Carilion New River Valley Medical Center received a CMS Health Care Innovation Award to improve medication therapy management for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and other patients in 23 underserved rural counties in southwest Virginia. Their care delivery model, involving six rural and one urban hospitals and 20 primary care practices, trains pharmacists in transformative care and chronic disease management protocols. Through care coordination and shared access to electronic medical records, the project enables pharmacists to participate in improving medication adherence and management, resulting in better health, reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and fewer adverse drug events for patients with multiple chronic diseases.
