VillageMD Honored with 'Innovation Award,' Presented by athenahealth, at HIMSS19

CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VillageMD, a leading national provider of primary care, will be honored as an Innovation Award recipient, presented by athenahealth, Inc., at the 2019 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition (HIMSS19). Clive Fields, MD, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of VillageMD, will accept the award on behalf of the organization and will be available to answer questions at athenahealth's booth (#1501) at 11 am EST, Thursday, Feb. 14. VillageMD was nominated due to its pioneering Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) care program implemented by Village Family Practice, a primary care practice in Houston with more than 50 physicians, part of the VillageMD managed care network.

"We are honored to be recognized as a leader in the healthcare landscape, and with nearly 16 million Americans diagnosed with COPD, we understand the need is great," said Tim Barry, co-founder and CEO of VillageMD. "By having all team members - primary care physicians (PCP), a clinical support nurse, a care manager, a social worker if needed, and a clinical pharmacist- follow a shared plan of care, we have helped providers make significant improvements in patient health."

VillageMD's program educates patients on medication adherence and simplifies and increases awareness of the signs of a serious exacerbation, which in turn, reduces ED visits or hospitalizations and reduces costs. As a result of this program, currently, 55% of COPD visits follow the approved workflow, showing that the model is effective and scalable. And initial results over 12 months indicate a 30%-40% lower hospitalization rate across the cohort enrolled in this program. In addition, this new approach is now being rolled out to over 50 primary care providers in its eight Houston locations, as well as to its at-home care program.  "At athenahealth, we are constantly striving to celebrate those who are disrupting and transforming healthcare," said Jessica Sweeney-Platt, executive director, Enterprise Strategy, athenahealth. "We know there is real opportunity to share tangible, effective innovations that have the ability to be replicated at other organizations, regardless of scope, size, or location. This year at HIMSS, we're excited to present our Innovation Awards to organizations like VillageMD that are driving meaningful change in care delivery and outcomes across the country."

athenahealth is a network-enabled, results-oriented services company that offers medical record, revenue cycle, patient engagement, care coordination, and population health services for hospital and ambulatory clients. The company's vision is to build a national health information backbone to help make healthcare work as it should.

To learn more about the Innovation Awards, please visit athenahealth's website.

About VillageMD
VillageMD is a leading provider of health care for organizations moving toward a primary care-led, high-value clinical model. The VillageMD solution provides the tools, technology, operations, and staffing support needed for physicians to drive the highest quality clinical results across a population. VillageMD works with physician groups, independent practice associations, and health systems to improve quality, deliver a first-rate patient experience, and lower costs in the communities they serve. It has grown to include more than 2,500 physicians across eight markets, and is responsible for approximately 500,000 lives and $2.8 billion in healthcare spending. www.villageMD.com

SOURCE VillageMD