WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Accordant, a CVS
Health (NYSE: CVS) company and an integral part of CVS Specialty,
announced today that it has received NCQA Patient and Practitioner
Oriented Disease Management (DM) Accreditation for a number of its
programs that provide services to patients with rare chronic
diseases and other select conditions on behalf of health plans,
government sponsored plans, labor groups, employers and third party
administrators. The following programs are covered by this
new accreditation: Epilepsy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple
Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Parkinson's
Disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or Lupus), Myasthenia
Gravis, Sickle Cell Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Hemophilia,
Scleroderma, Polymyositis, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating
Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also
known as Lou Gehrig's Disease),
Dermatomyositis, Gaucher Disease and Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV).
"We are pleased to receive this important accreditation from
NCQA, which further validates our approach to providing
high-quality and comprehensive disease management care and support
for our patients with these rare, chronic conditions," said
Alan Lotvin, M.D., executive vice
president of CVS Specialty, the specialty pharmacy of CVS Health.
"For more than 20 years, Accordant has been providing highly
specialized care to patients to help them better manage their
condition, improve health outcomes and help avoid unnecessary
medical costs for both patients and payors."
Earning NCQA DM Accreditation is an indication that a DM program
is dedicated to providing patients and/or practitioners the
support, education and other help necessary to facilitate good
outcomes and good care. The standards are intended to help
organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible,
increase adherence to care guidelines and create an environment of
continuous improvement.
"Our Accordant nurses are specially trained to provide
disease-specific support to help prevent complications, improve our
patients' total health and enhance quality of life," added Trip
Hofer, president of Accordant. "In addition, Accordant's unique,
proactive disease management approach helps anticipate shifts in
patient needs as their condition progresses over time, which is
integral in ensuring each patient receives the most clinically
appropriate care and support along their health care
journey."
Accordant has maintained NCQA DM accreditations since 2003 and
was also awarded accreditation in Case Management (CM) in 2016.
Accordant's comprehensive programs are backed by the latest in
evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines and are designed to
help support patients to better manage their serious health
conditions. All of Accordant's DM programs are led by highly
trained and specialized nurses who provide comprehensive patient
education, medication and symptom management as well as help
coordinate and connect patients' care with their other health care
providers to help ensure that patients are receiving the most
clinically appropriate care.
Specialty pharmacy is one of the fastest growing health care
segments in the U.S., and Accordant is an integral part of CVS
Specialty. As the largest specialty pharmacy, CVS Specialty
provides advanced clinical services for eligible patients who
require treatment for rare or complex conditions. This includes
drug therapy management, dispensing and infusion services, in
addition to customized support and counseling to help ensure
appropriate and safe medication use and achieve positive health
outcomes. Eligible patients receive ongoing disease education,
counseling and benefits verification, as well as coordination of
care with multiple health care providers, comprehensive patient
education and adherence management.
"NCQA's Disease Management Accreditation program is thorough and
rigorous. It's designed to highlight only those programs that truly
improve chronic care," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane.
NCQA Accreditation standards are developed with input from
researchers in the field, the Disease Management Advisory Council
(DMAC) and standing committees, employers, both purchasers and
operators of disease management programs, state and federal
regulators and other experts. NCQA Accreditation standards are
purposely set high to encourage organizations to continuously
enhance their quality. Accordant's DM accreditation is based on the
following categories of standards: Evidence-Based Program; Patient
Service; Practitioner Service; Care Coordination; Measurement and
Quality Improvement; and Program Operations.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization
dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and
certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also
recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance.
NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help
consumers, employers and others make more informed healthcare
choices.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation
company helping people on their path to better health. Through its
nearly 9,700 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical
clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million
plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving
more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty
pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and
communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways.
This unique integrated model increases access to quality care,
delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care
costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the
future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.
Christina Beckerman
CVS Health
(401)770-8868
christina.beckerman@cvshealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health