International health organization reimagining health care in the U.S. is expanding in Belleville, NJ, in collaboration with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Belleville is home to a new multiservice Sanitas Medical Center. The center is the second of three new centers expected to be opened in New Jersey resulting from phase one of the collaboration between Sanitas and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ). The first center opened in Union City in December 2017 and the third will open later this year in Jersey City. The medical centers are independently owned and operated by Sanitas and are a critical component of Horizon BCBSNJ’s effort to improve access to health care services for the state’s Spanish-speaking and Latino residents.
The Belleville medical center is located at 1 Clara Maass Drive. The medical center provides primary care, urgent care, laboratory, diagnostic imaging services, and wellness and disease management programs. The center is open in the evenings and weekends to ensure that patients have convenient access to care in their local community. Additionally, Sanitas develops a culturally relevant experience tailored to each community including establishing a local diverse medical team of Spanish speaking doctors to address the needs of the growing Hispanic community.
Sanitas entered the U.S. market in November 2015 and has grown to more than 200,000 patients, improving the quality of care and the patient/member experience while significantly reducing total cost of care. Sanitas attributes these results mainly to its ability to engage patients in their health journey and a total health mindset. The other key success factor is the establishment of a customized approach in each community in close collaboration with the health insurance company.
Sanitas starts with a deep understanding of the clinical and non-clinical aspects that shape a patient’s ability to engage in healthy behaviors. Spending the time to truly know and support patients and jointly develop a care plan are critical aspects of Sanitas’ model. Sanitas also invests in developing and enabling diverse primary care teams with a mindset of delivering on ‘Total Patient Care’. This mindset focuses on prevention and screening at every step of the patient’s journey and handling most of the patient’s needs at the primary care setting—an approach that empowers primary care doctors to practice medicine as it should be and naturally reduces waste in the health system.
“Sanitas difference comes from a deep understanding of the unique needs of each patient’s health care journey and our proven ability to deliver a care experience that helps patients get healthier,” said Dr. Fernando Fonseca, Sanitas Chief Executive Officer. “We’re excited to work together with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to tailor our primary care model to the needs of their members and integrate our services and programs to deliver a simpler and better health care experience.”
“Horizon is committed to serving New Jersey’s Latino communities and to delivering the multicultural health focus Sanitas provides,” said Allen J. Karp, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Management. “Horizon has been really successful helping Hispanic consumers navigate the healthcare system and get the care they need through intensive person-to-person contact, a culturally sensitive approach and grassroots, community-based outreach.”
About Sanitas
Sanitas is a leading multinational health organization serving more than 3 million people with presence in Spain, United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, and the Philippines. Sanitas also includes educational and socially-focused organizations that complement its world of health mission. In the United States, Sanitas has 14 medical centers in Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey, serving more than 200,000 patients in collaboration with local leading health insurance organizations. Sanitas brings a unique integrated care model that improves access to quality and culturally relevant primary care while reducing total cost of care.
To learn more about Sanitas expansion in New Jersey visit mysanitas.com/nj
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.horizonblue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.8 million members.