Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization Partners with Health Integrated to Improve Health of Medicaid Recipients with Complex Medical Issues

TAMPA, Fla., April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With rapid Medicaid expansion in more than 20 states under new federal rules, health plans are eagerly looking for innovative solutions to improve care and contain costs with vulnerable beneficiaries. To help improve the health of their recipients with complex medical issues, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO), serving 47,000 Oregon Health Plan beneficiaries in 12 rural Oregon counties, has partnered with Health Integrated®, a leader in precision care management, to provide a targeted chronic condition management program. The program, Synergy Targeted Population Management^®, is designed to improve patient health and reduce healthcare costs.

Health Integrated's Synergy program identifies and engages high-risk patients with multiple chronic conditions combined with diagnosed, undiagnosed or untreated psychological and social barriers such as lack of family support or adequate housing. Typical psychosocial issues include depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders. These patients have been shown to make repeated emergency room visits and have higher rates of hospitalizations that drive up costs for health plans. Health Integrated's Synergy program has been shown to reduce this kind of usage by 10 percent to 20 percent with similar populations while assisting them in accessing the right care at the right time to assure better health.

"The State of Oregon has long been an innovator in delivering strategic, cost-effective care in the public sector," said Robin Richardson, EOCCO chief operating officer. "Research has consistently shown that Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions impacted by psychosocial issues can lead to three-times- higher-per-enrollee spending than the average beneficiary. Our aim is to deliver the very best care to our members but also to contain costs. We feel strongly that Health Integrated's unique approach to serving this population will help us to continue to meet this goal."

In the program, master's-prepared personal clinicians, who are licensed psychotherapists cross-trained in chronic condition management, deliver specialized interventions to educate and motivate individuals to long-term changes in behavior impacting their health. The ultimate goal is to facilitate self-efficacy and mitigate the use of avoidable and costly healthcare services. The clinicians also serve as advocates for the members, facilitating and coordinating multiple needs with providers, community resources and caregivers.

"Reaching a vulnerable population in rural areas calls for a very proactive and targeted approach," said EOCCO chief executive officer Kevin Campbell. "We are excited to bring the clinical expertise and technology offered by Health Integrated to our rural communities to support them in their efforts to achieve the triple aim; better health, better care, and lower cost."

Bringing on new clients like Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization has led to explosive growth for Health Integrated. "Since November 2014, we have hired 140 people and now have more than 400 employees," said Health Integrated chief executive officer Shan Padda. "Much of our growth is attributed to bringing on highly skilled and trained clinicians, as well as informatics professionals and data analysts, to serve our growing client base. We look forward to working closely with EOCCO and helping their most vulnerable members improve their health status."

About EOCCO

Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO) is a Coordinated Care Organization (CCO). The CCO is a group of all types of healthcare providers who work together for people on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) in Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties. EOCCO is administered by Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI) and Moda Health. For more information, visit www.eocco.com.

About Health Integrated

Health Integrated enables health plans to effectively manage its members and control costs through its highly scalable precision care management delivery model. By integrating actionable big data with its unique Dynamic Somato-Social Theory™, it addresses the biopsychosocial drivers impacting member outcomes and plan performance. As a result, Health Integrated helps plans gain a competitive advantage and stronger financial returns, while enhancing quality and increasing compliance. For more information, visit www.healthintegrated.com.

CONTACTS:

Lori Taylor, Health Integrated
(813) 388-4081
[email protected]

Skye McIntyre, ReviveHealth
(615) 760-1105
[email protected]

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SOURCE Health Integrated, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.healthintegrated.com