home | find a doctor | careers | contact us

	CEO's Welcome Message
	Frequently Asked Questions About Esse Health:
	Q: What is Esse Health? A: Esse Health is an independent group of over 75 physicians who practice in 28 different locations throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. Our doctors are in private practice. They work together, meeting regularly to monitor and improve patient care. As the area's largest independent physician practice, Esse Health is able to work with insurers as a group. This allows our physicians to manage the care of their patients with less of the outside intervention that is currently prevalent in the managed care industry. Our philosophy is summarized in our mission statement: Leading the health care community by placing patients and their physicians at the center of health decisions.
	Q: Is Esse Health an HMO? A: No. Esse Health doctors participate in a number of HMO's, including some Medicare HMO's. Our independence allows each of our patients to choose an insurance plan best suited to his or her needs.
	Q: Is Esse Health owned by a hospital or health care system? A: No. Unlike many physician groups, our doctors are not employed by a hospital or health system. Each Esse Health doctor is on staff at one or more of the major hospitals in his or her geographical area. This means your doctor can work independently with you in choosing the best hospital for your health care needs.
	Q: Who owns the company? A: Our doctors, all practicing in the St. Louis area, own 100% of Esse Health. This insures that our company's goals and objectives are based on what our doctors see as best for our patients.
	Q: In what insurance plans do Esse Health doctors participate? A: Esse Health doctors participate in nearly all major insurance plans. Please go to "Find a Doctor" on this web site to locate a doctor in your area, and then call the doctor's office to check insurance plan participation.
	Q: What hospitals is Esse Health affiliated with? A: Our physicians practice at hospitals throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. However, we are an independent company and are not affiliated with any hospital or hospital system. You can view the hospital/hospitals at which a particular doctor sees patients by first going to the Find a Doctor section of this website. Select any Esse Health physician, and view the corresponding hospital/hospitals listed.
	Q: What else makes Esse Health unique? A: In accordance with its mission statement, Esse Health has established various services to facilitate patient care management. These unique services include the following:
	PURKINJE is used everyday by Esse Health physicians to significantly improve patient care and increase office efficiency. Excel Imaging is a full-service imaging center with a customer-service focus.
	Q: What does Esse Health provide in its doctors' offices, other than quality patient care? A: Esse Health wants to make health care accessible and convenient for our patients. Adult patients can get most blood work and other lab testing done right in the doctor's office. Many of our offices also provide routine x-rays. Some locations dispense common medications, such as antibiotics, saving patients a trip to the pharmacy.
	Q: What kind of specialists practice with Esse Health? A: Most Esse Health physicians are Primary Care Physicians (PCPs). Specialists, such as allergists and rheumatologists, are also members of Esse Health. To locate a specialist in your area, go to "Find a Doctor" on this website. When you need a specialist, your primary care physician will work with you to identify the best specialist for you. Because we are an independent group, you are not limited to specialists associated with a particular hospital or health system.
	Return to top
	Mission
	Leading the health care community by placing patients and their physicians at the center of health decisions.
	We, the physicians and staff of Esse Health, fulfill this mission by:
	Partnering with our patients to understand and participate in their health care. Focusing energy and resources on producing optimal health outcomes for our patients. Providing the best health care value and customer service. Equipping ourselves and our patients with the highest quality information and support in preventative care and disease management.
	Vision
	Our primary focus is our patients to whom we bring a commitment of the highest quality care, service and satisfaction. Esse Health will dedicate itself to continuous improvement and innovation. We are the stewards for our patients’ needs and understand that their good health depends on our ability to guide them to better understand and participate in their own care. We believe that patient education, life style modification and prevention are critical to optimal long-term health. We are committed to methods of health care delivery wherein our success is linked to improving the overall well-being of our patient population.
	We will develop a new medical and business culture for physicians that addresses increasing medical costs and the need for continuous quality improvement. We will use technology and information systems to measure, track, and improve health care quality. We believe that physicians must be medically and economically responsible for health care delivery.
	We are building Esse Health with a long-term view. We are committed to maintaining a leadership position in the health care community. By placing patients and their physicians at the center of health care decisions, we will preserve the fundamental unit responsible for excellence in health care.
	Values
	Respect Excellence Accountability Leadership Integrity Teamwork
	Return to top
	History and Overview
	Esse Health is composed of over 75 adult and pediatric primary care physicians at 28 different sites in the St. Louis metropolitan area, with a patient population of 140,000. The physicians of Esse Health have been providing health care for over twenty years. An electronic medical record system has been implemented throughout Esse Health.
	In January 1996, two physician-led organizations in St. Louis formed Esse Health.  One of the groups, Health Key Medical Group, operated for over 20 years. Health Key began in the 1970's as a staff model HMO, sponsored by a major health insurance company. It grew and developed into an independent group, with facilities in strategic geographic locations, serving both capitated and fee-for-service patients.
	The other group, Beacon Health Care, operated for two years. It was formed in 1994 when about fifteen independent internists organized to negotiate with insurance plans as a group.
	While the two groups differed in culture and management philosophy, they shared the belief that an organized group of physicians could have a positive impact on the management and delivery of quality health care. They supported the concept of capitated payment and have led the way in implementing quality care using the latest in advanced technologies.
	After an initial retrenchment, the group has grown steadily since 1997. Some highlights of Esse Health's growth and development are:
	1997- Finalized computer hardware network, allowing email to be the standard for corporate communication.
	1998- Changed name to Esse Health to promote new identity.
	- Created first Esse Health web site.
	1999- Expanded primary care services to Illinois with merger of established Belleville practice.
	2000- Created WELLINX to bring "point of thought" decision tools into each doctor's hands.
	- WELLINX has since merged with PURKINJE.
	2001- Improved patient service by offering in-office prescription dispensing using the WELLINX system.
	- Created Excel Imaging to offer full-service imaging services to Esse Health patients.
	2002- Expanded primary care services to Columbia, Illinois.
	- Surveyed and improved patient service through Project Excel.
	- Esse Lab won perfect accreditation score through COLA (www.cola.org)
	2003- Relocated Excel Imaging to free-standing facility.
	2004- Created Essence, a health plan with a Medicare contract. It is licensed in Missouri with CMS as a Medicare Advantage Plan, offering coverage to Medicare eligibles.
	Return to top
	Under the direction of Dr. Gregory Cizek, Board Certified in Radiology and Neuro-radiology, the center offers routine radiology, ultrasound, CT scans, biopsies, and pain management procedures.
	The physicians of Esse Health recognize the significant and growing role of new imaging techniques in health care today. Innovations in radiology have brought exciting new options for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Esse Health physicians have created Excel Imaging to bring these services to their patients in a customer-friendly environment.
	Excel Imaging offers:
	The foremost in current radiology and neuro-radiology procedures. Board-certified radiologists and technicians. Easily accessible location, with staff focused on customer service. Prompt feedback from attentive Esse Health doctors, enabling our patients, with their doctors, to make informed health decisions. Complete integration with Esse Health's medical record and billing systems. If you are an Esse Health patient, you are already registered at Excel Imaging and will receive one statement for all of your Esse Health and Excel Imaging services.
	For more information about Excel Imaging, visit their website at www.excelimagingstlouis.com.
	Return to top
	Esse Health is proud of the physicians, staff, and services that make up Gateway Asthma & Allergy Relief.
	Gateway Asthma & Allergy Relief's offices are conveniently located in three different regions of the St. Louis metropolitan area:
	Metro East
	2900 Frank Scott Parkway West, Suite 914 Belleville, IL 62223 (618) 277-1413
	South County
	13303 Tesson Ferry Rd., Suite 150 St. Louis, MO 63131 (314) 421-0663
	For more information about Gateway Asthma & Allergy Relief, visit their website at www.asthma-allergyrelief.com.
	Return to top
	What is the connection between Esse Health and Purkinje?
	In February 2005 WELLINX, founded by Esse Health, merged with Purkinje, the leading EMR in Canada. Purkinje operates across North America and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
	WELLINX was originally developed by Esse Health physicians who were frustrated with the programs promoted by external parties such as PBM's and big pharmaceutical companies. These programs raised practice costs, lowered practice revenues, and interfered with the patient-physician relationship. Deciding to take a stand, and returning the physician to the center of the healthcare delivery system, our physicians developed a workflow system known as WELLINX.
	The objective was to create an environment in which physicians could practice at the highest possible clinical level, cost effectively, with relevant direct patient benefit, while reducing the many conflicting, costly intrusions that ran counter to this. The results they achieved through the use of WELLINX were astounding.
	Purkinje benefits both patients and physicians through a system designed to deliver the best in evidence-based medicine integrated into the physician workflow at the point of patient care. Purkinje has been marketed to physicians across the country with great success. Find out more about Purkinje by visiting their website: www.purkinje.com
	Return to top
	Essence is a Medicare Advantage health insurance plan founded by Esse Health, which sets it apart from every other plan in the St. Louis area. It includes 25 hospitals and clinics, and more than 120 primary care physicians in its network. In addition to existing agreements with insurance companies, Essence contracts directly with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan.
	What does this mean for our physicians and patients? We now have more control over how the benefit plan is designed, including the participation of the specialists, hospitals, and other providers in the network. Our Medicare patients will have a very cost-effective plan that meets the high quality standards of our doctors.
	Essence does not replace the existing choices that our patients have. It will be another option, which is especially attractive to patients who currently choose traditional fee-for-service Medicare.
	Visit www.essencehealthcare.com to find out more.
	Return to top

Home | Site Map | Contact Us | Privacy Policies | Careers | News
Administrative Offices: 12655 Olive Blvd., 4th Floor, St. Louis, MO 63141 | (314) 851-1000
	Copyright © 2005 Esse Health. All rights reserved. Esse Health is a registered trademark of American Multispecialty Group, Inc.
	Designed and maintained by webtech@essehealth.com
	Many documents on this website require Adobe Reader for viewing.
		This site is optimized for Internet Explorer.