Northern Maine health care organizations
part of new network
PRESQUE ISLE — Four northern Maine health care organizations are part of a statewide network that will soon provide a new, innovative health delivery model to more than 5,000 state employees and their dependents.
TAMC, Northern Maine Medical Center, Fish River Rural Health and Katahdin Valley Health Center are among 19 hospitals and primary care practices participating in the Beacon Health Network, a subsidiary of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS). The agreement with Beacon Health was announced recently by the Maine State Employee Health Commission (SEHC), and will involve the more than 5,000 State of Maine employees and their dependents. More than 1,000 residents of northern Maine will participate in the new program beginning Jan. 1, 2014, and access their care through one of the four regional providers.
“State employees will have access to an integrated health care delivery model known as patient-centered care. This model has a proven track record for improving health outcomes, decreasing hospitalizations, and reducing unnecessary costs,” said Beverly Joy, northern regional manager for EMHS Care Coordination and Accountable Care Organization activities. “What we have seen to date with the Medicare, Maine Care and other patients already enrolled under this model, is that they are living healthier, reducing trips to the emergency room and hospitalization as a care coordination team works to empower them with the necessary education about their health. It is about providing the right care, at the right place, at the right time.”
Joy, who is based at TAMC, will work with all four regional providers to implement the new care model with state employees. Collaboratively, the partners will work to better coordinate patient care across all types of health services with the goal to ensure participants access the best in health care, reduce costs, and help people live as healthy a life as possible.
Beacon Health prioritizes listening to the patient and developing individualized care plans, forging strong relationships with caregivers, and implementing leading edge electronic systems that allow two-way communication between patient and provider. The new relationship will allow Beacon Health to expand its innovative health delivery model to more people in Maine, which has documented success among both EMHS employees and Medicare patients.
At TAMC, the contract with state employees will mean a significant increase in the number of patients already participating under the care coordination model.
“This innovative model of care is redefining community and how care is delivered within our region and state. Developing a better model of health care takes strong community collaboration. The old way of conducting business within the health care industry no longer works, and we must break down the barriers of competition in order to share resources and expertise to further develop innovative approaches to patient care,” said Sylvia Getman, TAMC president and CEO. “This inclusive team approach is helping to connect the dots at all points of care, creating a true community partnership, no matter where a patient seeks care.”
Officials with Katahdin Valley Health Center view the partnership as an extension of their efforts to ensure they meet the health care needs of the people in the region they serve.
“Since KVHC was founded some 39 years ago, we have cultivated a rich tradition of leading the way as a best practice with innovative health delivery models. This Beacon Health collaborative is a perfect example where KVHC continues to respond to challenges and change while using innovative methods to better serve and improve outcomes for our communities and patients,” said Durward Humphrey, KVHC CEO.
Under the new model, a nurse care coordinator is assigned to a patient by the patient’s provider, if it is discovered that a coordinator may be a helpful resource for the patient. Together, the patient and coordinator speak regularly and the coordinator checks in on how the patient is doing with their care plan. Often times, the nurse care coordinator is a front line resource for a patient navigating the complexities of the health system. The coordinator can assist in connecting the patient with needed resources, as well as be an informed resource when needed.
Through this agreement with Beacon Health, state employees and their families will have access to more than 600 primary care providers in nearly 100 practices statewide.
