RLDatix, developer of intelligent patient safety technologies, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Verge Health, which makes credentialing software and analytics tools for proactive risk management.

WHY IT MATTERS
By building on the unique expertise of each in governance, risk and compliance, the companies say the merger will "accelerate an essential shift from a reactive approach to risk management to one rooted in safety and prevention."

The deal now enables RLDatix to offer provider credentialing tools, and will help it expand its strategic advisory services around safety, compliance. It will also enable RLDatix to better help break down data silos to offer a more complete ground-level view, said the company's CEO Jeff Surges.

"With Verge Health, we are unifying, at an enterprise level, all of the tools necessary to recognize flawed practices and prevent adverse events," said Surges.

The deal also offers an expansion and acceleration of RLDatix's Applied Safety Intelligence Framework, which can help hospitals take a more forward-looking approach to patient safety, "at a time when accreditation organizations like the Joint Commission are expected to take more active steps to reduce adverse events," said Surges.

With the addition of Verge Health, RLDatix says its technology can better help health systems approach compliance, credentialing, patient safety and risk management more holistically, helping healthcare leaders navigate the changes needed for harm reduction and quality improvement.

"By elevating conversations about safety and risk to the enterprise level, RLDatix helps leaders make the systemic and cultural changes necessary to achieve true harm reduction in a way that will transform the delivery of care," said Surges.

THE LARGER TREND
More than two decades since the Institute of Medicine's landmark "To Err is Human" report, medical errors still constitute the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Beyond the human toll, these adverse events account for as much as 15 percent of all hospital expenditures across OECD countries, according to RLDatix, which notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the safety of healthcare facilities, frontline staff and patients.

ON THE RECORD
"Our Converge platform was the first to unite safety and compliance with provider management, and our recent launch of Insights – our analytics solution, represents another milestone in the journey to 'zero harm,'" said Connie Moser, CEO of Verge Health – in a statement. "Now Verge is taking the next step to advance safety-led risk management by joining with the global leader in patient safety, and we are thrilled to be continuing our work as part of RLDatix."

"We're excited to adopt RLDatix's Applied Safety Intelligence framework and bring together several of our disparate processes," said Sherri Hess, RN, chief nursing informatics officer of Banner Health, in a statement. "The opportunity to have two key vendors join forces so that our safety and provider data, CANDOR training, and oneSOURCE documentation can be united to drive our high reliability efforts is paramount in ensuring we continue to drive safe, efficient healthcare."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
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