A new joint-venture health care network formed by Adventist Health and Community Medical Centers earlier this year has received endorsement from Anthem Inc.

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The health plan provider announced plans to develop a contract with the medical groups sometime this summer, with “the goal of implementing the arrangement by January 1, 2017.”

The new relationship would provide Community/Adventist Health network services to Anthem’s nearly 80,000 Medi-Cal managed care members in Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties and add to the network’s existing 16,000 Medi-Cal members currently being served in Kings County. 

“Anthem’s early interest in our network is significant. It demonstrates the need for a health plan focused on our region’s Medi-Cal patients, and it speaks to the strength of our medical staffs and facilities,” said Aldo De La Torre, senior vice president of managed care at Community. 

Within two years, De La Torre estimated that the health network could deliver coordinated, clinically integrated care to as many as 200,000 managed Medi-Cal patients. 

The new health network was announced last December and combines Adventist Health’s system of clinics and specialty outpatient facilities in the Valley with Community’s acute-care hospital services. 

“We’re grateful for Anthem’s support,” said Jeff Conklin, Adventist Health Plan president and CEO. “Our model of care is designed for partnerships such as this. While it would be premature to discuss specifics, we have strong interest from providers in all four counties to join our network and help care for our communities.”

The network is still subject to approval by the California Department of Managed Health Care and would be equally financed and jointly owned by Adventist and Community Medical Centers.