Intermountain Health and Story Health Partner to Transform Specialty Care for Heart Disease Patients

Intermountain Health, a leading system of 33 hospitals in seven states, and Story Health, a health technology and services company that provides scalable specialty care beyond the clinic, recently announced a strategic partnership to improve access to specialty care for patients with heart disease.

The partnership combines Intermountain’s leadership in clinical quality improvement and excellence in healthcare delivery with Story Health’s specialty care platform solution to extend access to high-quality heart and vascular care for patients with heart disease.

“Patients have long journeys with their health, and a significant part of that journey takes place after they leave the clinician’s office,” said Tom Stanis, chief executive officer and co-founder of Story Health. “Our solution combines the latest AI-integrated electronic health record technology with real health coaches to directly identify and address the most disruptive barriers to a disconnected patient journey. Story Health is excited to be partnering with Intermountain to transform continuous care for patients.”

Intermountain’s goal for the partnership is to enhance care for patients and provide an optimal experience for heart patients and their families — including improved adherence to medications and more personalization of care pathways to enhance care for patients.

“The Intermountain Heart and Vascular team is continually striving to implement innovative ways to enhance the value of care we deliver,” said Sheralee Petersen, PA-C, executive clinical director of the Intermountain Heart and Vascular Program. “This collaboration with Story Health is an excellent example, offering a new approach to engaging and empowering patients. Together we aim to reduce heart failure mortality and readmissions while improving quality of life through evidence-based care.”

Intermountain clinicians and Story Health coaches will work collaboratively to personalize patient treatments and stay in close contact with patients as they carry out their care plans.

Health coaches act as their healthcare partners and will be available to respond to patient questions via email, text, or calls – not only reminding them about important medication changes, but ensuring that patients have access to the medications and can safely make changes in between visits with their care providers.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to care for patients with heart failure given the clinical importance of improving prescription access and adherence of life-saving medications,” said Kismet Rasmusson, NP, a cardiovascular nurse practitioner with the Intermountain Heart and Vascular Program. “Story Health offers a novel way to improve how medications are optimized using an electronic monitoring platform coupled with health coaches to put the clinical team’s plan in place. We are excited to partner with Story Health to learn how such a strategy can help us improve patient care.”

The initial work between Intermountain and Story Health will be a program that implements Story Health’s platform into the Intermountain system. The program is already underway, and whitepapers with the program results will be published in late 2023.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.