," is seeking primary care physicians, exercise coaches, behavioral health part- ners, phlebotomists, nurse practitioners and care naviga- tors, among others. According to CNBC, a job listing for AC Wellness posted on Indeed.com describes the network of clinics as "multi- ple, stunning state-of-the-art medical centers." Besides typical medical roles, Apple is also seeking "de- signers" for the health clinics who will help establish a pro- gram focused on prevention efforts, according to CNBC. Sources familiar with the company's move into healthcare told CNBC the company will leverage its medical clinics as a way to test its health services and advance its Apple Watch studies. The news comes as Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP- Morgan Chase & Co. announced they would partner to cut healthcare costs for their U.S. employees — and also fol- lows Apple CEO Tim Cook's comment to investors that Ap- ple could make a "significant contribution" in healthcare. n Judge rules ex-Lutheran CEO improperly disclosed CHS' confidential information: 7 things to know By Alyssa Rege A Tennessee judge issued an order Feb. 26 stating the former CEO of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network improperly disclosed confidential information belonging to LHN and its parent company, Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. Here are seven things to know about the order. 1. In his ruling Feb. 26, Circuit Court of Williamson County Judge Joseph A. Woodruff noted, "Mr. [Brian] Bauer admitted he delivered LHN's confidential and proprietary information … without authorization … for the purpose of soliciting the recipients' participation in a transaction with certain minority investors in LHN affiliates to purchase LHN's majority interest in the network." 2. Mr. Woodruff 's order, obtained by Becker's Hospital Review, prohibits former LHN CEO Brian Bauer from temporarily using and disclosing LHN's confidential or proprietary information, including, without limitation, financial data, operational results and physician recruiting strategies, among other information. He is also prohibited from entering into any commercial transaction for the purpose of developing a competing healthcare network with any person who received LHN and CHS' protected information from Mr. Bauer, and cannot recruit LHN employees to work at Indianapolis-based IU Health, where Mr. Brower currently works. 3. e judge also ordered Mr. Bauer must recover LHN's protected information from every person he provided it to without LHN's authorization. However, he will be legally allowed to continue working with IU Health, which hired him to advise in a consulting role last year, according to the News-Sentinel. 4. e order follows the judge's previous decision during a Feb. 14 procedural hearing to dismiss three core allegations against Mr. Bauer, which included trade and commercial disparagement, unfair and deceptive business practices, and breach of duty of loyalty. 5. LHN and CHS filed a lawsuit against Mr. Bauer last year, alleging he violated aspects of a nonqualified stock option agreement. Mr. Bauer filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in January, arguing the allegations against him can't be proven because they aren't true, among other reasons. In his ruling, Mr. Woodruff noted, "the court finds Mr. Bauer did accept the terms of the stock option agreement and it is therefore enforceable according to its terms." 6. Tomi Galin, senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing for CHS, told Becker's in a statement Feb. 26, "e court's rulings directly contradict [Mr.] Bauer's repeated and erroneous claims that the litigation against him is 'baseless' and 'without merit.' e court rulings not only demonstrate that the litigation has merit — they also ensure that the litigation will proceed and prohibit [Mr.] Bauer from continuing to use Lutheran's confidential information for his personal gain." 7. In a statement to the News-Sentinel, Mr. Bauer said he was "tremendously gratified" to continue working with IU Health and is "excited to move forward with IU Health expanding access to high-quality healthcare in Fort Wayne." n