Turner Industries and Phifer Honored by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions for Healthcare Strategy Innovation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) recognized the efforts of employer/purchasers, coalitions, physicians and health plans at its 25^th Annual Forum. Turner Industries and Phifer Incorporated received the 2021 Employer/Purchaser Excellence Award; The Economic Alliance for Michigan was honored with the 2021 Membership Leadership Award; Mohannad Kusti, MD, was acknowledged with the inaugural Medical Director Leadership Award; and Cigna and Kaiser Permanente Washington were selected for the 2021 eValue8^™ Innovations Award.

"Leadership has never been more critical than in the times we are now facing," said Michael Thompson, National Alliance president and CEO. "These industry leaders and organizations are excellent examples of stakeholders committed to improving the health and wellbeing of their workforce and value of healthcare in their communities. We hope that others will emulate their efforts and lead by their examples."

The Employer/Purchaser Excellence Award is presented to a large and medium sized employer or purchaser who demonstrates leadership and innovation in advancing overall health and healthcare value through their approach to benefit programs and design, employee engagement, and support of coalitions efforts. Previous award recipients include Qualcomm, The Walt Disney Company, Walmart, Merrill Steel, Brakebush Brothers, Southwire, East Penn International, and The Boeing Company.

Turner Industries
Based in Baton Rouge, La. with facilities throughout the US, Turner Industries Group, LLC provides turnkey services and solutions to the nation's heavy industrial sector, supporting companies that produce fuel and energy products. An active member of the Houston Business Coalition on Health, the company was recognized for efforts to partner with value-minded healthcare systems at local levels to provide nurse navigators at worksites to assist employees with managing their health conditions. The program has been successful in improving health and managing cost, with approximately 2% savings of total health plan spend and 40% reduction in per member per month plan costs in 2020.

"Turner Industries is honored to receive this employer excellence award," said Dan Burke, director, Corporate Benefits for Turner Industries, Group. "While we are proud of our achievements on the well-being front, it is not done in a vacuum. Member organizations of the National Alliance help to amplify the voice of employers in the healthcare arena and serve as something of an innovation aggregator to their members." 

Phifer Incorporated
A privately owned manufacturing company in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Phifer Incorporated is the world's largest producer of aluminum and fiberglass insect screening and has 2,800 covered lives. A member of the Alabama Employer Health Consortium, the company was recognized for efforts to develop a new adaptive healthcare strategy and use of its worksite health center to address stagnant healthcare metrics and an unsustainable cost curve. Through an advanced primary care initiative, plan members have better access to primary care, with a 21% increase in visits in 2020. Phifer also reduced out of pocket costs for employees by 52% and developed an employee retirement readiness program tied to both health and wellness.

"On behalf of the Phifer healthcare team, we are honored to be part of a family-owned company that supports and encourages healthcare innovation to provide world class care for our employees at an affordable price," said Russell DuBose, vice president of Human Resources for Phifer Incorporated. "Our ability to innovate and challenge the status quo with a continuous improvement mindset is key in our pursuit of healthcare excellence and results in healthier and happier families, which contributes to business success."

The Economic Alliance for Michigan
Next year the Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM) will celebrate its 40^th anniversary serving as the collective voice of Michigan's employer/purchasers and a catalyst for change to ensure appropriate access to patient-centric, high-value healthcare for all. The coalition was honored for its efforts to lead healthcare policy at both state and national levels and collaboration with other employer coalitions across the country. EAM has increased awareness of the importance of patient safety through their work with The Leapfrog Group and the EAM Hospital Patient Safety Awards. Other health initiatives that bring various stakeholders together to improve quality and access to care include the Maternity Care Project, the Oncology Symposium series, and pharmaceutical roundtables.

"With health benefits being one of the largest expenses for employers, the EAM is dedicated to addressing healthcare affordability," said Bret Jackson, EAM president. "Thank you to the National Alliance for this recognition and to the members of EAM for your commitment to patient safety, health equity and access to high value care."

Dr. Mohannad Kusti
Mohannad Kusti, MD, MPH, Corporate Medical Director for Pivot Onsite-Innovations, formerly with United States Steel Corporation, and currently Corporate Medical Advisor for Komatsu America Corp., Teradata, and Clinical Protocol Advisory Board member for COVID protocol Management and Occupational Mental Health Programs at Flairz Health, was selected for the inaugural Medical Director Leadership Award. Dr. Kusti was recognized for his active role in the National Alliance Medical Director Advisory Council and most notably his guidance for employers and coalitions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and return-to-work strategies and safety protocols.

Cigna and Kaiser Permanente Washington
Cigna and Kaiser Permanente Washington were selected for the eValue8 Innovation Award which recognizes the innovative work and measurable results of health plans that participated in eValue8, the National Alliance's resource used by purchasers to measure and evaluate health plan and pharmacy benefit manager quality and performance.

Cigna was honored for its Distress Screening for Whole-Person Health program, a tool designed and integrated widely across its specialty management services to realize cost saving for patients and plan sponsors. Kaiser Permanente was recognized for its Community Resource Specialist Evaluation, an integrated role within primary care office designed to connect patients with resources to address psychosocial needs that come up during their care.

About National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) is the only nonprofit, purchaser-led organization with a national and regional structure dedicated to driving health and healthcare value across the country. Its members represent private and public sector, nonprofit, and Taft-Hartley organizations, and more than 45 million Americans, spending over $300 billion annually on healthcare. To learn more, visit nationalalliancehealth.org and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions

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www.nationalalliancehealth.org