Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Stormont Vail Health, Healthify and United Way of Greater Topeka Partner to Improve Health Outcomes

TOPEKA, Kan., Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), United Way of Greater Topeka and Stormont Vail Health have partnered with Healthify to launch the Northeast Kansas Community Network – a connected network of health care and social service organizations committed to transforming the current system of care and dramatically improving health outcomes in Northeast Kansas. The Northeast Kansas Community Network (network) is being funded through support from BCBSKS.

This community network strives to close the gap between clinical and non-clinical organizations. Through the Healthify platform and the network, healthcare providers and community resources are connected to provide whole-person care to the most vulnerable members of the community. The overall benefits of the network include stronger collaboration, better ability to measure and gauge impact of services, streamlined care coordination and an emphasis on value-based care.

"Our goal is to help reduce as many barriers as possible to accessing the resources needed to live a healthy life," said Virginia Barnes, director of Blue Health Initiatives at BCBSKS. "We know that around 60 percent of health outcomes are due to social, physical, and environmental factors in our communities. This network will provide a stronger foundation for health that works with - not separate from - the healthcare systems."

With this new network, a healthcare provider will be able to access the Healthify platform to search their community and surrounding communities for the resources their patients need and refer them directly to that community organization.

Stormont Vail is playing a vital role in the network as the leading healthcare provider in our community and a key starting point for many of the necessary referrals.

"Healthify will assist Stormont Vail Health care teams in completing timely referrals to community organizations to address and assist with the social needs of our patients," said Amy Kincade, vice president, Population Health, Stormont Vail Health. "Using a referral system such as Healthify strengthens our community relationships to improve our patient's health outcomes."

The United Way of Greater Topeka brings together people, companies and nonprofits to create positive, sustainable change in our community – a purpose that aligns so well with the new Northeast Kansas Community Network.

"At United Way, we are committed to creating and cultivating an unbreakable network of support for a strong, healthy and equitable community. The NKCN embodies that effort in a valuable new way and allows us to be a better community partner and grant-maker," said Brett Martin, vice president of community impact, United Way of Greater Topeka. "This network will connect a range of providers who together will have a greater impact on a client's life than any one of them could have on their own. Ultimately, we can improve client outcomes and ease their journey, improve service delivery, and improve our social service systems to achieve better health outcomes for all."

The network currently has 13 signed community partners in Shawnee County spanning key social service domains accepting referrals for more than 180 services. The infrastructure of the network will enable community-based organizations, such as Topeka Habitat for Humanity or Meals on Wheels, to enter deeper partnerships with healthcare providers and more easily connect with those in need of assistance.

For more information about the Northeast Kansas Community Network, visit https://get.healthify.us/join-northeast-kansas-community-network.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For more than 75 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims; fairly administering benefit plans and contracts; offering programs, services and tools to help members improve or maintain their health; and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state's largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.

About Stormont Vail Health
Stormont Vail Health is a nonprofit integrated health system that has served the health care needs of Kansas for more than 130 years. Stormont Vail has been recognized as a Magnet^® organization since 2009 by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It is composed of Stormont Vail Hospital, a 586-bed acute care hospital, and Cotton O'Neil Clinic, a multi-specialty physician group with more than 500 providers, including more than 250 physicians. Nearly 5,300 employees provide care and support services for patients in the hospital and 35 other locations, including the Cotton O'Neil Heart Center, Cancer Center, Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Digestive Health Center, Pediatrics clinics and ten regional primary care clinics. Stormont Vail Health is committed to its mission of improving the health of the community by being a national leader in providing compassionate, high quality and efficient integrated care through collaboration that results in a healthier community. For more information about Stormont Vail and Cotton O'Neil, visit stormontvail.org. For breaking news and videos, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About United Way of Greater Topeka
United Way of Greater Topeka brings together people, companies, and nonprofits to create positive sustainable change in our community. We work to solve issues no single donor, charity, or government agency can handle alone. By focusing on education, financial stability and health, we help more children graduate and get stable jobs, help families become financially stable and improve the overall health of our community.

About Healthify
Powered by a mission to build a world where no one's health is hindered by their need, Healthify builds the infrastructure to support social determinants of health (SDoH) initiatives at scale. The company builds and manages accountable networks of community-based organizations and provides the necessary interoperable technology platform to allow the healthcare sector to coordinate care within the network. Healthify works with health plans, providers and community partners in all fifty states and is dedicated to community partner sustainability and demonstrating ROI for social service interventions to ensure that families receive the services they need to thrive. For more information, please visit www.healthify.us or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

SOURCE Healthify