BATON ROUGE, LA (July 27, 2021) – Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS), a leading health care innovator in Louisiana and Mississippi, and Shields Health Solutions, the country’s leading specialty pharmacy integrator and accelerator, announced a partnership that will enhance FMOLHS’ specialty pharmacy services by lowering costs, expanding treatment options and refining medication management.
Specialty pharmacies are typically used in highly complex or specific patient treatment plans. Because medications are an essential component of successful treatment, proactively managing prescriptions is an important responsibility in the healthcare relationship. In working with Shields, clinical experts help with the navigation of getting the right medications at the right time and at the lowest available price. Lessening the pharmacy burden for patients is the intent of this innovative approach. FMOLHS will introduce the role of Patient Liaison who will work on-site in physician clinics and the system’s RxOne retail pharmacies to assist patients through their medical journey of limited distribution drugs and health insurance payors.
FMOLHS begins its implementation of the Shields’ partnership in its Baton Rouge region beginning with seven of the Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group clinics. Initial focused efforts will include rheumatology, gastrointestinal and infectious diseases. Medical conditions in these specialties often have some of the highest cost and difficult to access prescriptions.
“We are proud to launch this exciting new partnership,” said Steven Gremillion, MD, FMOLHS Executive Vice President, and Chief Medical Officer. “As always, our patients and communities were at the forefront of our decision to work with Shields Health Solutions. We’re investing in the personal relationships with our patients so that each person we care for has the best treatment result. We’re partners with our patients and Shields is the best specialty pharmacy partner for us. Together, we are ensuring every patient has access to affordable treatment and medication.”
The specialty pharmacy capabilities at FMOLHS will provide patients with superior care in close coordination with clinical teams. Among the many advantages available to the patient will be, medication delivery services, access to disease specific clinical pharmacy teams, financial assistance, and insurance authorizations. The expanded patient support services combined with newly available drugs are intended to give patients more treatment options.
“We are honored to be partnering with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System,” said Lee Cooper, Shields CEO. “FMOLHS is a premier healthcare leader in Louisiana and Mississippi, improving the lives of individuals and the communities they live in. Our specialty pharmacy partnership will only improve their already fantastic outcomes with enhanced personalized care, access to more drugs, and a reduction in total medical costs.”
About Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System
The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System is one of the largest healthcare systems based in Louisiana and is the leading healthcare provider for more than half the state’s population. The health system is a non-profit, Catholic organization sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the ministry serves patients in Louisiana and Mississippi through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians, elderly housing and integrated systems. The health system’s unified physician organization is comprised of 900 adult and pediatric primary care physicians and specialists. The system’s nine hospitals include St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and Gonzales, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Heart Hospital, and Women’s & Children’s in Lafayette, Our Lady of the Angels in Bogalusa, and St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. For more information, visit www.fmolhs.org.
About Shields Health Solutions
At Shields, improving lives and elevating performance are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why more health system leaders trust Shields to help them elevate and scale clinical, operational, and financial performance. Not just within specialty pharmacy, but throughout the entire health system. Working alongside your team, Shields leverages its proven collaborative care model; integrated care technologies; and dedicated teams to produce the superior outcomes your patients deserve and the financial results your health system demands. Together, we elevate performance where it matters most — expanding payer and drug access; improving therapy management and care coordination; delivering unsurpassed patient experiences; and generating the net operating income you need to accelerate growth. Learn more about how Shields elevates outcomes and performance at shieldshealthsolutions.com.