ACN Advance - September 2020
A Message from ACN's Board Chair
New Provider Portal Launch Begins Oct. 1
Bright Health MA Open Enrollment Begins in October
Introducing the Hypertension Toolkit
Opioid Toolkit for Providers Now Available
News Roundup
Welcome, New Provider Organizations!
As Arizona and the country continues its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the numerous challenges faced by your practice and staff continues to grow, notably the rapidly approaching flu season. So, too, does ACN’s support for your practice. Whether through flu vaccine information to share with your patients, newsletters, Bulletin communications, practice manager forums, or the COVID-19 Resources Page, we’re committed to providing your practice and staff with relevant and timely information. Please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions, feedback, or for additional support. Your exceptional hard work and dedication to patients is gratefully appreciated during these challenging times. Together, we will successfully navigate this pandemic and, in turn, become a stronger community. -Conley Cervantes, CEO
A Message from ACN's New Board Chair
By Monte Swarup, MD Chair, ACN Physician Board of Managers Dear Colleagues, I have been a private practice OB-GYN physician in the Southeast Valley for the past 22 years, practicing out of Dignity Health’s Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers. I have been a Physician Board of managers member with Arizona Care Network for nearly six years and am honored to be your new Chair. Dr. Jonathan Hackenyos has done an exceptional job in leading our organization forward as our immediate past Chair, and I wish to continue building upon his leadership and legacy. My goals for this term, which runs through the end of 2022, include maximizing efficient communication from the Board to our providers; continued electronic and in-person communications between the organization and individual providers. This is our network. The administration and boards need your input. We want to make this as effective and efficient for everyone as possible. It’s been a difficult year for everyone, but I truly believe ACN is uniquely positioned to make the future better for Arizona’s health care. Let’s do it together.
ACN is launching a new Provider Portal beginning Oct. 1. 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 • Risk stratification patient reports • Annual Wellness Visit chart preparation and value-based arrangement (VBA) gap reports • View attributed patient population reports from ACN-affiliated payer partners • View a patient’s health conditions, medical care history, and other information • ADT alerts (facility, diagnosis, discharge date, disposition) for your assigned ACN patients • View your practice’s provider and location information on file with ACN • Update your practice’s hours of operation Specialists
- Patient Lookup tool includes a patient’s personal information, health insurance, and medical care history
- View your practice’s provider and location information on file with ACN
- Update your practice's hours of operation
We are rolling out access to the new Portal through the remainder of 2020. A new user account is required to access the new Portal once it is available for your provider organization. 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. In the meantime, please contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org with any questions or support in accessing and using the new Portal.
In 2019, Arizona Care Network entered an exclusive partnership with Bright Health to offer several Medicare Advantage Plans for residents of Maricopa County. To drive continued growth in the market and offer simple affordable option to consumers, Bright Health offers five Medicare Advantage health plans – 3 HMOs and two PPO options – within Maricopa County for 2021 during the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) from Oct. 15-Dec. 7. Some HMO plans include a $0 premium with $0 copays for: • PCP • Specialist • Lab • X-Ray • Urgent Care • Diabetic Supplies (Glucometer, strips, lancets) • Physical Therapy • Mental Health All MA plans include: • Unlimited Transportation to medical appointments • Telehealth • Preventative Dental • $0 copay for Tier 1 and Tier 2 medications Additionally, Bright Health will conduct cooking and Tai-Chi demonstrations for Medicare Advantage members in Maricopa county at no cost throughout the upcoming AEP. Bright Health also has a Medicare Advantage plan especially for those who qualify for a low-income subsidy (LIS). Please refer interested patients to Bright Health directly at (844) 691-6147 or its website for more information. Providers may also contact Nicole Brown at nbrown@brighthealthplan.com with any questions, or to get connected with a broker who can help your patients navigate all Medicare options for 2021.
Pharmacy Corner: Introducing the Hypertension Toolkit
By Jason Kwan, PharmD ACN Director of Quality and Pharmacy, Population Health As part of ACN’s transformation initiatives in 2020, the Hypertension Control Program is designed to support your practice by providing patient education and resources to support patient care. The program features: • R.I.S.E. flyer which can be posted throughout your practice • Patient Education Toolkit • Patient Resources and tips for managing their own blood pressure at home • Warm hand-off referrals to ACN’s Care Coordination team for further patient support toward those with elevated blood pressure • “Virtual” or in-office (based on COVID-19 restrictions) hypertension patient education classes The Hypertension Toolkit was created as a resource to share with patients. The toolkit contains more than 20 pages of information, clickable links, resources, and tips to help your patients sustainably reduce and manage their blood pressure. The toolkit contains patient-focused information and resources, including: • Monitoring and correctly taking your blood pressure at home • Understanding systolic and diastolic numbers • Heart-healthy diets and weight loss tips • Exercise • Stress management • Medications • Community resources Additionally, your Clinical Performance Consultant can share a “virtual” Hypertension Gap Analysis Tool, which includes a questionnaire for your practice to find opportunities in your workflow and patient education programs that support better patient outcomes. Please contact your CPC or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org to schedule a Hypertension Gap Analysis, and to obtain a copy of the Hypertension Patient Toolkit.
The Opioid Toolkit for providers is now available. This 20-page toolkit (.PDF) for providers was developed in conjunction with feedback from the Quality and Performance Management Committee and pain specialists. The provider toolkit highlights CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids. The toolkit features information and resources, including: • Topics on non-pharmacological options and opioid alternatives • List of in-network providers to refer members for these non-pharmacological options such as physical therapy • Screening tools for patient’s risk before initiating opioids and while on long-term opioid therapy • Algorithms on initiating and tapering opioids • List of in-network providers to refer members diagnosed with opioid use disorder for medication-assisted treatment • Naloxone in overdose prevention • Resources on Arizona opioid prescribing guidelines • Continuing medical education courses • Patient education handouts on overview of opioids, how to administer naloxone, lifestyle modifications, etc. • Resources for patients on support groups and drug take back locations Download the Opioid Toolkit (.PDF). You may also contact your Clinical Performance Consultant or email practicetransformation@azcarenetwork.org if you’d prefer to receive copies of the Toolkit.
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- Learn more about ACN’s Care Coordination services designed to partner and support your practice in achieving healthy, cost-effective patient outcomes in this video.
- Dignity Health/St. Joseph’s opened a new Heart and Vascular Institute on its Central Campus. The facility is operated by 18 cardiologists and surgeons, and features operating rooms, advanced cardiac imaging, a cardiac catheterization laboratory, MRIs, telemetry unit, cardiodiagnostics, a cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU), CT scanning, and a 3D Echo.
- Dignity Health/St. Joseph’s opened two new ER facilities in the West Valley:
- The Abrazo Neuroscience Institute is open at Abrazo Central Campus in Phoenix. The institute features seven physicians who specialize in neurosurgery, spinal surgery, and related chronic pain conditions.
- Abrazo West Campus now utilizes Mako robotic-arm-assisted technology for total knee, partial knee, and total hip replacement procedures.
- Abrazo Surprise Hospital is scheduled to open later this fall at the Loop 303 and Bell Rd. in Surprise. The 13-bed emergency department facility includes an ER department, an operating room, eight inpatient rooms, diagnostic imaging, and other services.
- Ahwatukee Skin & Laser (Ahwatukee)
- Arizona Diagnostic Radiology (formerly AZ-Tech Radiology)
- Arrowhead Surgery Center (Chandler)
- Blankinship Physical Therapy (Gilbert)
- Fusion Medical Center (Scottsdale)
- P. Gill, MD (Sun City)
- Innovative Family Health Practice (Mesa)
- Modern Foot & Ankle Centers (Gilbert)
- New Life Health Care (Chandler)
- Rajiv Parikh, MD (Tempe)
- Pinnacle Pain & Spine Consultants (Scottsdale)
- Roger P. Rose, DO (Sun Lakes)
- Sun Valley Medical Center (Sun City)
You can also view a list of practices and providers no longer participating in ACN.