BCBSRI, Integra Community Care Network forge new model

PROVIDENCE – A new agreement between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Integra Community Care Network LLC will provide 60,000 BCBSRI members a new model of coordinated health care delivery. Integra is the partnership of Care New England Health System and South County Health and their respective physician networks. Focused on population health management, the contract creates incentives for Integra’s providers to proactively manage patient health needs.

“Keeping patients well and out of the hospital is the core premise behind population health management,” said Care New England’s President and CEO Dennis D. Keefe, chairman of the Integra board of managers. “With the focus on highly accessible, excellent primary care and a host of new support services and tools, our agreement with BCBSRI gives us the opportunity to explore new ways of working with our patients to proactively manage health needs.”

In a first for Rhode Island, eight new primary care access centers, affiliated with Integra and strategically located across the state, will provide same-day care for urgent health issues. Additional centers will be added in the future, depending on the needs of the community. Ensuring members have immediate access to primary care will reduce unnecessary use of higher-cost emergency rooms, while dramatically improving the patient experience. The primary care access centers will be open seven days a week.

Additionally, Integra and BCBSRI will jointly fund a patient support hub to coordinate all aspects of a patient’s care, including scheduling specialist visits, providing support in accessing health care resources, and identifying and addressing preventive care needs.

- Advertisement -

“We are pleased to be part of this important initiative, which will provide individuals with the tools they need to improve and safeguard their health,” said Lou Giancola, president and CEO of South County Health. “It reflects our commitment to the community and to our providers.”

No posts to display