Cambia Health Solutions to Launch Health Innovation Collaborative with Inaugural Partners UW Medicine, Regence BlueShield and Qliance

The Seattle-based Facility Will Foster Cross-Industry Collaboration and Advancements in Health Sector on a National Level

SEATTLE, OCTOBER 24, 2014 — Cambia Health Solutions announces plans to establish The Cambia Grove, a collaborative facility in Seattle that will serve as a hub to foster innovation and transformation in the health care industry on a national level. The Cambia Grove will provide space for innovators and entrepreneurs to collaborate with health care providers, businesses, the public sector and health plans to identify and develop solutions to pressing industry challenges. Cambia will be presenting their plans today at the 25th Annual Governor’s Life Sciences Summit, hosted by the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association and Governor Jay Inslee.

The Cambia Grove’s first partners include: UW Medicine, Regence BlueShield and Qliance. Additional key partners will be announced when the newly built, 9,000-square-foot facility opens its doors during the first quarter of 2015. Led by executive director Nicole Bell, the collaborative initiative will also be supported by an advisory panel comprised of industry experts from across the health, business and public sector communities.

“Our mission is to establish a hub where we can collectively do for health care what this region has done for technology, coffee, aerospace, and online retail,” Bell said. “Bringing complementary elements together will drive improvements in health care products, technology and services to raise the overall quality of care and shift the focus to the consumer.”

“The Cambia Grove will serve as a center for health care innovation, convening like-minded stakeholders across the industry, and the country. Our collective focus will be to identify challenges and work together to catalyze innovative solutions that will improve the current system for the greater good,” said Rob Coppedge, senior vice president of strategic investments for Cambia Health Solutions. “The creation of the Cambia Grove is an important part of our work to transform health care and our responsibility as members of the broader health care community. This next step allows us to seek out partners who share our vision of a more consumer-centric and economically sustainable health care system.”

“Innovation in health care is essential to the social and economic well-being of Washington state. I look forward to working with the Cambia Grove as they convene partners to address the important issues facing the health care industry today,” said Governor Jay Inslee of Washington. “With its long history of innovation and leadership in health care, the Pacific Northwest is an optimal location to establish a collaborative beachhead as we look to improve care and lower costs.”

“The Cambia Grove is a natural extension of UW Medicine’s mission to improve the health of the public,” said UW Medicine CEO, Paul Ramsey, M.D. “Innovation is at the core of everything we do and this collaborative will provide a platform for sharing best practices, exchanging ideas and opening opportunities for advancing the triple aim of health care: to improve the patient experience; improve the health of populations; and make health care more affordable.”

Organizations and individuals interested in learning more about the Cambia Grove can visit www.cambiagrove.com, view an introductory video or contact Nicole Bell for additional information.

About Cambia Health Solutions
Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a health solutions company dedicated to transforming health care by creating a person-focused and economically sustainable system. Cambia’s growing family of companies range from software and mobile applications, health care marketplaces, non-traditional health care delivery models, health insurance, life insurance, pharmacy benefit management, wellness and overall consumer engagement. Through bold thinking and innovative technology, we are delivering solutions that make quality health care more available, affordable and personally relevant for everyone. To learn more, visit cambiahealth.com or twitter.com/cambia.

SOURCE: Cambia Health Solutions, Inc.