Health Alliance

UNC Health Alliance, our Clinically Integrated Network and Population Health Services Organization, is fundamentally improving health outcomes for our patients and communities.

Providing care coordination and fostering collaboration among our medical practices, UNC Health Alliance has been able to streamline patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes – all while helping lower insurance premiums for patients across North Carolina.

Focusing on healthy-based care, our population management strategies go beyond traditional healthcare by actively reaching out to patients who require essential services and preventive care or have been lost to follow-up. By proactively engaging with these individuals and helping coordinate their care, we can improve health outcomes and ensure that no one falls through the cracks of navigating their care.

We offer a unique approach to healthcare delivery, combining the strengths of UNC Health employed physicians with increasingly collaborative partnerships with community, independent healthcare providers. This blended network enhances the overall quality of care for patients and allows us to care for more patients in more counties across the state.

The goal of healthy-based care is to improve the health and well-being of our patients, their families, and our communities. Through improved outcomes and more affordable care, we have also realized new revenue to UNC Health. In 2022, UNC Health Alliance earned $37.2 million through value based alternative payment models while achieving exceptional quality outcomes including an unprecedented 106% quality score in our largest population and commercial value contract. This success can be attributed to comprehensive clinical support services catering to a wide range of patient needs. These include essential direct clinical services like complex case management, nutrition, and behavioral health support, as well as effective patient outreach and coaching support for our providers to help close patient gaps in care. With 80% of revenue dollars reinvested in the network, we can drive new solutions and programs in care delivery.

Investing in Comprehensive Clinical Support

What sets UNC Health Alliance apart is its dedication to partnerships; the belief that patient needs vary by location and that care is best rendered within local communities; and an unwavering commitment to innovative solutions that support our network practices and the patients they serve.

Key areas where UNC Health Alliance is making a difference:

  1. A network of caring and dedicated physicians who are leaders in their field and advocates for their community.
  2. Recognizing nutrition's vital role in overall health, we offer nutrition services to patients, including weight loss, dietary guidance, meal planning, and diabetes education through access to registered dietitians and Certified Diabetes Educators.
  3. Dedicated resources to manage complex medical cases, ensuring patients with multiple health issues receive coordinated care and support.
  4. Mental health is crucial to overall well-being, and we offer access to behavioral health professionals. A multidisciplinary team that includes the primary care provider, a social worker, and a psychiatrist ensures that patients receive the emotional support they need.
  5. We tackle social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and transportation challenges, by offering resources and assistance to vulnerable populations.
  6. We work to reduce health disparities and promote health equity through outreach programs, community partnerships, and initiatives for underserved populations.
  7. We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality care through continuous quality improvement. We are committed to meaningful analytics and delivering actionable data to solve difficult and important problems. We also provide physicians with coaching and other support to ensure excellence in patient care.
  8. We invest in technologies that support our provider network to ensure accurate and appropriate care gap knowledge and intervention.

By investing in these critical areas, the UNC Health Alliance network is improving North Carolinians’ health and quality of life while addressing some of the root causes of healthcare disparities in the communities we serve.

IImproving Access to Behavioral Health in Our State

Innovative solutions are at the core of UNC Health Alliance's mission. A new collaborative care management model launched in 2022 is showing exceptional results to address and treat patients with depression and anxiety quickly. Working together, a care team led by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker works with the patient and helps to coordinate between the primary care doctor and a psychiatrist. This active, patient-centered engagement leads to more comprehensive care, quicker access to psychiatry and significantly improved clinical outcomes. Patients with depression and anxiety who engage with our teams are realizing 70% improvement in their symptoms over a 12-month period. Furthermore, these patients are significantly less likely to experience hospital admission for more than a year after they complete this program.

Our Network State-wide Footprint (as of November 2023):

8,260 providers with 2,825 independent providers

1,817 primary care providers and 6,445 specialty providers

1,094 locations in 52 counties