Walgreens announces partnership with Pearl Health for value-based primary care services
Hospitals and physician practices are seeing direct competition from retailers that are investing in traditional primary care.
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Walgreens has made another move into primary care through a partnership with provider enablement company Pearl Health.
The move expands value-based care in collaboration with community-based primary care physicians, Walgreens said.
Walgreens will provide healthcare services such as prescription fulfillment, medication adherence, immunizations, care gap closure and diagnostic testing. It will also work with providers to help patients discharged from the hospital transition to home.
Pearl Health will provide technological insights into personalized treatment. Pearl's proprietary Urgency Score algorithm uses a variety of health and demographic data sources to identify patients that could benefit from their programs.
The partnership will allow Walgreens to reach more regions and patients and offer a broader set of solutions to providers and health systems.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The partnership will provide high-quality care with cost-effective methods, Walgreens said.
It will help improve performance of currently attributed lives, the ability to manage medications and drug spend, and offer a portfolio of specialized wraparound healthcare and pharmacy services.
This partnership will accelerate both companies' efforts to enable providers to deliver comprehensive, affordable care that drives positive, long-term patient health outcomes and fosters healthier communities, particularly in vulnerable areas.
THE LARGER TREND
Walgreens' moves into healthcare include its majority investment in VillageMD, a primary, multispecialty and urgent care provider; its majority acquisition of CareCentrix, a company that offers a platform for home-based care; and its full ownership of Shields Health Solutions for pharmacy integration.
Hospitals and physician practices are seeing direct competition from Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, Walmart and others that are investing in traditional primary care and other health services. Much of this is aided by digital offerings.
Pearl said it supports primary care organizations and providers in their transition to value-based care through data and insights for more proactive care that decreases total cost of care and optimize performance in risk-bearing models such as Medicare's ACO REACH. Since its founding in 2020, Pearl has raised approximately $100M in funding from investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Viking Global Investors, AlleyCorp and SV Angel.
ON THE RECORD
"Walgreens is committed to being the partner of choice for providers and health systems looking to transition quickly and effectively to value-based care and improve outcomes in the communities they serve." said John Driscoll, executive vice president and president, U.S. Healthcare, Walgreens Boots Alliance. "Our partnership with Pearl Health allows us to reach more communities faster and enable comprehensive, affordable care that improves long-term health outcomes and fosters healthier communities."
"At Pearl Health, we believe that local primary care providers are key to improving America's overall health. Our technology-powered value-based care model aligns seamlessly with the healthcare services Walgreens offers, particularly in the most vulnerable communities," said Michael Kopko, chief executive officer, Pearl Health. "With a focus on proactive, coordinated care, we'll collaborate to deliver a better solution to providers and ultimately deliver high-quality services to patients, while managing their care efficiently. We're very excited about the implications of this partnership for patients in Medicare and beyond."
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
