CCS today announced it will leverage its experience providing medical supplies for chronic conditions to offer a gestational diabetes management solution.
CCS, which includes CCS Medical and CCS Health, shared that its gestational diabetes management (GDM) offering will be included in its LivingConnected solution. CCS’ program couples intensive nutrition and clinical coaching with remote monitoring of blood glucose. The company says its solution results in a 45% reduction in total cost of care and improved health outcomes for infants and pregnant persons. The company’s expansion to address gestational diabetes will be led by its first chief medical officer, Arti Masturzo, M.D.
“Gestational diabetes is on the rise with 6% to 9% of pregnancies developing this condition, many times resulting in more complex, costly deliveries,” Masturzo wrote to Fierce Healthcare in an email. “We also know that it is much higher in underserved communities. More importantly, we know that with early, effective intervention including education, glucose monitoring and personalized clinical coaching, we can help reduce the adverse outcomes of gestational diabetes. Helping pregnant women, their care team and the organizations responsible for their care avoid the higher rates of Cesarean deliveries, shoulder dystocia and time in the NICU for the newborn is better care at a lower cost for all.”
The LivingConnected gestational diabetes management program partners with payers and OB-GYN practices to recognize birthers with the disease earlier in their pregnancy. Cellular-connected blood glucose monitors relay back to an all-hours CCS care team to offer providers a more globalized understanding of patient needs, according to the company.
By evaluating blood glucose levels, nutrition, exercise and behavioral health, CCS Health hopes to offer providers a comprehensive view of patients sooner during pregnancy when long-term adverse health outcomes can be better avoided.
CCS Health also includes a breast pump and lactation consulting with the offering. Lactation has been found to decrease the chances of birthers with gestational diabetes developing postpartum Type 2 diabetes.
“Gestational diabetes is associated with maternal mortality and morbidity, meaning there is a higher risk of women dying in pregnancy and of serious complications during pregnancy and delivery,” Masturzo said. “These include needing to go to the Intensive Care Unit during pregnancy or birth, significant blood loss during birth and having a C-section. About 50% of women with GDM go on to develop type 2 diabetes. For the mom, reaching a healthy body weight after delivery and breastfeeding have been shown to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. This is why personalized intensive coaching and education in partnership with the treating physician is so critical.”
Following a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, CCS Health performs intensive evaluation and planning sessions with the patient.
The first appointment patients attend is with a registered nurse who educates the patient on the risks, signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes and what they should look for during pregnancy.
Next, with a registered dietitian, nutritional habits are evaluated and a meal plan is designed to maintain glycemic control while nurturing both baby and parent. Follow-up appointments are scheduled as needed depending on the health metrics collected.
“Education and coaching through close monitoring is key to complementing the medical care provided by physicians,” Masturzo said. “We feel that this solution fills a very necessary gap in the holistic care of the GDM patient.”
GDM patients are also assessed for depression in their initial assessment along with post-pregnancy. CCS Health prepares birthers for the common reality of “baby blues” that begin a few days after birth and can last for up to two weeks.
For the birthers who experience the more severe, long-lasting form of depression referred to as postpartum depression, CCS Health works with the patient’s physician and case manager to ensure they have access to the care they need.
“The intersection between the CCS Medical and CCS Health businesses is all about skating to where the puck is going,” Masturzo said. “Our Medical business creates durable relationships with patients as the source of life-saving supplies and medications. Our Health business is positioned to leverage those dozen-plus patient touchpoints each year with meaningful clinical engagement and remote monitoring. Our technology platform powered by Welldoc and ZeOmega positions us as a valuable partner for plans or employers who seek a seamless solution to ensure that the expensive equipment their members or employees need to manage their health delivers the lower cost of care that is promised by better clinical care.”
Masturzo is new to OB-GYN and diabetes specialty care but has a background in the more encompassing internal medicine. She has held various roles with management services, physician practices, medical devices, home health and payers in a strategic capacity.
Most recently, she held the role of vice president of clinical innovation, home care and value-based care at Humana after serving as chief medical officer at Misonix.
“All healthcare organizations can think creatively about their core business to maximize their impact on the patients and members they serve,” Masturzo said. “I love that CCS, traditionally known as a distributor, is thinking outside the box to play a key role in the journey to value-based care. I’m drawn to pioneer opportunities, and CCS is the first organization that has been known as a supplier, to create a CMO role. I’m thrilled to join a team that wants to make an impact on total cost of care, reduce waste, improve clinical outcomes and make the healthcare experience better for the people getting care.”
CCS announced in August that it would be utilizing its expertise in providing medical supplies for chronic conditions to offer monitoring and coaching services for diabetes patients. The company boasts that it supports more than 200,000 patients living with chronic conditions and over 1.2 million shipments of medical supplies directly to patient homes.