Tucson Medical Center And SinfoníaRx Join In Pilot Project To Increase Medication Safety

Tucson, AZ (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Patients with a high-risk medical diagnosis who are on new complex medication regiments may soon get additional support after a hospital visit under a new pilot program

Tucson Medical Center and SinfoníaRx, a division of Sinfonía HealthCare Corp., jointly launched the pilot Sept. 1, 2015, attempting to determine whether connecting pharmacists with patients after a hospital stay will reduce readmission rates and help prevent medication related errors.

TMC already has a care transition team that checks in with patients after discharge to gauge progress, ensure they are taking medications as prescribed and make sure they aren’t encountering barriers in recovery.

“Some of these high-risk patients, however, may be on 20 medications and that kind of complex discussion really needs to happen with a pharmacists,” said Brenda Carle, Transitional Care Coordinator at TMC.

It is Carle’s hope that pharmacists will be able to help patients better understand:

1. How the medication will affect the disease process
2. How the medication will interact with other drugs
3. Any side effects of the medication
4. Any age-related cautions they should consider

The initial pilot project will be paired with an outcomes evaluation to determine the impact in 500 patients. The project will also solicit feedback from providers to see if they found a benefit.

Sandra Leal, Vice President for Innovation at SinfoníaRx, said a dedicated research team will sift the data to identify the trends that surfaced during pilot and what kinds of medications-related issues are presented.

“The long term goal would be to improve the patients understanding of the purpose of the medications and patient preferences in the management of Self-care to ultimately reduce readmissions,” she said.

About SinfoníaRx:
SinfoníaRx is an award winning, innovative healthcare company whose mission is to provide the highest quality healthcare solutions for health plans, patients, and caregivers. Originally established in 2006 at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, SinfoníaRx has a long history of pioneering modern Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services. Today, SinfoníaRx, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinfonía HealthCare Corp, develops and manages a full suite of MTM services, including STAR Improvement programs.

About Sinfonía HealthCare: www.sinfoniahealth.com
Sinfonía HealthCare was launched in January 2013 by pioneering healthcare executives Fletcher McCusker and Michael Deitch, the CEO, CFO team and founders of Providence Service Corporation, Sinfonía has created an innovative approach to community based medical care by establishing a full continuum of health services including: hospice, home health, companion care, primary care, wellness, and medication therapy management. Sinfonía also launched a behavioral health division designed to integrate mental health, pharmacy and primary care in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, and Virginia.

About Tucson Medical Center:
Tucson Medical Center licensed at more than 600 beds, has been Tucson’s locally governed nonprofit regional hospital for 70 years. TMC is Southern Arizona’s leading provider for emergency care and pediatric care, with top-notch intensive care units for adults, children and newborns. Other specialty areas include women’s maternity, cardiovascular, orthopaedic, neuroscience, hospice, surgical, vascular, geropsychiatric care and senior services.

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