Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/961245
89 89 CEO/STRATEGY Aetna CEO: CVS deal will open '10,000 new front doors to the healthcare system' By Morgan Haefner M ark Bertolini, Chairman and CEO of Aetna, said the insurer's proposed $69 billion merger with Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health will succeed by keeping Americans healthier where they live, according to CBS This Morning. "In today's environment, 60 percent of our life expectancy, which has gone down two years in a row, is associated with where we live. Thirty percent is our genetic code and 10 percent is the clinical care you receive. So now our zip code matters more than our genetic code and how long we live," Mr. Bertolini said on the program Feb. 26. "And unless we get into the community and we begin to provide services in the community that deal with issues like social isolation, food, water, accessibility, access — if we can do more of that in the community and near people's homes, then we're going to win because we're going to keep people healthy around the issue that prevents them from living the life they want to lead." CVS Health comprises 10,000-plus clinics and pharmacies across the U.S., which Mr. Bertolini said will act as "10,000 new front doors to the healthcare system." These spaces could become local options for preventive care, filling prescriptions and treatment, which may sway Americans from entering the healthcare system only when they're in need of extensive care, he added. In early December 2017, CVS Health signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Aetna for roughly $69 billion in cash and stock. The proposed deal, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each firm Dec. 3, is one of the largest transactions of 2017. n Phoenix Children's Hospital wins battle against Irish hospital over similar names By Alia Paavola T he Irish health minister dropped plans to name a hospital under construction in Dublin, Ireland the Phoenix Children's Hospital after receiving criti- cism and threats of legal action by Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona, reports The Times. Phoenix Children's in Arizona threatened legal action against the Dublin hospital on Nov. 27, 2017, arguing the name similarities would confuse patients and disrupt care. The decision to drop the proposed name, according to Simon Harris, the Minister for Health of Ireland, is to avoid confusion and prevent controversy. Mr. Harris suggested the new Dublin Hospital should be named National Children's Hospital Ireland instead. "I have decided not to proceed with the hospital's [proposed] name. I do not want the name to cause confusion or controversy in what is a major infrastruc- tural project for our citizens. For the moment, National Children's Hospital Ireland seems apt to me," Mr. Harris told The Times. In addition to the Arizona-based Phoenix Children's le- gal action, the name "Phoenix" has drawn criticism from other healthcare organizations in Ireland. Medical chiefs from other children's hospitals in Ireland argued using Phoenix in the name was insensitive to parents of de- ceased children whose organs were incinerated after being kept without permission. n Hospital leaders pick Kaiser as top healthcare organization: 7 things to know By Julie Spitzer H ospital leaders identified Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente as a top healthcare organization in thought leadership, innovation and cost of high-quality care, according to a Reaction Data survey. Reaction Data spoke with 285 hospital leaders about healthcare organizations' brand recognition and reputation. Here are seven things to know. 1. When asked "What hospital organization comes to mind as a model of innovation, thought leadership and providing quality care at a sustainable cost?" only 17 leaders responded with their own organizations. 2. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic ranked No. 1 as a model for innovation. 3. Leaders said Kaiser offered the best model for delivering high-quality care at a sustainable cost. 4. Leaders named Mayo Clinic the top thought leader on topics related to healthcare transformation. 5. Across the combined three categories, 23.7 percent of hospital leadersranked Kaiser No. 1, followed by Mayo Clinic (22.5 percent) and Cleveland Clinic (17.4 percent). 6. Respondents were most familiar with the Mayo Clinic brand (46 percent), followed by Cleveland Clinic (40 percent) and Kaiser (37 percent). 7. Sixty-four percent of leaders identified Mayo Clinic as the hospital with the most favorable brand reputation, followed by Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare (58 percent) and Cleveland Clinic (54 percent). n