[T]he largest community health center in the state is partnering with Vermont’s independent practice association to improve patient health.
Community Health Centers of Burlington announced Monday it will work with HealthFirst to bolster primary care, integrate mental health into primary care, and educate people to improve their health.
Community Health Centers of Burlington has seven locations in the city, and HealthFirst has 34 primary care offices throughout the state. The partnership marks the biggest alliance of primary care providers in Chittenden County, serving at least 75,000 patients. The independent doctors are separate from the network of doctors that work for the University of Vermont Medical Center.
“The primary focus is really around sustainable cost reduction and improvement of the quality of life for patients and their families,” said Greg Robinson, the chief executive officer of Community Health Centers of Burlington.
Robinson said the partnership’s first step would be to focus on reducing the incidence of diabetes by 1 percent. He said that goal is achievable through early behavioral interventions for kids as young as 6 years old.
Robinson, who formerly worked for the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington and the accountable care organization it owns, called OneCare, said HealthFirst and the community health centers can battle chronic diseases more effectively from the ground up.
“By the time you’re at a hospital, more than likely it’s already too late” to prevent a chronic disease, Robinson said. “We definitely see having the partnership with hospitals as important, but less critically important initially.”
OneCare has also been focusing on population health management. It is on track to merge with an accountable care organization that represents Vermont’s community health centers, and it has been chosen to manage the health of Vermonters insured through Medicaid.
Amy Cooper, the executive director of HealthFirst, said the alliance “coordinates the independent practices’ approach” to early primary care intervention.
“This is the initial step, and our independent practices have been here building their holistic services around medical homes,” Cooper said. “It was just sort of the natural first point would be for us to align our approaches together and then grow it from there.”
The work between HealthFirst and Community Health Centers of Burlington starts in September, according to Robinson.
