Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation (RIPCPC) and Seniorlink Team Up to Improve Care Collaboration With Vela

BOSTON and CRANSTON, R.I., Aug. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation (RIPCPC), an Independent Practice Association (IPA) representing primary and specialty care physicians throughout Rhode Island, today announced that it has chosen Seniorlink Inc.'s Vela technology solution to launch the first healthcare collaboration platform that integrates family caregivers in the care management plans of commercial and Medicare patients with complex or chronic diseases.

Vela will connect care providers such as nurse case managers, care coordinators, patient advocates and pharmacists directly with patients and family caregivers to provide coaching, insights and support, helping family caregivers coordinate and deliver care with confidence. Vela is designed to replace outdated and fragmented care coordination methods, such as telephone calls and SMS messages, with a single, centralized, HIPAA-secure communication platform for enhanced collaboration, increased efficiency, and improved patient outcomes.

"Our mission is to provide cost-effective, high-quality care, and with a novel platform like Vela, we will be able to improve our ability to reach, engage and support our patients and family caregivers," said Noah Benedict, Chief Operating Officer of RIPCPC. "Patients with complex conditions need their care teams to work together on their behalf to manage through the vast framework of today's healthcare system. From clinical to financial questions, technology innovations like Vela are essential to making it easier for all members of a care management program to engage in a meaningful way."

"As the health care industry shifts to a value-based care model, collaboration amongst all care providers for each individual, including caregivers, is crucial," said Seniorlink Chief Executive Officer Thomas Riley. "RIPCPC's adoption of Vela for its community is an important step toward ensuring that caregivers are fully integrated into healthcare decisions so that patients can receive the most effective, and most supportive care possible."

RIPCPC will initially target approximately 500 patients in a pilot program that will run for six months and will measure outcomes including patient satisfaction, improved communication amongst care professionals and with patients, reconciliation of medications, reduction in emergency department (ED) use, and organization of and access to advance directives. Family caregivers and patients will opt-in to participate in the pilot.

To learn more about Vela, visit www.vela.care. Information about Seniorlink can be found at www.seniorlink.com, and to learn more about RIPCPC please visit www.ripcpc.com.

About Seniorlink
Seniorlink is a leading provider of care collaboration solutions. We serve consumers and family caregivers by partnering with risk-bearing provider and payer organizations to augment existing care management capabilities through solutions that leverage human touch and technology. Our team of compassionate, experienced professionals uses our proprietary platform, Vela, to encourage real-time collaboration among the extended care team that results in better outcomes at a lower cost.  Backed by nearly two decades of care expertise, Seniorlink leads the way on delivering high quality care. It was the first Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) provider in the nation to receive NCQA accreditation for case management (CM) and is the first to pursue CM with Long Term Services and Support (LTSS) Distinction. More information about Seniorlink can be found at www.seniorlink.com.

About Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation
Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation (RIPCPC) is a multi-specialty Independent Practice Association (IPA) of physicians located throughout the State of Rhode Island. RIPCPC, originally formed in 1994, currently represents 150 primary care physicians from family practice, internal medicine and pediatric medicine. The IPA also represents over 200 specialty-care member physicians, which include behavioral health, optometry and ophthalmology, gastroenterology and cardiology. RIPCPC delivers support services that are essential to providing high quality, cost-effective medicine to their patients, while also preserving community-based practices. Our PCPs act as primary care providers for over 150,000 Rhode Islanders. For more information, visit www.ripcpc.com.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

SOURCE Seniorlink

Related Links

http://www.seniorlink.com