Wednesday, October 29, 2008

American TeleCare (ATI) Provides Telehealth Technology and Program Support Services to the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Hudson Valley in New Yo

VNA of Hudson Valley Relies on ATI to Expand its Telehealth Program and Launch a New Telehealth Initiative for its affiliate Hospice Care in Westchester & Putnam, N.Y.

Minneapolis, MN and Tarrytown, NY (PRWEB) September 18, 2008 -- American TeleCare, Inc. (www.americantelecare.com) (ATI), the leader in the development and application of video-based telehealth solutions and intelligent monitoring, announced that the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Hudson Valley (Tarrytown, N.Y.) has selected ATI for telehealth technology and program support services. VNA of Hudson Valley is doubling the size of its existing telehealth program and pioneering the application of telehealth for hospice care with ATI solutions and support. Under the agreement, ATI is providing 52 ATI LifeView™ Patient Stations and a full range of program planning and training services.

"American TeleCare's LifeView system is best-in-class, and their expertise is invaluable," said Rae Szymanski, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Hudson Valley. "ATI has reviewed all our telehealth policies and procedures and formulated process improvements. They are also conducting training, helping us develop a marketing plan, and collaborating with us to design our new telehealth program for Hospice Care."
"The Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley is at the forefront when it comes to using telehealth to supplement and enhance home care," said Randall Moore, M.D., M.B.A.,
chairman and chief executive officer, American TeleCare. "They have come up with an innovative concept for applying telehealth to keep home care hospice patients and their family members connected via remote access to a nurse to help alleviate fears and increase comfort. We expect that the program we are developing together will become a national model."

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. ATI's telehealth technology enables clinicians to customize care plans based on the specific needs of individual patients. Clinical scoring algorithms summarize health risks associated with a patient's vitals, physiological measurements and responses to questions according to individualized key indicators and levels as pre-determined by clinicians for each patient.

Hospice Care in Westchester & Putnam, an affiliate of VNA of Hudson Valley, is the area's largest provider of home care hospice services to individuals with advanced or life-threatening illness. Hospice Care promotes living with dignity, hope and support. The comprehensive services offered include palliative care that provides expert pain and symptom management to enable individuals to remain at home with quality of life and physical comfort. In addition, Hospice Care assists family members by supporting them in managing stress and coping with a loved one's illness.

About VNA of Hudson Valley: Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Hudson Valley, based in Tarrytown, N.Y., is a free-standing, not-for-profit, certified home healthcare agency that has earned the trust of the community through over a century of service. The mission was then -- as it is today -- to provide compassionate care to all those who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. As a multi-faceted organization, VNA of Hudson Valley offers and coordinates a broad array of home health services which are available to all patients who can be treated at home instead of a hospital, or who need follow-up care after a hospital stay. Care is provided for people of all ages, from infants to seniors, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Additional information is available at www.vnahv.org.

About American TeleCare: Founded in 1993, American TeleCare (ATI) is the pioneer of video-based telehealth technology and intelligent monitoring. 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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