Marathon Health this week announced that it has acquired the clinics of Cerner Workforce Health Solutions. With the deal, all care teams have been retained and Cerner Marathon clients will not experience any disruption to their service, the company said.

WHY IT MATTERS
Marathon Health is a value-based care organization offering employers onsite health centers that deliver a range of wellness services, networks and primary care virtual services. It has more than 280 health centers in 43 states with 1.2M members and more than 900 providers and clinicians.

The acquisition of Cerner Workforce Health Solutions, which was completed on August 1, includes approximately 300 ambassadors, 21 clients, 35 health centers and 300,000 members, Marathon said. The company also noted that the deal significantly expands its presence in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis.

The addition of Cerner WHS to its portfolio will deepen employer partnerships, according to Dr. Jeff Wells, Marathon's CEO and cofounder.

"Marathon Health is singularly dedicated to helping employers control healthcare costs by transforming healthcare delivery, and we are thrilled to join forces with the Cerner WHS team on this mission," he said.

Stacie Clum, general manager and senior director of Cerner WHS, called Marathon a "like-minded organization."

"I don’t think the fit could be stronger – we have complementary cultures, strategies and capabilities – and I am deeply excited for this next chapter," she said.

Marathon said that Cerner, which became part of Oracle Health in a $28.3 billion deal, has developed innovative capabilities in areas such as occupational health and onsite pharmacy that it will build upon.

THE LARGER TREND
Employers that seek employee care-delivery options that are convenient and cost-effective, including on-site clinics and providers, and telemedicine clinics, say they are able to offer more health services to their employees and a high-touch user experience.

In 2022, General Motors, which partnered with Henry Ford Health System, reported that it was able to eliminate wait times for appointments by leveraging integrated telehealth through TytoCare and providing on-site point-of-care testing, vaccinations, lab services, radiology and pharmacy services.

Beth Ratliff, chief operating officer of Premise Health, which provides direct healthcare at 800 wellness centers in 45 states and Guam, told Healthcare IT News in December that 2023 would hold a bright future for advanced primary care and lifestyle medicine.

"Employers recognize that if they shift costs to employees it may do two things," she said.

"One, it may reduce access or lead to deferred care, which ultimately leads to less healthy employees and higher healthcare costs. Two, it may make them less competitive in a tight labor market. Instead of sharing costs, many employers are looking for ways to consolidate benefits, drive greater utilization and increase their return on investment."

ON THE RECORD
"Marathon Health’s goal is to become the leader in value-based healthcare in the commercial sector, by helping employers of all sizes achieve an advanced, population-health-driven model of primary care," said Ben Evans, executive chairman and cofounder of Marathon Health in a statement. "Acquisitions such as this are an important part of achieving that goal."

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.