Highmark Foundation Teams with Accenture to Implement Patient Navigation Pilot at Western Pennsylvania Hospitals
The Highmark
Foundation will team with Accenture
(NYSE: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.
