ACN Advance - December 2020

COVID-19 Phase 1A Vaccine Distribution Begins

New Provider Portal Rollout Continues

Payers Promote Flu Vaccines to Patients, Providers

Payers Offer No-Cost Real Time Pharmacy Benefit Tool

News Roundup

Welcome, New Provider Organizations!

As we near the end of a most challenging year, I want to express how grateful we are for your engagement and support of this unique network. More importantly, I want to give thanks for everything you do for your patients and communities the network collectively serves. Supporting your success is the most important work we do — and the most satisfying. Value-based medicine is hard work — especially during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the commitment it represents for your practice and staff, a feat which does not go unnoticed. In fact, it’s your hard work and community service that inspired ACN’s physician-led Board of Managers to support donations to three organizations this holiday season:

Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation (AFFCF): AFFCF’s mission is to promote self-esteem and enrich the lives of children in foster care in Arizona by funding activities, education and other needs that provide them with quality experiences while they live through very difficult circumstances.

Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.): O.U.R. paves the way for permanent eradication of child sex trafficking.

Phoenix Rescue Mission: Phoenix Rescue Mission serves as a leading provider of solutions to persons facing hunger, homelessness, addiction, and trauma, including operation of the Hope for Hunger Food Bank, the Changing Lives Center for Women & Children and the Transforming Lives Center for Men.

We know the numerous challenges faced by your practice and staff continue to grow, notably during these winter months as COVID-19’s continued surge coincides with flu season. Whether through this newsletter, Bulletin communications, practice manager forums, or the COVID-19 Resources Page, we’re committed to providing your practice and staff with the most relevant and timely information possible. Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions, feedback, or additional support. Have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. -Conley Cervantes, CEO

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine distribution within Maricopa County is underway for health care workers and first responders who qualify under the Phase 1A vaccination distribution plan. Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is expected to receive FDA approval in the coming days. Moderna's vaccine is reported to be nearly identical to Pfizer's. Because these potentially transformative vaccinations are initially available in limited supply, submitting a pre-screening application immediately is required in order to determine Phase 1A vaccination eligibility. Submitting the pre-screening application does not mean you're required to receive the vaccine, and Maricopa County does not require health care workers to receive either vaccine. Please refer to this Dec. 17 email communication to the network, which contains important vaccine pre-screening and registration information, as well as available resources from Maricopa County Department of Public Health and local health care organizations. You may also refer to ACN's COVID-19 Resources webpage for updated information. Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or feedback. Thank you for your heroic efforts and dedication to patients as we continue to navigate the pandemic.

ACN launched its new Provider Portal in October, and continues to onboard our network providers. The new Portal offers providers a variety of tools, reports and patient-level information to support patient care, including the following for primary care providers and specialists: Primary Care Providers

• View any ACN patient’s longitudinal record containing details on their health conditions and medical care history
• Annual Wellness Visit chart preparation and value-based arrangement (VBA) gap reports
• View attributed patient population reports from ACN-affiliated payer partners
• Risk stratification patient reports
• ADT alerts (facility, diagnosis, discharge date, disposition) for your assigned ACN patients
• View your practice’s provider and location information on file with ACN

Specialists

• Patient Lookup tool includes a patient’s personal information, health insurance, and medical care history

A new user account is required to access the new Portal. Providers are encouraged to request access to begin the process. After submission, ACN will contact you to complete the process when the new Portal is available for your provider organization. Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or support in accessing and using the new Portal.

Payers Promote Flu Vaccine to Patients, Providers

As we navigate the annual flu season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, payers are aggressively promoting a need for their members to receive no- or low- cost flu vaccines, as well as providing educational materials for providers:

Aetna

• Flu shot information for patients
• Flu shot information for providers

Bright Health

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• FAQ
• Resources for providers

Cigna

• Flu shot information for patients (en Espanol)

MercyCare

• Flu outreach resources for providers
• Quick Reference Guide for providers

UnitedHealthcare

• Flu shot FAQ for providers

Additionally, ACN has created patient-focused resources related to both physical and mental/emotional well-being during the holiday season, as well as infection prevention, and annual health screenings for men and women. Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or for additional support.

Payers Offer No-Cost, Real Time Pharmacy Benefit Tools

By Jason Kwan, PharmD ACN Director of Quality and Pharmacy, Population Health To further close care gaps, reduce costs related to medication non-adherence, and decrease administrative burdens for providers, many payer organizations have created their own real time pharmacy benefit tools. These payers’ tools provide both patients and providers with improved medication(s) cost transparency, potential alternative options within a therapeutic drug class, as well as if a therapy requires prior authorization (PA) or other utilization management restrictions. A real time pharmacy benefit tool can greatly increase medication adherence, while simultaneously reducing patient out-of-pocket costs and administrative burdens for providers. Provider Benefits

• Access to patient’s specific prescription benefits information within current workflow
• Learn a patient’s out-of-pocket cost and whether it’s covered through a patient’s individual plan and/or utilization management restrictions
• Fewer abandoned treatment plans
• Simplify and streamline the prescribing process
• May reduce administrative burden by identifying therapeutic alternatives not requiring a prior authorization and reducing call backs from a pharmacy/patient

Patient Benefits

• Proactive, empowered, and collaborative decision-making process with provider
• Reduce “sticker shock” cost
• Improve medication adherence
• Reduce delays in treatment

These payer-provided tools are a no-cost benefit for both participating patients and affiliated providers. Be sure your practice uses the most updated version of your EMR to use these real-time pharmacy tools. Contact your EHR vendor’s help desk support line if you are having trouble accessing real-time prescription benefits.

In partnership with CVS Caremark, Aetna’s real time pharmacy tool is available at no-cost to providers who are connected to Surescripts and support National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) standards. More information

• Aetna's EMR systems and vendors (.PDF)
• Real Time Prescription Benefit Toolkit (.PDF)
• A real time pharmacy tool is expected to be introduced by late 2021.
• Cigna's EMR systems and vendors (.PDF)
• Real Time Benefit Check Tool Provider Flyer (.PDF)

UHC uses PreCheck MyScript (PCMS), which is a part of Point of Care Assist. PCMS is available within these EMR programs (with more coming throughout 2021):

• Athenahealth
• Cerner
• Epic

More information

• UHC Point of Care Assistant (.PDF)
• UHC PreCheck MyScript (.PDF)
• UHC PreCheck MyScript website
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for additional news, health-related content for providers and patients, organizational updates, and more.
• Learn more about ACN’s Care Coordination program and services designed to partner and support your practice in achieving healthy, cost-effective patient outcomes in this video.
• Dignity Health's Center for Diabetes Management at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center offers Diabetes Management classes (Type 1, Type 2, and gestational) for providers four days per week, both in-person and virtually. These classes may help quality improvement and/or pay-for-performance goals. Call (480) 728-3535 or view this flyer for more information.
• Dignity Health also welcomed three new doctors to oversee its General Hospital emergency room operations. Dr. Joel Betz is Dignity Health’s new Regional Medical Officer for 12 Arizona General Hospital ED locations throughout the Valley. Dr. Jason Linder is the new Medical Director who’ll oversee Arizona General Hospital’s emergency department in Mesa. Dr. Paul McHale will oversee AGH’s emergency department as Medical Director for its Laveen location.
• Abrazo Central Campus is now a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. The center can treat patients suffering hemorrhagic or large ischemic strokes with follow up care in an intensive care unit. The center can also treat patients with suspected aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, those requiring specialized testing or therapies such as endovascular surgery, and those requiring multispecialty management.
• Advanced Pediatric Gastroenterology (Glendale)
• Arizona Internal Medicine Associates (AZIM Clinic) (Mesa)
• Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center (Valley wide)
• Camelback Dermatology & Skin Surgery (Phoenix)
• Canyon Home Care (Gilbert, Phoenix)
• Center for Dermatology (Scottsdale)
• Flow Rheumatology (Scottsdale)
• Foothills Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy (Mesa)
• Gerald B. Harris II, DO (Glendale)
• Kids and Family Kare (formerly Kids Kare Pediatrics) (Phoenix)
• Marchand OBGYN (Mesa)
• Pinnacle Peak Recovery (Scottsdale)
• Southwest Skin Specialists (formerly the Beatrice Keller Clinic) (Phoenix, Scottsdale)
• Southwestern Eye Center (Valley wide)
• Zymek Cardiology (Gilbert, Mesa)

You can also view a list of practices and providers no longer participating in ACN.