Heritage Provider Network Inc. and Rite Aid Corp. announced on Tuesday a partnership to coordinate care for patients with serious health conditions. Heritage, a Northridge-based manager of doctors groups, said patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions will receive coordinated pharmacy care at Rite Aid stores and from coaches provided by the Camp Hill, Pa. chain. The announcement was made at the Rite Aid in Woodland Hills. Services will include medication compliance support and reviews, weight management, disease education and more. Logistically, physician orders will be transmitted electronically to the care coach and pharmacist and reports of all patient interactions within Rite Aid pharmacies will be shared with the member’s physician. “Improving health outcomes and reducing the cost of care for chronic and poly-chronic patients is a top priority for us at HPN,” said Heritage Chief Executive Officer Richard Merkin, M.D., in a statement. Nine Heritage affiliates will participate, including High Desert Medical Group in Lancaster, Lakeside Medical Group in Glendale and Affiliated Doctors of Orange County. The Rite Aid Health Alliance pilot partnership with Heritage is the largest to date since Rite Aid announced the program earlier this year. The rollout, taking place in two phases, is expected to be complete by mid-July. Heritage was founded in 1996 and provides healthcare to more than 700,000 people across the country. Apollo Medical Holdings Inc., a Glendale provider of doctors to hospitals, signed a similar deal with Rite Aid in March, also to manage patients with serious chronic conditions.
