Mission Health launches new virtual clinic and signs agreement with Cigna

NEW VIRTUAL CLINIC LAUNCHED

Mission Health has launched a new online clinic that offers convenient care for common illnesses from the comfort of your home. Visit www.Mission-health.org/virtual-clinic where a Mission provider is available online Monday through Sunday between 7 am – 10 pm.  You can complete an online written interview anytime and receive a response within one hour. You can even complete it in the middle of the night and receive a response from 7-8 am the following morning.

Conditions we treat through our online clinic include cold, flu and allergies, sinus infection or sore throat, urinary tract infection (UTI), vaginal yeast infection, minor eye conditions such as pink eye (conjunctivitis), skin conditions, canker or cold sore, eczema and dermatitis.

If you have symptoms of heart attack or stroke, or feel that your life is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.  

A Mission Virtual Clinic consultation costs $25, payable online by any major credit card.

MISSION AND CIGNA SIGN MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT

 

Mission Health and Cigna have signed a new agreement providing Cigna customers who get health care benefits through their employers with in-network access to Mission Health’s hospitals, outpatient centers and employed physicians across western North Carolina

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing, collaborative relationship with Cigna, and to offer sustained network coverage to members who rely on our providers for the highest quality healthcare services,” said Paul McDowell, Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Mission Health. “We believe a much more competitive insurance market in western North Carolina will greatly benefit large and small group employers and consumers alike. Cigna has been a terrific partner for Mission and the community.” 

The agreement is effective September 1, 2017, and includes all of Cigna’s commercial, employer-based health care plans. 

“Cigna is a leader in North Carolina and around the country in developing collaborative programs with doctors and hospitals that reward the value of health care outcomes rather than the volume of services provided,” said Charles Pitts, President of Cigna in the Carolinas. “Mission Heath’s commitment to high quality, affordability and patient satisfaction aligns closely with Cigna’s focus. We are also working to further enhance our collaboration with Mission Health for the future. With Cigna, businesses and consumers can have confidence that Mission Health hospitals, facilities and physicians will be in-network for 2018 and beyond.”  

PHYSICIANS COMPLETE LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP

 

Mission Health partnered with the Tampa, Florida-based Center for Transformation and Innovation (CTI) and its Physician Leadership Institute to provide a 26-member group of talented and engaged physicians with an enriching educational opportunity through a year-long Physician Leadership Fellowship. CTI focuses on working with health system clients to provide leadership, strategic and innovation plans via programs specifically designed for physicians. Since the realities within the world of healthcare are transforming like never before, so too are the requirements for physician leaders.

Mission Health’s physician participants benefited from a customized curriculum that provided them with individualized assessments, leadership skill-building opportunities and exercises, and valuable individual coaching. In addition, they had the opportunity to develop strategic action projects in response to organizational challenges including: effective medical staff engagement, approach to community investment and the redesign of physician employment contracts. The fellowship recognizes that good leadership is not static within any organization, but rather a dynamic force that can significantly augment the work of a health system or practice.

Mission Health is committed to offering its high potential physicians relevant opportunities to engage in leadership, with patients, each other, and their professional peers.  Our approach focuses on introspection, collaboration, and creativity as physician participants examine their roles, duties, and individual personalities and work styles. CTI’s evidence-based curriculum reflects their commitment to fueling transformation within healthcare organizations through innovative leadership ideas and practices. “We are honored to work with Mission Health,” said Mo Kasti, CTI’s CEO and founder of The Physician Leadership Institute. “Mission physicians have demonstrated exceptional dedication to honing their leadership skills in order to build upon the culture of excellence at Mission Health.”

William Hathaway, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Mission Health, asserted that this opportunity is an excellent way to make a positive, far-reaching impact on community care in western North Carolina. “Our investment in physician leadership reinforces our commitment to improve our community members Be Well, Get Well and Stay Well by providing the highest quality of care to them. We are incredibly proud of our talented physicians who completed this fellowship, and we’re certain that the knowledge and experience they gained by participating will heighten the depth of their interactions with patients, and enhance their contributions to Mission Health.”