Baroma ACO implements Walgreens WellTransitions program

MIAMI — Baroma on Tuesday announced a strategic relationship with Walgreens that will bring pharmacists and hospital staff together to help reduce re-admissions and increase medication adherence for Baroma’s accountable care organization.

Baroma has implemented Walgreens WellTransitions program, a collaborative transition of care program that provides ongoing follow-up and patient support during and after discharge from the hospital, to help achieve its goals for re-admissions and medication adherence, two important criteria outlined under the shared savings initiative with The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“The health information landscape is fragmented, with individual groups or facilities often knowing only what they have prescribed or what their patients have discussed with them. Now, when a patient is discharged, we can inform our physicians of their patient’s medication history," stated Marisela Rodriquez, Baroma COO. "So, as the primary care physician, they can make more informed decisions and can better educate their patients on how they should take their medications. This access to information will help reduce hospital admission caused by medication mismanagement or nonadherence.” 

WellTransitions, launched by Walgreens in 2012, utilizes features such as real-time patient readmission information, root cause analysis and more as part of a multi-step process that spans the discharge period. The program has already proven instrumental in helping hospitals recognize the “triple aim” of greater patient satisfaction, better health outcomes and lower costs. 

As an Accountable Care Organization, Baroma has chosen to further develop Walgreens WellTransitions as an ACO-specific tool, with the Walgreens pharmacy team working in collaboration with Baroma Care Navigators and participating physicians to reduce preventable hospital readmission by improving medication adherence.