Virginia Premier™ Partners with ProgenyHealth® for Comprehensive NICU Population Management Services

Business Wire

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ProgenyHealth today announces the launch of its NICU utilization management (UM) and case management (CM) program for Virginia Premier to provide comprehensive services for the health insurance plan’s premature and medically complex infant population. Virginia Premier is a non-profit managed care organization wholly owned by VCU Health System, now serving roughly 265,000 members throughout the Commonwealth.

ProgenyHealth’s data-driven business model empowers its team of neonatologists and NICU nurses to work collaboratively with families and providers across the country to help ensure at-risk infants receive the highest standard of care. The company’s integrated program supports evidence-based best practices, enables timely discharge from the NICU when the infant is clinically ready, and prepares the family for a healthy, safe return home.

John A. Johnson, MD, chief medical officer of Virginia Premier, leads its initiative to improve its members’ NICU outcomes. “We partnered with ProgenyHealth because they are recognized NICU specialists,” he commented. “These infants represent a very complex, vulnerable population. It’s a tough time for our member families, a challenging situation for providers working in the NICU, and a significant system cost. ProgenyHealth demonstrated their solution is aligned to improve outcomes for all those involved. Their first-year-of-life focus is especially important to us because we know how much the social determinants of health impact mothers and babies alike after they leave the hospital,” he added.

Commenting on the new relationship, Ellie Stang, MD, ProgenyHealth’s founder, president, and chief executive officer, states, “There are so many variables that influence the ultimate health of NICU infants. Premature birth is really just one of many medical and social complexities that our team deals with every day, all over the country. For example, the increased occurrence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a direct result of the opioid crisis, is especially high in Medicaid and rural populations. We share our expertise in this area with our hospital-based colleagues so that they have access to the latest evidence-based best practices for treating NAS, and the support of our clinical teams, regardless of the facility or location. We’re proud that Virginia Premier has recognized our value as we begin our partnership together to improve health outcomes for their infant members in the NICU in a collaborative and cost-efficient manner.”

About Virginia Premier

Virginia Premier’s mission is to inspire healthy living within the communities we serve with a focus on those in need. We do this through innovation, strategic partnerships, industry-leading health care and the power of VCU Health. In addition to its Medicare and Medicaid plans, Virginia Premier provides third-party administrative services and runs the Virginia Premier Neighborhood health Center in Roanoke. For more information, visit www.virginiapremier.com.

About ProgenyHealth

ProgenyHealth is the only national company dedicated exclusively to NICU utilization management and case management. Our neonatologists, NICU/pediatric nurses, and social workers collaborate with providers on behalf of Medicaid and commercial health plans, as well as large employers, to ensure health care services follow evidence-based best practices and are medically necessary. ProgenyHealth’s integrated program and first-year-of-life focus have proven effective in managing over 60,000 NICU cases, in over 1,400 hospitals, in all 50 states. We are measurably improving health outcomes for premature and medically complex newborns and delivering quantifiable cost savings to our partners in any payment environment. For more information, visit www.progenyhealth.com.