TriHealth Announces Dedicated Precision Medicine Institute

TriHealth, a leading Cincinnati-based integrated health system, will launch the region's first formalized multi-disciplinary Precision Medicine Institute, giving tens of thousands of tristate patients access to customized, preventive and potentially lifesaving genetic care.

The goal of Precision Medicine is to tailor care to the individual patient using their unique genetic make-up. Increasingly, medical policies and societal guidelines recommend genetic testing as an essential clinical data element used to predict disease, assess risk, select therapy, prevent adverse drug reactions, and enroll patients in clinical trials.

The TriHealth Precision Medicine Institute will include staff genetic counseling experts in key clinical areas such as preventive health, cancer risk, precision oncology, heredity cardiology, women's services and pharmacogenomics.

“Not too far into the future, precision medicine will be the established standard of care because of its ability to identify risks earlier and tailor therapies for the best outcomes,” said Mark C. Clement, President and CEO of TriHealth. “As an organization committed to the Triple Aim of better health, better care and better value, this is yet another example of how TriHealth is building the clinical capabilities to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time to produce the right clinical outcomes for our patients and the larger Cincinnati community – and increasingly, the right care is preventive and highly targeted in ways made possible through a deep understanding of how genetics affects health.”

In addition to expanding access to customized, preventive genetic care, the launch of the TriHealth Precision Medicine Institute will also enable TriHealth clinicians to:

• Identify populations for targeted intervention
• Increase targeted therapy based on a patient’s genetics
• Reduce trial-and-error prescribing

Ultimately, these areas will lower healthcare costs and improve patient care.

“Precision medicine enables us to identify which therapies will most effectively target a condition to achieve the best results for a patient’s specific needs,” said James Maher, MD, PhD, System Chief for Oncology. “This is a real game changer for how medical care is delivered.”

bi3, a strategic partner of TriHealth and grantmaking initiative to transform health, is helping to support the TriHealth Precision Medicine Institute with a $4.3 million start-up grant. The launch builds on previous bi3 funding to train clinicians on using precision medicine and integrating patients' genomic indicators within their electronic records.

"As a strategic partner of TriHealth, bi3 invests in innovative solutions that advance healthcare and improve health outcomes," Jill Miller, President and CEO of Bethesda Inc. and bi3, said. "The TriHealth Precision Medicine Institute will leverage the latest technology and research to give patients the opportunity to achieve their best health."

“This initial funding through bi3 will enable TriHealth to accelerate an essential part of our Journey to Get Healthcare Right by helping us create and expand preventive and early detection service for essential programs to improve the health of our community,” added Clement. “These programs are currently inadequate or non-existent due to little or no fee-for-service funding or reimbursement.”

TriHealth is already considered a national leader in implementing precision medicine and plans to share best practices throughout the industry.