Monterey
Health Reimagined in Monterey County
In Monterey County, we are working to improve access to primary care providers by supporting and collaborating with a large employer –Municipalities, Colleges, Schools Insurance Group (MCSIG). Our long-term goals include adding improved access to primary care and behavioral health providers and implementing programs that address social determinants of health. We believe businesses and employers can play a key role in how we can reshape health care to increase the quality of care while making care delivery sustainably affordable. Additionally, we are working with Salinas Valley Medical Clinic and Acacia Medical Group to implement innovative payment models and the Community Health Advocate Program, as well as Monterey Spine and Joint to establish
Pilot program participants
• Altais Health
• Acacia Medical Group
• Community Health Innovations (CHI)
• Monterey County Department of Health
• Monterey Spine and Joint
• Salinas Valley Medical Clinic
Key initiatives
Community Health Advocate Program
Aimed at promoting preventive measures to help manage member health and identify health risks, the Blue Shield-funded Community Health Advocate Program operates in several community medical practices in Monterey County, providing personalized, high-touch care, integrated with innovative technology and collaborative community organizations. Among services community health advocates provide are:
o Acting as a liaison with local community and health care organizationso Coordinating quality healthcare and community resourceso Reducing social challenges and barriers to achieving positive health outcomeso Increasing access to services and care coordination
Community Health Advocate mobile clinic program
Blue Shield has engaged in an innovative sponsorship with Community Health Innovations (CHI) to deploy community health advocates in mobile clinics in Monterey County – two in Montage Health mobile clinics and two in Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System mobile clinics. The mobile clinic program is offered to patients regardless of insurance coverage and is designed to help patients whose behaviors, the complexity of the condition, and/or socioeconomic circumstances are impeding optimal health or recovery.
Expand primary/specialty care services in the region
Several initiatives in Monterey County will expand healthcare services for residents:
Altais Health is opening two primary care clinics in collaboration with a healthcare services company that helps physicians and the clinical community maximize the health and well-being of their patients in a sustainably affordable way, while reducing practice administrative burden. The clinics will equip providers with Health Reimagined solutions, such as the Community Health Advocate Program and shared decision-making platforms.To deliver urgent, after-hours medical services for patients with sports injuries, we are setting up a new orthopedic clinic with Monterey Spine and Joint.An alternative payment model and Community Health Advocate Program with two primary care physicians at Salinas Valley Medical Clinic and Acacia Medical Group are helping to address social determinants of health for patients and enable a holistic approach to primary care.
Blue Shield of California is an independent licensee of the Blue Shield Association.
Where we’re starting
We’re piloting programs for Health Reimagined in four distinctly different regions throughout the state. Each county has unique qualities to help us understand which approaches are most effective.