Located in Laredo, Texas, PILLAR is a certified community behavioral health center (CCBHC) that continually expands its capability to serve the surrounding community as a comprehensive outpatient behavioral health center, licensed substance abuse treatment facility, and primary and family medical care entity. PILLAR has offered integrated and co-located behavioral health, substance abuse, and 24-hour crisis intervention services since 2010. In 2021, the CCBHC began providing in-person psychiatric care and primary and family medical care services. Today, PILLAR has evolved into a “one-stop shop” where a multidisciplinary team of clinical, medical, and professional staff holistically, conveniently, and expertly treat clients’ comprehensive health needs from one location.
When PILLAR chose Avita as its pharmacy services provider in 2022, it was clear that the community health center was on the cusp of tremendous growth. Since then, PILLAR’s patient base has increased sevenfold due to its CDC-lauded care model. In December of 2024, PILLAR and Avita expanded their partnership, co-locating an onsite pharmacy at the clinic, allowing patients to seamlessly access their medications without ever leaving the building.
However, with growth often comes growing pains. As the clinic began to serve larger portions of the community, its team members recognized opportunities to increase the sustainability of its 340B program, patient adherence to medications, and effective communications between patients, PILLAR providers, case managers, and the Avita Pharmacy team. Enter the Avita CareConnect portal, an application designed to act as a single point of digital engagement that streamlines 340B administration and patient services between Avita and its covered entity partners. Read on to learn how PILLAR adopted Avita CareConnect and why the technology has allowed the organization to grow by “leaps and bounds.”
Maximizing digital engagement to enhance patient outcomes
Studies show that patients face medication adherence issues when experiencing a gap in care. In fact, one report showed that out of an initial cohort of 100 patients living with HIV, only 10 of those patients were taking their HIV treatment as prescribed after one year.
The PILLAR team experienced patient medication adherence challenges as well, says Social Worker Sandra Vazquez, including clients not filling their prescriptions monthly and running out of refills.
Then the covered entity hooked into CareConnect, Avita’s digital engagement platform. The platform’s Patient Services module provides clinic case managers with a focused view of their patients’ profiles, making it easier to help patients navigate their prescriptions and refills and improving communication between case managers and the Avita Pharmacy team.
Avita CareConnect improves communication, productivity, and the centralization of information so team members can identify ‘What's happening here, who else should I pull into this conversation, and what else can we do?’ It’s a game-changer.
The Avita CareConnect Patient Services module:
- Gives case managers real-time information about their patients’ prescriptions, including the ability to monitor the status of active medication therapies, review the number of remaining refills, and check on delivery status. Each case manager can set up their personalized caseload
- Allows case managers to directly communicate with their Avita Pharmacy team via a two-way messaging center, and
- Offers a Case Manager Notes feature, where team members can seamlessly document actions taken on the patient’s behalf
Avita CareConnect’s design was based on the needs of covered entity case managers, 340B leaders, providers, and patients, says Avita Senior Director of Pharmacy Centralized Services and Training Alex Cooper. “Case managers are patients’ main point of contact and the glue holding everything together between patients’ appointments and when they fill their prescriptions at the pharmacy,” he explains. “So, giving these folks the tools and information they needed to care for their patients was paramount.”
A central purpose of the platform is to offer case managers visibility into what’s happening at each step of the prescription process, says Avita Case Manager Portal Lead Latisha Jackson. “Sometimes that’s that biggest piece missing from the puzzle,” says Latisha, a former case manager who helped roll out the technology. “Avita CareConnect improves communication, productivity, and the centralization of information so team members can identify ‘What’s happening here, who else should I pull into this conversation, and what else can we do?’ It’s a game-changer.”
However, the real test comes from those using the application on the front lines of community health, like PILLAR’s Sandra Vazquez. “Avita CareConnect has been the primary reason PILLAR patients have been able to achieve such good health outcomes,” she says. “We maximize CareConnect’s features to ensure clients stay compliant with their medications.”
Avita CareConnect has been the primary reason PILLAR patients have been able to achieve such good health outcomes. We maximize CareConnect’s features to ensure clients stay compliant with their medications.
Leveraging 340B insights for the win
Many covered entities also struggle to manage the intricate financial details of their 340B programs in real time. In an ever-changing 340B environment, Avita’s CareConnect portal is optimized to help entities seamlessly understand how their programs are progressing and assist them in managing their missions and budgets.
In a turnkey dashboard setting, Avita CareConnect’s 340B Management module offers 340B teams the ability to leverage a host of analytics and projections based on the entity’s historical activity, including:
- Projected 340B proceeds based on prescription fill date ranges
- Month-to-date estimates of a 340B program’s net proceeds, costs, prescription activity, and patient counts, and
- Data highlighting patient prescription activity, top drugs, script volume, and prescribing providers
Via a self-service interface, covered entities can also:
- Download finalized monthly settlement reports, and
- Manage 340B-eligible prescriber or patient lists
“The CareConnect 340B Management module is an excellent tool PILLAR uses to identify our monthly revenue trends,” says Sandra. “I love that we can easily access settlement reports and track which providers are prescribing what medications. Our program has grown leaps and bounds by helping clients adhere to their treatment plans, monitoring follow-up appointments, and avoiding refill issues.”
The PILLAR team says that Avita CareConnect fosters a team approach to pharmaceutical care and offers all team members appropriate insight into individualized patient needs across the continuum of care.
I love that we can easily access settlement reports and track which providers are prescribing what medications. Our program has grown leaps and bounds by helping clients adhere to their treatment plans, monitoring follow-up appointments, and avoiding refill issues.
“If we focus on the patients, everything else falls into line."
At the end of the day, says Avita’s Alex Cooper, the “business” side of a covered entity’s 340B program is intrinsically linked to their mission, which drives improved and expanded patient outcomes. Avita built CareConnect to help entities leverage secure, streamlined communications and data insights that foster improved patient experiences. “If we focus on serving our patients, everything else falls in line,” he says. “We’re committed to working with our partners to make Avita CareConnect a tool they can use and benefit from.”
Mission accomplished, says PILLAR’s Sandra Vazquez. “I would highly encourage any agency working with Avita to get to know CareConnect,” she says. “It has done wonders for our organization.”
If we focus on serving our patients, everything else falls in line. We’re committed to working with our partners to make Avita CareConnect a tool they can use and benefit from.
