Health First Shared Services Inc

Health First Shared Services Inc, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to improving the wellness and health of individuals and families through excellent and compassionate healthcare services. The primary purpose of this team is to provide support and services that enable the integrated delivery network to offer exceptional patient care across various Health First entities, including hospitals and hospice.

Specifically, Health First Shared Services enhances patient care by coordinating services to reduce resource duplication and increase cost-efficiency. They also offer enhanced clinical, marketing, planning, financial, and organizational services and expertise. Additionally, they engage in community health planning to ensure that all Health First entities provide the required healthcare services to meet the needs of Brevard County residents.

The organization has made significant strides in the realm of virtual healthcare, implementing tools such as virtual visits, allowing thousands of people to receive healthcare from the comfort of their homes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual visits became a necessity rather than a luxury, and Health First has seen a tremendous response from patients. They have expanded their virtual visit services to include well care visits, chronic disease management, acute visits, and specialist care. In 2022, there were 62,102 virtual visit patients who were seen by Health First providers.

Health First has also modernized their patient intake process by partnering with Phreesia, a company providing automated registration tools. Phreesia offers a comprehensive check-in experience for patients, allowing them to check in on their own mobile device both before and during their appointment, make payments prior to their appointment, and wait in their vehicle until they receive a message on their mobile device for their appointment time. This increased convenience and efficiency for patients.

Furthermore, Health First offers an enterprise-wide platform for their online provider directory named Kyrus. The improved directory streamlines the online medical staff provider directory, making it easier for customers to access and enhancing the overall customer experience. With the Health First directory, customers can search using keywords, acronyms, and filters, ensuring they find the most appropriate provider for their needs.

As a mission-driven organization, Health First is committed to improving the health of their community and providing services regardless of a person's ability to pay. In FY2022, Health First's dedication to high-quality, patient-centered healthcare totaled over $121 million in community benefits. This included over $56 million in charity care provided as a safety net for those who were uninsured or unable to pay for healthcare services and weren't eligible for public/government programs. Every three years, Health First conducts a community health needs assessment and addresses health disparities based on the most recent report. In Brevard County, recommendations were made to address health disparities in nutrition, physical activity, and weight, and access to healthcare.