System News

NORTH CHARLESTON— Boeing South Carolina teammates soon will have the option of paying less for a better healthcare experience through a new partnership launched with the Roper St. Francis Health Alliance.

The Boeing Preferred Partnership option will be available in the Lowcountry for more than 6,000 Boeing teammates and their eligible dependents starting Jan. 1, 2016.

Boeing’s current healthcare options will remain available, but the new Preferred Partnership option will be offered exclusively through the doctors and hospitals of the Roper St. Francis Health Alliance, the first clinically integrated network (CIN) in the Tri-County area. This is the first time a healthcare system has partnered with a large private employer in the Lowcountry to improve and maintain the health of employees and their family members.

Clinically integrated networks are relatively new to the healthcare industry and require providers be more accountable for the cost and quality of their care. The Roper St. Francis Health Alliance is the foundation of a broader effort to create a better, more efficient system of care in the Lowcountry, in part by ensuring employees become healthier through wellness and prevention programs.

"For this initiative, we chose the Roper St. Francis Health Alliance for several key reasons – they are well respected, provide a broad geographical reach, and have demonstrated a commitment to transform how health care is delivered,” said Jeff White, director of Health Care Strategy for Boeing. “Boeing will continue to engage with other providers in the community in an effort to transform the delivery system with a goal of providing access to high quality care.”

The Roper St. Francis Health Alliance is made up of more than 600 independent and employed physicians who will work together to reduce costs while improving patients’ experience. It aims to achieve certain performance measures related to chronic diseases, hospital readmissions, access and patient satisfaction.

“The healthcare marketplace has never been more competitive and is demanding higher quality, improved outcomes, better value and lower cost – all of which our patients have come to expect,” said David Dunlap, president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare, which established the Roper St. Francis Health Alliance. “We know our excellent physicians can deliver the highest value care for Boeing employees and improve the Tri-County population’s health.”

This marks the second time Boeing has entered into this kind of agreement with a health system. It announced last year a similar partnership in the Puget Sound area when it teamed up with some of the Northwest’s largest healthcare providers.

The Boeing Preferred Partnership option will offer Boeing teammates and their families savings through lower paycheck contributions, and lower costs for primary care physician visits and generic prescription drugs.

Other benefits include:

• Same-day or next-day appointments for urgent primary care needs or appointments within three days for urgent specialty care needs
• Electronic messaging with their care provider
• A Boeing-dedicated customer service center that patients can reach by phone, email or online
• A Boeing dedicated nurse line offering 24-7 consultations
• Online and mobile access for scheduling primary care appointments and reviewing test results
• Proactive provider support for preventive care and chronic disease management.

“We have come together to form a network with a vision of serving patients by improving care coordination, expanding patient access with less patient wait time and prolonged hours, and improving physician communication, said Dr. Todd Shuman, chief physician officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “We are seeing our vision come to fruition today with the announcement of this key milestone agreement with Boeing. We also look forward to providing this new coordinated, patient-centered approach to other employers in the area.”

About the Roper St. Francis Health Alliance:
The Roper St. Francis Health Alliance is a strategic collaboration between Roper St. Francis Healthcare and more than 600 independent and employed physicians. Roper St. Francis Health Alliance, the first clinically integrated network in the Tri-County area, is physician-led and was formed to improve care coordination among health care providers while maximizing patient engagement and providing high quality care at a lower cost. This new collaborative model will lead to an improved patient experience with greater geographic access, more convenient hours of service, and better preventive care. Roper St. Francis Health Alliance is designed to work with employers to provide timely service and maintain employees’ health. Learn more at www.rsfhealthalliance.com.

About Roper St. Francis Healthcare:
Roper St. Francis is Charleston’s only private, not-for-profit hospital system with a specific focus on community outreach. The healthcare system has three hospitals strategically located across the region: Roper Hospital on the Charleston peninsula, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in West Ashley and Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital in Mount Pleasant. The system intends to build a fourth flagship hospital in the Carnes Crossroads section of Berkeley County. Roper St. Francis Healthcare is one of the Lowcountry's largest private employers with nearly 5,600 employees. The healthcare system has a robust, active medical staff of more than 800 doctors representing every medical specialty and provides services in more than 125 locations in seven counties. Learn more at www.rsfh.com.

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