In what it says is a signal of a growing commitment by nephrologists to value-based kidney care, Interwell Health has added more than 20 new nephrology practices and almost 100 physicians to its nationwide network.
Cambridge, Mass.-based Interwell was formed by the merger of Fresenius Health Partners, the value-based care division of Fresenius Medical Care North America, with Cricket Health and Interwell Health, a network of nephrologists.
The Interwell Health provider network now includes 1,700 nephrologists from across the country who are aligned with its mission to reimagine kidney care and help people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) live healthier lives. These 135 practices range from large to small, rural to urban, and span 38 states nationwide. Interwell says it helps these practices succeed in value-based care agreements with regional and national payers, and the company is also the largest participant in the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ kidney care payment models.
“We believe it’s essential to keep physician practices independent, strong, and at the center of new models of care for people living with kidney disease,” said George Hart, M.D., chief medical officer for Interwell Health, in a statement. “In the shift from volume to value, our network practices receive the resources, tools, and support needed to succeed in new value-based care agreements and improve outcomes for patients. We are honored to be the partner of choice for these providers.”
Some of the new practices that have joined the Interwell Heath network include:
- Caritas Medical Center (Georgia)
- Columbus Nephrology (Ohio)
- Commonwealth Nephrology Associates (Massachusetts)
- Eastside Premier Nephrology & Hypertension PC (Georgia)
- Fox Valley Nephrology (Wisconsin)
- Hypertension, Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation LLC (Alabama)
- The Kidney Group (Ohio)
- Metro Renal (Missouri)
- Nephrology Associates of Central Maine (Maine)
- Nephrology Associates of Tidewater LTD (Virginia)
- Nephrology and Hypertension Associates LTD (Mississippi)
- Portsmouth Nephrology (Virginia)
- Queens Nephrology Associates (New York)
- aka New York Kidney Physicians PLCC
- Randolph Medical & Renal Associates PA (New Jersey)
- Salerno Medical Associates (New Jersey)
Interwell Health supports physician practices by embedding care coordinators in the practice, providing personalized patient education, leveraging proprietary predictive models, and offering the leading nephrology-specific electronic health record technology. The company’s practice resources team helps streamline value-based workflows. In addition, Interwell’s holistic care team of social workers, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists support patients between doctor visits.
In a statement, one nephrologist spoke about working with the company. “Interwell is making us better nephrologists by supporting our important transition to value-based care,” said Dave Koeper, M.D., of Fox Valley Nephrology in Wisconsin. “They are providing us with the resources and expertise we need to improve the lives of our patients, including data-driven insights and an unmatched educational platform built for nephrologists, while also driving down the total cost of care. We believe value-based care is the future of kidney care and are thrilled to partner with the leading network of kidney care providers nationwide.”
In March, Interwell announced a joint venture with Oak Street Health, a value-based primary care provider, that will offer primary care to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients directly in the dialysis center.
The companies said this approach to primary care for ESKD patients aims to reduce hospitalizations, increase kidney transplantations, and improve outcomes to lower the total cost of care.
The new joint venture, called OakWell, will bring the type of coordinated primary care that dialysis patients need directly to them, the companies said, offering appropriate interventions in the center while still working in close partnership with nephrologists. This will remove the barrier of attending additional, separate medical appointments and help address issues of health equity.
