March 29, 2004 Affinity Health System Heart Failure Program
AFFINITY HEALTH SYSTEM LAUNCHES HEALTH BUDDY SYSTEM AT HEART & LUNG CENTER
Patients Use Health Buddy® Appliance for Heart Failure Management
Mountain View, CA and Menasha, WI - March 29, 2004 – Health Hero Network, Inc. has signed a contract with Affinity Health System to provide the Health Buddy® system for heart failure management. Affinity Health System comprises 17 clinics, three hospitals, a long-term care facility and a health plan and provides primary care, emergency services, pediatrics, and specialty services for residents of Northeast Wisconsin. Affinity Health System will utilize the Health Buddy system to manage symptoms, improve continuity and quality of care for patients of the Affinity Heart & Lung Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. Affinity’s Network Health Plan (NHP) is paying for the Affinity Heart & Lung Center to provide disease management services utilizing the Health Buddy system for patients diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure.
The Health Buddy system serves as the interface between patients at home and care providers, facilitating patient education and monitoring of chronic conditions. Patient results are risk-stratified for presentation to care providers, helping to ensure efficient management of their daily communication with patients. The Health Buddy system delivers health management programs that guide patients in self-care, education, and the collection of clinical information, including health self-assessment, symptoms and vital signs.
The Affinity Heart & Lung Center is one of the leading centers in Northeast Wisconsin, bringing technology, access, convenience and service to heart and lung patients throughout the region. By combining cardiac and pulmonary services, the Affinity Heart & Lung Center offers comprehensive and expedient consultation designed exclusively for heart and lung patients. The team at the Affinity Heart & Lung Center also provides adult and pediatric cardiology consultation services.
“Many patients do not realize that a few pounds weight gain, blood pressure increase or not sleeping well last night are early signs of heart failure deterioration,” said Edward Scanlan, M.D., Medical Director, Network Health Plan. “The Health Buddy checks these daily and alerts the system. Often a minor medication adjustment prevents an emergency hospital admission.”
“We are pleased to use the Health Buddy system to extend our reach of care for heart failure patients. The education that the system offers, along with the daily structured communication, helps patients remain safe and comfortable in their own homes,” added Patrick O’Brien, M.D., cardiologist at the Heart & Lung Center at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton.
About Health Hero Network
Health Hero Network develops and markets the Health Buddy® system for health improvement. The Health Buddy system serves as the interface between patients at home and care providers, facilitating patient education and monitoring of chronic conditions. The system includes monitoring technologies, clinical information databases, Internet-enabled decision support tools, health management programs and content development tools. Through increased communication, behavior modification, and prevention, the Health Buddy system improves the quality of care. Based in Mountain View, California, Health Hero Network’s systems are protected by over 55 issued US patents. http://www.healthhero.com
About Affinity Health System
Affinity Health System is a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network sponsored by Ministry Health Care, Milwaukee, and Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Wheaton, Ill. Affinity Health System is proud to be the Fox Valley’s third largest employer (Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry) and ranked 17 in the top 100 integrated health care networks nationwide (Verispan 2004). Network Health Plan is ranked by NCQA among the top five HMOs in the five-state East North Central Region for its high HEDIS Effectiveness of Care Measures and has achieved Excellent accreditation status from NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance), the highest possible level. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh; Franciscan Care & Rehabilitation Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 17 family practice and specialty clinics in 12 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; Affinity Occupational Health; and Affinity Visiting Nurses.
