New Behavioral Health Network Formed to Improve Access and Lower Cost

Banner – University Health Plans (B – UHP) and Blaze Advisors have partnered with community-based behavioral health, primary care and social service providers to develop the Integral Health Network of Southern Arizona. The new network is designed to improve access and lower costs for individuals in Central and Southern Arizona with complex behavioral health conditions.

The Integral Health Network of Southern Arizona partners to coordinate access and facilitate transitions of care, ensuring that every patient with an identified behavioral health disorder receives timely and effective treatment from a team of clinical experts practicing whole-person, integrated care. Using a proven integrated care clinical model called ONEcare, empowered by a digital platform of care coordination, analytics, care management and patient engagement tools, the Integral Health Network of Southern Arizona provides a standardized interlink between primary care, hospitals, social service and behavioral health providers. By minimizing confusion and opening lines of communication, patients feel empowered to seek and continue their medical, mental health and/or substance use treatment.

ONEcare networks are self-governed and partner with payers, managed care organizations, hospitals, and Medicare affiliated Accountable Care Organizations, to improve access to care, member health outcomes, and address any system of care gaps.

B – UHP is a managed care organization and part of Banner Health. As a Banner division, B – UHP is a locally owned plan focused exclusively in Central and Southern Arizona with nearly 300,000 members and is a recognized Medicaid managed care leader. B – UHP has been a recognized Medicaid managed care leader since 1985, with a long history of successful operations in Medicaid and Medicare. B – UHP owns and operates: Banner – University Family Care (B – UFC/ACC), an AHCCCS Complete Care plan; Banner – University Family Care (B – UFC/ALTCS), an Arizona Long Term Care plan; and Banner – University Care Advantage (B – UCA), a Medicare Advantage Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). B – UHP fosters a member-centric culture, is an active community partner, with a mission to make health care easier so life can be better.

Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.

Blaze Advisors, a national leader in Population Health Management and Integrated Care, works closely with health care payers, providers, and community partners to operationalize and manage high-performance ONEcare networks delivering comprehensive, inclusive, and informed whole person care designed to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Blaze Advisors has extensive operational expertise in developing clinically integrated high-performance networks, population health analytics, care coordination technologies, and clinical quality improvement programs.  Each ONEcare network is augmented by the Care Optimization System which allows real-time communication, referrals, and insights to the patient’s care team. This “Virtual Practice” approach allows collaboration and follow-up, delivers clinical intelligence, and live

connections via phone/SMS with patients in between visits.  With over 3 million managed lives across the US, ONEcare networks provide a shared vision of whole-person care and a platform of population health technologies to provide comprehensive, inclusive, and data-driven improvements health outcomes.