North Bay Business Journal

NOVATO — The Meritage Medical Network today was approved as an accountable care organization under a Medicare initiative stemming from the new health care law.

Rick Heron is chief marketing and brand officer for Western Health Advantage, a Sacramento-based HMO that recently received approval to expand into Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties. The move into the North Bay for the nonprofit HMO is a significant development for a number of providers and brokers alike, who have said the injection of another health plan will offer more choice — and thus more competitive pricing, it is hoped — for the region’s employers and individuals. Mr. Heron has been with Western Health Advantage for seven years.

The Meritage Medical Network, formerly known as the Marin-Sonoma IPA, has officially made known its plan to earn accountable care organization, or ACO, designation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act of 2010. …

Mendocino Coast District Hospital, a 25-bed nonprofit critical access facility, is seeking bankruptcy court protection from creditors as it seeks to reorganize its debts while keeping the doors open. …

Evan Rayner, Healdsburg District Hospital chief executive officer, is stepping down from his position, according to the North Sonoma County Healthcare District, which owns and operates the 43-bed hospital. …

NOVATO — The Marin-Sonoma IPA today announced its name is now Meritage Medical Network, citing the need to identify itself beyond specific geographic areas as it charts future growth while signaling a first step to becoming an accountable care organization, or ACO

With the Supreme Court ruling Thursday to uphold major tenets of the Affordable Care Act, some clarity is finally emerging for employers and providers, but the political battle over health care reform will likely continue.

Local health care providers and insurance experts said there is now much-needed clarity, at least for now, as employers and municipalities across the state attempt to adapt to ever-evolving regulations. Several providers praised the ruling.

Do you agree with the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010? Share your thoughts.

NOVATO — Responding to continuous growth over the last two years, the Marin-Sonoma IPA is moving into a larger space at Hamilton Landing in Novato, from about 12,000 square feet to more than 20,000 square feet.

NORTH BAY — The Marin-Sonoma IPA today said physicians from the Annadel Medical Group and several associated with Palm Drive and Healdsburg District hospitals have officially joined the physician network, boosting the ranks of the Novato-based independent practice association to more than 400 doctors in Marin and Sonoma counties.

NORTH BAY — The expansion of a Marin physician’s network further into Sonoma County is a key step in assisting independent health care districts integrate services, and the alignment it will create at district hospitals is “critical to the long-term success,” according to Sonoma County’s top public health official.

NORTH BAY — A leading Marin County doctors’ association is heading an effort to create a potentially powerful network of hundreds of North Bay physicians that, if successful, would significantly alter the region’s health care landscape.