Sutter Health Launches Northern California Physici...( SACRAMENTO Calif. Feb. 22 /- Sutt...),Health

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Sutter Health is creating a network of more than 3,000 Northern California primary care and specialist physicians committed to providing patients with more convenient access to consistently high-quality health care services. The Sutter Medical Network will have a presence in dozens of cities and towns across Northern California -- from Sonoma County to the Central Valley and from Santa Cruz to the Mother Lode foothills.

By joining the network, physician groups commit to the rigorous process of working together to develop and follow clinical guidelines based on proven best medical practices, addressing nationally identified priorities for improving health care, seeking to improve affordability of health services and establishing standards for timely appointments and specialist referrals. Physicians will review and measure performance based on common and regular reports. All of these efforts will benefit patients, their families and the employers who often help pay for health insurance.

"The Sutter Medical Network was designed by physicians with today's discerning health care consumers in mind," said David Druker, M.D., CEO of Sutter-affiliated Palo Alto Medical Foundation who led development of the network. "The Sutter Medical Network will provide a consistent approach to delivering the highest quality medical care to patients, including clinical guidelines and medical treatments based on recognized best practices, and a common approach to making prompt patient appointments and referrals," Druker said.

"While the words 'Sutter physician' have always stood for quality, the Sutter Medical Network will more clearly define what it means to be a Sutter-affiliated doctor and how this benefits their patients and each other," said Sutter Health President and CEO Patrick Fry. "Participating physician organizations will commit to best-practice approaches with an eye toward creating a more organized, patien
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