NEW: Behavioral Health Pilot Launched by CNE, BCBSRI, & Continuum

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NEW: Behavioral Health Pilot Launched by CNE, BCBSRI, & Continuum

Care New England (CNE), Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), and Continuum Behavioral Health are launching today HealthPath, a behavioral health pilot program which is seeking to improve outcomes and reduce overall behavioral health spending by providing integrated, community-based treatment and support services

HealthPath, which will serve up to 230 BCBSRI commercially-insured subscribers at a given time, is a two-year pilot program that will be one of the nation’s first efforts to bring together an insurance company, a hospital system and a community-based provider in an effort to create, system-wide improvements in the behavioral health delivery system.

Result of Partnership, Vision

In August 2012, BCBSRI and CNE signed a letter of intent to create a partnership that will further improve healthcare delivery and patient health outcomes, while slowing increases in healthcare costs. The HealthPath pilot is one of the efforts underway to address systemic issues the healthcare delivery system is facing in Rhode Island.

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HealthPath will link participants to a comprehensive set of customized, integrated services including counseling, psychiatry, care coordination, medication management, connections to primary care and wellness programs, as well as vocational support and case management.  During the course of their involvement, a team of clinicians and case managers will work closely with each patient to develop a strategy that will focus on creating stability and control over their life and health, enabling patients to focus on getting well.

The HealthPath program is based on a Health Home treatment model designed by Continuum’s parent company, The Providence Center.

Stakeholders on Development

“We share BCBSRI and CNE’s commitment to creating a more effective healthcare delivery system,” said Ian Lang, Executive Director of Continuum Behavioral Health. “By ensuring that HealthPath members are able to receive the right level of care at the right place at the right time, we believe that we can improve patient care while simultaneously driving down health care costs for some of the system’s most complex patients.”

“Through this strategic partnership, BCBSRI and CNE are working together to change Rhode Island’s healthcare delivery system and the way we pay for healthcare,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, President and CEO of BCBSRI. “Recognizing that individuals with behavioral health challenges frequently face a number of other issues that impact their ability to effectively use the system, we collaborated to create an end-to-end model that will result in improvements to both the patient experience and long-term outcomes.”

“We have been working toward the national ‘triple aim’ of improving population health, enhancing the patient experience and reducing the per capita cost of care,” said Dennis D. Keefe, president and chief executive officer of Care New England. “In creating HealthPath, we have brought together those elements to make it happen. We believe we are transforming the relationship between the health care providers and the health insurer into a better system of care that truly meets the needs of the patient.”

About the Partners

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is the state’s leading health insurer and covers more than 600,000 members. The company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. 

Care New England, located in Rhode Island, was founded in 1996 by Butler Hospital, Kent Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital. Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island joined the system as a hospital partner in 2013. Care New England is an integrated health care system that offers a continuum of quality care. The system includes primary care and specialty physicians; three teaching hospitals affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Butler, Memorial and Women & Infants; a community hospital, Kent; a visiting nurse and home care agency, the VNA of Care New England; and Care New England Wellness Center. 

Continuum Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Providence Center, providing its patients with access to a full continuum of behavioral health services under one roof. Clients of Continuum can access mental health therapy, substance abuse treatment, and other supportive services. Continuum has offices at Randal Square in Providence, and at 75 Sockanosset Crossroad in Cranston. 

 


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