Strive Health and Prominence Health Plan Partner to Improve Care for Kidney Patients

Denver-based Strive Health, the national leader in value-based kidney care, and Nevada-based Prominence Health Plan, which provides compassionate health coverage to commercial businesses and Medicare beneficiaries, launched a partnership to provide high-quality, whole-person care for patients across Nevada with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) who are enrolled in a Prominence Health Medicare Advantage plan.

As part of the arrangement, Prominence and Strive will work closely with Sierra Nevada Specialty Care, the area’s leading nephrology clinic, to coordinate care for CKD and ESKD patients.

The CDC estimates that kidney disease affects 37 million adults in the United States, including more than 38% of those over 65 years old. A major challenge is as many as 90% of patients with kidney disease don’t know they have it and may not be identified until the disease has progressed to the point when more invasive care is required, such as dialysis or a kidney transplant. However, through early diagnosis, it may be possible to slow disease progression through medication management, therapy and palliative care. There are currently more than 106,000 Americans on the kidney transplant waiting list and kidney disease drives $420 billion in unmanaged annual medical spend, demonstrating the need for earlier intervention and specialized care coordination.

Strive Health clinicians will work closely with primary care physicians, nephrologists and transplant specialists in the Prominence and Sierra Nevada Specialty Care networks to ensure that patients have a seamless care journey. Patients will benefit from 24-hour access to a specialized care team, including telehealth visits and care coordination. The goal is to deliver a clinical care model that helps patients slow the progression of the disease and preserve their kidney function for as long as possible.

“We look forward to working with Prominence Health Plan and Sierra Nevada Specialty Care to ensure that people with kidney disease in Nevada have the best options for care available to them,” said Chris Riopelle, co-founder and CEO of Strive Health. “We want patients to know that there is a team of people who can support them in their journey.”

The Strive Kidney Heroes™ interdisciplinary clinical care team, which includes nurse practitioners, dietitians, care coordinators and licensed clinical social workers, use Strive’s technology platform to gather data from various sources and gain a better understanding about the patient’s risk of hospitalization or the progression of their disease. The care team journeys alongside the patient and serves as an extension of the patient’s physician to help manage both kidney disease and comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, that can impact a patient’s overall health. The result is less frequent hospitalizations, fewer readmissions, lower costs and better outcomes.

“The opportunity to better serve our kidney care members and slow their disease progression is clear,” said Dr. Traci Biondi, Chief Medical Officer at Prominence Health Plan. “This goes beyond simply treating their condition. This partnership not only aligns perfectly with our broader Prominence strategy, but it also highlights our commitment to delivering value-based care to our members. By collaborating with the right partners who bring deep expertise in specific disease categories, we can make a significant impact on our members’ lives. We look forward to expanding our efforts and announcing additional partnerships that address some of the most prevalent conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer treatment.”