COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MVHC and AndHealth have partnered to bring Whole-Person Specialty Care and specialty pharmacy services to Muskingum, Morgan, Guernsey, and Coshocton counties and their surrounding communities. Historically, specialty care like rheumatology, dermatology, and neurology have been difficult to access and can require patients to wait more than 6 months for an appointment or make hours-long drives to see a specialist. Through this partnership, MVHC will offer specialty care in-house and patients can be referred from each of its 13 locations. Patients will also have access to specialty medications through its new specialty pharmacy starting in late 2024.
“This partnership represents our commitment to providing rural Ohioans with the best possible care in a manner that is affordable and close to home,” said Dan Atkinson, CEO of MVHC. “There is a deep need for specialty care and specialty medications within our communities and we are proud to partner with AndHealth to help address it.”
Through this partnership, MVHC will now offer access to an integrated care model that provides convenient, affordable, and high-quality specialty care for rheumatology, dermatology, and neurology alongside comprehensive support for root causes and Social Drivers of Health (SDOH), such as medically tailored meal delivery, support for behavioral health, sleep, movement, remote monitoring, and continuous access to providers and health coaching. Specialty care will no longer require long drives or delays, as nine out of 10 patients have their first visit in under just two weeks.
Patients will also be able to fill their specialty prescriptions through MVHC’s specialty pharmacy, which is integrated directly with its clinical healthcare services. MVHC will now offer comprehensive, coordinated retail and specialty pharmacy services with medications available under its sliding fee scale to improve affordability and remove barriers to access.
“MVHC is an incredible partner for bringing the Whole-Person Community Care model to Southeast Ohio,” said Matt Scantland, Founder + CEO of AndHealth. “Together we can radically improve access and outcomes by making CHCs clinically broader and more integrated with hospitals and other providers within the healthcare system. This model makes new things possible for patients by bringing care closer to home and giving clinicians and patients everything they need to reduce barriers to health.”
Expanding Access Across Ohio
In June, the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (OACHC) and AndHealth established a master agreement that makes statewide adoption of this critical patient service as cost-effective and efficient as possible by leveraging OACHC’s deep expertise, membership scale, and best practices. As one of the largest CHCs in the state, MVHC’s community-orientation and incredible track record of excellence makes them a strong signature partner for the Southeast Ohio region.
“MVHC is a key member of this strategic partnership and has helped to rapidly expand Whole-Person Specialty Care. I’m thankful for their leadership in advancing access to equitable, quality, and affordable comprehensive community-based care,” said Julie DiRossi-King, CEO of OACHC.
Scheduling a Specialty Care Appointment
Patients with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis can call 740-235-8382 to learn more about MVHC’s comprehensive disease management program. Patients who may need specialty care can be referred by their MVHC primary care provider and can call or text 740-891-9000 for scheduling.
About MVHC
Muskingum Valley Health Centers, founded in 2008, serves as a best-in-class health care resource to ensure all members of the community have access to high-quality, affordable health care. The organization is a local, non-profit, community-owned primary health care partner that is dedicated to serving the community’s health care needs through its locations in Zanesville, Cambridge, Coshocton and Malta, Ohio. For more information, please visit www.mvhccares.org.
The MVHC Team is comprised of over 500 staff and providers committed to your health and well-being. Muskingum Valley Health Centers has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Gold Status Health Center Quality Leader. HRSA’s Community Health Quality Recognition awards recognize the highest performing health centers nationwide that have made notable quality improvement achievements in the areas of access, quality, health equity, and health information technology.
About AndHealth
AndHealth helps Community Health Centers (CHCs) radically improve access and outcomes in specialty care and specialty pharmacy for patients, while becoming an even larger and more clinically integrated part of our healthcare system. The Whole-Person Community Care Model provides everything CHCs need to deliver in-house specialty care and specialty pharmacy, built for the unique needs of our medically underserved populations.
The model provides CHCs with more patients, more clinical capabilities, alignment with health systems, and sustainable reimbursement and funding that restores the integrity of the patient’s medical home and their critical reimbursement model—both having shifted away from CHCs through external specialty referrals and contract pharmacies. In restoring this integrity, CHCs can stretch scarce federal resources to reach more patients with comprehensive services that weren’t possible before and that are desperately needed by patients—tearing down barriers to promote health equity and demonstrating the power of the CHC movement and its unique model of care.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, AndHealth is led by former CoverMyMeds co-founder and CEO Matt Scantland and the team that built Ohio’s first healthcare technology unicorn, by dedicating their lives to collaborative innovation that improves access for patients.
AndHealth is dedicated to helping CHCs become an even larger and more successful part of our healthcare system. AndHealth is supported by key investors including the American Medical Association’s innovation subsidiary, Francisco Partners, and the state of Ohio’s economic development organization.
