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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACTS: BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New BUFFALO, N.Y. and Tampa, FL – Empowering chronically ill members to better manage their health and improve their quality of life through coaching, education and support is the goal of the Synergy Personal Health Management® program of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York (BCBSWNY) and BlueShield of Northeastern New York (BSNENY), developed by and offered in partnership with Health Integrated, Inc. The program, in which the health plans, treating physicians and Health Integrated clinicians collaborate with members to improve health outcomes, expands beyond an earlier depression management initiative to include Crohn’s Disease, chronic back pain, migraines, epilepsy and seizures, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is offered at no additional charge to members of these plans. Health Integrated – a pioneer in health and chronic condition management – began partnering with BlueCross BlueShield and BlueShield in 2005 with a focus on depression. The success of that program spawned the expansion. Synergy provides a holistic approach to health, working with members on their psychological and social well-being as well as on their physical health in conjunction with their physician’s treatment plan. Helping people living with chronic illness to take an active role in improving outcomes is of growing concern because of the staggering toll chronic disease is taking on the nation, economically and socially. According to the Centers for Disease Control:
The Synergy program provides specially-trained clinicians (Care Coaches) who assess, teach, motivate and support chronically ill members. The Care Coaches assist members in setting health-related goals (e.g., greater motivation for self-care, better knowledge of their conditions, better communication skills, better coping skills) and help members recognize and address barriers that may be preventing them from feeling their best. Examples of barriers include depression, stress, lack of needed family support, or poor adherence to a treatment plan. Care Coaches employ behavior modification, educational, and readiness to change techniques, in addition to clinical alerts to treating physicians, to help members reach their health potential. Members who would benefit from the program are identified using health data as well as from referrals from other BCBSWNY and BSNENY programs. “The Synergy program helps individuals become more knowledgeable about their own health, more motivated to follow prescribed treatments, and, as a result, require fewer unnecessary uses of the healthcare system,” said Dr. Sam Toney, vice chairman and chief medical officer of Health Integrated. “Through education and support we can ensure that patients follow their treatment more closely, improve their overall health and are more productive in the workplace and their daily lives.” BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, BlueShield of Northeastern New York and Health Integrated entered into a strategic business alliance in June 2005, under which the health plans’ parent company made an investment in Health Integrated. In addition to Synergy, the partnership includes access to Health Integrated’s behavioral health case management, utilization management, and physician review services for the plans’ membership. “Our plans are dedicated to providing innovative health solutions for our members,” said Jay I. Pomerantz, MD, MMM, chief medical officer/senior vice president of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New York. “We have been very pleased with both the clinical and financial results of the initial depression program with quality of life indicators all trending positively, a significant reduction in ER visits and inpatient days, and an ROI in excess of 3:1. Based on these results we are very excited about our decision to expand the program in 2008 to include other conditions. This effort will empower our members who suffer from chronic conditions to take a more active part in managing their health in collaboration with their doctors.” About BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York/BlueShield of Northeastern New York |