Blue Shield of California's Care Connect Recognized with 2023 Gartner® "Eye on Innovation" Award for Healthcare and Life Sciences

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California won the 2023 Gartner "Eye on Innovation" Award in Healthcare and Life Sciences for its innovative Care Connect platform.

Care Connect has transformed the way the nonprofit health plan provides advanced care services to its members. Launched in January 2023, the care management solution consolidates member data from 13 systems into a single, unified view that enables clinical teams to provide streamlined, personalized, and in-depth care coordination.

"Care Connect is a game changer in achieving our Health Reimagined vision because it allows care managers to spend more time helping our members rather than searching for information," said Tracy Alvarez, vice president of Medical Care Solutions at Blue Shield of California. "When the entire care team has access to the same comprehensive view of a member's health journey, we're able to provide more holistic, high-quality interventions, which is especially important for our more complex and vulnerable populations."

The cloud-based Care Connect system enables real-time data sharing between Blue Shield's care teams and community-based partners. The ability to view and share clinical, lab, pharmacy, behavioral health, and other pertinent member data improves collaboration among providers, leading to better care for patients.

Initially designed to support Blue Shield's member population with the most complex healthcare needs, the platform's time-saving automations now enhance care coordination for members in every Blue Shield plan. Integrated risk assessments and predictive-care recommendations help Blue Shield's care managers connect members more quickly with providers and resources like food, transportation, and other community services to support their health and wellness.

"We're driving healthcare innovation at a time when the industry is undergoing massive transformation, and we will continue to push every day to create and deliver the best experience for our members," said Bill Giard, vice president of Enterprise Architecture and Health Innovation at Blue Shield of California.    

A second Blue Shield initiative, Virtual Blue, was recognized as a Gartner "Eye on Innovation" finalist. Virtual Blue is a virtual-first PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) benefit plan that integrates primary, behavioral, specialist, and 24/7 urgent care for simpler, more effective healthcare experiences both virtually and in-person.

Care Connect and Virtual Blue are key initiatives in Health Reimagined, Blue Shield's innovative plan to transform the healthcare system. Learn more at healthreimagined.blueshieldca.com.

"Eye on Innovation" Award winners' videos are posted on the Gartner website.

The identification of Gartner Eye on Innovation Awards for healthcare and life sciences, runner up or winner(s) is not an endorsement by Gartner of any vendor, product or service, but is a recognition by industry peers for innovation excellence that inspires others. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with more than 4.8 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $24 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $97 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. 

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SOURCE Blue Shield of California