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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HORIZON BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF NEW JERSEY TEAMS WITH HEALTH INTEGRATED TO LAUNCH SYNERGY PERSONAL HEALTH MANAGEMENTTM PROGRAMNewark, NJ and Tampa, FL – Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health plan, and Health Integrated Inc., a pioneer in health and condition (disease) management, today announced a collaborative effort to assist Horizon BCBSNJ members with managing certain chronic medical conditions. The Health Integrated SynergyTM program provides coaching, education and support for seven chronic conditions (chronic back pain, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, and seizures). The program provides members with tools to help better manage their health and improve their quality of life in collaboration with their physician’s plan of care. Beginning this month, Health Integrated’s Synergy Personal Health ManagementTM will be offered at no additional charge to Horizon BCBSNJ’s members in an effort to positively impact their health. The program addresses the patient’s behavioral and emotional health along with their medical conditions to improve their quality of life. “This effort will empower our members who suffer from chronic conditions by giving them education and information so they can work with their doctors to better manage their health,” said Dr. Richard Popiel, vice president and chief medical officer for Horizon BCBSNJ. “The goal of our health and wellness programs is to motivate our members with chronic conditions to take an active part developing their treatment plans to increase their quality of life.” The Synergy program will add to Horizon BCBSNJ’s extensive in-house health and wellness education programs for the following conditions:
The Synergy program will include a specially trained clinician (Care Coach), who will develop a personalized coaching plan built around an individual’s specific needs. The Care Coach assists the individual in setting goals they want to accomplish related to their health condition(s) and well-being (e.g., better knowledge of their condition, better communication skills, better coping skills, greater motivation) and provides tools to help the individual achieve those goals. The Coach helps the individual identify any barriers that may be preventing them from feeling the best they can and encourages them to clearly communicate with their physicians and follow their treatment plans. Horizon BCBSNJ will offer this program to plan members who meet specific requirements. “Through the Health Integrated program, individuals become more knowledgeable about their own health, more motivated to follow prescribed treatments, and as a result require fewer unplanned calls and visits to the doctor,” said Dr. Sam Toney, vice chairman and chief medical officer at Health Integrated. “Through education and support we can better ensure that patients follow their treatment more closely, improve their overall health and are more productive in the workplace.” About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey About Health Integrated Health Integrated, Inc. pioneers health and condition management programs, resulting in better mental and physical health for individuals across the care continuum. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture, Health Integrated combines behavioral health and modification expertise with advanced analytic and mass personalization technology to deliver tailored outcomes-driven behavioral, medical and disease management solutions for health plans, employers and government organizations. As a result, healthcare economics, quality of life, productivity and clinical outcomes are all improved. Founded in 1996, Tampa, FL-based Health Integrated is URAC Accredited for Disease Management, Case Management and Health Utilization Management programs. The company has also received NCQA Patient and Practitioner Oriented Accreditation for its award-winning Depression Care Coaching Program. For more information, visit www.healthintegrated.com.
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