Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has announced a partnership with a Massachusetts company to improve its member services call center.

The insurer said it selected Wakefield, Mass.-based Panviva’s SupportPoint Business Process Guidance system to assist its customer service representatives to access several information sources to more effectively consult with members and answer their questions.

Ed Fennell, BCNEPA’s vice president of member advocacy, said one of the insurer’s priorities is to provide answers “in the most effective and efficient manner possible.”

“Implementing Panviva’s SupportPoint system will enable our representatives to access the required information quickly,” Fennell said in a statement. “We also believe that SupportPoint will help us to improve customer loyalty by enabling us to resolve issues with that first phone call.”

SupportPoint acts like a GPS for processes and procedures, according to Panviva. It recognizes the role of the customer service representative, where he is a process and where he needs to get. The system then provides them with step-by-step guidance through each call, assuring improved adherence to policies and procedures while offering members an improved customer experience.

“The healthcare industry is facing the challenge of delivering better quality care and making it more affordable for members,” said David Frenkel, CEO of Panviva. “BCNEPA recognizes that improving operational efficiency is one of the best ways to meet this challenge. With SupportPoint, BCNEPA has selected a fast, low-cost way to simultaneously lower operating costs while enhancing customer service.”

BCNEPA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, offering health products and services to 600,000 individuals in 13 counties in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania.