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BOSTON — Rite Aid Corp. subsidiary Health Dialog will provide members of L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest U.S. public health plan, with round-the-clock telephone access to registered nurses, including from select Rite Aid drug stores.
Health Dialog’s Nurse Line has served more than 65 million patients.
Under the agreement, announced Monday, L.A. Care’s direct line-of-business members in Los Angeles County will get access to the Health Dialog Nurse Line, a professionally staffed phone support system with 24/7 direct access to registered nurse (RN) health coaches. These L.A. Care members also will be able to access the Health Dialog Nurse Line service from 141 Rite Aid stores in the Los Angeles County area.
Health Dialog said the Nurse Line will also provide other services to L.A. Care members at the Rite Aid stores, including translation support, immunization evaluation and support, smoking cessation and pharmacist medication consultations. Overall, L.A. Care has more than 1.8 million members
The Nurse Line provides guidance and information to help people make more informed decisions about their health care and avoid unnecessary and costly emergency room visits, according to Health Dialog. Using evidence-based clinical data, the RN health coaches assess the urgency of symptoms and direct members to the level of care for their condition. They also prepare members for doctor visits and help them understand medication side effects.
“L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County’s vulnerable and low-income communities,” L.A. Care chief executive officer John Baackes said in a statement. “Like L.A. Care, Health Dialog puts people first and is accountable, responsive and understanding of the culturally diverse populations it serves. Health Dialog’s highly trained nurse health coaches will not only provide expert medical guidance but will do so in culturally competent ways to ensure comprehensive support for all L.A. Care members.”
Health Dialog’s Nurse Line, certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, has served more than 65 million patients. The RN health coaches use a variety of resources to support diverse populations where challenges could impact the effectiveness of a Nurse Line call. These resources include bilingual nurses, access to live interpretation services in 200 languages, health information in multiple languages and at appropriate reading levels, and TDD/TTY accessibility for hearing-impaired members.
“For almost twenty years, Health Dialog’s Nurse Line has been helping people access the right level of care at the right time and empowering them to make better health care choices,” said Health Dialog CEO Web Golinkin. “We are committed to providing individualized care and meeting members where they are. Our Health Coaches transcend language, cultural and income barriers to support all members to successfully navigate the healthcare system, develop more effective relationships with their physicians, and live longer, healthier, happier lives.”
A specialist in population health management, Health Dialog provides the in-store health care coaches for the Rite Aid Health Alliance. Under the program, the coaches work with Rite Aid pharmacists and physicians as a care team to help people with chronic conditions manage their health.
