CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valence Health, a leading provider of clinical integration, population health and value-based care solutions, today announced it was selected by Centegra Health & Wellness Network (CHWN) to provide infrastructure and support for its clinically integrated network (CIN). As the largest physician hospital organization (PHO) in Northwest Illinois, CHWN seeks to enhance the quality and efficiency of health care delivered to the patients served by the Centegra owned hospitals, employed physicians and its affiliated health care providers.
CINs are designed to align health care providers under a common legal structure, allowing them to more effectively coordinate and deliver services focused on quality, performance, efficiency and value to patients. The foundation of CINs consists of the acceptance of common care guidelines, data sharing and performance tracking of providers and patients against these agreed upon guidelines. Having a robust health information technology solution to meet these requirements is a key component for ensuring successful clinical integration.
“Our physicians, hospitals, specialty care centers and ancillary service providers have a long history of providing excellent care,” said Jeff Schmidt, Senior Vice President, Clinical Integration & Payer Strategies for CHWN. “Partnering with Valence Health will accelerate and enable our ability to support our integrated network by delivering better population health management services and programs to our patients in the most cost-effective manner possible. As we advance our population health efforts and expand our health insurance contracting, we need a proven partner like Valence Health.”
Under the agreement, Valence will provide CHWN with the Valence Health Vision™ technology solution. The Vision™ solution will combine data from CHWN physician members’ practice management and electronic medical records systems, together with data from hospital information systems, lab systems, prescription drug information and other data sources, to provide a comprehensive clinical view of patient care. Once operational, the system will allow care providers and coordinators to identify patient populations based on combinations of clinical information such as conditions, gaps in care, lab results and more.
In addition to supporting CHWN’s clinically integrated network, Valence will also support CHWN’s fully delegated professional risk contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Under the agreement, Valence will provide management services for CHWN and perform claims administration, eligibility maintenance, utilization management and quality improvement projects that will impact approximately 4,600 Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO members.
Finally, as part of CHWN’s desire to further improve the health of Northwest Illinois residents, CHWN also announced plans to pursue a Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contract later this summer. If awarded this MSSP contract, CHWN could coordinate care for an estimated 15,000 Medicare eligible individuals after January 1, 2015. The signed partnership anticipates that Valence would support CHWN’s participation in the MSSP effort.
“Centegra Health and Wellness Network is a leader in its community, representing providers who have consistently delivered quality care to Northwest Illinois residents. They clearly understand the challenges created by rapidly evolving care and payment models and have made the decision to invest in the technology, processes and people to improve the overall health of their community,” said Dr. Nathan Gunn, President of Valence Health’s Population Health business unit. “We’re excited to provide a data platform, unified clinical information, actionable care and health plan services to CHWN providers and patients – helping maintain quality today, and setting the groundwork for more value-based contracts in the future.”
Centegra Health & Wellness Network (CHWN):
Centegra Health & Wellness Network (CHWN) is an association of more than 75 of the best primary care physicians and more than 300 of the top specialists in the region. CHWN provides members access to the largest physician network in McHenry County. This includes access to a wide range of conveniently located health services, from wellness and prevention to highly advanced treatments. CHWN is part of Centegra Health System. As the region’s leading health care provider, Centegra Health System continues to bring the latest treatments and technology, along with the skills of nearly 4,000 associates, to meet the needs of the growing McHenry County community.
About Valence Health:
Valence Health is a leading provider of value-based care solutions, helping hospitals, health systems and physicians better manage their patient populations and accept financial responsibility for the quality of the care they provide. With unique data collection and analytics solutions, Valence Health serves dozens of clients from physician groups to standalone hospitals to large IDNs. From risk-based contracting to accountable care organizations (ACOs) to administering provider-sponsored health plans, Valence has been helping providers since 1996. Headquartered in Chicago, with three other office locations, Valence Health serves more than 30,000 physicians and 120 hospitals, helping them manage the health of 15 million patients nationwide. Follow Valence Health on LinkedIn and Twitter.
