On September 1, all of Pardee UNC Health Care’s eleven primary care practices serving Henderson, Buncombe and Transylvania counties will become Pardee BlueMD. The change in name supports Pardee’s recent change to become a FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) and will be reflected in signage, communications and business materials.

Patients of Pardee BlueMD practices will continue to see their providers as they always have, with minimal changes to their overall experience, but may be asked to complete new paperwork. In addition to the existing UNC Health Financial Assistance program, Pardee BlueMD practices now will offer a sliding fee scale for services.

“Pardee made the decision to work with Blue Ridge Health in order to expand service offerings throughout the communities we serve,” said Johnna Reed, BSN, MPH, chief administrative officer for Pardee UNC Health Care. “We believe that our region needs and can support additional options for comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. Some of the services that we look forward to incorporating into our current model of care include accessibility to outpatient behavioral health, pharmacy, care management and social workers to assist with access to community services. Pardee will be able to do even more to support individuals and families in our region who will benefit from additional resources.”

Pardee UNC Health Care and Blue Ridge Health will continue their long-standing relationship and commitment to continued innovation to reduce gaps in care, create a more seamless care delivery model, and improve patient outcomes, while maintaining independence within their respective organizations. Under the FQHC model, each Pardee BlueMD practice will provide comprehensive, culturally-competent, quality primary healthcare services to all patients, regardless of ability to pay.