Community Memorial Health System announced that effective July 1 Blue Shield Covered California has agreed to bring a limited number of CMHS physicians into its network at Blue Shield’s standard commercial rates.

The decision to complete this network participation reflects the health system’s commitment to provide Ventura County residents access to high quality and affordable care. Blue Shield agreed to include physicians based on clinical integration criteria including: integrated electronic health record, quality, patient experience and cost leadership and participation in the Accountable Care Alliance of Ventura (ACAV) ACO. This is an important milestone as CMHS furthers its alignment with community physicians to meet the needs of their patients.

Blue Shield will take several months to add the physicians to its Exclusive Provider Network (EPN) network. For physicians already participating in the EPN at a reduced rate, Blue Shield will change their reimbursement rates as physicians renew Blue Shield contracts.

“We are grateful that the community’s support has enabled CMHS to reinvest in the community with a replacement hospital,” said Gary Wilde, CMHS President and CEO. “It is important to us that the new Community Memorial Hospital of San Buenaventura is available to all residents of Ventura County when it opens in 2016.”

For more information on CMHS payer contracts visit www.cmhshealth.org.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and twelve family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.