McKesson Health Solutions, Pfizer Health Solutions Provide DM, Nurse Triage to Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Through a competitive bidding process, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration awarded PHS a contract to deliver disease management services to approximately 90,000 eligible Florida Medicaid beneficiaries. Under a sub-contract with PHS, McKesson Health Solutions will provide telephonic and community-based registered nurse outreach, delivering both the telephonic and community-based registered nurse services, as well as a 24/7 nurse triage line. The program began January 1, 2007.

“The chronic care management programs look at each participant holistically, ensuring that our nurses and social workers take into account co-morbid conditions and other life issues that beneficiaries face every day. This approach helps us improve the health and wellness of beneficiaries, and provide cost savings to Florida,” said Sandeep Wadhwa, M.D., vice president of Care Management, McKesson Health Solutions.

The statewide two-year program focuses on eligible Medicaid beneficiaries with congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sickle-cell anemia, as well as co-morbidities.

McKesson Health Solutions is responsible for all care-team personnel, including telephonic and community-based registered nurses, social workers, community health workers, a local medical director, a pharmacist and a dietitian. This staff supports the delivery of the disease management program and provider outreach services.

“Among the goals of HealthierFlorida is learning how we can help providers deliver the most effective evidence-based medicine and assist beneficiaries in learning new ways to actively manage their own care,” said Emad Rizk, president, McKesson Health Solutions.

HealthierFlorida places each beneficiary’s primary-care provider at the center of the program through timely communications and by establishing clinical support services and provider education. McKesson Health Solutions’ local medical advisor works closely with Florida physicians and provider groups to address concerns and supply information about the program.

“HealthierFlorida will provide Medicaid beneficiaries with individualized care support and education that will help them improve their health and their lives,” said Donna Lichti, senior director/team leader for State and International Initiatives at Pfizer Health Solutions. “Our existing relationship with McKesson and its expertise in delivering telephonic- and community-based nurse support made it a clear choice for this partnership.”

McKesson Health Solutions and PHS worked together in the past to implement the Florida: A Healthy State program from July 2001 through September 2005.

About McKesson Corporation

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 16th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 173-year history, McKesson has grown to provide pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.McKesson.com.

About Pfizer Health Solutions

Pfizer Health Solutions, the wholly-owned care management subsidiary of Pfizer Inc, partners with health care and community organizations to implement patient-centered programs that focus on prevention, disease management and care coordination to improve patient health and efficiency of health care delivery.