Highmark Foundation Teams with Accenture to Implement Patient Navigation Pilot at Western Pennsylvan

Updated

Highmark Foundation Teams with Accenture to Implement Patient Navigation Pilot at Western Pennsylvania Hospitals

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Highmark Foundation will team with Accenture (NYS: ACN) to establish and implement a patient navigation pilot program at two Western Pennsylvania hospitals: St. Vincent Health System in Erie and Allegheny Valley in Pittsburgh.

Patient navigation, which utilizes low-cost, trained community members to connect patients to primary care, has shown to reduce appointment "no-show" rates, decrease inpatient admissions and reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, according to a recent Accenture report.


"This initiative demonstrates the Highmark Foundation's commitment to improving and assuring access to quality healthcare for underserved populations in both urban and rural areas," said Yvonne Cook, president of the Highmark Foundation. "Patient navigators have proven to be effective by enabling timely access to healthcare services."

Accenture and the Highmark Foundation will work with the hospitals to create an infrastructure for patient navigation - both locally and within the individual hospitals. As a part of the effort, six patient navigators will be trained, hired and placed within the hospitals, while an additional 10 navigators will be trained, so they can assist when necessary. A third participating hospital is being determined. The Highmark Foundation has committed $254,500 and Accenture will provide pro-bono services in support of the program.

"Patient navigation not only creates a one-on-one connection for the patient, it serves as a low-cost investment that delivers significant value to care delivery," said Jean-Pierre Stephan, who leads health consumer and services strategy for Accenture. "The Highmark Foundation is uniquely positioned to help hospitals and patients navigate various barriers within the health system while freeing up time for clinicians to do what they do best - provide care."

Allegheny and Erie counties were selected for the program partially based on county health rankings; each county had specific factors suggesting a high demand for patient navigation, including limited access to care, quality of care, health disparities, low income, geographic location and racial or ethnic diversity.

Learn more about Accenture's Insight Driven Health and Delivering Public Service for the Future.

About the Highmark Foundation

The Highmark Foundation is a charitable organization, a private foundation and an affiliate of Highmark Inc. that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The Foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in the communities served by Highmark Inc. and its affiliates. The Foundation strives to support evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties and work collaboratively to leverage additional funding to achieve replicable models. For more information, visit www.highmarkfoundation.org.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 259,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page is www.accenture.com.



Accenture Health
Jenn Francis, +1-630-338-6426
jennifer.francis@accenture.com
or
Highmark Foundation
Adrienne Londino, +1-412-544-4369
Adrienne.londino@highmark.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Pennsylvania

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