|
 |
|
HealthNow, Health Integrated Announce Strategic Business Alliance (Buffalo and Tampa – June 24, 2005) – HealthNow New York, Inc. has entered into a new strategic business alliance with Health Integrated, Inc., one of the country's fastest growing providers of health, disease and care management programs. The new alliance, under which HealthNow has made an investment in Health Integrated, builds on an existing relationship between the companies and will provide expanded access to Health Integrated's innovative health management services to HealthNow's membership. "Employer groups and government purchasers are demanding proactive services to help them control medical expenses and improve the health and productivity of their employees," said Alphonso O'Neil-White, President and Chief Executive Officer of HealthNow. "The alliance with Health Integrated provides us additional intelligence and capabilities for tackling the dual challenges of ensuring quality health care for our subscribers and being prudent guardians of scarce healthcare dollars." Currently, disease management programs target individuals with specific chronic illnesses (i.e., diabetes, congestive heart failure, hepatitis and asthma), because they account for a disproportionately large share of healthcare spending. These chronic illnesses are often accompanied by other health problems, such as depression or other behavioral conditions that are inadequately managed, compromising effective treatment and health improvement. Health Integrated partners with physicians and other healthcare professionals – including health plans – to offer patient-centric programs that engage patients in actively managing their own health. The company's innovative whole-person approach focuses on the unique health needs of individuals across an entire population and the critical interrelationship between physical and emotional health in effectively managing and preventing illness. This includes people who have not yet been diagnosed or show symptoms today, but may have lifestyle or clinical risk factors that can lead to significant health problems later. In adopting this approach, HealthNow is introducing next-generation programs that proactively focus on better managing the overall health of their members, including behavioral health and emotional well-being. These programs offer interventions across the entire spectrum of health and wellness rather than targeting specific disease states. In doing so, they effectively address the needs of those with chronic diseases while offering a much greater opportunity to impact the overall health status of a population. "This strategic alliance with HealthNow reflects our shared goals of incorporating the best medical knowledge with innovative approaches to managing health status and access to quality health care for HealthNow members," said Michael Yuhas, Chief Executive Officer of Health Integrated. "We are delighted that HealthNow shares our philosophy, commitment, and approach to addressing the overall medical and emotional health needs of their subscribers. Our joint efforts will benefit HealthNow subscribers by providing services designed to help them lead healthier, more productive lives, while at the same time preserving the investment made by HealthNow employers in the health and productivity of their employees." Background on HealthNow New York Inc Background on Health Integrated, Inc. |