Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Partners with Corewell Health to Improve Several Areas of In-Hospital Patient Care
Blue Daily
| 3 min read
Key Takeaways
- In June, Blue Cross and Corewell announced a new agreement that will keep Corewell facilities in the Blue Cross network through 2030.
- Blue Cross and Corewell Health are putting a focus on improving several targeted areas of patient care.
- Those areas of include in-hospital fall and hip-fracture rate, post-operative sepsis rate and more.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Corewell Health plan to implement strategies that improve several targeted areas of patient care. The partnership is driven by a common goal to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Michigan.
In June 2025, Blue Cross and Corewell announced a new agreement that will keep Corewell facilities in the Blue Cross network through 2030. This agreement included a value-based component to enhance the patient care experience.
“When we reached our new landmark agreement with Corewell Health, we came together to pave a path that would address improving patient care and manage rising health care costs in new ways,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan President and Chief Executive Officer Tricia A. Keith.
Together the organizations are putting a focus on improving several targeted areas of patient care, including:
- Post-operative sepsis rate: post-operative sepsis rate measures the percentage or number of patients who develop sepsis after surgery. Sepsis occurs when the body reacts poorly to an infection, causing possible damage to vital organs. It is considered a life-threatening medical emergency.
- In-hospital fall and hip-fracture rate: according to 2020 data, patient falls are the most common adverse event reported in hospitals, with roughly 700,000 to 1 million patient falls occurring in U.S. hospitals each year. About 1 in 4 falls result in injury and about 10% result in serious injury, per the study.
- Post-operative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate: post-operative acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of major surgery, according to a 2022 study. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The study stated worsening stages of AKI are associated with poorer patient outcomes, making early recognition and management imperative in preventing further deterioration of kidney function.
- Post-operative respiratory rate: post-operative respiratory rate refers to the number of breaths a patient takes per minute following surgery. Several studies show that monitoring respiratory rate is the best predictor of patient complications after surgery. Changes in respiratory rate can serve as early warning signs of conditions like respiratory depression, respiratory failure, sepsis and pneumonia, making continuous monitoring, interventions and identification of patient risk factors critical.
Additionally, a Joint Quality Committee has been established with representatives from both Blue Cross and Corewell to mutually develop quality and cost measures, advance care and track progress, which will impact outcome-based payment for the health system.
“The patients we mutually serve deserve the highest standards in patient care that they have grown to expect from both Blue Cross and Corewell, and these initiatives will help deliver those results,” said Keith.
“Providing high quality care is our number one priority,” added Corewell Health President & CEO Tina Freese Decker. “By partnering with Blue Cross on innovative clinical initiatives, we can further improve health outcomes in an affordable manner for the patients and members we serve. We look forward to achieving greater value and making health better for our communities together.”
Blue Cross is committed to expanding and building partnerships that deliver affordable, accessible health care. By standing for partnerships like these with Corewell Health, we are ensuring that affordable, high-quality health care and health insurance isn’t just something we talk about — it’s something we all work together to achieve.
Learn more about what Blue Cross is doing to address health care affordability here.
Photo credit: Getty Images
