Florida Blue, Sanitas team on primary care center in Jacksonville

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Health insurer Florida Blue has teamed with Sanitas Medical Center in opening a primary care health center in Jacksonville focused on supporting the area's Florida Blue members who are over 50, as well as Medicare members of all ages.

Sanitas and Florida Blue have collaborated to provide primary care since 2015, but the Jacksonville location is their first center in northeast Florida, the organizations said. 

Located in the Regency area, the center will provide services including preventive and primary care, onsite pharmacy dispensing, chronic-condition management, mental health services, labs and imaging, and a community use space for patient and community education and social engagement, in addition to wellness classes and activities.

There is also space for patients, their caregivers and family members to join virtual visits with their care team.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Officials said that care at the new center will be tailored to the "evolving needs" of the surrounding senior communities, and will be geared toward engaging individuals earlier in their healthcare journey. Their experience will be personalized for their unique physical, mental and social needs, the organizations said.

Sanitas patients will have access to nurses who specialize in different conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, as well as nutritionists and social workers. They'll work with patients to simplify their healthcare experience, coordinate with other providers and manage patients' overall health.

More than 470,000 Florida Blue and Florida Blue Medicare members receive medical care and health and wellness services at the 50 Sanitas centers currently located across Florida.

"At Florida Blue, we pride ourselves on being a health solutions company, which means understanding each member's unique needs and providing appropriate solutions to help them thrive," said Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of GuideWell and Florida Blue. "This is especially important for older adults as healthcare needs can increase with age. Through the innovative model we have developed with Sanitas, we are providing customized, accessible, and harmonized primary care solutions to members to help them live healthier lives."

THE LARGER TREND

In Florida, there are more than 4.9 million Medicare-eligible adults, and that figure is expected to grow. In fact, U.S. Census figures note that by 2030, older Americans will make up 21% of the population. According to data from the American Psychological Association, by 2060, the number of people aged 65 and older in the U.S. is projected to double from 46 million to more than 98 million, marking the first time in history that the number of older adults will outnumber children under age 5.

Florida Blue, which has been operating for about 80 years, serves more than 5 million members and all 67 Florida counties. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with nearly 8,900 employees, it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Sanitas USA is a subsidiary of Keralty, a multinational health organization serving more than 8 million people in Spain, the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines. In the U.S., Sanitas has medical centers in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and New Jersey in collaboration with local health insurance organizations.
 

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.