Humana Teams up with Jefferson Regional Medical Center and Arkansas Department of Health to Promote Hypertension Team-Based Care Program

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Leading health and well-being company Humana Inc. is teaming up with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to participate in a Team-based Care program sponsored by the Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations (ASTHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Humana is the sole healthcare organization invited to participate in the Community Team-based Care program that facilitates hypertension support, lifestyle change, self-monitoring of blood pressure, and medication adherence counseling delivered by a Hypertension Nurse Coordinator at the Jefferson County Local Health Unit (LHU), Jefferson County, Arkansas.

The program involves close collaboration between the ADH and its Jefferson County LHU, JRMC, and Humana for hypertension referral support and is expected to be a cost-effective strategy for increasing medication adherence and lowering blood pressure within the populations of interest. In Jefferson County, hypertension prevalence and death rates are among the highest in the state. Eighty-two percent of Humana members in the county have been diagnosed with hypertension. i

Patients receive education and guidance around identifying risk factors for disease, and receive continuing care from the hypertension nurse coordinator. “The pilot has helped me to make some changes to my diet,” said patient and pilot participant, William Lancaster of Pine Bluff, Ark. “It is always helpful to have someone to work with and guide you on your path to good health.”

The pilot brings together payers, providers, state and local public health organizations to help individuals better manage their chronic health conditions. “We are excited about this public-payer collaboration to address hypertension in the underserved communities of Arkansas,” said Dr. Appathurai Balamurugan, State Chronic Disease Director and Medical Director, Arkansas Department of Health.

The pilot began in early January 2018 with the goal to reduce ER visits and admissions by 15 percent in the population of interest, which consists of Humana members and JRMC patients with hypertension. “Humana is dedicated to working with local stakeholders to improve the health of our members and the communities in which they live,” said Dr. Elizabeth Peterson, Regional Medical Director for Humana. “Team-based care is an excellent example of this form of collaboration, and Humana is honored to be part of this innovative study.”