St. Luke's University Health Network, a six-hospital system based in Bethlehem, Pa., and Highmark Health Services have partnered to form a patient-centered medical home program.
Highmark recently completed a PCMH pilot program, which was able to reduce costs 2 percent, reduce inpatient admissions 9 percent and drop 30-day readmission rates 13 percent. The program with St. Luke's will be based on the pilot.
As part of the program, clinicians will exchange more information with each other in order to boost care coordination. Clinicians will also guide patients and their families through treatment options and health education, according to the news release.
The PCMH program's effectiveness will be evaluated on a continuing basis, according to the release.
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