MISHAWAKA – Franciscan Health announced today that it has entered into a clinical affiliation agreement with CVS Health, according to Kevin Leahy, President and CEO of Franciscan Alliance, parent corporation headquartered in Mishawaka, Indiana. The affiliation will help enhance access to high-quality, affordable health care services for patients.
Through these clinical affiliations, aimed at improving clinical care for patients, CVS Health will provide enhanced prescription and visit information to Franciscan Health by enabling communication between secured electronic health record (EHR) systems. In addition, patients will have access to clinical support, medication counseling, chronic disease monitoring and wellness programs at CVS Pharmacy stores and MinuteClinic locations.
Franciscan Health includes 14 hospitals, several physician groups, and numerous physician offices, urgent care centers and outpatient clinics in Indiana, and Illinois. “Partnering with CVS Health, through its CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations, further enhances the overall continuity of care for patients in the communities we serve,” said Leahy.
“We are pleased to partner with Franciscan Health to increase patient access to health care, improve health outcomes and lower health care costs,” said Sharon Vitti, CVS Health Senior Vice President and Executive Director. “This relationship will help us better serve patients by ensuring improved coordination of care and improved communication between Franciscan Health and CVS Health MinuteClinic providers.” CVS Health MinuteClinic offers patients high-quality, convenient and affordable health care services. The clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants who provide treatment for common illnesses and administer wellness and prevention services, including health-condition monitoring for patients with chronic diseases.
The affiliation encourages collaboration between primary care providers and CVS Health MinuteClinic providers to improve coordination of care for patients seen at MinuteClinic locations across Indiana and Illinois. Through this collaboration, Franciscan Health and CVS Health MinuteClinic providers will work together on planning strategies around chronic care and wellness. If more comprehensive care is needed, patients can follow up with their primary care provider and have access to additional care services, as appropriate. For those patients who do not have regular access to health care, CVS Health MinuteClinic can provide information to help patients find a primary care physician, creating a greater opportunity for continuity of health care services.
CVS Health and Franciscan Health have worked to enable and streamline communication through their EHR systems. This includes the electronic sharing of messages and alerts from CVS Pharmacy to Franciscan physicians regarding medication non-adherence issues and data on interventions conducted by CVS pharmacists to improve medication adherence for their patients. In addition, with the patient's consent, CVS Health MinuteClinics electronically shares patient visit summaries with the patient's primary care physician.
