Gov. Bobby Jindal and TriWest Healthcare Alliance CEO David J. McIntyre Jr. announced the company has selected Jefferson Parish to establish the TriWest Healthcare Alliance New Orleans Operations Center, which will serve as a traditional contact center for veterans through the Veterans Choice Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The project will create 285 new direct jobs with an average salary of $35,700, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 127 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 410 new jobs in Louisiana’s Southeast Region.
Based in Phoenix, TriWest was founded in 1996 and is owned by not-for-profit health plans and two university hospital systems. The company was established to provide high-quality access to health care for military service members, veterans and their families, and hires individuals for clinical and non-clinical roles, including patient services representatives, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, management and operations to support client needs.
Gov. Jindal said, “TriWest Healthcare Alliance has a long history of providing health care services for our nation’s heroes, and we extend a heartfelt welcome to its operations center in Jefferson Parish. We’re proud that TriWest selected Greater New Orleans in competition with eight other major metro areas, and that talented Louisiana workers will be serving our veterans in three regions spanning 28 states. With Louisiana’s strong business climate and the availability of our state’s highly skilled workforce, TriWest will support our nation’s veterans while providing great career opportunities for many families in our state.”
TriWest will recruit as many veterans as possible to its workforce. Hiring will accelerate during the months of September and October, with an expected launch of the call center in November 2015. The company’s operations center in Jefferson Parish will administer the Veterans Choice Program and provide support for veterans by processing care requests, conducting inbound and outbound telephone correspondence with veterans and health care providers, and scheduling appointments by phone.
“At TriWest, we are in the business to serve veterans: It’s who we are; it’s what we do,” McIntyre said. “We are seeking qualified applicants that have a deep desire to serve our nation’s veterans. If every position was filled with veterans themselves, we would be most pleased. TriWest is a proud supporter of the military and veteran community, and we chose to expand our operations to Louisiana – the place that over 300,000 of America’s veterans call their home.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs supplements services outside its own facilities, and relies on a network of medical professionals outside the VA system who meet VA standards for quality. The Veterans Choice Program provides veterans with access to primary care, inpatient and outpatient specialty services, and behavioral health care for those who face a wait time longer than 30 days for care, who live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility, or who cannot access VA services from their homes, due to geographic barriers. TriWest’s New Orleans Operations Center resulted from a growing frequency of healthcare requests through the VA’s Veterans Choice Program. Since January 2015, the company has seen a 2,400 percent increase in care requests to nearly 50,000 per month.
As the administrating organization for the Veterans Choice Program, TriWest provides services to Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and portions of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
“This is an exciting time for Jefferson Parish,” said Jefferson Parish President John Young. “Our military veterans are an asset to this community and it is gratifying to welcome a company that places a top priority on their needs. TriWest’s investment in the Jefferson Parish community is indicative of our plentiful resources available to our local businesses. We are certain that TriWest Healthcare Alliance will find success in Jefferson Parish, and we appreciate the company’s support and investment in our community.”
The New Orleans area is home to one of the largest populations of veterans who utilize VA healthcare services, which was a key consideration for TriWest’s investment in Jefferson Parish. LED and its partners at the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, or JEDCO, began discussing TriWest’s operations center with the company in June 2015. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered a competitive incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart® – the nation’s No. 1 state workforce development program. The company also is expected to utilize Louisiana’s Quality Jobs Program.
“JEDCO is proud to welcome TriWest Healthcare Alliance to Jefferson Parish,” said JEDCO Executive Director Jerry Bologna. “Not only will TriWest provide access to quality services for our nation’s veterans, but the company’s arrival in Jefferson Parish marks a unique opportunity to create jobs for our local heroes. We look forward to a long partnership with TriWest.”
“TriWest's decision to locate in Jefferson Parish demonstrates the parish and region's continuing value as a business location," said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. “This call center will serve a dual-purpose role of offering an attractive employment option to local residents while providing a valuable service to the men and women who have fought for this country.”
About TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Since its founding, TriWest Healthcare Alliance has served the nation’s veterans and military community. TriWest serves the nation’s heroes as the partner of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in administering the Patient-Centered Community Care Program and Veterans Choice Program (VCP). TriWest has served America’s military families and veterans since 1996, delivering award-winning customer service and providing access to high-quality health care. TriWest corporate headquarters are located in Phoenix. For more information, visit http://www.triwest.com.