Group Health Cooperative - Group Health

Group Health Cooperative, (formerly known as Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound), now more commonly known as Group Health, is a Seattle, Washington based nonprofit healthcare organization. Established in 1945, it today provides coverage and care for about 600,000 people in Washington and Idaho and is one of the largest private employers in Washington. Patients who receive care at its medical centers are provided Web access to their medical records, secure emailing with doctors and nurses and the ability to fill prescriptions online that are mailed to homes without a shipping charge. On December 4, 2015, it was announced that Group Health would be acquired by Kaiser Permanente, for ming the latter's eighth region.

Corporate structure

Group Health was officially registered as a corporation in Washington on December 22, 1945.

Despite being marketed as a cooperative for much of the organization's history, Group Health has never legally presented itself as a cooperative. It is a nonprofit organization with members. Members have always been able to amend bylaws and elect a board of trustees, but have never owned organization assets or directly controlled operations.

History

Group Health's founders included Thomas G. Bevan, then president of lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Boeing; Ella Willams, a leader in a local chapter of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry; Addison Shoudy, R.M Mitchell, and Stanley Erickson, who were pioneers in the American cooperative movement; and other community members who had no strong past affiliation with any particular social group.

The Seattle Times noted in 2012 that non-profit insurance outfits, including Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield and Group Health Cooperative, were stockpiling billions of dollars in reserves while increasing their rates at the same time.

Group Health Research Institute

Group Health's research leg is the Group Health Research Institute (GHRI), formerly known as Group Health Center for Health Studies. GHRI works with institutions such as the University of Washington and the National Institutes of Health. GHRI is a member of the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN), formerly known as the HMO Research Network.

Group Health Cooperative Medical Library

Group Health Cooperative Medical Library was founded in 1969. As of 2011 it subscribed to 8000 electronic journals and had 400 books. It specializes in allied health professions, medicine, health maintenance organizations, health administration, nursing, and pharmacy.

Preventive care

Group Health is also a leader in providing coordinated and preventive care, including using health information technology and teamwork to support a personal relationship between a doctor and a patient.

Notable staff

Scott Armstrong became president and CEO of Group Health in 2003. He is a commissioner of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, board chair of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, a board member of America's Health Insurance Plans and the Pacific Science Center, a member of the Community Development Roundtable in Seattle and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He was named among the top 40 of the "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" in 2010 by Modern Healthcare magazine.

References

Further reading

• Walt Crowley, To Serve the Greatest Number, University of Washington Press, 1996. The most thorough history published.
• Walt Crowley and HistoryLink, Group Health Timeline, HistoryLink, 2007. An update and summary of To Serve the Greatest Number.
• Saunders, K. W.; Davis, R. L.; Stergachis, A. (2000). "Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound". Pharmacoepidemiology. p. 247. doi:10.1002/0470842555.ch15. ISBN 0471899259. 
• Kuttner, Robert (1998). "Must Good HMOs Go Bad? â€" The Commercialization of Prepaid Group Health Care". New England Journal of Medicine. 338 (May 21): 1558â€"1563. doi:10.1056/NEJM199805213382123. PMID 9599120. 
• Thompson, Robert S. (1996). "What have HMOs learned about clinical prevention services? An examination of the experience at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound". The Milbank Quarterly. 74 (4): 469â€". JSTOR 3350390. 

External links

• Official website