AccessHealth Spartanburg among 6 groups picked to develop health program

July 28--A Spartanburg health agency that connects low-income, uninsured adults to quality health care has been awarded a $250,000 grant from a prestigious foundation and one of six groups nationwide selected to develop a program that addresses needs of the most complex and costly patients.

AccessHealth Spartanburg was chosen by the Princeton, N.J.- based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the two-year "Transforming Complex Care initiative," according to AHS Director Carey Rothschild.

"This is a big deal for AHS and Spartanburg," Rothschild stated. "For six years, AccessHealth Spartanburg has not only been developing new strategies for delivering health care to our most vulnerable citizens, we have been delivering outcomes never before seen in our community.

"This is important confirmation from a respected organization that AHS is having a significant impact in our community and setting a model for other communities to emulate."

The grant will help pay for a new community health worker to work closely with high-need, high-cost patients and study the effectiveness of the practice, she said in a statement.

The initiative will be led by the Center for Health Care Strategies. The six models chosen will demonstrate how their strategies can be used in other communities, she said.

The other models are in Montana, Vermont, California, Wisconsin and Virginia.

Rothschild said complex patients often have multiple medical, mental health and substance use treatment needs and face social and economic challenges that further complicate their health outcomes. AHS community health workers make home visits as part of intensive care management.

"Thus far the results have been encouraging as AHS has significantly improved patient health outcomes while reducing the amount of charity care and higher cost medical interventions for its clients," she stated.

Allison Hamblin, vice president of strategic planning at the Center for Health Care Strategies, said health care providers across the country are looking for ways to improve care for high-cost patients.

David Adler, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said the initiative will help build a base model that can be expanded.

"Caring for patients with complex needs requires innovative programs that go beyond medical issues to address unmet social needs," Adler stated.

AccessHealth Spartanburg was recognized last year with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 2015 Culture of Health prize for its efforts to improve health and wellness in the community.

Founded in 2010, AccessHealth Spartanburg served 487 people in its first year. It grew to 756 enrolled earlier this year, Rothschild said. In addition, 203 people obtained better insurance or have surpassed the income threshold to be eligible for the program, according to Rothschild.

Follow Bob Montgomery on Twitter@bmontgomeryshj

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