Smartlink’s interoperability and workflow-integration technology supported Cary Medical Management’s technology-enabled approach to improving value-based care performance across commercial payer contracts.
Cary, North Carolina — April 2, 2024 — Smartlink Health Solutions, a provider of interoperability and value-based care technology, today highlighted results reported by Cary Medical Management (CMM), a North Carolina-based physician management services organization (MSO) that delivers technology deployment, operational management, and value-based care infrastructure for primary care clinics.
CMM announced that one of its clinically integrated networks (CINs) achieved a 32% total medical cost improvement over the previous 12 months for patients covered by three national commercial insurance payers. CMM also reported that another CIN projected its clinics will receive more than triple its prior shared savings from a regional commercial payer.
Since 2019, CMM has prepared its network of primary care clinics to succeed in value-based care by combining operational oversight with innovative, data-driven workflows. Across eight clinics, CMM reported that 31,000 patients are currently covered under one of its seven value-based care contracts.
Data Driven Workflows Leveraging NC HealthConnex
CMM attributed the cost improvement in part to its strategic use of data from NC HealthConnex, North Carolina’s state-designated health information exchange (HIE), managed by the N.C. Health Information Exchange Authority.
To operationalize these data-driven workflows, Smartlink’s EHR-agnostic integration technology automates the retrieval, normalization, and contextual placement of external clinical data from sources such as HIEs and payer systems directly into clinic workflows—reducing manual reconciliation and enabling care teams to act on more complete information during the patient visit.
CMM reported it uses hospital discharge data from NC HealthConnex to help reduce the hospital readmission rate of engaged Medicare patients to 8.3% over 12 months, compared to a reported national average of 17%. CMM also reported using a patent-pending algorithm to identify interacting chronic conditions and suggest corresponding ICD-10 codes based on combined EHR and HIE data.
In one clinic study of 975 patients, CMM reported that 88 patients (9%) had previously diagnosed pulmonary disease and 45 patients (4.6%) had COPD diagnoses not captured in the clinic’s EHR—underscoring the value of more complete clinical context during the patient visit.
Supporting Scalable Value-based Care
“Sustainable cost improvement in value-based care depends on making the right data available during the patient visit, without adding complexity for clinical teams,” said Ginny Mahaney, Chief Commercial Officer at Smartlink Health. “We’re proud to support Cary Medical Management by providing technology that helps operationalize data from multiple sources into everyday clinical workflows.”
“Our results reflect a deliberate focus on combining operational discipline with data-driven care delivery,” said Patti Holston, VP of Operations of Cary Medical Management. “By deploying technology that brings together EHR, HIE, and external clinical data, our clinics are better equipped to manage risk, improve outcomes, and control total cost of care.”
ABOUT CARY MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
Established in 2019, Cary Medical Management was founded by a group of experienced clinic operators, physicians, and executives from leading healthcare technology companies, including Smartlink Health Solutions and Infina Connect, with a vision to drive the “trillion-dollar transformation to value-based care.” CMM’s role is to leverage its wealth of healthcare experience to ensure its portfolio of clinics succeeds in the new era of healthcare quality and value. For more information about Cary Medical Management and its services, please visit www.carymso.com.
ABOUT SMARTLINK HEALTH SOLUTIONS
Smartlink is a leading provider of healthcare integration solutions, committed to breaking down data silos and facilitating seamless data exchange in the healthcare ecosystem. With a focus on innovation, Smartlink empowers healthcare organizations to enhance interoperability, improve clinical workflows, and ultimately deliver better patient care.