CVS Health announces new clinical affiliations with three regional health systems
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health announced on Thursday that it has entered into new clinical affiliations with three regional health systems — Baptist Health System in Alabama; Community Health Systems affiliated hospitals, which include Commonwealth Health in Pennsylvania, Northwest Medical Center, including Oro Valley Hospital in Arizona and Tennova Healthcare in Tennessee; and Premier Health in Ohio.
Through these clinical affiliations, the patients served by these health systems will continue to have access to clinical support, medication counseling, chronic disease monitoring and wellness programs at CVS/pharmacy stores and MinuteClinic — the retail medical clinic of CVS Health. In addition, CVS Health will provide critical prescription and visit information to the participating health systems through the integration of electronic medical record systems.
"We look forward to working with these leading regional health systems to develop collaborative programs that improve patient outcomes, lower costs and help people on their path to better health," said Troyen A. Brennan, chief medical officer, CVS Health. "Through these clinical affiliations, we will also be integrating our electronic medical records and information systems to enable us to support patients with medication counseling and chronic disease monitoring."
The healthcare providers at the participating health systems will receive data on interventions conducted by CVS pharmacists to improve medication adherence for their patients. The affiliation also encourages collaboration between the healthcare providers and MinuteClinic providers to improve coordination of care for patients seen at MinuteClinic locations. Physicians affiliated with the participating health systems will collaborate with MinuteClinic nurse practitioners to work closely on joint clinical programs and care coordination activities. If more comprehensive care is needed, patients can follow up with their primary care provider and have access to the services at the medical center as appropriate. For those patients who do not have regular access to health care, MinuteClinic provides assistance in finding a primary care physician and a greater opportunity for continuity of healthcare services.
"Finding cost-effective ways to increase access to care continues to be important, especially in this era of healthcare reform, and we are pleased to work together with these healthcare providers to help coordinate comprehensive care for their patients," said Brennan. "Many patients rely on their local pharmacist for information and support regarding their prescription medications and these affiliations enable CVS pharmacists to help improve affiliated healthcare providers' patient health outcomes through better medication adherence. MinuteClinic also plays an important role by providing patients with timely, affordable and high-quality walk-in health care."
The new clinical affiliations bring the total number of health system and healthcare provider affiliations for CVS Health and MinuteClinic to more than 40 major health systems and healthcare providers across the country.