Presbyterian Home Healthcare Selects American TeleCare, Inc. to Provide Telehealth Technology Solutions

Minneapolis and Albuquerque (PRWEB) June 24, 2008 -- American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI), the leader in the development and application of intelligent monitoring and video-based telehealth solutions, announced that Presbyterian Home Healthcare (Albuquerque, N.M.) will utilize ATI's LifeView? Telehealth System to support its Hospital At Home program. Presbyterian has used ATI's system for its telemedicine and disease management programs since 2001. The new agreement will increase the number of ATI LifeView stations deployed by Presbyterian Home Healthcare to more than 100 units.

"American TeleCare's LifeView system supports video televisits as well as monitoring of patients at home, and we need the flexibility to do both in Hospital At Home," said Lesley Cryer, executive director, Presbyterian Home Healthcare. "The diagnostic devices available with ATI's system, especially ATI's integrated CareTone® Telephonic Stethoscopes, are also essential for us to provide high-level care to patients at home."

"As the baby boom generation ages into its chronic disease years, an estimated 157 million Americans will have at least one chronic condition by 2020. They could overwhelm our capacity to provide essential care unless we change how care is organized and delivered," said Randall Moore, M.D., M.B.A., chairman and chief executive officer, American TeleCare. "ATI is committed to innovative organizations that are advancing re-designed care processes, and Presbyterian is one of the leading health systems pioneering Hospital At Home, an alternative model that brings acute care expertise into patients' homes."

ATI's LifeView Telehealth System combines remote patient monitoring with interactive video for televisits. LifeView Patient Stations are placed in patients' homes. They are compact, easy-to-use monitors that gather information from questions that patients answer as well as objective clinical data from integrated medical peripherals (including blood pressure monitors and blood glucose meters). Care teams use LifeView Provider Stations to connect to Patient Stations, manage ongoing monitoring, conduct televisits, and carry out care plans.

Hospital At Home (http://www.hospitalathome.org/DGM/) is an innovative model that aims to provide hospital-level care in patients' home as a full substitute for acute hospital care. It was developed and is being tested in a National Demonstration and Evaluation Study funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation (http://www.jhartfound.org/).

"Hospital At Home is an alternative to hospitalization that can help make more inpatient beds available," said Cryer. "Our focus is on congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and community-acquired pneumonia. When patients with these conditions come into our emergency departments, we will identify those who do not require ICU or CCU care and would typically be admitted for a two- or three-day stay in a regular medical unit. These patients are candidates for Hospital At Home."

"Hospital At Home includes a LifeView Patient Station in each patient's homes for 24-7 monitoring and video televisits," said Cheryl Reese, director of informatics and telehealth, Presbyterian Home Healthcare.

About Presbyterian Home Healthcare

Presbyterian Home Healthcare provides skilled intermittent medical visits in patients' homes. A team of professionals closely monitors each patient's condition and progress, reports to the patient's physician, and modifies treatment if necessary. Individualized attention helps patients and their families learn about safe, appropriate care so that they can increase their functional independence and learn to manage their medical needs at home. Presbyterian Home Healthcare is part of the Presbyterian Healthcare Services system (www.phs.org). Founded in 1908 and based in Albuquerque, N.M., Presbyterian is New Mexico's only private, not-for-profit healthcare system and offers seven hospitals, a statewide health plan, and a growing medical group. Presbyterian employs more than 9,500 people and serves to improve the health of individuals, families and communities.

About American TeleCare

Founded in 1993, American TeleCare (ATI) is the pioneer of intelligent monitoring and video-based telehealth technology. With proven experience in clinical process re-engineering, ATI works with leading healthcare organizations to put their patients at the center of care teams and supports them with best-in-class solutions. ATI systems connect continuous healing relationships and deliver essential information for clinical and self care. Ongoing monitoring and constant care of patients at home keeps them connected to clinical expertise and prevents acute events. The results: 100-200 percent increases in provider productivity and 65-95 percent reductions in emergency room and inpatient costs - achieved as care teams help physicians watch over, improve and maintain their patients' health. For more information, visit www.americantelecare.com. Then call 800-323-6667.

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