Rite Aid reaches Louisville, Ky., and southern Indiana with latest Rite Aid Health Alliance partnership

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid on Thursday announced Quality Independent Physicians, based in Louisville, Ky., as the latest healthcare provider to join its Rite Aid Health Alliance initiative. 

 

“Our Rite Aid Health Alliance program brings a collaborative approach to patient care, as physicians, care coaches and pharmacists work together to improve the health and wellbeing of patients,” said Robert Thompson, Rite Aid EVP pharmacy. “Quality Independent Physicians is our seventh Rite Aid Health Alliance partner and we look forward to partnering with them as we bring a broad range of services to their patients in Lexington, Ky., Louisville and Southern Indiana.”

 

“The ultimate goal of medical care is to educate and motivate patients to change and improve their health. The more avenues we can provide our patients to reinforce the same message, the more positive outcomes we will have,” said Michael Harper, Quality Independent Physicians medical director. “Rite Aid Health Alliance will be a great resource for our practices to complement the health care plan created by our physicians and I am confident that this program will lead to better-informed patients with greater ability to achieve their healthcare goals.”

 

Rite Aid previously announced that it is piloting Rite Aid Health Alliance partnerships with High Point, N.C.-based Cornerstone Health Care; Glendale, Calif.-based Apollo Medical Holdings (“ApolloMed”); Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network of Buffalo, N.Y.; Penn State Hershey Health System of Hershey, Pa.; Heritage Provider Network based in Marina Del Rey, Calif.; and Physician Direct ACO of Sylvan Lake, Mich.

 

In these markets at select Rite Aid pharmacies, Rite Aid provides the care coaches on the team through its wholly owned subsidiary Health Dialog, a leading provider of healthcare patient support, analytics and decision support. Health Dialog coaches will be available in Rite Aid pharmacies, and specialize in behavior change to help patients address lifestyle health issues.

 

Through Rite Aid Health Alliance, physicians, Rite Aid pharmacists and special care coaches provide comprehensive care and support to individuals with chronic and poly-chronic health conditions, helping them achieve health improvement goals established by their physicians.

 

Rite Aid’s Health Alliance integrated care model is a first for the drug store industry, because it uniquely leverages the combined expertise of community pharmacists along with specially trained in-store care coaches. Physicians can refer patients who they feel would benefit from additional coaching in areas such as medication management and meal and exercise planning. All members of the care team will communicate regularly with physicians in a true partnership to improve patients’ overall health.

 

The full range of services available to patients participating in Rite Aid Health Alliance includes medication compliance support; comprehensive medication reviews and reconciliation; nutrition and weight management information; disease education; exercise coaching and tobacco cessation support. Records of all interactions, which occur in Rite Aid pharmacies, as well as updates from the physician, are stored electronically, along with patient profiles including medications and lab results. This supports continuity of care and provides convenient access of information to other members of the patient’s healthcare team.

 

To watch Rite Aid COO Ken Martindale talk about the Health Alliance — what it is, how it works and what Rite Aid is looking to achieve with the initiative — check out the DSNTV video interview below: