Wellness Program

A novel program which is a joint project between UPMC and UPMC health plan called UPMC Center for Wellness for Individuals with Spina Bifida and Spinal Cord Injury involved targeted preventive care through a wellness nurse case manager. Patients enrolled in the program develop a wellness plan and receive incentives as they meet wellness goals. The nurse case manager assists patients in carrying out their goals and helps provide care coordination and troubleshoots problems with access to care. Research is being conducted to determine whether this program has better outcomes than standard care in terms of medical outcomes, patient satisfaction, health care utilization, and cost.