A new partnership with Amazone One Medical, which offers hybrid virtual and in-person primary care, aims to expand access to high-quality coordinated care in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic said in an announcement Monday.

WHY IT MATTERS

Patient access to essential health services is behind the collaboration, according to Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, Cleveland Clinic's chief executive officer and president, with the new practices to offer same and next-day appointments, an onsite lab and virtual care support for members.

But it's also about the patient experience, Cleveland Clinic said, describing thoughtfully designed offices, ample time between patients and 24/7/365 virtual care services through a mobile app. That app also provides patients with digital assessments for common health concerns, vaccine and medical record access, prescription renewals and more.

For Amazon One, the collaboration offers a seamless continuation of care that can deliver "the highest levels of health, care and value," Trent Green, the company's CEO said in a statement.

The first one is expected to open next year, but Cleveland Clinic and Amazon One said they will determine additional locations over the next several years.

"Teaming up with Cleveland Clinic advances our mission of improving the healthcare experience, bringing our human-centered and technology-powered model to individuals and employers in the greater Cleveland area," said Green.

THE LARGER TREND

While Amazon One Medical works with more than 10,000 employers throughout the U.S. who sponsor membership fees as a benefit for their employees and their dependents, its Amazon parent company has experience partnering with health systems to transform care delivery and enhance its speed.

Last year, David Higginson, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Phoenix Children's Hospital, told Healthcare IT News how the provider needed a hands-free, telehealth-capable device in 750 exam rooms and partnered with the Alexa Smart Properties program to develop it.

One feature allows doctors to incorporate an electronic behavioral health screening for immediate evaluation through a Zoom integration. 

"After the patient’s original visit occurs, the physician does a warm handoff to the therapist using the Alexa Show in the clinic room, and the therapist conducts an evaluation and education session with the patient before they leave," Higginson explained.

"This just-in-time, virtual care has provided countless children with access to a therapist when they would normally be waiting for weeks and could be at risk," he said.

Cleveland Clinic – no stranger to innovation – also announced in July that it partnered with Masimo, an automation developer, to make patient care more seamless with hospital-based remote patient monitoring and virtual critical care. Through the initiative, the health system will jointly develop artificial intelligence-based decision-support tools for earlier detection of adverse events in patients of varying acuities.

ON THE RECORD 

"This collaboration demonstrates a shared commitment from both organizations to meet the needs of our patients and to enhance the care we provide to our communities," Mihaljevic said in a statement.

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.