Innovating healthcare to deliver value-based technology and services: Citra Health Solutions

Healthcare today faces increasing pressure due to a number of contributing factors: more patients managing multiple chronic diseases, growing population, skyrocketing costs, and complex government regulations. This has resulted in many unmet needs and gaps in the healthcare system. Healthcare companies have to focus on the challenges of identifying and targeting patient needs and improving the accessibility of quality healthcare services to the population as a whole. Healthcare staff and administrators need real-time visibility to make the best decisions for successful patient outcomes.

Citra Health Solutions is a healthcare services and technology firm providing integrated clinical, financial and administrative solutions. Solving the needs of providers, health systems, payers and employers in the transition to value-based care, Citra empowers clients with proven technology, population health solutions, analytics and care services that reduce the cost of care. Currently, the company is serving more than 30 million members nationally. 

Time for Change

Citra Health Solutions was founded in 2012 by Howard Buff. Howard’s motivation to form Citra was largely fueled when his son, Matthew, was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Having a deep healthcare background, Mr. Buff was able to navigate the system and provide the best care available. However, he saw many families during that time who were not able to effectively navigate the complex system. He knew things needed to change and it was at that moment he decided to be part of the solution. He began to seek answers to how he could be part of the transformation to a value-based care model. With what he learned, he started Orange Health Solutions, which stemmed from the orange bracelets his family wore to support Matthew’s fight with Leukemia. 

Change starts with vision

The journey began with providing services for Citra’s own accountable care organization, ACO Health Partners, in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2013, the company obtained CMS approval to become a MSSP ACO. Citra was successful executing strategy and the ACO was awarded $11.2 million in shared savings by CMS for the 2014 reporting year. Citra continued expanding lines of business and acquired EZ-CAP, a software with a 25+ year history in the healthcare market. This acquisition, along with newly formed partnerships like Allscripts and McKesson, the business grew exponentially. In 2016, Citra acquired SironaHealth, a call center with clinical triage capabilities, and began deeper patient engagement campaigns utilizing the company’s proprietary software, Carescripts.

Knowing the leader behind Citra Health Solutions, CEO Howard Buff

Mr. Buff is passionately leveraging his unique entrepreneurial skills and disciplined Fortune 500 company successes to change the healthcare industry as a whole. For 25 years, his senior executive leadership focus has been on all aspects of healthcare and financial services through his roles with UnitedHealth Group, Paychex and Insperity. Through his family experience with pediatric leukemia, he is driven to make a difference in the lives of others. With a commitment to give back to other families experiencing catastrophic diagnoses, the Buff family founded Momcology, a national peer support organization for parents of pediatric cancer patients. Howard and his wife, Kimberly, are committed to helping those affected by cancer through emotional support, funding clinical research, and creating new programs that enable families to heal through community. Learn more at www.momcology.org.

“Our mission is to make value-based healthcare services accessible and affordable so that quality care is delivered at the right time to achieve optimal outcomes.”

“Our vision is for providers, health systems, payers, and employers to embrace the transformation of healthcare payment models using our cohesive clinical, financial and administrative solutions.”