Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Partners Medicare Choice Sign Contract

February 3, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Almost 40,000 senior citizens who are members of Partners Medicare Choice now have in-network access to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Under the new contract, N.C. Baptist Hospital (NCBH) and Wake Forest University Physicians are both considered in-network providers.

“This is great news for seniors who have the Partners Medicare coverage, especially those of Aegis Family Health Centers who can now access Wake Forest Baptist,” said Len B. Preslar Jr., NCBH president and CEO.

Aegis Family Health Centers, a subsidiary of NCBH, has about 2,000 patients who are members of Partners and previously was required to refer to them specialists outside the Medical Center.

Partners Medicare members will still need a referral from their primary care physician to see specialty care. Partners Medicare Choice members include all Reynolds American International retirees.

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Media Contacts: Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, or Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, 336-716-4587.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.


Media Relations