ASGE Launches Public Service Awareness Campaign to Preempt Esophageal Cancer

NEWS PROVIDED BY
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

"We hope that our PSA campaign will encourage more Americans with chronic heartburn to see a gastroenterologist and take advantage of our recently enhanced ability to prevent one of the most rapidly growing cancers in the US," said ASGE President Karen L. Woods, MD, FASGE.

Interested DDW attendees can obtain materials at the ASGE booth (#1733) during DDW June 2-5, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC. The PSA campaign is funded through a partnership with CDx Diagnostics, the provider of WATS3D testing for precancerous cells.

For more information visit www.asge.org/heartburn.

About Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures allow the gastroenterologist to visually inspect the upper gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach and duodenum) and the lower bowel (colon and rectum) through an endoscope, a thin, flexible device with a lighted end and a powerful lens system. Endoscopy has been a major advance in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For example, the use of endoscopes allows the detection of ulcers, cancers, polyps and sites of internal bleeding. Through endoscopy, tissue samples (biopsies) may be obtained, areas of blockage can be opened and active bleeding can be stopped. Polyps in the colon can be removed, which has been shown to prevent colon cancer.

About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 15,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.

Contact:
Erich Sandoval
Lazar Partners Ltd. 
Tel: +1 917-497-2867
Email: esandoval@lazarpartners.com

SOURCE American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Related Links

http://www.asge.org

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Partners with Sharecare to Provide Health and Wellbeing Solutions

Digital Platform Sets a New Standard for Optimizing Health Through Personalization

EAGAN, Minnesota (May 14, 2018) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced that it is partnering with Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, to offer its popular and groundbreaking personalized health platform to Blue Cross commercial customer groups and members starting in 2019. This agreement will provide exclusivity to Blue Cross as the only Minnesota-based plan to offer the Sharecare platform.

In this agreement, Sharecare will serve as the foundation for Blue Cross’ digital health management offerings that are part of the health insurer’s do.® health and wellbeing platform. The do. approach, which can be customized to the unique needs of a specific business and its workforce, is centered around a “small steps” concept that empowers people to take an active role in gradually and consistently improving their own health.

Sharecare provides people with a comprehensive and ultra-personalized health profile that drives personal engagement and connections to relevant information and evidence-based programs. The Sharecare engagement platform includes the following features:

• RealAge®, Sharecare’s proprietary and scientifically validated health risk assessment, which provides people with an accurate measure of the actual age of their body, versus their calendar age. After completing the assessment, Sharecare members receive personalized content and recommendations aimed at lowering their RealAge. To date, more than 45 million people have taken the RealAge test.
• AskMD®, Sharecare’s award-winning symptom checker, which can get someone from finding out “what’s wrong” to understanding what they can do about it.
• Daily tracking and motivation via targeted messaging that can drive long-term health habits.

Additionally, numerous configurable health management options for employers through Blue Cross will be available on the Sharecare platform starting in 2019. Examples include:

• Customized reward programs to incentivize employees in taking those next steps to improve their health;
• Wellness challenges to create fun and healthy competition to increase engagement;
• Health screening options through BioIQ®, which provides employers and their employees an easy-to-use screening platform to help members stay informed and identify opportunities for health improvement; and
• Powerful analysis and deep insights on the overall health of an employee population, with recommendations on how to address the behaviors and factors that are driving results.

“Sharecare is a great match with the health and wellbeing programs we offer at Blue Cross,” said Cain A. Hayes, president and chief operating officer of the Health Business for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Both of our organizations are focused on bringing about real change in people’s health through meaningful experiences and information that inspire action and reward progress. Empowering and encouraging people on their health journeys is at the heart of what we do and is central to our mission of making a healthy difference in people’s lives.”

According to the 2017 state rankings from the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, Minnesota ranked fourth for overall well-being in the United States. While the state displayed very strong positions in financial, community and physical well-being, it has opportunities to improve in the areas of social and purpose well-being, as well as specific markers including the number of Minnesotans who are overweight (37.8%) or obese (23.9%), and have had high blood pressure (25.2%), high cholesterol (21.2%) or been diagnosed with depression (21.2%) within their lifetime.

“In addition to its leading position in the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index state rankings, Minnesota is widely recognized as one of the most innovative states in the country, and their first-mover status in healthcare is a significant contributor to their reputation in that regard,” said Jeff Arnold, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “We are proud to join forces with Blue Cross not only to push the healthcare innovation envelope further but also inspire and empower the people of Minnesota to live their healthiest, happiest, most productive lives so they, too, can continue to positively impact their communities and our world.”

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more.

About Sharecare
Sharecare is an independent company providing digital health services to help people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile, where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. In addition to providing individual consumers with direct access to award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare also helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit sharecare.com.

Walmart partners with Sharecare to transform the health and wellbeing of their associates and communities

ATLANTA and BENTONVILLE, Ark. (May 8, 2018) – Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place, and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the retail giant’s associates and their families and friends, as well as the people living in the communities in which their stores operate. This unique collaboration builds on Walmart’s associate wellness strategies and delivers on its commitment to improve the health of its communities.

“Walmart is committed to helping our associates, their families, and communities to improve their overall wellbeing through wellness programs,” said Jacqui Canney, executive vice president, global people, Walmart Inc. “Partnering with Sharecare will provide our associates additional tools to inspire them on their wellness journey, help our programs continue to grow, and be a force for change in the communities we serve.”

Over the past four years, thousands of Walmart associates have transformed their lives by participating in the ZP Challenge, a series of 21-day programs that encourages and rewards associates and their families to improve their overall wellbeing by making better choices every day in the categories of fitness, family, food, and money. Building on the success of this initiative, Walmart will offer its associates using ZP with access to Sharecare, providing them with even more robust health and wellness resources to help them live their healthiest, happiest, most productive lives.

“Given the current state of health in the United States, large employers, in particular, must be willing to deliver their employees with relevant and personalized experiences, and when it comes to making good on that commitment, Walmart bears the gold standard,” said Jeff Arnold, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “We look forward to building on the foundation Walmart has laid for its associates by using Sharecare to amplify the improvements they are making in their lives each day and create a whole new value for the currency of good health.”

Walmart also will provide its associates and their families, alumni, and the community at large with full access to Sharecare to help each of them better understand, track, and improve their health, no matter where they are in their health journey. The Sharecare app will provide each person with timely and actionable steps to improve their health through innovative tools, health trackers and content, which will include news articles, tips, and programs inspired by and featuring Walmart associates who have positively impacted their lives with ZP. Additionally, later this year, Walmart will feature Sharecare in its Walmart Wellness Day quarterly in-store events, which offer a unique experience for busy families to learn how they can make positive changes in their health to save money and live better.

“As we have learned from our research through the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, a person’s holistic wellbeing is defined by five essential elements – purpose, social, financial, community, and physical – and when those elements are in alignment, individuals and places exhibit greater adaptability to change, resiliency, and productivity in the workplace, among other benefits,” said Dan Witters, research director for the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. “As the nation’s single largest employer with more than 1.5 million associates, Walmart and Sharecare have the potential to disrupt the status quo of workplace wellness and transform the health not only of the communities in which Walmart operates, but also, ultimately, our country.”

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 270 million customers and members visit our more than 11,700 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. 

About Sharecare

Sharecare is the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. In addition to providing individual consumers with direct access to award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare also helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com.

Highmark partners with Sharecare to provide personalized digital health solution to members

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (May 3, 2018) – Highmark Inc. has entered into a six-year partnership with Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place, to exclusively offer innovative, personalized health and wellness solutions to its employer group customers in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. Additionally, beginning January 1, 2019, Highmark members will have access to Sharecare’s personalized mobile and web-based platform that will help them better manage and understand their health, and provide timely and actionable steps to improve it, no matter where they are in their health journey.

“Consumers are more active in their own health care, but they are challenged with credible real-time information to help with health care decisions,” said Dr. Charles DeShazer, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Highmark. “Sharecare is laser focused to meet consumer expectations and ensure an exceptional member experience, and further sets its platform apart with personalized articles, videos and health content from trusted sources like the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control – all through the smartphone and in the palm of your hand.”

Sharecare’s real-time data and personalized messages are also beneficial to employers, who are looking for ways to keep employees engaged, healthy and productive.

“We are excited to offer Sharecare to our customers with easy to implement wellness programs that produce meaningful outcomes,” said Matthew J. Rhenish, president, national and specialty markets, Highmark Inc. “Through a personalized, mobile experience, employers will be able to reach and engage their entire workforce, motivate employees to make positive health changes, and measure the results.”

Each member starts by taking Sharecare’s proprietary, scientifically-validated health risk assessment, RealAge, which calculates the actual age of their body versus their chronological age. Based on their RealAge results, the member receives personalized information, actionable plans and programs, and multimedia content from leading health experts and organizations to support them in their health journey. Utilizing technology already built into the smartphone, Sharecare helps the member track daily markers that have the biggest impact on their health, including sleep, stress and steps, as well as diet, blood pressure and medications.

Sharecare will be offered as the digital companion to Well360, Highmark’s comprehensive care management platform, which helps members close gaps in care, access appropriate care and decrease health risks. Whether used via mobile app or the web, Sharecare gathers – with the member’s permission – important information and dynamic data that improves Highmark’s ability to provide targeted care management solutions and efficiently coordinate care for members. Within Sharecare, members also can access their other health benefits provided by Highmark, making it more convenient than ever to engage in and manage their health.

“Highmark shares our vision to improve the health of diverse populations by engaging the member, and leveraging data-driven insights to provide people with real-time access to the tools and resources they need to best manage their health,” said Jeff Arnold, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “We are excited to partner with an organization as committed to its members as Highmark, and are eager to use our integrated platform to deliver Highmark customers and members with a comprehensive experience that ultimately will result in better outcomes and reduced costs.”

“Employers that offer Sharecare and Well360 will see healthier employees through more connected care, improved access to the right care and a personalized health care experience,” continued Dr. DeShazer. “Reward programs for achieving wellness goals, and employee challenges – such as a biggest loser contest – offered by Highmark can also help keep employees engaged in the program.”

“The goal is to transform the approach to health from episodic – I go to the doctor when I’m sick – to I understand my health, I’m managing my health and I’m taking action every day to improve my health,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have found a perfect partner in Sharecare to help us do that.”

The Sharecare partnership is just the latest transformative effort by Highmark. The recently-launched Doctor Match, an innovative online tool to help consumers find the right doctor, is helping to make it easier for consumers to switch to a doctor that fits their needs and health care philosophy. Highmark is also seeing great success with its True Performance physician reimbursement program that is lowering costs and reducing ER visits and hospital stays.

About Highmark Inc.

Highmark Inc. and its health insurance subsidiaries and affiliates collectively are among the ten largest health insurers in the United States and comprise the fourth-largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield-affiliated organization. Highmark Inc. and affiliates operate health insurance plans in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia that serve 5 million members and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance, vision care and other related businesses. Highmark Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

About Sharecare

Sharecare is the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. In addition to providing individual consumers with direct access to award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare also helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com.

Mercy Health Expands Partnership with InTouch Health to Offer Behavioral Health Virtual Care Services

Partnership enables streamlined telehealth at eight locations within Mercy Health's care network

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InTouch Health, the leading enterprise virtual care platform, today announces its expanded partnership with Mercy Health to deliver inpatient behavioral health virtual care services to Mercy Hospitals across the Northwest Ohio region.

"Mercy Health is committed to serving the whole patient – mind, body, and spirit," said Bob Baxter, President and CEO of Mercy Health – Toledo. "We look forward to utilizing InTouch Health to offer telepsychiatry services to our patients who will now have improved mental health care access when they need it.  This innovative technology-based telehealth model will continue to allow effective and timely care for our patients as they seek help for themselves or a loved one."

Utilizing the InTouch Virtual Care Platform, Lighthouse Telehealth (a subsidiary of Harbor) Physicians and Advanced Practitioners will provide psychiatric consultative services within the emergency departments and inpatient units at Mercy Health's three metro Toledo hospitals: Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center, Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital and Mercy Health – St. Anne Hospital, as well as Mercy Health hospitals in Defiance, Tiffin, and Willard, Ohio.

"We have worked with InTouch Health over the past few years to enable telestroke services, and we look forward to expanding our work to deliver inpatient psychiatric telehealth on a secure and reliable platform," said Ateeq Haseeb, MD, MBA CPE, Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Mercy Health – Toledo. "Our experience with InTouch Health has been exceptional. InTouch Health's easy to use technology allows our clinicians to focus on delivering the best care to our patients, which is what we at Mercy Health strive to do every day."

"We look forward to our expanded relationship with Mercy Health, a leading care provider, to enable broader virtual care services on a single platform," said Joseph M. DeVivo, CEO at InTouch Health. "We know that there is a mental health crisis in the United States, and we believe virtual care can help relieve many of the access barriers patients face. We applaud Mercy Health for taking the steps to expand their behavioral health services to increase access and improve patient care, all while allowing patients to remain in their local communities."

Mental illness is one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S. with nearly one in five Americans having a mental health condition and less than half actually receiving appropriate treatment. Lack of behavioral health providers is cited as a common barrier to receiving care. Leveraging telehealth can help alleviate that barrier because it brings behavioral health specialists to more locations so they can meet patients in any location at any time.

InTouch Health will be launching a new Behavioral Health Solution at the American Telemedicine Association Annual Conference in Chicago. The InTouch Behavioral Health Solution addresses the demand for qualified mental health providers at every level of the care continuum, from outpatient and home, to emergency departments and inpatient care, the latter of which Mercy Health – Toledo is implementing. InTouch Health will also be showcasing the configurable InTouch Operating System and turnkey virtual care solutions for stroke, specialist follow-up, cardiology, ICU/critical care, direct-to-patient, employer clinic, and direct-to-consumer. Visit booth #2002 at ATA18 for demos of these latest solutions.

About InTouch Health
InTouch Health, the 2018 KLAS Category Leader for Virtual Care Platforms, delivers its HITRUST CSF Certified telehealth services to health systems with a full range of solutions to efficiently deliver Consumer, Specialty, and Emergent virtual care in any care environment. InTouch Health provides the most reliable, dedicated cloud-based network and virtual care solutions that ensure connectivity for health systems, providers, and patients at all times. Today, InTouch Health supports more than 1,950 care locations around the world – including many of the top 20 health systems – as they deploy telehealth programs across their enterprises. InTouch Health has surpassed 1.84 million network sessions, which includes 940,000 telehealth virtual care sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Network. To learn more, please visit: www.intouchhealth.com.

About Mercy Health – Toledo
Mercy Health – Toledo is a member of Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio and the fourth largest employer in the state. Locally, Mercy Health is based in Toledo, Ohio and serves 20 counties in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Mercy Health – Toledo provides comprehensive primary and critical care services to residents as well as a robust physician group, Mercy Health Physicians, Life Flight critical air transport services and Mercy Collegeof Ohio. Mercy Health – Toledo is proud to have provided nearly $110 million in community benefit in 2016 which includes charity care and community health services. With approximately 8,800 employees; 300 employed physicians; and 2,200 medical staff members, Mercy Health has been part of the Northwest Ohio community it serves for more than 162 years. Please visit mercy.com for additional information and connect with Mercy Health – Toledo on Facebook, Twitter @mercynwohio and Instagram.

SOURCE InTouch Health

McLaren Health Care Selects InTouch Health for Consumer Virtual Care Services

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., April 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InTouch Health, the leading enterprise virtual care platform, today announces McLaren Health Care, a Michigan-based integrated health network, has expanded its telehealth offerings to implement InTouch Health's new Consumer solutions.

McLaren Health Care's virtual care expansion also coincides with the health system's three-year anniversary of its work with InTouch Health to deliver acute telehealth services for stroke, neurointensive care, ICU, pulmonary, and cardiology specialist consults.

"InTouch Health has demonstrated their virtual care expertise through our work together these past three years, and with their new Consumer solutions, we will be able to leverage our telehealth infrastructure investment to streamline our services on a single platform," said Cheryl Ellegood, VP Corporate Service Lines at McLaren Health Care. "We selected InTouch Health to expand our telehealth services to low-acuity care to create a seamless experience for nearly any patient care solution via the web using mobile devices or a desktop. We are excited to offer our patients an on-demand virtual care option to make it easier for them to seek care, wherever they may be."

"We are honored McLaren Health Care, a leading healthcare provider, continues to put their trust in InTouch Health to manage their multi-specialty enterprise telehealth programs," said Joseph M. DeVivo, CEO at InTouch Health. "We know health systems want a single, enterprise-wide virtual care solution for a multitude of reasons – from streamlining the clinician and patient user experience, to managing a single partner rather than several, and to build upon one telehealth infrastructure. We're pleased to continue our work together to advance our shared vision for virtualizing care."

McLaren Health Care will use the InTouch Direct-to-Patient Solution for scheduled follow-up visits with primary care physicians and specialists, and for scheduled consults with specialists. This will allow rural satellite clinics within the McLaren Health Care network to provide better and more timely access for patients who need specialist consults with the added convenience of remaining in their communities.

McLaren's use of the InTouch Direct-to-Consumer Solution will enable patients throughout the state of Michigan to initiate on-demand virtual care anytime, anywhere.

"As patients increasingly expect access to telehealth services, we are expanding our work with InTouch Health to provide our patients with more convenient ways to access care, and to give our clinicians a secure and reliable tool to reach patients anywhere," said Mark S. O'Halla, Executive Vice President and COO at McLaren Health Care. "Our relationship with InTouch Health truly has been a partnership, and we look forward to continuing our work together to provide patients with the best telehealth experience possible."

"We're thrilled McLaren Health Care has expanded their partnership to leverage the InTouch Virtual Care Platform to drive consumer engagement throughout Michigan," said Steve Cashman, EVP Marketing and Consumer Solutions at InTouch Health. "InTouch Health tackled the toughest challenge first by pioneering acute care telemedicine. Having McLaren align with our single platform philosophy to displace other telehealth companies who started in low acuity is powerful validation."

InTouch Health will be providing demos of its Consumer solutions at the American Telemedicine Association Annual Conference in Chicago. InTouch Health will also be showcasing the configurable InTouch Operating System and turnkey virtual care solutions for stroke, specialist follow-up, cardiology, behavioral health, and employer clinic. Visit booth #2002 at ATA18 for demos of these latest solutions.

About InTouch Health
InTouch Health, the 2018 KLAS Category Leader for Virtual Care Platforms, delivers its HITRUST CSF Certified telehealth services to health systems with a full range of solutions to efficiently deliver Consumer, Specialty, and Emergent virtual care in any care environment. InTouch Health provides the most reliable, dedicated cloud-based network and virtual care solutions that ensure connectivity for health systems, providers, and patients at all times. Today, InTouch Health supports more than 1,950 care locations around the world – including many of the top 20 health systems – as they deploy telehealth programs across their enterprises. InTouch Health has surpassed 1.84 million network sessions, which includes 940,000 telehealth virtual care sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Network. To learn more, please visit: www.intouchhealth.com.

About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a fully integrated health network committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 620,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health and hospice providers, retail medical equipment showrooms, pharmacy services, and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan's largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 49 NCI-designated comprehensive centers in the U.S. McLaren has 26,000 employees and more than 52,500 network providers. Its operations are housed in more than 350 facilities serving the entire Lower Peninsula along with a portion of the Upper Peninsula. Learn more at www.mclaren.org.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mclaren-health-care-selects-intouch-health-for-consumer-virtual-care-services-300637191.html

SOURCE InTouch Health

INTOUCH HEALTH “HIGHEST-PERFORMING VENDOR”(1) IN KLAS® TELEHEALTH VIRTUAL CARE PLATFORMS 2017 REPORT

KLAS performance report rates telehealth providers’ ability to expand virtual care

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., October 17, 2017 – InTouch Health, the leading enterprise telehealth platform, announced today the company is profiled as the highest rated vendor included in “Telehealth Virtual Care Platforms 2017,” a performance report published by KLAS. KLAS interviewed 108 unique healthcare organizations in the study of nine leading telehealth vendors providing services in virtual clinics, urgent care and telespecialty consultations.

“Our success as the highest rated telehealth vendor is attributable to over a decade of hard work from the dedicated employees at InTouch Health who keep the patients and physicians first in everything that we do. We are honored to hear that 100% of our clients surveyed said that we keep our promises. That is rarely seen in KLAS research,” (2 & 11) said Joseph M. DeVivo, InTouch Health CEO.  “Every provider who puts their trust in our solutions, our people, and our integrity knows that we are laser focused on delivering the world’s most secure, reliable and scalable telehealth solution. It’s an exciting time as we release new products to expand both the breadth and depth of our offering. We envision a telehealth offering that allows hospitals to deliver low and high acuity care from home to hospital and back home again.”

With an overall score of 89.8, InTouch came in ahead of competitors because of the adaptability of the InTouch Telehealth Network and strong customer support for clients through every phase of implementation (2 & 3). InTouch Health’s network enables clinicians to deliver high quality care in high and low acuity settings across service lines, such as behavioral health, cardiology, neurology (telestroke), infectious disease, endocrinology, wound care, and rheumatology.

The report notes that, for healthcare organizations, telehealth reduces delivery costs, increases access to new patients, and allows organizations to deliver better quality care.

Highlights from the report data include:

• 100% of clients report they would purchase again from InTouch Health (4)
• Top performer in acute care telespecialty consultations (5)
• Highest rated vendor for service and support (6)
• Highest rated vendor for ease of use (7)
• Highest rated vendor for overall product quality (8)
• Highest rated vendor for functionality and upgrades (9)
   

Ease of IT integration

Several customers found that the solutions InTouch provided made it easier for the internal IT teams to adapt to telehealth, a typical problem between healthcare systems and telehealth providers.

“With the total solution that InTouch Health offers, our internal IT team essentially does not have to touch the product, and this is very appealing to our IT staff. The InTouch Health team provides all of the ongoing maintenance and support for the system.” (10)

Network reliability

Other report interviewees commended the company for the reliability and consistency of the InTouch Telehealth Network. After previous issues with other vendors, they chose InTouch in order to make patient care more efficient and streamlined.

“The biggest benefit of having InTouch Telehealth network is that it works consistently… Every time we connect to a cart, it works. That is a big benefit for us compared to what we were used to with our previous telehealth system.” (11)

Turning telehealth from cost center into profit center

Additional findings from the report included many different benefits from using InTouch Health. Clients are seeing improved patient outcomes, improved access to care, and improved patient satisfaction. With shorter wait times required for patients to see their providers, InTouch Telehealth Network speeds up the delivery of care, and some users saw increased revenue for certain services at the hospital level (12).

 To learn more or access the full KLAS report, please visit:  

https://klasresearch.com/report/telehealth-virtual-care-platforms-2017/1161

About InTouch Health

InTouch Health provides its world class 24/7 monitored InTouch Telehealth Network, comprised of regulated telehealth systems, clinical workflow solutions and software, and managed services to hospitals and health care systems for the delivery of clinical care, anytime, anywhere. Today, InTouch Health supports more than 130 health care systems, 5,800 network users and 1,600 care locations around the world as they deploy telehealth programs across their enterprises. InTouch Health has surpassed 850,000 network sessions, and 760,000 potentially life-saving telehealth sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Network, and is forecasted to manage more than 270,000 clinical sessions in 2017.  To learn more, please visit: www.intouchhealth.com

About KLAS

KLAS is a research and insights firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by amplifying the provider's voice. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data and insights on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Follow KLAS on Twitter or visit www.klasresearch.com for report details.

__

(1)   P. 19: “…(the highest fully rated product in this report)
(2)   P. 37
(3)   P. 4
(4)   Figure 23
(5)   P.19
(6)   Figure 66
(7)   Figure 66
(8)   Figure 66
(9)   Executive summary – item #2
(10)P. 130
(11) P. 131
(12)P. 130

lifeIMAGE Becomes New Technology Partner with Google Cloud

November 1, 2017

The new partnership provides an opportunity to explore ways to improve patient outcomes and population health.

NEWTON, MA. – November 1, 2017 – lifeIMAGE, one of the largest medical information networks for images and clinical evidence, announced a new collaboration today with Google Cloud. lifeIMAGE is working with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to help mature global precision medicine initiatives by exploring point of care capabilities for physicians, and to aid researchers in the effort to identify, share and improve their understanding of population health.

By joining as a Google Cloud Technology Partner, lifeIMAGE has the opportunity to leverage GCP across our various solutions such as Mammosphere, a patient engagement tool that supports women’s health in mammography. In addition, lifeIMAGE now has the capability to use GCP as an extension of our hybrid network hosting strategy for our customer base.

“Ultimately, what this collaboration aims to achieve is to help clinicians take better care of patients,” said Matthew Michela, President and Chief Executive Officer of lifeIMAGE. “For example, our relationship with Google Cloud will enable us to more easily identify patterns of interest across billions of images to help clinicians make better treatment decisions in real time.”

lifeIMAGE is one of the largest medical information exchange networks that enables access to images and clinical information to more than 150,000 providers at 1,400 facilities across clinical specialties and across institutions globally. By processing billions of images and managing millions of clinical encounters across institutional boundaries, lifeIMAGE enables clinicians, patients and data scientists to make more informed decisions.

With its large digital ecosystem, lifeIMAGE supports the health care innovation lifecycle through our ability to gain novel insights from the data passing through our network. This new relationship with Google Cloud also strengthens the regulatory, compliance, and data management collaborations with our global customers, particularly in life sciences.

“The collaboration with the Google Cloud Platform framework will focus on strategic opportunities to reduce the healthcare cost burden, to manage partner integrations in the digital ecosystem, and to improve the quality of our insights from genomic, radiomic and clinical data sets,” said Janak Joshi, Chief Technology Officer for lifeIMAGE. “We enable machine learning by providing access, scale and speed that are available 24 hours a day, every day.”

For more information about the new collaboration come visit us at the lifeIMAGE or Google Cloud booth at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago from November 26 to December 1.

About lifeIMAGE

lifeIMAGE is a leading medical image exchange solution connecting health care networks, providers and patients to imaging records, regardless of where exams are performed or stored. We enable access to images and clinical information to more than 150,000 providers at 1,400 facilities across clinical specialties and across institutions globally. Providers use lifeIMAGE to improve the quality and timeliness of care, expand referral business, and eliminate wasteful spending. For more information about lifeIMAGE, please visit: www.lifeimage.com, check out our blog or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Contact:

Judy Chong
VP, Marketing for lifeIMAGE
617-244-8411 x218
media@lifeimage.com

WATS3D Shown to be over 4X More Effective in Detecting High-Grade Dysplasia and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

New results published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

SOURCE: CDx Diagnostics

SUFFERN, NY — (Marketwired - Aug 8, 2017) - CDx Diagnostics, developer of the WATS3D biopsy, or Wide Area Transepithelial Sampling with 3D Tissue Analysis for the detection and surveillance of Barrett's esophagus today announced the publication of new, pivotal, multicenter, crossover data in the latest issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. The study found that WATS3D increased the detection of High-Grade Dysplasia and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (HGD/EAC) by more than 400% compared to the standard Seattle protocol random forceps biopsy, even when those random biopsies are carefully performed in academic centers by some of the world's most experienced endoscopists.

"At the current time, endoscopists rely solely on taking small random forceps biopsies at 1-2 cm intervals, leaving more than 96% of the endoscopically suspect area completely untested. The publication of this study underscores the severe limitations of our current random biopsy protocol as well as the value of taking a few extra minutes to add the WATS3Dprocedure as a standard of care," said lead author Prashanth R. Vennalaganti, MD, of Kansas City VA Medical Center and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri.

The multi-center, prospective, randomized, tandem study was conducted in 16 major academic US GI centers. In the study, WATS3D detected 29 cases of HGD/EAC while the Seattle random forceps biopsy detected only seven such cases among 160 high-risk patients undergoing Barrett's esophagus surveillance.

"These results are quite compelling," said Robert D. Odze, MD, Director of the GI Pathology Division at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor of Pathology at the Harvard Medical School who was not a participant in the study. He continued, "WATS not only addresses the sampling error inherent in relying on random forceps biopsies, its three-dimensional computer assisted analysis of the tissue sample provides the GI pathologist with diagnostic information that is not typically available using standard tissue based histopathology. We look forward to implementing this advance in gastroenterology and GI pathology to enhance routine care for our own practitioners."

"I can think of very few high impact studies in the field of Barrett's esophagus that should change how gastroenterologists, both community-based and academic, care for their patients, and this study is one of them," said Michael S. Smith, MD, MBA, incoming Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospitals in New York, who participated in the study. "These robust data demonstrate we have a tool that markedly improves our ability to detect dysplasia and cancer within Barrett's well beyond the error-prone Seattle protocol."

"Participation in this multicenter study, and further experience using WATS3D in my large Barrett's practice, has resulted in its incorporation into my routine clinical care," said Dr. Charles Lightdale, MD of the Columbia University Medical Center, New York. He continued, "Routine clinical use of WATS3D continues to demonstrate increased diagnostic yield in my patients, including in post-ablation surveillance. I see no reason why every academic and community gastroenterologist should not be using this rapidly performed, easily implemented procedure today to improve the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus and dysplasia, so patients can be directed to appropriate endoscopic surveillance or therapy to prevent esophageal cancer."

"The current standard of care forces gastroenterologists to rely on chance, hoping that one of their small random forceps biopsies will happen to land on a highly focal area of precancer that may exist in their patient's esophagus," said Mark Rutenberg, Founder and CEO of CDx Diagnostics, the developer of the WATS3D diagnostic system. "Now that we can more easily treat esophageal precancer though endoscopic ablation, the remaining obstacle to preventing the most rapidly growing cancer in the US is to more reliably identify those GERD and Barrett's patients with these still harmless but precancerous changes so that we can treat them in time to prevent their progression to adenocarcinoma. These results clearly demonstrate that WATS3D can very effectively help to fill that critical gap in current routine GI care."

Dr. Charles Lightdale, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, summarizes newly published data from a pivotal multicenter, prospective randomized crossover study that demonstrates the effectiveness of WATS3D vs. the Seattle random biopsy protocol.

About CDx Diagnostics

 CDx Diagnostics' mission is to provide clinicians with easily implemented, cost effective, tools to preempt cancer through enhanced detection precancerous change. This is accomplished by a proprietary diagnostic platform that synthesizes computer imaging, artificial intelligence, molecular biology and three-dimensional cytopathology to detect precancerous change earlier and more reliably than prior methods. CDx tests for precancerous change require only a few minutes of practice time, are highly cost effective, widely reimbursed, and address a recognized critical gap in the current diagnostic standard of care that results in thousands of otherwise unnecessary cancer deaths each year. Routine clinical use of CDx testing in the oral cavity and esophagus has prevented thousands of cancers, and application of the CDx diagnostic platform to prevent cancers of the throat, bile duct, liver, pancreas, and stomach, is currently in progress.

About WATS3D

CDx Diagnostics' WATS3D biopsy addresses the major sampling error inherent in current random forceps biopsy testing of the esophagus. In just a few minutes, endoscopists can easily obtain a wide area, full-thickness transepithelial tissue sample for computer-assisted 3D laboratory analysis. In large multicenter clinical trials, WATS3D has been found to significantly increase the detection rate of both Barrett's esophagus and esophageal dysplasia. The high sensitivity and interobserver agreement of WATS3D is due to the larger tissue area sampled, and the proprietary 3-Dimensionial computer imaging system that is based on an algorithm developed as part of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative missile defense program. To learn more about WATS3D, visit www.wats3d.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact:
Chantal Beaudry or Amy Feldman for CDx Diagnostics
cbeaudry@lazarpartners.com
afeldman@lazarpartners.com
212-867-1762

Galen Partners Completes Majority Recapitalization of CDx Diagnostics

Leading healthcare-focused growth equity firm and operating partners collaborate with existing management to acquire a proprietary cancer diagnostics company

Stamford, CT (July 11, 2017) – Galen Partners, a healthcare-focused growth equity investment firm, announced today that it has completed a majority recapitalization of CDx Diagnostics, Inc. Headquartered in Suffern, NY, CDx is a specialized anatomic pathology laboratory that utilizes proprietary technology, including advanced neural-network analysis and deep artificial intelligence tools, to enhance the detection of precancerous and cancerous tissue initially for clinical use in both the esophagus and oral cavity.  The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.  

“We are excited to back CDx’s proprietary computer-assisted cancer detection platform, and CDx is a perfect fit for Galen’s strategy of investing in companies that create value in healthcare,” said David Jahns, Managing Director at Galen Partners. Esophageal cancer is the most rapidly growing cancer in the US and is generally fatal; early detection of precancerous cells leads to improved patient outcomes all while lowering overall healthcare costs. CDx applies neural-network-based three-dimensional microscopy to find dangerous abnormal cells before they are allowed to develop into an invasive cancer, and the Company’s unique WATS3D technology has been shown to be four times more effective than the current standard of care at detecting the most dangerous form of esophageal pre-cancer. Galen is further augmenting the CDx team by naming Special Investment Partner Tom Bologna as CDx’s Chairman and industry veteran Jim Hutchinson as President / COO to complement the Company’s existing management team with a proven anatomic pathology operator.

Mark Rutenberg, CDx’s Founder and CEO, stated “We are proud of CDx’s history of creating a unique synthesis of computer science, molecular biology, and pathology to provide clinically proven, breakthrough diagnostic tools that have already prevented over 5,000 typically fatal cancers.  All of our tests are immediately available to clinicians, require only a few minutes of practice time, are highly cost effective, widely reimbursed, and, most importantly, address a  recognized critical gap in the current diagnostic standard of care that results in thousands of otherwise unnecessary cancer deaths each year.  I am confident that with the support and guidance of Galen Partners, we will now accelerate our rapid growth in revenue, profitability, and clinical acceptance. More importantly, we will be able to advance our progress in making oral, throat, and esophageal cancer diseases of the past.” CDx’s VP of Sales Tom Bartel added “We are excited to partner with Galen – they bring an unparalleled cultural fit, a unique blend of both anatomic pathology and technology expertise, and an extensive network across the healthcare industry.” CDx represents Galen’s fourth clinical laboratory and diagnostic sector investment, which include Aperio, CBLPath, and Quotient Biodiagnostics.

About Galen Partners

Founded in 1990, Galen Partners is a leading healthcare-focused growth equity investment firm. With nearly $1 billion invested over five funds, Galen has helped build more than 70 companies since our inception.  The firm continues a tradition of strategic collaboration and partnership with Founders and management teams to build healthcare market leaders. Under the direction of the Managing Directors Philip Borden, David Jahns and Zubeen Shroff, Galen seeks to make investments in high-growth healthcare companies with revenues greater than $10 million and EBITDA between $0 and $9 million.

For more information, please visit www.galen.com.

Cooley LLP served as legal advisors to Galen. FTI Consulting served as financial advisors to Galen. Nichols Management Group served as industry advisors to Galen. White Oak Healthcare Finance provided debt financing for the transaction.

About CDx Diagnostics and the WATS3D Biopsy
CDx Diagnostics is an established cancer diagnostics laboratory with a specific focus on detecting the precancerous precursors of esophageal and oral cancer. CDx’s mission is to provide doctors with the most powerful diagnostic technology to help prevent cancer before it can start. Unlike traditional testing methods, CDx’s WATS3D test collects a wide-area tissue sample of the entire thickness of the lining of the esophagus, which is then subjected to specialized, computer-assisted, three-dimensional analysis that pinpoints precancerous cells. A recently completed randomized clinical trial conducted at 16 academic medical centers found WATS3D to be four times more effective than the standard random biopsy protocol at detecting the most dangerous form of esophageal precancerous tissue.  CDx’s technology permits the early detection of precancerous and cancerous cells, thus improving patient outcomes and lowering healthcare cost.

Eilenberg & Krause, LLP and Polsinelli served as legal advisors to CDx.  BDA Partners served as investment banking advisor to CDx.

For more information, please visit www.cdxdiagnostics.com

Stacey Bauer
Office: (203) 653-6473
sbauer@galen.com

InTouch Health® Expands Preferred Vendor Relationship with Dignity Health, Extending Telehealth Services to Post-acute and Ambulatory Care Facilities

Using recently expanded InTouch Telehealth Medical Devices, Network and Services, announcement marks milestone for both organizations in increasing access across the complete care continuum

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InTouch Health, the leading specialty telehealth enterprise provider, today announced the expansion of its relationship with Dignity Health, one of the largest health systems in the nation. This alignment will extend the InTouch specialist telehealth services already in use by Dignity Health's acute care settings into its post-acute and ambulatory facilities.

As health care organizations move from volume-based to value-based care, telehealth enables the delivery of medicine at every touchpoint in the patient care continuum – from home to transport to point of care, and finally home again. This expanded relationship allows Dignity Health to utilize equipment specifically designed for the outpatient setting and strengthen analytic capabilities in order to demonstrate improvements in quality and cost as patients receive care in multiple settings. 

"Our mission at Dignity Health is to deliver compassionate, high-quality, affordable health services, and we see telehealth as a crucial step forward. InTouch has long been a go-to partner for its telehealth offering in high-acuity settings, and we're excited to expand use into our post-acute and ambulatory settings," said Janice Favorite, senior director, strategy and business development, Dignity Health. "InTouch's highly-reliable services are easy to deploy, easy to scale and interoperable with our electronic health record (EHR) and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). Most importantly, implementation does not require the setup of additional IT infrastructure or development of new software as it leverages the same physician portal in use today for both acute and post-acute settings. We are confident that this expansion of telehealth applications will further transform our patient care and enable better outcomes beyond discharge."

"It has been our privilege to work with Dignity Health for many years, connecting medical devices, networks and workflows. Its leaders are visionaries in expanding the utility of telehealth to transform the way medicine is practiced," said Joseph M. DeVivo, CEO of InTouch Health. "We believe telehealth is reinventing health care by connecting patients and providers to expand access to affordable, quality care, and improving the way the next generation of patients experiences health care."

Powered by new software, tablet and cart options, InTouch's Telehealth Network and Services can extend to any patient location with a laptop, tablet or a fully-integrated solution designed for a specific clinical case, which brings diagnostic tools and multiple providers to the patient encounter. The FDA Class I listed medical devices and HIPAA-compliant and secure cloud networking platform not only extend specialist coverage to ambulatory care settings, but also work seamlessly and safely within a hospital's firewall.

About Dignity Health
Dignity Health, one of the nation's largest health care systems, is a 22-state network of more than 9,000 physicians, 62,000 employees, and 400 care centers, including hospitals, urgent and occupational care, imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. Headquartered in San Francisco, Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. In FY16, Dignity Health provided $2.2 billion in charitable care and services. For more information, please visit our website at www.dignityhealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About InTouch Health
InTouch Health provides its world class 24/7 monitored InTouch Telehealth Network, comprised of FDA-cleared and listed telehealth systems, clinical workflow solutions and software, and managed services to hospitals and health care systems for the delivery of clinical care, anytime, anywhere. Today, InTouch Health supports more than 130 health care systems, 5,800 network users and 1,600 care locations around the world as they deploy telehealth programs across their enterprises. InTouch Health has surpassed 850,000 network sessions, and 760,000 potentially life-saving telehealth sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Network, and is forecasted to manage more than 270,000 clinical sessions in 2017. Kainos Evolve (LSE: KNOS) Integrated Care, a cloud-based integrated care solution, supports InTouch Health's clinical workflow platform.

Corporate Contact:
Stephen Pedroff
Vice President Communications, InTouch Health
spedroff@intouchhealth.com 
(805) 866-1962

Media Contact:
Kevin McClelland
Senior Vice President, Edelman
Kevin.McClelland@edelman.com 
(404) 277-8580

SOURCE InTouch Health

Related Links

http://www.intouchhealth.com

HMSA Kicks Off Statewide Rollout of Sharecare’s Digital Health and Well-Being Platform

Hawaii’s Leading Health Plan Also Makes Strategic Investment in Sharecare

ATLANTA and HONOLULU, March 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place, and Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Hawaii’s leading health plan, today announced that they have significantly expanded their partnership and HMSA has made a separate strategic investment in Sharecare.1 With Sharecare as its digital health partner, HMSA is empowering its members and everyone in Hawaii to live happier, healthier, more productive lives, while the state becomes an integrated model for others to follow.

“HMSA exists for one reason – to help everyone in Hawaii take control of their health and well-being. It’s the best way to improve the health of our state and keep quality health care affordable,” said Michael A. Gold, HMSA chief executive officer. “Sharecare is essential to helping us reach that goal because its mobile platform meets people no matter where they are on their health journey, and also plays a major role in our community health initiatives such as the Blue Zones Project and Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease.”

HMSA has selected Sharecare to provide the digital connectivity and messaging platform to enable Māhie 2020, HMSA’s strategic vision and plan to advance the health of Hawaii. To that end, HMSA began onboarding ambassadors and employees onto the newly developed Sharecare platform last month, with deployment to all residents of Hawaii expected this summer. Sharecare’s comprehensive platform – soon available to other health plans and employers – is the culmination of more than six years of:

• building, acquiring and integrating key technologies and functionality;
• setting a new industry standard in personalization, interoperability and daily engagement; and
• efficiently connecting people to the healthcare system.

“As a doctor, I’m excited that the Sharecare digital platform supports the relationship between a patient and his or her physician by allowing them to connect outside of the doctor’s office,” said Mark M. Mugiishi, M.D., HMSA senior vice president and chief medical officer. “At HMSA, we believe that by leveraging artificial intelligence through the power of the smartphone to support, inform and engage people in their own health, everyone in Hawaii will benefit.”

While the 2016 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index from Sharecare ranked Hawaii as the healthiest state in the nation, HMSA is addressing health challenges still facing the state’s residents, including diabetes, obesity and heart disease. To support this, HMSA recently added five Hawaii communities to the Blue Zones Project, Sharecare’s nationally-recognized initiative that uses scientifically proven approaches of longevity, health and happiness to create vibrant communities and boost the well-being of their residents.

Additionally, HMSA offers its members access to Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease – also part of Sharecare through its 2016 acquisition of Healthways – which is the only scientifically proven program to stop the progression and reverse the effects of heart disease, and is covered by Medicare and other insurers like HMSA. Later this year, the content, tools and resources of the Blue Zones Project and Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease also will be available on the Sharecare platform.

“Over the past few years at Sharecare, we have actively assembled all the capabilities and programs to create one comprehensive, integrated platform, allowing organizations to effectively manage and improve the health and wellness of their diverse populations,” said Jeff Arnold, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Sharecare. “We are thrilled to work with a partner like HMSA who is fully leveraging our robust solution at every possible touchpoint.”

Arnold added, “Beyond the privilege of working with the visionary leadership at HMSA to roll out Sharecare across the entire state and health plan system, we are excited about creating new immersive health experiences that uniquely integrate virtual reality of the human body and 360-degree video to inspire the people of Hawaii to better understand and improve their health.”

Building on the companies’ mutual passion for leveraging innovation and fostering empathy, HMSA is partnering with Sharecare to introduce these unique, highly interactive storytelling techniques to enhance member education and engagement. The companies are combining 360-degree video of Hawaii’s stunning natural environment and Sharecare’s virtual reality platform to showcase inspirational stories of Hawaii residents who have transformed their health.

The reach of Sharecare’s investors extends from the living room to doctors’ exam room and into companies’ boardrooms and mailrooms alike. In addition to HMSA, Sharecare’s strategic investors include hospitals and health care investment firms, in particular, HCA (NYSE:HCA), Trinity Health and the Heritage Healthcare Innovation Fund;2 media companies Discovery Communications, Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television; high growth technology investment firms such as Claritas Capital; noted crossover fund Wellington Management; and Swiss Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurance providers. To date, Sharecare has raised more than $225 million in financing.

About Sharecare
Sharecare is the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile, where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. With award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com.

About HMSA
Caring for the people of Hawaii is our promise and our privilege. Working together with employers, partners, and physicians and other health care providers, we promote wellness; develop reliable, affordable health plans; and support members with clear, thoughtful guidance.

HMSA is the most experienced health plan in the state, covering more than half of Hawaii’s population. As a recognized leader, we embrace our responsibility to strengthen the health and well-being of our community.

Headquartered on Oahu with centers and offices statewide to serve our members, HMSA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
1 Hospitals and healthcare investment firms, such as HCA, Trinity Health and the Heritage Healthcare Innovation Fund, and Swiss Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurance providers, are investors in Sharecare.

2 The Heritage Healthcare Innovation Fund is backed by some of the nation’s leading healthcare companies, including Adventist Health System, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Cerner, Community Health Systems, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Intermountain Healthcare, Memorial Hermann, Sutter Health, Tenet Health and UnityPoint Health.

Media Contacts:

Jen Martin Hall 
(404) 307-4649
jen@sharecare.com

Robyn Kuraoka
(808) 354-1350
robyn_kuraoka@hmsa.com

InTouch Health Acquires C30 Medical Corporation, Further Expanding its Ability to Assist Health Systems Manage Physician Shortages

Herb Rogove, DO, FCCM, FACP joins InTouch Health as Chief Medical Officer

Santa Barbara, CA, January 31, 2017 – InTouch Health, the leading specialty telehealth enterprise provider, today announced the acquisition of C30 Medical Corporation (“C3O”), a physician-led telemedicine management and physician coverage provider consisting of board certified specialists in emergent Tele-Neurology and Tele-Neurocritical Care. C30’s physicians provide support into many health systems spanning six U.S. states. In conjunction with the acquisition, Herbert Rogove, DO, FCCM, FACP, Founder and President of C30, joins InTouch as Chief Medical Officer. 

Joseph M. DeVivo, Chief Executive Officer of InTouch Health, stated, “The acquisition of C30 and the appointment of Dr. Rogove to lead the clinical aspects of our physician capacity management offering underscore our commitment to expanding the solutions enabled by our enterprise-based telemedicine platform. Telehealth provides unprecedented opportunities for clinicians across any clinical service line to increase coverage, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. Following our acquisition of AcuteCare Telemedicine last summer, C30 further extends our platform to better meet the needs of our Health System partners and address physician shortages nationwide. We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Rogove and his team of highly trained specialists to InTouch Health.“ 

Dr. Rogove has over thirty years of experience directing and establishing ICUs and Intensivist, Hospitalist and Emergency Medicine programs in academic and community hospital settings. He has held faculty appointments at University of Southern California, University of Pittsburgh and the Ohio State University. He has also held numerous leadership and administrative positions at major tertiary care facilities throughout the United States, and joined the board of directors of the American Telemedicine Association in 2012, serving as Secretary/Treasurer from 2014 through 2016. 

“This is such an exciting time for the field of telemedicine, and truly for medicine in general as the ‘tele-‘ part of our field becomes an integrated part of the overall healthcare delivery system,” stated Dr. Rogove. “After devoting much of my career to implementing telemedicine-based healthcare programs, it is exciting to join forces with InTouch Health to expand our class-leading technology and services offerings.” 

About C30 Medical Corporation

Formed in 2008, C30 provides emergent neurology consult services to more than 30 hospitals across the country. All C3O Physicians are board certified in their specialty, possess extensive backgrounds with prestigious academic and medical institutions, and subscribe to the quality standards of The Joint Commission, the Leapfrog Group, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and other national organizations dedicated to quality care. 

About InTouch Health

InTouch Health provides its world class 24/7 monitored InTouch Telehealth Network, comprised of FDA-cleared telehealth systems, clinical workflow solutions and software, and managed services to hospitals and healthcare systems for the delivery of clinical care, anytime, anywhere. Today, InTouch Health supports more than 130 healthcare systems, 5,800 network users, and 1600 care locations around the world as they deploy telehealth programs across their enterprises. InTouch Health has surpassed 850,000 potentially life-saving telehealth sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Network, and is forecasted to manage more than 270,000 clinical sessions in 2017. 

Corporate Contact: 

Stephen Pedroff
Vice President Communications
InTouch Health
spedroff@intouchhealth.com
(805) 562-8686, ext. 157 office
(805) 866-1962 mobile 

Media Contact: 

Allie Holmes
Executive Vice President
Edelman
Allie.Holmes@edelman.com
(214) 443-7599 office
(214) 901-1890 mobile 

GE Healthcare and InTouch Health Collaboration Delivers Enhanced Technical and Product Training Through Remote Presence

Collaboration at more than 20 sites worldwide training over 300 medical professionals

Commercialization rolling out to more than 200 additional sites in 2017

Santa Barbara, CA, November 28, 2016 – Today, InTouch Health, a leader in enterprise telehealth, and GE Healthcare’s Global Education Services division, announced commencement of Virtual Onsite Training, a remote presence training commercialization effort after successful completion of a two-year pilot. The initiative begins with establishing a total of 50 InTouch Health Tech™ remote presence devices in rotation at more than 200 global locations to support the technical and product training of clinicians, physicians, and technicians using a variety of GE Healthcare products.

During the pilot, the InTouch Health telehealth network and remote presence devices were used to connect GE experts remotely to healthcare providers across GE’s installed base around the world. More than 200 telepresence training classes occurred, involving more than 300 medical professionals, in both the proper use of GE equipment and best practices. The pilot program demonstrated that adding this remote presence training resulted in higher effectiveness than traditional training alone, and offered greater convenience to the customer through the flexibility of on-demand telepresence. The Virtual Onsite Training device replicates face-to-face training through an attached video monitor and robotics for two-way communication and interaction.

Mario Lois, General Manager, GE Healthcare Global Education Services commented, “GE Healthcare provides technology to providers and patients around the world. The users who operate those devices are as impactful, if not more so, on the actual efficiency and patient outcomes as the product itself. Therefore, GE has made it a global priority to re-imagine its training and education solutions to help users achieve and maintain optimal skills and product usage. Our collaboration with InTouch Health enables network connectivity, hands on interaction, and an intuitive user experience for their online mobile remote presence training which will be foundational to reaching this goal.”

The InTouch Health telehealth network is a single unified cloud infrastructure that includes data centers around the globe, covering the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The network provides a regulatory (HIPAA) compliant, secure, scalable, and always available network hosting FDA Class II and Class I medical devices. The network architecture allows for the delivery of business intelligence and data analytics gathered from all data traffic managed on any connected device. This is the same network used by GE to deliver their customer on-demand Virtual Onsite Training.

Joseph DeVivo, President and CEO of InTouch Health said, “Our work with GE Healthcare is a natural extension of the clinical solutions we provide each day to thousands of practitioners, delivering seamless clinical efficiency no matter the clinical setting, location or treatment modality. The right care, at the right time, anywhere, is easily migrated to the vision of GE Healthcare of ensuring that the person using a device has the best training and support possible, whenever and wherever it’s needed. We are very excited to work with GE Healthcare in the area of data analytics to help measure and optimize the effectiveness of what so far has been a very successful program.”

Watch this video to learn more about the partnership.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter – great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

About InTouch Health

InTouch Health provides its FDA-cleared InTouch Telehealth Network and Managed Services to hospitals and healthcare systems for the delivery of specialty care, anytime, anywhere. InTouch Health has helped more than 130 healthcare systems deploy telehealth programs across their enterprise quickly and seamlessly using its industry-leading combination of people, processes, and technology. InTouch Health has surpassed 800,000 potentially life-saving telehealth sessions over the InTouch Telehealth Cloud and now manages more than 200,000 clinical connections annually for over 1,500 hospital locations globally.

Quotient Limited Announces $120 Million Secured Debt Financing

JERSEY, Channel Islands, October 14, 2016 (GLOBENEWSWIRE) – Quotient Limited (“Quotient”)(NASDAQ: QTNT), a commercial-stage diagnostics company, today announced the completion of a private placement of up to $120 million of 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2023. At the initial closing of the transaction, Quotient issued $84 million of notes and received net proceeds of approximately $79 million after expenses. Quotient will issue an additional $36 million of notes to note purchasers upon public announcement of field trial results for the MosaiQ™ IH Microarray that demonstrates greater than 99% concordance for the detection of blood group antigens and greater than 95% concordance for the detection of blood group antibodies when compared to predicate technologies for a pre-defined set of blood group antigens and antibodies.

Quotient intends to use the net proceeds from this transaction, among other things, to repay all outstanding obligations to MidCap Financial Trust under its existing loan agreement and for general corporate purposes. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as sole placement agent for the transaction.

The notes bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, payable semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on April 15, 2017. On each payment date, commencing on April 15, 2019, Quotient will pay an installment of principal of the notes pursuant to a fixed amortization schedule. The stated maturity date of the notes is October 15, 2023. The notes are redeemable at the option of Quotient at a redemption price that includes a make-whole premium until October 14, 2018 and, thereafter, at a redemption price that includes a declining premium to par over four years. The notes are guaranteed by Quotient's subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the property and assets (subject to certain exclusions) of Quotient and its subsidiaries.

Additionally, Quotient has sold a royalty right to the note purchasers, representing a right to receive an aggregate 2.0% royalty payment on net sales of MosaiQ™ instruments and consumables in the donor testing market in the European Union and the United States. The royalty will be payable beginning on the date that Quotient or its affiliates enters into a contract for the sale of MosaiQ™ instruments or consumables in the donor testing market in the European Union or the United States and ending on the last day of the calendar quarter in which the eighth annual anniversary of the first contract date occurs.

For more information regarding the terms and conditions of the notes, please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed today by Quotient with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the
Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and applicable state securities laws.

About Quotient Limited
Quotient is a commercial-stage diagnostics company committed to reducing healthcare costs and improving patient care through the provision of innovative tests within established markets. With an initial focus on blood grouping and serological disease screening, Quotient is developing its proprietary MosaiQ™ technology platform to offer a breadth of tests that is unmatched by existing commercially available transfusion diagnostic instrument platforms. The company's operations are based in Edinburgh, Scotland; Eysins, Switzerland and Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the intended use of proceeds from the secured debt offering and the issuance of the additional notes. Such statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include the risks and uncertainties associated with the application of the net proceeds from the secured debt offering as well as the other risks set forth in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Quotient disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

The Quotient logo and MosaiQ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of Quotient Limited and its subsidiaries in various jurisdictions.

CONTACT: Stephen Unger, Chief Financial Officer — stephen.unger@quotientbd.com; (212) 228-7572

SonaCare Medical Paves the Way with the First HIFU Device Cleared by the FDA for Prostate Tissue Ablation - A Year in Review

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 5, 2016 -- SonaCare Medical, leading developer and manufacturer of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Technologies, reports over 40 acquisitions of Sonablate® technology since the device received FDA clearance on October 09, 2015.

This Sunday marks the 1-year anniversary of the Food and Drug Administration's decision to clear Sonablate for sale and use in the United States for the ablation of prostate tissue. Within its first year in the U.S. market, 43 physicians have started offering Sonablate as an alternative to surgery or radiation, and 10 more doctors are in the process of completing their training.

As a core strategic initiative, SonaCare Medical has established a significant presence among top-tier academic institutions across the United States including respected universities located in California, Indiana, Maryland, New York, and Texas.  Their adoption of Sonablate for tissue ablation has not only validated the utility of Sonablate technology in addressing the prostate but has also created a unique teaching and training environment for the next generation of urologists.

"Urologists at these institutions have done their research and clearly appreciate the versatility of the technology and the international studies, demonstrating successful clinical outcomes for over 10 years," comments Kevin Alverson, Vice President of Sales. "Our dominant presence in the U.S. HIFU prostate ablation market, and notably at academic centers within the United States, speaks a great deal to the caliber of physicians at these institutions.   We are proud to work with doctors who clearly value patient safety, quality of life, and clinical outcomes."

SonaCare Medical attributes much of its success in the prostate tissue ablation market to several unique Sonablate software features, including the use of MRI/US fusion to precisely target regions slated for ablation. In addition, Sonablate provides the feedback data required by the physician to assess how the prostate is responding to energy deposition, and the tools required to modify that energy to achieve complete ablation. These multiple and unique features all play a role in providing the accuracy, consistency, and safety required for the delivery of focused ultrasound energy into the prostate.

Sonablate was the first device to receive regulatory authorization from the FDA for the focused ultrasound ablation of prostate tissue. Since its introduction over 15 years ago, Sonablate technology has been used around the world on 15,000 patients in over 30 countries, including approximately 4,000 U.S. men who have had this procedure performed outside the U.S.

About SonaCare Medical, LLC

SonaCare Medical is a world leader in minimally invasive focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies. SonaCare Medical is committed to developing focused ultrasound related technologies that support precise and innovative procedures for the treatment of a range of medical conditions. SonaCare Medical, with its subsidiary Focus Surgery, Inc., designs and manufactures medical devices, including the following: Sonablate®, which has 510(K) clearance in the U.S. under a De Novo regulatory classification; Sonablate® 500, which has CE Marking and has obtained regulatory authorization in more than 49 countries outside the U.S.; Sonatherm® laparoscopic HIFU surgical ablation system, which has 510(K) clearance in the U.S., has CE Marking and has obtained regulatory authorization in more than 30 countries outside the U.S.

For additional information, visit www.SonaCareMedical.com

Forward Looking Statements. 

The Company's forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's business and performance, the economy and other future conditions and forecasts of future events, circumstances and results. As with any projection or forecast, forward-looking statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in its forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or other factors.

Sharecare Acquires Virtual Reality Company To Transform Patient Engagement and Medical Education

BioLucid’s Revolutionary Human Body Simulation Platform Positions Sharecare As Leader in Visual Health, Paves Way For Medical Record of the Future

ATLANTA/NEW YORK–September 29, 2016– Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their health in one place, today announced at Advertising Week 2016 that it is acquiring BioLucid, the leading developer of virtual reality and immersive healthcare technology, including the YOU® VR experience available for HTC VIVE[1]. The acquisition and resulting launch of the Sharecare Reality Lab position Sharecare as the leader in visual health, empowering its users and their loved ones; healthcare providers and patients; educators and students; and pharmaceutical companies and their customers to better communicate and understand medical diagnoses, treatments and patient journeys.

Though virtual reality is being used in some niche areas of healthcare—and related hardware is increasingly user-friendly and affordable—the need to purchase additional equipment will continue to be a barrier to entry for many consumers. Therefore, in addition to making the YOU® VR experience available on other virtual reality platforms in the near future, Sharecare is leveraging BioLucid’s health content across its web and mobile applications so people can view–with or without a VR headset–immersive and accurate anatomical simulations of the human body, including disease states, and related treatments and therapies.

“Visual storytelling technologies–particularly virtual reality blended with 360-degree video–have boundless potential in healthcare and patient engagement, yet consumer-facing innovation in VR has been limited mostly to entertainment and gaming,” said Jeff Arnold, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “By differentiating our platform with BioLucid’s immersive simulation of the human body, we can turn data into actionable, visual intelligence, and make a transformative impact on patient engagement, health literacy, medical education and therapy adherence.”

Sharecare will combine BioLucid’s real-time simulation of the human body with 360-degree video and augmented reality to help patients and providers better understand what each is experiencing by telling the story of patient journeys through scientifically accurate, deep visualizations of conditions, disease states and therapies. From first awareness of symptoms through all stages of treatment and follow-up, these interactive experiences will enable you to view the perspectives of the patient, caregiver or provider at each step in their healthcare journey, fostering empathy and understanding among all healthcare constituents.

Sharecare also is offering its partners–from educational institutions to medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, and providers–ways to maximize opportunities to obtain unprecedented visual context to discuss healthy physiology, disease and treatment. For example, an Ivy League institution has licensed the BioLucid platform and content so educators can teach students anatomy and physiology in a much more visual and experiential way. Pharmaceutical and medical device marketers can also license the platform and content to create their own custom materials, and sponsor existing information related to organs, treatments and therapies. Finally, for providers who license the platform and content for patient education, the potential is powerful, as more informed patients have better recoveries, reduced readmissions and improved satisfaction; and the visual nature of the platform transcends language barriers for non-English speaking patients.

“As a neurosurgeon, it’s not sufficient simply to tell a patient what’s happening inside their brain, or how a course of treatment will improve their health or even save their life; rather, in many cases, they need to see it to believe it–much less understand it,” said Sanjay Gupta, MD, a practicing neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent. “I’ve long been fascinated with technology’s ability to fuel human optimization, and patient education is an area in which we can greatly improve–that’s why I was immediately intrigued by what Sharecare can achieve with BioLucid’s interactive simulations. I’m looking forward to seeing how visual health can make a positive impact on episodic care, and potentially alter the course of a person’s health journey every day.”

As an extension of Sharecare’s vision to lead in visual health and put all your health in one place, the company is exploring how it can pave the way for the medical record of the future by enabling people to see what’s happening inside their own bodies. Today, even if a patient successfully obtains their medical record, they learn quickly that the two-dimensional stack of paper lacks context and is too clinical for the average patient to understand.

To counter that, as part of each user’s Sharecare profile, the newly formed Sharecare Reality Lab is prototyping a unique “living avatar” that dynamically changes as a person does. Whether it’s an improvement in RealAge, a migraine identified in an AskMD consultation, the seasonal allergies that prompted a telehealth visit, or frictionless data–like heart rate or stress level–captured by sensors and trackers on a smartphone, your avatar will be a comprehensive three-dimensional model of you, detailing how your actions and habits are impacting your health at a micro and macro level–and, in the future, could become your living, breathing medical record.

As part of the deal, BioLucid’s co-founders Jeff Hazelton, Lawrence Kiey and Dale Park are joining Sharecare, and will retain their office in Sarasota, Florida, under the name Sharecare Reality Lab. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

About Sharecare

Sharecare is a health and wellness engagement solution providing people with personalized resources to help them live their healthiest lives. Nearly 41 million people have shared more than 6 billion data points about their health status and habits with Sharecare, which uses that information to create a comprehensive health profile allowing users to access all of their health resources in one place, and dynamically connect to the knowledge, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need.

[1] VIVE is a first-of-its-kind virtual reality platform developed by HTC and Valve for total immersion in virtual worlds. Designed from the ground up for room-scale VR and true-to-life interactions, VIVE delivers on the promise of VR with technology that’s game changing and content that’s best in class. VIVE has been recognized with over 65 awards and wide critical acclaim since its unveiling in 2015. For more information, please visit www.vive.com.

PeriGen and WatchChild Combine Forces

Combination to Support Currently Installed Systems and Introduce New Technology and Services to Clients

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PeriGen®, the leading developer of fetal surveillance systems using artificial intelligence (AI) for clinical and operational benefit, today announced that Perigen has acquired the WatchChild® Fetal Monitoring System from Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRC). The combination creates the most comprehensive perinatal safety platform available, and marks a new era in obstetric solutions.

Users of both the PeriGen PeriCALM® and WatchChild systems will continue using their current systems with full contracted support. Going forward customers will have access to incremental clinical tools, analytics, increased enterprise management and interfacing libraries as well as a telemedicine infrastructure. Together PeriCALM and WatchChild count many of the nation's leading health systems and clinicians as clients, development partners, and research collaborators.

PeriGen's AI-driven clinical decision support (CDS) tools are FDA-cleared and its pattern recognition software was validated inan independent study published by the NICHD. The tools provide valuable clinical, financial and operational benefits to users and will be made available to WatchChild customers.  

Additionally, the company will take advantage of unique and significant advances that WatchChild has made in Enterprise Software Management, electronic health record (EHR) integration and immediate access to maternal/fetal data.  The combined investments in research and development as well as personnel will also result in expanded clinical, implementation and customer support teams.  

The go-forward entity will be led by PeriGen chief executive officer Matthew Sappern. The management team will include senior executives from both companies, including the appointment of Brian Bishop, currently the general manager of WatchChild, as chief product officer responsible for product strategy and development.

"When the PeriGen and WatchChild teams came together to discuss a combination, we shared a vision to provide a suite of clinical and IT management tools that go far beyond basic fetal surveillance and EHR interfacing," said Sappern. "Our respective customers are demanding a strategic solution rather than just a utility that digitizes the fetal strip; they want more clinical, financial and operational control and impact."

Steven Clark, M.D., professor of maternal fetal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine commented, "I've had the pleasure of working independently on research projects with the PeriGen team and seeing how well the technology can augment nursing to the benefit of patients, clinicians and research teams. As a current WatchChild customer, I am excited about this combination."

"All of us on the WatchChild team are enthusiastic about what this means for our customers in the way of innovation, resources and commitment to advances in patient safety and operational excellence," said Bishop. "Building on these two platforms, sharing ideas and experience, is an exciting opportunity for the company, our customers and, ultimately, patients."

In conjunction with the WatchChild acquisition, PeriGen has closed an investment round led by Ambina Partners that includes participation by existing PeriGen investors Galen Partners and Trident Capital. As a result of this investment, Greg Share, Ambina Partners' founder, will join PeriGen's board, together with John Gomez, CEO of cyber security firm Sensato and former CTO of Allscripts.

Together PeriCALM and WatchChild own a sizable footprint in the market with hundreds of clients and installations across the country spanning academic medical centers, tertiary centers, community hospitals and critical access facilities. 

ABOUT PERIGEN, INC.
PeriGen offers innovative perinatal software solutions that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) features to enhance clinical efficiency and standardization of care during childbirth. Led by skilled OB practitioners and IT visionaries, PeriGen has created the PeriCALM platform to provides consistent analysis and efficient display of complex data in real-time to promote better human recognition and communication about impending problems during labor. With PeriCALM clinicians can spend more time on direct patient care and less time on manual calculations and data manipulation.  To learn more, visit www.perigen.com; follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook; or call 877.700.4755 or email.

ABOUT HILL-ROM HOLDINGS, INC.
Hill-Rom is a leading global medical technology company with 10,000 employees worldwide. We partner with health care providers in more than 100 countries by focusing on patient care solutions that improve clinical and economic outcomes in five core areas: Advancing Mobility, Wound Care and Prevention, Clinical Workflow, Surgical Safety and Efficiency and Respiratory Health. Around the world, Hill-Rom's people, products, and programs work towards one mission: Every day, around the world, we enhance outcomes for patients and their caregivers. Visit www.hill-rom.com for more information.

Media Contact:
Lynne Hagan
PeriGen
609.240.2209
lynne.hagan@perigen.com

Michelle Noteboom
Amendola Communications for PeriGen
512.426.2870
mnoteboom@acmarketingpr.com

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SOURCE PeriGen

Related Links

http://www.perigen.com

Sharecare Acquires Healthways’ Population Health Business, Secures Leadership Position in Employer and Health Plan Markets

Healthways’ Population Health Employees and Contracts Transfer To Sharecare, Increasing Revenue By Over $250 Million Annually

ATLANTA, July 27, 2016 - Sharecare, the digital health company helping people manage all their healthcare in one place, today announced it is acquiring the Population Health business of Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY), including: Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index®; Innergy Healthier Weight, a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine that provides a high-touch, personalized solution proven to sustain weight loss; its two Emerging Solutions businesses, Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones Project® and Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease™; and Healthways’ stake in Healthways Brasil Servicos de Consultoria Ltda., its Brazil-based joint venture and innovation lab with SulAmerica Servicos de Saude S.A., a subsidiary of the largest independent insurer in Brazil, Sul America S.A. (BM&FBovespa: SULA11).

“This acquisition is a pivotal move toward accelerating innovation and executing on our vision, and – with more than a quarter billion dollars in Healthways’ customer contracts annually – catapults us into a leadership position in the employer and health plan markets,”

said Jeff Arnold, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “The Healthways team are pioneers in disease management and overall population health, and will greatly complement what our company has built at Sharecare. We also are enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate and innovate with Healthways’ premier customers – visionary organizations with strong leadership, dominant market share and a long-standing commitment to consumerism. Together, we stand to make a profound impact on healthcare.” 

By delivering Healthways’ scientifically validated clinical protocols through Sharecare’s proven engagement platform, customers will be able to meet their goals for efficiently scaling health and wellness initiatives across their organizations and into the future. 

Sharecare will assume Healthways’ existing population health contracts, including thosewith leading health plans like Anthem, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), and the Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA).

“When CareFirst pioneered its Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model – stressing care coordination, primary care, global accountability for improved cost and quality outcomes – we selected Healthways to play an integral role in the program’s success,” said Chet Burrell, CareFirst president and CEO. “Sharecare has a shared belief in our mission, and possesses the innovative vision and technology expertise to help us foster optimal engagement for our members while supporting our business model.” 

“HMSA is unwavering in our commitment to advance the health and well-being of everyone in Hawai’i, and for more than 15 years, Healthways has been an indispensible partner toward that end,” said Michael A. Gold, HMSA president and CEO. “With Sharecare and its comprehensive engagement platform, I believe our relationship will grow even stronger and add even more value for our members as we work together to have a transformative effect on the health of Hawai’i’s people.”

With approximately 1700 Healthways employees transitioning to Sharecare, the company will continue to operate the Population Health business from the Healthways campus in Franklin, Tenn., where the unit’s current president Sean Slovenski will become Sharecare’s president of Population Health. Healthways’ CFO Alfred Lumsdaine also will join Sharecare and report to Slovenski as chief operating and financial officer of Population Health.

Slovenski will report to Sharecare’s newly appointed executive chairman of Population Health, Ken Goulet, who joined Sharecare’s board of directors in March 2016, after spending more than 35 years growing and leading large health plan organizations. The former Anthem executive will assist the senior management team of Population Health with a variety of matters, including strategy, integration, product enhancement, and customer and vendor relations; and report into Arnold and the Sharecare board of directors.

Additionally, Donato Tramuto, Healthways’ CEO, will join the Sharecare board of directors to ensure continuity in customer support and successful growth for the Population Health business.

Tramuto said, “Over the course of Healthways’ strategic assessment, it was important that we find the right partner to help our Population Health business realize its full potential, and ensure success for the business’ customers and employees. Sharecare has demonstrated world-class expertise in digital engagement and innovation. We also believe the combination of technologies and distribution channels of this business in the hands of Sharecare will create new growth opportunities.”

Expected to close July 31, the deal also transfers ownership of the Healthways name and brand to Sharecare. Financial terms were disclosed in a regulatory filing by Healthways.

About Sharecare

Sharecare is a health and wellness engagement solution providing people with personalized resources to help them live their healthiest lives. Nearly 40 million people have shared more than 5 billion data points about their health status and habits with Sharecare, which uses that information to create a comprehensive health profile allowing users to access all of their health resources in one place, and dynamically connect to the knowledge, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need.

Tactile Systems Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

 MINNEAPOLIS, July 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Tactile

Systems Technology, Inc. (“Tactile”) (Nasdaq:TCMD), a medical technology company that develops innovative medical devices for the treatment of chronic diseases at home, announced today the pricing of its initial public offering of 4,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $10.00 per share.

In addition, Tactile has granted the underwriters a 30day option to purchase up to an additional 600,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price to cover overallotments, if any. All shares of the common stock in this offering are being sold by Tactile. Tactile’s shares are expected to begin trading on The NASDAQ Global Market on July 28, 2016 under the ticker symbol “TCMD.” This offering is expected to close on August 2, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

Piper Jaffray & Co., William Blair & Company, L.L.C., and Canaccord Genuity Inc. are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the offering. BTIG, LLC is acting as comanager for the offering.

A registration statement relating to the securities being sold in this offering was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 27, 2016. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the final prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained by contacting: Piper Jaffray & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone at (800) 7473924, or by email at prospectus@pjc.com, or William Blair & Company L.L.C., Attention: Prospectus Department, 222 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60606, by telephone at (800) 6210867, or by email at prospectus@williamblair.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of,

these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Investor Inquiries:
Mike Piccinino
Managing Director
Westwicke Partners
(443) 213‐0500

Media Inquiries:
Kristen Weaver
Director of Marketing Communications
Tactile Medical
(612) 355‐5116

 Tactile Systems Technology