Ohio Behavioral Health Providers Network (OBHPN) Partners with Alera Health to Build a Clinically Integrated ONEcare Network Across Ohio to Expand Access to Care, Improve Health Outcomes, and Lower Costs

COLUMBUS, Ohio and WILMINGTON, N.C., July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OBHPN announced today a strategic partnership with Alera Health to transition OBHPN to a state-wide clinically integrated network system of care. The support provided by Alera Health will further empower the OBHPN network to improve quality and cost efficiency in the delivery of whole-person care for Ohioans diagnosed with primary or secondary behavioral health conditions. Through this partnership, Alera Health will provide OBHPN with the infrastructure needed to continue moving toward population health management. Long underserved, the population of patients treated by the OBHPN network has unique complex behavioral, medical, and social needs that require a prominent level of data analysis, resources, and care coordination to attain and sustain improved health outcomes across the spectrum of care.

Through their ONEcare network model, Alera Health specializes in developing and supporting networks, like OBHPN, with data analysis and practice integration, clinical and operational process improvement, referrals and care coordination, and remote patient engagement. ONEcare networks are self-governed and utilize a highly collaborative and transparent governance model to standardize network practices. The ONEcare network model will create an opportunity for effective and efficient negotiations of value-based agreements that recognize and incentivize increasing access to care, assertive outreach to patients, improving patient satisfaction, preventative care, and avoidance of unnecessary health costs.

With a specific focus on integrating behavioral health and primary care services provided by hospitals, Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and social service providers, ONEcare network partners leverage data-informed technology to ensure that every patient receives timely and effective treatment from a team of clinical experts, including care coordinators and peer support specialists, practicing integrated whole-person care. By minimizing confusion and opening lines of communication between providers, patients feel supported in seeking and continuing their behavioral health and medical treatment.

"Since its creation seven years ago, OBHPN has grown and learned so much about what it means to partner across the continuum-of-care, how to leverage data to inform and improve a population's health, and how to responsibly manage total cost of care," states Eric Morse, CEO of The Centers and Chair of the OBHPN Board. "OBHPN is ready to take another step towards the future – a future where patients with behavioral health concerns can expect to be treated with care and respect and where behavioral health providers are recognized for the extremely valuable role, they play in providing whole-person, integrated care. OBHPN believes that the partnership with Alera Health will provide us with the experienced contracting, data, and care coordination support that we need to take this next step." Mr. Morse also thanked several of the state's progressive managed care organizations for supporting OBHPN's transition, both programmatically and financially.

"With behavioral health driving medical costs 3.5x higher than normal, we believe the only sustainable solution is to build communities of care across the spectrum of providers collaborating with individuals with behavioral health concerns. We are excited to support OBHPN through the ONEcare family," said Mike Rhoades, CEO of Alera Health. "The dual Opiate and then COVID pandemics made it clear that behavioral health is personal for us all. It is time that we took that personal impact and used it to inspire real and sustained change to the systems of care that support individuals with behavioral health concerns." Rhoades noted that a key part of the success of ONEcare is the "commitment and dedication of our participating providers" who share both leadership and innovation with their ONEcare peers across the nation.

About Ohio Behavioral Health Providers Network (OBHPN)     

With over 25 CCBHCs, FQHCs, and other provider organizations in its network, OBHPN provides quality-driven integrated health services to more than 225,000 Ohioans of all ages statewide. OBHPN network providers have a long-standing historical presence in 66 Ohio counties. OBHPN network providers provide services to greater than half of the state's population of persons with severe and persistent mental illness as well as acting as the safety net for people who suffer from co-morbid behavioral health and medical conditions. OBHPN provides a full continuum of mental health, substance use disorder, physical health, and social care services in a variety of outpatient, crisis, residential, and inpatient settings. Ohioans in need of behavioral health and/or medical care can expect compassionate, timely, and coordinated access to the highest quality evidence-based care from OBHPN.

https://www.obhpnetwork.com 

About Alera Health
Alera Health, a national leader in population health management and integrated care, works closely with healthcare payers, providers, and community partners to operationalize and manage high-performance ONEcare networks delivering comprehensive, inclusive, and informed whole-person care designed to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Alera Health has extensive operational expertise in developing clinically integrated networks, population health analytics, care coordination technologies, and clinical quality improvement programs. Each ONEcare network is augmented by the Care Optimization Suite which allows real-time communication, referrals, and mobile patient engagement. With over three million managed lives across the US, ONEcare networks share resources and evidenced-based practice to divert over 250,000 unnecessary inpatient bed days annually while lowering 30-day readmission rates by over 50%.
https://alerahealth.com

Contact Information

Name: Kye Gardner

Title: Executive Director of Corporate Operations & Development

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-833-265-7549

SOURCE Alera Health