/ en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 03:51:10 -0500 Tue, 07 Feb 23 06:00:00 -0600 /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2023-02-07-exploring-connective-tissue-behind-carbon-healths-recent-upswing <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p><img alt="Exploring the Connective Tissue Behind Carbon Health’s Recent Upswing. Carbon Health. A hand stacking balls in circles that are connected to other circles in a network." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa4c507a-fb44-4551-a0ab-fa6623b3983d" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Exploring-the-Connective-Tissue-Behind-Carbon-Healths-Recent-Upswing.png" width="620" height="359"></p> <p>Like many of its competitors that are trying to transform health care, startup <a href="https://carbonhealth.com/" target="_blank" title="Carbon Health homepage">Carbon Health</a> began by casting a wide net. The company had major initiatives in areas like public health, remote patient monitoring and chronic care programs alongside its hybrid care model, which combines custom technology and an integrated care team to help patients manage their care on the go.</p> <p>More recently, however, Carbon Health has pivoted to concentrate on primary and urgent care. Its <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230109005615/en/Carbon-Health-Secures-Series-D-Investment-to-Drive-Primary-and-Urgent-Care-Expansion" target="_blank" title="BusinessWire: Carbon Health Secures Series D Investment to Drive Primary and Urgent Care Expansion">recent partnership</a> with <a href="https://www.cvshealth.com/" target="_blank" title="CVS Health homepage">CVS Health</a>, which included a $100 million investment from the retailer’s corporate venture arm, involves a pilot program to use Carbon Health’s primary and urgent care clinic model in some of the drugstore chain’s outlets.</p> <p>Central to Carbon Health’s strategy is its <a href="https://carbonhealth.com/blog-post/connective-care-a-new-model-for-primary-care" target="_blank" title="Carbon Health: Connective Care: A New Model for Primary Care">Connective Care primary care model</a>, which includes four main components:</p> <p><img alt="Connective Care Primary Care Model: goal setting with patients; measurement tracking; an integrated team of care providers; hybrid care options." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70dc4a45-cf4d-49c3-b7ab-9dd20e410908" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Connective-Care-Primary-Care-Model.png" width="620" height="204"></p> <p>The Connective Care model recently was made available beginning last month through a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-massachusetts-to-launch-new-virtual-primary-care-option-301630496.html" target="_blank" title="Cision PR Newswire: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to Launch New Virtual Primary Care Option">partnership</a> with <a href="https://www.bluecrossma.org/" target="_blank" title="Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts homepage">Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts</a> and <a href="https://www.firefly.health/" target="_blank" title="Firefly Health homepage">Firefly Health</a>. The model is now included in most Blue Cross MA health plans, with members able to choose a provider from Carbon Health or Firefly, which will provide primary care, mental health and referrals to in-person providers in their network when needed.</p> <p>Participants in the model receive Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-oriented goals for nutrition, exercise and stress from their providers. Patients will use <a href="https://carbonhealth.com/download" target="_blank" title="Carbon Health: Ge the Carbon Health App">Carbon Health’s app</a> to share biometric data from connected devices like blood pressure cuffs, continuous glucose monitors and weight scales to self-report data and symptoms, and participants can share their scores on mental health questionnaires. The data are used to help providers and patients assess progress toward the goals.</p> <p>Patients can connect with caregivers through virtual visits during and between visits. Carbon Health leaders believe the Connective Care model will draw patients who value convenience and easy access to care and who had positive virtual care experiences during the pandemic. The model also offers a number of touch points through the app, the web, chat function, asynchronous communication and email. They also believe the program will lower emergency department use and lead to better chronic disease management.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" data-entity- data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" type="file" class="align-center"></a></p> <a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img alt data-entity-type data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png"></a></div> </div> </div> .field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } Tue, 07 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0600 Urgent Care /case-studies/2022-01-25-case-study-winona-health-partnering-improve-health-and-wellbeing-community <p><b>Winona Health</b></p> <p>Winona Health is an independent, community-owned, and vertically integrated healthcare system designed to care for people through all stages of life. Located in Winona, Minnesota, a beautiful, rural area nestled among the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Winona Health delivers care to residents of southeastern Minnesota, and Trempealeau and Buffalo counties in Wisconsin. The system is one of the area’s largest employers, with nearly 1,100 staff members including more than 90 physicians and associate providers across a 49-bed hospital, primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, assisted living and long-term care residences.</p> <p><strong>Community Health Needs Assessment + Community Listening Sessions</strong></p> <p>Conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is an important step in monitoring and improving community health, a goal Winona Health shares with various community stakeholders. The assessment opens doors for greater collaboration among community partners by strengthening relationships and promoting a more efficient use of resources.</p> <p>Research has shown that a person’s health is, to a great extent, determined by factors outside the traditional walls of healthcare. Early community discussions and findings on the 2016 CHNA identified gaps in health equity, social determinant of health needs (SDOH), and concerning trends with obesity, mental health, and alcohol and substance abuse. Food insecurity in families rose as one singular area of focus, recognizing that early gaps may lead to downstream economic, health and social consequences and other inequities. For example, results from the 2016 CHNA revealed that 14% of the population who completed the mailed randomized survey compared to 56% of the immigrant and refugee population worried about food running out. Another significant discovery found 28% of Winona County children were eligible for free lunch, but only a fraction received free or reduced-price lunches, which indicated a service gap to more vulnerable students. Accompanying studies showed that 35-37% of Winona kids reported they had to skip meals because of insufficient family money, 11% of Winona residents were food insecure, and 19.5% of people in Winona lived below the federal poverty level. Equally concerning trends expressed during listening sessions included chronic stress related to financial pressures and locating affordable housing; the difficulty of finding and navigating support services; societal stigmas; and the hopeless feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle.</p> <p>View the detailed case study below. </p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 14:26:27 -0600 Urgent Care