Published: March 26, 2024
BURLINGTON, MA AND PHOENIX, AZ, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Azara Healthcare, the Best in KLAS provider of population health management and value-based care (VBC) solutions and Equality Health, a national leader in value-based care, are proud to announce a new joint solution which will enable Community Health Centers (CHCs) to thrive in risk-based arrangements.
The combination of Azara’s market leading solution, which aggregates and identifies actionable population health insights, and Equality Health’s ability to fully leverage those data-driven insights through enhanced workflows, field team support, and VBC contracts, enables CHCs to optimize their processes and fulfill their missions.
“Community Health Centers require VBC solutions designed with their unique needs in mind,” said Jeff Brandes, President & CEO of Azara Healthcare. “They are on the front lines, often caring for underserved populations, and this complete solution makes it much easier to improve community health while helping ensure that CHCs are operating in a financially sustainable manner.”
In the past, working with a VBC partner has required practices to use multiple tools and workflows, which could slow or complicate care delivery. Through the combined offerings of Azara Healthcare and Equality Health, CHCs will now be able to easily access population-level analytics and improve health outcomes through patient-specific, prioritized worklists which tie back to value-based contract goals. They will also have access to field-based support from CHC-specific practice teams to carry out customized care plans, allowing them to close gaps in care and address social drivers of health head-on. Together, Azara Healthcare and Equality Health are providing a first of its kind VBC solution that augments the capabilities of CHC staff and supports the shift to this growing care delivery model.
Both Azara Healthcare and Equality Health have extensive experience working with CHCs. Azara’s solutions are used by 600 clients and 30 FQHC networks across 42 states, and Equality Health works with 3,200 primary care sites, 25 health plans, and 700,000 members, 90% of whom are covered by Medicaid.
In a 2023 study of CHCs transitioning to VBC programs, participants named data sharing and care coordination as two of their biggest challenges in collaborating with health plans, and noted that negotiating and adopting the new payment structures associated with VBC is burdensome for staff who are already stretched thin.
“CHC’s have been long committed to the underlying principles of value-based care going all the way back to the 1960’s,” said Brandon Clark, EVP of Growth and Strategy at Equality Health. “Our partnership with Azara is intended to finally help these critical safety net providers unlock the financial potential of their deep and integrated care model, without unnecessary fragmentation of their preferred population health workflows.”
About Azara Healthcare
Azara Healthcare, the 2023 and 2024 Best in KLAS population health management solution, is the leading provider of quality measurement, analytics and reporting for the Community Health and physician practice market. Azara solutions empower more than 1,000 Community Health Centers, physician practices, Primary Care Associations, Health Center Controlled Networks, and clinically integrated networks in 42 states to improve the quality and efficiency of care for more than 25 million Americans through actionable data. To learn more about Azara Healthcare, visit www.azarahealthcare.com.
About Equality Health
Equality Health is a technology-enabled primary care platform that leverages the proven capabilities of value-based payment models to transform healthcare for diverse and often marginalized populations. From predictive modeling to advanced care-tracking tools, utilizing Equality Health’s proprietary software, participating PCPs can streamline value-based administration and stay one step ahead of a patient’s journey. Equality Health’s care model is Medicaid-first in design, partnering with over 3,200 PCPs and 700,000 lives across AZ, TX, TN, LA and VA. Equality Health partners with practices to close care gaps, optimize performance, increase compliance, and improve profitability. Members engage with holistic and personalized programs delivered through the lens of social and cultural needs. Equality Health is revolutionizing how care is delivered by establishing critical linkages with payers, providers, members, and community resources.