Cigna launches collaborative care initiative with WakeMed

Cigna recently partnered with WakeMed Key Community Care (WKCC) to enhance patient access to affordable and better health care in North Carolina through the Cigna Collaborative Care program.

The program will help more than 20,000 Triangle-area residents who are members of a Cigna health plan and obtain care from among WKCC's 370 primary care doctors.

"This expanded relationship with Cigna is the latest example of WKCC's commitment to improving quality of care for Triangle-area residents," WKCC Medical Director Dr. Brian Klausner said. "Cigna members receiving care from a WKCC provider will benefit from improved coordination and value in their care."

Registered nurse clinical care coordinators from WKCC will team up with Cigna case managers to help individuals manage chronic conditions, make appointments, increase preventative health visits, refill prescriptions, get needed follow-up care and health screenings, and obtain education on the appropriate use of hospital emergency rooms. They will also assist Cigna in identifying patients who are at risk for hospital readmission.

"A customer-centered health care delivery system that emphasizes prevention and primary care, that rewards physicians for the quality of care and improved health outcomes will ultimately lead to a healthier population and lower medical costs," Dr. Edward Hunsinger, Cigna's senior medical director for North Carolina, said.

This Cigna collaborative care program is now one of seven available in North Carolina.