Home | About Us | Network | Members | Compliance | Population Health Our Vision Your health in good hands Overview Heritage Provider Network (HPN) is a limited Knox-Keene licensed organization in California that provides affordable quality care to its members. Through innovative programs and services designed specifically for the managed care environment, HPN and its medical groups have been successful in delivering the goals it set out to achieve while establishing long-standing, favorable provider relationships. HPN’s guiding philosophy and beliefs are: The physician-patient relationship is the foundation for providing quality health care Physician and patient education must be proactive and ongoing Physicians will make effective decisions for their patients given the appropriate tools, information and support from their peers Utilization and quality management is a physician-to-physician process HPN’s preventive health care services are widely acknowledged to be among the broadest and most advanced in the industry. Preventive health care services include employer-based health education programs, vaccinations and fitness programs. HPN has implemented rigorous programs to review utilization, quality assurance compliance, medical risk management and patient issues and concerns. HPN’s medical and administrative management organization assesses internal and external statistical data and surveys to monitor compliance with medical policies, procedures and standards. Our Visionary Richard Merkin, M.D. has more than 35 years of experience in health care with specific expertise in the development and administration of integrated delivery systems. His leadership has inspired the formation of over 28 group model and IPA structures in California, New York and Arizona. In 1979, Dr. Merkin founded the predecessor to Heritage Provider Network (HPN), which currently serves nearly 700,000 individuals in California, making it one of the largest IPA’s in the United States. The New York operation currently serves over 115,000 individuals, including over 30,000 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The Arizona group, which just began operations on January 1, 2012, is already serving a large Medicare Advantage population throughout Maricopa County. This growth is the direct result of a proven ability to improve the health of a population while at the same time lowering costs and increasing quality. In addition to creating and growing integrated delivery networks, Dr. Merkin has a long-standing interest in both prevention and cure. He is Co-Founder of FasterCures, an “action think tank” that seeks to speed up the time it takes to get important new medicines from discovery to patients. He founded the Heritage Medical Research Institute, a non-profit medical research corporation emphasizing health care quality and outcomes studies. Finally, Dr. Merkin has recently endowed two scholars at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institute to study payment reform and clinical leadership and funded the Brain and Health Innovation Program at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Merkin’s commitment to supporting academic research runs deep. He established The Richard Merkin Foundation for Stem Cell Research at the Broad Institute at Harvard and MIT, The Richard Merkin Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute, and The Richard Merkin Foundation for Neural Regeneration at UCLA. He is on the Board of Trustees at the California Institute of Technology and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Additionally, he is on the Board of Directors at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. In 2007, Dr. Merkin endowed the Richard Merkin Distinguished Fellowship in Emergency and Tropical Medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine at the Keck School. He is a member of the board of the California Association of Physician Groups. Dr. Merkin is a visionary and a sought-after healthcare expert who encourages innovation and challenge. He is on the Visionary Board of the X-Prize Foundation. Inspired by the X-Prize model, Dr. Merkin created, developed and sponsored the $3 million Heritage Health Prize, which challenges teams to create an algorithm that will predict how many days an individual will spend in the hospital in a given year. The theory is, if hospitalizations can be predicted, preventive measures can be taken and unnecessary hospitalizations can be avoided. Outside of healthcare, Dr. Merkin is involved in educational, economic and youth issues. He has been on the board of advisors for the Asia Society Southern California, and has previously been on the Mayor’s Executive Committee for Los Angeles. A strong advocate for education, Dr. Merkin is on the boards of The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools and the office of the Education Master Plan, organizations dedicated to helping the California educational system. He is also on the Board of Directors for EdVoice, a group dedicated to education reform. In 2006, The Richard Merkin Middle School opened its doors in Los Angeles which is committed to bringing first-rate education to an under-served area. Dr. Merkin is also on the board of United Friends of the Children, a group that serves the growing population of foster youth by targeting their special needs through education. Additionally, Dr. Merkin is on the Board of Overseers of the Los Angeles Music Center and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Dr. Merkin contributes to numerous non-profit philanthropic organizations, and, among other things, founded the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony which is dedicated to providing music education to children. To view Dr. Merkin’s involvement in the community, click here BFMC CCPN DOHC HDMG HVVMG LMG RMG SMG ADOC Contact Us Glossary Sitemap Privacy Careers © Heritage Provider Network, Inc.