STOUGHTON, MS & CHATTANOOGA, TN - Shields Health Solutions (Shields), the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country, announced today that it has partnered with Tennessee-based Erlanger to establish a new specialty pharmacy program. The collaboration with the nationally-acclaimed, multi-hospital health system will provide patients who have complex, chronic conditions increased access to specialized pharmacy services developed to lower costs, bolster treatment options, improve medication management, and enhance overall health.

The partnership will initially serve three disease states: neurology, rheumatology, and gastroenterology, with the intent to expand to additional patient populations. With the new partnership, specialty pharmacy liaisons will guide patients and caregivers who fill prescriptions with Erlanger, working with patients on-site. Among other tasks, these liaisons can assist patients and families with navigating barriers to care including health insurance, prior authorizations, or securing financial assistance.

Expanded patient support services in conjunction with access to recently approved and newly available specialty medications, will offer Erlanger patients greater availability for on-site treatment options. Shields currently partners with nearly 80 health systems around the country and has helped their patients reduce co-pays, promptly receive medication delivery — often within two days — and improved medication adherence greater than 90 percent on average.

“The newly formed specialty pharmacy at Erlanger marks a commitment to expanding the reach of the health system’s services and providing superior patient care in the Chattanooga area,” said John Lucey, CEO at Shields. “Our partnership will increase access to affordable care and improve therapy management and care coordination for Erlanger’s patients. Shields leverages our access to 90 percent of the limited distribution drugs to provide complex patients with the therapy they need and help them navigate restricted payer networks.”

The region’s only academic teaching hospital, Erlanger serves a broad patient population across portions of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama. It is the tri-state region’s only Level I Trauma Center and treats more than a million patients annually. Erlanger is comprised of seven total hospitals, including one pediatric facility, a behavioral health hospital, and a stroke center that has received recognition for its exhaustive stroke and neurosciences program.

“Our partnership with Shields and the new specialty pharmacy program will permit us to enhance the premium care we provide to our communities,” said Rob Maloney, COO at Erlanger. “We are delighted to join Shields’ network of premier health systems and leverage insights and experience from the foremost experts in the health system specialty pharmacy industry.”