Surrounded in Care: How Accredo’s Specialty Team Helps Patients Navigate Rare Conditions

Patients living with rare diseases often endure a winding path to a diagnosis – and an equally long road to finding a rhythm with their treatments. Symptoms evolve, therapies can be intensive, and access to specialists is often limited, especially for patients living far away from major medical centers.

Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, part of Evernorth Health Services, helps patients navigate treatment with confidence and ease. Through a dedicated, condition-specific care model, Accredo provides high-touch, personalized support that meets individual patients – and their needs – wherever they are.

Accredo patient Kellie has experienced the benefits of this approach firsthand. Living with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency – a rare genetic condition that can lead to liver disease, COPD, or emphysema – presents unique challenges for Kellie.

Like many of the estimated 100,000 Americans affected by Alpha-1, Kellie faces obstacles not only from her diagnosis, but also from living far from major cities and medical centers. For Kellie, Accredo’s support and home-based nursing services have addressed these challenges head-on, bringing the resources she needs straight to her door.

Weekly home visits from her Accredo infusion nurse, Joan, have become more than just medical appointments. Kellie and Joan have developed a strong rapport that serves as a vital source of social connection and emotional support.

For patients like Kellie, having access to Accredo’s multidisciplinary care team – pharmacists, nurses, dieticians, social workers, and patient care advocates – can make a significant impact. This coordinated approach helps remove both clinical and non-clinical barriers that can disrupt treatments. 

Accredo’s nurse navigators, like Tracy, play a critical role in helping support adherence, reducing avoidable hospitalizations, and helping patients understand what to expect at every step of their treatment journey.

As a dedicated expert on the Alpha-1 care team, Tracy and her fellow nurse navigators are often the first point of contact for patients. They conduct welcome calls when a referral is received, spending time explaining Accredo services and helping patients understand their condition. This initial engagement helps build strong relationships that support long-term adherence.

“Nurse navigators help patients feel seen and supported,” Tracy said. “We guide them through their treatment, answer questions, and educate them about their medication and side effects. The more support and education we provide, the more we can help patients stay out of the hospital.”

Accredo’s level of support transcends working hours – Kellie knows she can rely on her team 24/7 to address her concerns.

“It makes a difference when you have nurses and nurse navigators that will help you when you need it,” Kellie said. “I know there is always somebody I can talk to. If I need care, Accredo will be there.”

Kellie's experience reflects the difference that personalized specialty care can make. By meeting patients like Kellie where they are – clinically, emotionally, and geographically – Accredo is helping people with rare conditions enjoy their healthiest lives.