WVU Medicine Joins Interwell Health Network to Bring Value-Based Kidney Care to West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – March 26, 2024 – WVU Medicine announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Interwell Health with the goal of improving the care of patients with kidney disease.

Interwell contracts with regional and national payers in value-based agreements, partnering with physicians to improve the health of their patients while lowering the total cost of care. WVU Medicine nephrologists will join the Interwell network and implement its population health approach to kidney care.

“We are thrilled to welcome this leading group of nephrologists at WVU Medicine to our network and to our mission to reimagine kidney care,” Terry Ketchersid, M.D., M.B.A., senior vice president at Interwell Health, said. “We are committed to supporting our provider partners with resources that have demonstrated improved outcomes for people living with chronic kidney disease.”

The company’s holistic care team includes nurses, dietitians, social workers, and care coordinators that support and educate patients between doctor visits to help slow disease progression. Its predictive models identify patients most at-risk of progression and hospitalizations, while a specialized care team conducts rapid outreach post-discharge to avoid readmissions.

“This partnership with Interwell opens the door to better care for our patients,” Rebecca Schmidt, D.O., WVU Medicine nephrologist said. “By approaching kidney disease from a population health perspective, we can use machine learning and other technologies to examine the progression of disease and use that data to implement more effective treatment plans. We understand that progress cannot happen in a vacuum, and Interwell presents the opportunity to collaborate with others on best practices and use this collaboration to help better the lives of West Virginia patients with kidney disease.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Virginia has the highest mortality rate in the nation for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The Interwell Provider Network now exceeds 1,800 nephrologists across the U.S. and Puerto Rico who are aligned with its mission to reimagine kidney care and help people with CKD live healthier lives. The company supports 125,000 patients in value-based care agreements with private payers and the government.

For more information about how WVU Medicine Nephrology, please visit WVUMedicine.org/Nephrology or call 855-WVU-CARE.

Visit the Interwell Health physician page to learn more about how the company supports nephrology practices in the transition to value-based care.