Rockburn Institute
Rockburn Institute was a Maryland nonprofit healthcare research and consulting firm specializing in Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB), Value-Based Purchasing, and CMS quality measure analytics for hospital systems and government health agencies; it closed on December 31, 2022.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersElkridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rockburn Institute does
Rockburn Institute was a Maryland nonprofit health services research and consulting organization established in 1978 by faculty and staff of The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. The organization provided quantitative analytics and consulting to hospital systems, healthcare networks, integrated delivery systems, and government health agencies, with a distinctive specialization in Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB), CMS Value-Based Purchasing (VBP), MIPS, Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC), Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI), and Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. Its proprietary assets included longitudinal Medicare hospital performance databases from 2011 onward, proprietary MSPB care pathway analysis methodologies, and an evidence-based clinical decision support effectiveness research partnership (notably with Wolters Kluwer Health in 2017 covering ~3,000 hospitals).
The organization operated a sales-led, project-based consulting model with custom engagements priced per scope, delivered by a small core team led by founder/President Dale Schumacher (35+ years of healthcare consulting experience) and Director/Senior Analyst Fern Nerhood. It monetized work primarily through professional services engagements — strategic planning, measure analysis, program evaluation, performance improvement, and policy research — and supplemented this with research partnerships. Over its 44-year operating history Rockburn served more than 80 healthcare clients including Crozer-Keystone, Kaleida Health, Long Island Health Network, Bon Secours, Greater New York Hospital Association, Alexian Brothers, Suburban Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine, Northwestern Healthcare, Faith Regional, and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, while also conducting select international engagements in the UK, France, Poland, Australia, Wales, and China. A secondary environmental research vertical focused on watershed monitoring and conservation in the Maryland/Chesapeake Bay region was added in 2009.
Rockburn Institute ceased operations on December 31, 2022; key personnel transitioned to independent consulting while retaining access to Rockburn Institute content, and no successor operating entity has been identified in the available data.
Rockburn Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rockburn Institute
- Legal name
- Rockburn Institute
- Website
- https://rockburn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rockburn Institute was a Maryland nonprofit healthcare research and consulting firm specializing in Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB), Value-Based Purchasing, and CMS quality measure analytics for hospital systems and government health agencies; it closed on December 31, 2022.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rockburn Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Consulting and Analytics Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Value-Based Contracting Analytics (ACO/MSSP/MA, shared savings/risk) (HLACAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cost of Care, Spend Analytics & Financial Performance Management (HLACAHAJ), Quality Measurement, Reporting & Benchmarking (HEDIS/Stars/CQM) (HLACAHAC), Healthcare Outcomes & Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analytics (BPAHALAN)
Keywords
Where Rockburn Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elkridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rockburn Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Healthcare Consulting Services: Professional consulting services providing healthcare organizations with strategic planning, management, governance, clinical, health services research, and analytical activities. Engagements include measure analysis, program evaluation, and performance improvement support.
- Research Partnerships: Partnership research projects with healthcare technology companies and healthcare organizations for evidence-based tools studies and analytics research.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Rockburn Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rockburn Institute provided expert healthcare analytics and consulting services to hospital systems, healthcare networks, and government agencies, specializing in Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB), Value-Based Purchasing (VBP), MIPS, HAC, HAI, and Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating analysis. The organization also conducted environmental watershed research and developed web-based and mobile data collection tools for stream monitoring volunteers.
Product overview
Rockburn Institute is a nonprofit healthcare and environmental research and consulting organization, not a product-based company. It does not offer a software platform or commercial products. Its offerings consist of consulting services, research studies, and analytical reports focused on healthcare performance (MSPB, VBP, MIPS), healthcare policy, and environmental watershed studies. The organization has no distinct commercial product brands, modules, or named software offerings — only internal research tools and methodologies used in client engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Healthcare Analytics and Consulting Services
- Evidence-Based Tools Research Partnership
- Web-Based Stream Monitoring Data Collection System
Quantifiable outcome
- Hospitals with deteriorating MSPB scores are missing out on up to 25% of their potential VBP incentive payments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rockburn Institute
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rockburn Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Rockburn Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wolters Kluwer HealthcorePartnership in 2017 to study the effectiveness of Lippincott Solutions and Lippincott Advisor - two evidence-based clinical decision support tools for nurses. Study analyzed three years of data for approximately 3,000 hospitals across VBP measures. Found that 41 hospitals using both products for two years had the best results.
- Patapsco Heritage Greenway Inc. (PHG)minorPartnership in 2014 for a project sponsored and largely funded by Howard County's Watershed Initiative. Rockburn Institute created an easy-to-use web-based data collection system for PHG's stream watch volunteers, replacing paper forms with mobile data entry and automatic database incorporation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rockburn Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mathematica Policy Research: Independent health policy and outcomes research firm producing Medicare/Medicaid analytics and policy studies for government agencies — closely comparable to Rockburn's evidence-based research and CMS data analysis engagements.
- Press Ganey (Press Ganey Forstra): Healthcare performance and patient experience analytics firm offering VBP, quality measurement, and clinical integration consulting to hospitals — overlaps Rockburn's quality-measurement and VBP advisory offering with a more productized, scaled platform.
- RTI International: Nonprofit research institute with extensive healthcare outcomes, Medicare policy, and real-world evidence analytics — directly comparable to Rockburn's healthcare research and policy analytics work, with much larger scale.
- Health Catalyst: Healthcare data and analytics platform with population health, VBP, and ACO analytics modules sold to hospital systems — competes with Rockburn's MSPB-focused value-based care analytics through enterprise software rather than bespoke consulting.
- The Hilltop Institute: University-based health policy research center at UMBC focused on Medicaid, Medicare, and LTSS analytics in Maryland — closely comparable to Rockburn's Maryland Department of Health ACO/LTSS analytics and policy work, and a known professional affiliate.
- Premier Inc. Healthcare performance improvement and analytics company serving hospital systems on VBP, ACO, and population health measures — directly comparable to Rockburn's MSPB/VBP/MIPS advisory work, but at vastly greater enterprise scale with SaaS delivery.
Broad incumbents
- The Advisory Board Company (Optum Advisory): Best-practice research and consulting firm serving hospitals and health systems on strategy, clinical performance, and value-based care — comparable to Rockburn's healthcare policy and strategic planning engagements, with a much broader portfolio.
- Deloitte (Healthcare & Life Sciences Consulting): Global consultancy with a large healthcare practice covering VBP, ACO, MIPS strategy, and CMS measure optimization — competes with Rockburn's hospital-system advisory engagements at much larger scale and breadth.
- Avalign (nThrive/Optum): Healthcare consulting and analytics firm with deep VBP, MIPS, and revenue-cycle analytics offerings — directly comparable to Rockburn's CMS-measure advisory work but with enterprise software and broader scope.
Regional players
- Stratis Health: Independent nonprofit healthcare quality consulting organization focused on rural and Midwest hospital quality improvement, VBP support, and CMS measure analytics — comparable to Rockburn's hospital-system quality-improvement mission though regionally narrower.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rockburn Institute social profiles
Digital presenceRockburn Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rockburn Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rockburn Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rockburn Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rockburn Institute
What does Rockburn Institute do?
Rockburn Institute provided expert healthcare analytics and consulting services to hospital systems, healthcare networks, and government agencies, specializing in Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB), Value-Based Purchasing (VBP), MIPS, HAC, HAI, and Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating analysis. The organization also conducted environmental watershed research and developed web-based and mobile data collection tools for stream monitoring volunteers.
Is Rockburn Institute a public or private company?
Rockburn Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Rockburn Institute founded?
Rockburn Institute was founded in 1978. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rockburn Institute based?
Rockburn Institute is headquartered in Elkridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rockburn Institute make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Healthcare Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are research Partnerships.
Who are Rockburn Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mathematica Policy Research, Press Ganey (Press Ganey Forstra), RTI International, Health Catalyst, The Hilltop Institute and Premier Inc.. Broad incumbents are The Advisory Board Company (Optum Advisory), Deloitte (Healthcare & Life Sciences Consulting) and Avalign (nThrive/Optum). Stratis Health is listed as a regional player.
Does Rockburn Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rockburn Institute.
What industry is Rockburn Institute in?
Rockburn Institute's product category is Healthcare Consulting and Analytics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLACAHAA, Value-Based Contracting Analytics (ACO/MSSP/MA, shared savings/risk), with a secondary code of HLACAHAJ, Cost of Care, Spend Analytics & Financial Performance Management. Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8000.