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Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and UHealthSolutions Kick Off Patient Communications Pilot ProjectWORCESTER, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (CHC) and UHealthSolutions, a nonprofit affiliate of UMass Medical School, have launched an innovative effort to transform how patients connect with their local community health center. Earlier this year, the two organizations announced that they would work collaboratively to develop a suite of services addressing the needs of community-based health care organizations. Since last month, patients calling to see their doctor or dentist at Kennedy CHC facilities in Worcester or Framingham have had their calls answered by UHealthSolutions. The company is partnering with the Kennedy CHC on a pilot project to manage patient calls for appointments and other inquiries - a partnership unique among community health centers in Massachusetts. "This initiative has been many months in the making," said Toni McGuire, President and CEO of the Kennedy CHC. "We believe the project, when fully implemented, will help improve access to care for our patients and help the health center as we manage the anticipated growth that will result from continued health care reform at the state and federal levels." This pilot project has been developed in collaboration with the Commonwealth Purchasing Group. The goals of the project are to:
The Kennedy CHC chose to work with UHealthSolutions because of the company's culturally and linguistically competent workforce, as well as its robust and technologically advanced call center infrastructure. This change will allow the health center to focus more on direct care of patients, while at the same time continuing to provide high-quality customer service through UHealthSolutions' state-of-the-art call center facilities located in Worcester. Underscoring the organizations' mutual goal of providing a smooth transition in fielding patient calls, many former call center staff from Kennedy CHC were hired to work at UHealthSolutions, bringing their expertise and institutional knowledge to help ensure the project's success. "We could not be more pleased to be working on this important project with the staff and patients of the Kennedy Community Health Center," said Susan Levine, Chief Operating Officer of UHealthSolutions. "This is a great initiative because it allows each organization to do what it does best. For the Kennedy Community Health Center, that means providing first-rate patient care, and for UHealthSolutions, it means using our expertise and technology to make connecting patients to that care as seamless as possible." About the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center is a private, non-profit community health center serving over 24,000 patients from throughout Central and MetroWest Massachusetts. With offices in Worcester, Framingham and Clinton, the Health Center's family practice model of care includes preventive care, management of acute and chronic illnesses, dental care, behavioral health services and many medical specialties. At Kennedy CHC, we help people live healthier lives. For more information on the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, visit http://www.kennedychc.org/. About UHealthSolutions, Inc. As a nonprofit affiliate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, UHealthSolutions, Inc., takes a different approach to developing innovative, effective, and cost-saving business solutions for health care clients. We use evidence-based methods and a clinical focus to assess the needs of health care organizations. Formerly Public Sector Partners, UHealthSolutions is a ยง501(c)(3) nonprofit health care management and consulting firm. Since 2001, the organization has been committed to improving health care services, offering a full array of third-party administration, patient communication, program management, technology, and consulting services. For more information on the products and services offered by UHealthSolutions, visit http://www.uhealthsolutions.org/. |
