Mohegan Tribe and Yale New Haven Health announce partnership to care for team members, their families and the region
The Mohegan Tribe, in conjunction with its flagship property Mohegan Sun, and Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) recently announced that they have entered into a partnership with YNHHS as the preferred provider partner to deliver high quality and more affordable health care for all Mohegan Tribal citizens, employees and their families.
As part of this partnership, YNHHS will develop onsite facilities on the Mohegan Reservation to provide expert health care to employees and their families including primary care, walk-in care and specialty care services, including patient care navigators and a patient resource center to assist with navigating the health care system and promoting wellness. The health care center will also be open to the public, including Mohegan visitors and individuals in the surrounding communities.
In April, YNHHS and the Tribe announced that YNHHS would be the official health partner and sports medicine provider for Mohegan Sun’s two professional sports teams, the WNBA Connecticut Sun and the NLL New England Black Wolves. This new initiative is in addition to that relationship and will also allow players to seek medical health services onsite.
“This new partnership with Yale New Haven Health, which includes an on-reservation healthcare center, is an exciting way for Mohegan to provide for the health not just of our tribal citizens and team members, but to the community at large,” said James Gessner, Interim Chairman for the Mohegan Tribe. “An individual’s health is their number one asset. I can’t think of anything better to commit to.”
The onsite clinic will offer Primary Care services, walk-in care, musculoskeletal specialty care, physical therapy, x-ray and blood draw with space for minor surgical procedures. The Primary Care services will be staffed by YNHHS Northeast Medical Group (NEMG) physicians. Their goal will be to keep patients healthy by focusing on wellness and prevention while working to help staff avoid unnecessary and costly Emergency Department visits. Equally as important, YNHHS will bring its nationally recognized Musculoskeletal Care to the players and employees at Mohegan Sun. Yale New Haven Health and Yale Medicine’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care will include a comprehensive spine program and hip and knee program for Mohegan employees and players.
The onsite clinic also includes a walk-in center for immediate and same-day appointments with extended access after business hours and on weekends. A Patient Resource Center onsite will be staffed by YNHHS patient access personnel to manage scheduling, pre-registration and appointment instructions. Based on the success of Yale New Haven Health’s employee care coordination and health coaching program, livingwellCARES, Yale New Haven Health will provide care coordination to holistically manage the health of those with chronic disease in collaboration with all members of the healthcare team with the goal of providing safe, compassionate, person-centered care that is high quality and achieves cost effective outcomes for Mohegan Sun’s employees, their dependents and members of the Mohegan Tribe.
“We are very excited to be bringing Yale New Haven Health’s quality care signature to the Mohegan Sun family,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO YNHHS and YNHH. “This is a unique partnership and we know that by providing easy access to Yale Medicine and our Northeast Medical Group physicians, as well as our System hospitals, we will improve the overall healthcare experience for employees of Mohegan Sun and members of the Tribe.” The opening of the clinic is anticipated for the fall of 2020.
