UnityPoint-Cedar Rapids and Abbe Health, also in Cedar Rapids, signed an affiliation agreement to provide more coordinated medical, behavioral and aging health services, according to The Gazette.
The agreement is effective Jan. 1. Both organizations will maintain their existing partnerships with independent healthcare providers and patients will continue to be able to see their physicians without any interference.
Under the terms of the agreement, Abbe Health will also have access to UnityPoint's health outcome measures, capitated rate system and data collection, according to the article.
"By working together more closely, we believe that we can strengthen the services we provide and improve health care in the communities we serve," AbbeHealth President Dan Strellner said in a prepared statement. "The integration of medical, mental health and aging services allows us to place our focus on the whole person."