Byrne to lead ACHP Collaborative

Jim Byrne, MD to lead ACHP Collaborative on medical home

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -  July 6, 2009) Priority Health Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Jim Byrne, MD has been invited to represent Priority Health and serve as medical director for the Alliance of Community Health Plans Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative. Priority Health is a member of ACHP.
 
"I am delighted that Jim will take over executive leadership of our Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative," ACHP President and CEO Patricia Smith said. "Jim will be a superb leader for this national collaborative of high-performing health plans. His demonstrated abilities in leading clinical care delivery and strong emphasis on primary care are precisely the leadership qualities needed to drive this collaborative forward."

In the last year, Priority Health has provided grants and education for primary care practices pursuing the patient-centered medical home model. Beginning April 1, payment reforms were put in place to cover services such as e-visits, telephonic visits, group visits and after-hours appointments -  all of which are recommended in the national medical home model.

"The Alliance of Community Health Plans strongly endorses the need to collaborate with and support primary care physicians in their efforts to develop medical homes for their patients," said Byrne. "We believe that primary care is the backbone of our delivery systems; a strong, effective primary care base is critical to achieving our goals of improving health, improving patient experience and controlling costs. I am honored to be selected for this appointment."

Members of ACHP established the PCMH Collaborative in January 2008 to better define the role of health insurers in the medical home model of care. Today, the Collaborative is focused on demonstrating better outcomes through the medical home.

About Priority Health:
Priority Health is a nationally recognized health benefits company based in Michigan. It serves nearly a half million members with a broad portfolio of products including commercial and government health plans. A nonprofit dedicated to providing all people access to affordable health care, Priority Health continues to be recognized as one of America's Best Health Plans by U.S. News & World Report and NCQA. Priority Health employs 900 people throughout Michigan's Lower Peninsula with offices in Grand Rapids, Farmington Hills, Holland, Jackson, Kalamazoo and Traverse City.

About ACHP:
ACHP is a national leadership organization that brings together innovative health plans and provider groups that are among America's best at delivering affordable, high-quality coverage and care in their communities. The nonprofit, community-based and regional health plans and provider organizations from across the country that make up ACHP's membership provide coverage and care for approximately 15 million Americans. These health plans focus on improving the health of the communities they serve and are on the leading edge of patient care coordination, patient-centered medical homes, accountable health care delivery, use of information technology and other innovations leading to improvements in affordability and the quality of care. To learn more about ACHP, go to www.achp.org.