Avella launches NurseConnect program to engage and support patients

PHOENIX, Oct. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avella has announced the introduction of a new patient support program, NurseConnect, designed to engage and educate individuals taking powerful specialty drugs to manage their health conditions. Avella's highly-trained nurses deliver outreach through a variety of modalities, including video, screen sharing, text and traditional phone calls. This flexible model allows the specialty pharmacy to personalize each engagement approach based on the patient's needs and preferences.

NurseConnect's nurses can assist with treatment-related issues ranging from how to administer an injectable medication to helping patients cope with side effects. This outreach ensures that patients know what to expect from their treatment and understand the importance of taking these medications on time and as directed. However, this program begins even before the individual's prescription is filled. Nurses often reach out to a patient right after a diagnosis of a condition like cancer, hepatitis C, HIV or infertility. As a result, the individual has a single point of contact throughout the entire treatment journey as they look to cope with the physical, emotional and financial burdens that can accompany their illness.

Avella is employing a nurse-staffed patient engagement center to provide a full range of services including one-on-one patient engagement along with reimbursement support, case management, hub support and clinical research support. The company then measures and monitors attributes such as drug adherence and adverse events as reported by patients, integrating this data into state-of-the-art internal systems. Patient experience data is also collected through the use of call monitoring, recording and surveys. And to assist in bringing new medications to market, Avella can provide its manufacturer partners robust population health and post-marketing surveillance reporting.

"NurseConnect leverages a model that is already proven in the healthcare industry today," according to Rebecca Shanahan, CEO of Avella. "Research consistently shows that nurses are among the most trusted working professionals in the nation. NurseConnect taps into that unique relationship of trust between patients and nurses in order to provide high-touch, personalized support that is enabled by advanced technology."

To learn more about NurseConnect, visit avella.com/NurseConnect.

About Avella Specialty Pharmacy

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella Specialty Pharmacy is a National Accredited Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996. Avella's clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. The company offers a nationwide distribution service to complement its retail locations. In 2016, Avella was named Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by NASP, a nationally recognized pharmacy trade committee. Inc. Magazine's 2016 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country included Avella for the tenth consecutive year and also recognized Avella as the fastest-growing woman-led company in 2015. In addition, the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards named Avella Specialty Pharmacy as the second fastest-growing private company based in the state in 2016. For more information, please visit www.avella.com.

Todd Speranzo
Todd.Speranzo@avella.com
(623) 742-1719

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SOURCE Avella