Bluestone Physician Services Selected by CMS as a GUIDE Model Participating Provider to Support Patients with Dementia
STILLWATER, Minnesota — Bluestone Physician Services has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a new program designed to address the unique needs of the 6.7 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, a number that is projected to grow by nearly 14 million by 2060.
Starting in July 2025, Bluestone will offer a dementia care program to eligible patients, delivered by our interdisciplinary care teams of Nurses, Social Workers and Behavioral Health Care Managers, which includes comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans, care coordination, 24/7 access to a support line and an assigned care navigator to facilitate access to clinical and non-clinical services.
Recognizing the toll dementia takes not only on the patient but their loved ones, Bluestone also will provide unpaid caregivers evidence-based education on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia, and respite services to help them take temporary breaks from their caregiving responsibilities.
“Bluestone was founded on a promise to help people manage their complex, chronic conditions and our integrated care teams have deep expertise in improving the quality of life for our patients living with dementia,” says Bluestone CEO Dr. Rajiv Patel. “We’re honored to have been selected to continue delivering these great outcomes and we look forward to supporting the unique needs of our patients, their families and caregivers through this innovative program.”
Participating in the GUIDE Model is the next step in Bluestone’s journey in bringing exceptional care to patients residing in assisted living, memory care and group home communities. Since 2021, Bluestone has grown the number of patients we serve by 21%. We use population health data and effective care management programs to improve patient health outcomes — according to an analysis we commissioned by PwC, from 2017-2021 our patients experienced 21% fewer ER visits, 36% fewer hospitalizations and 41% fewer hospital readmissions compared to patients with similar conditions and complexities. In 2022, Bluestone’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO) saved Medicare more than $26 million and was the best performing ACO in the country as measured by the overall savings per beneficiary.
Current Bluestone patients will receive information about program eligibility in Spring 2025. If you are interested in receiving Bluestone’s care, please visit our website. For more information about the program, please visit CMS’ GUIDE Model website and refer to this fact sheet.