For Immediate Release: 21.February.2013
Wilmington, NC, February 21, 2013 – Well Care, a leading provider of home health care services in North Carolina, today announced a partnership with Minneapolis-based Cardiocom® to provide advanced home telehealth technology services to patients with chronic illness. This new partnership strengthens Well Care’s existing Cape Fear regional telehealth services and provides the platform for introducing the program into the Raleigh market. The new telehealth monitoring services provided by Cardiocom will be fully integrated into the full suite of in-home health care services (disease management, skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and home health aide services) currently provided by Well Care.
The telehealth system will guide Well Care patients through an interactive “Health Check” that collects information regarding symptoms, care plan compliance, and vital signs such as weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and heart rate. The information is immediately transmitted over a standard phone line or a cellular signal to the patient’s cardiac nurse for review. This process provides patients with daily monitoring from qualified, specialized healthcare professionals without having to leave their homes. Well care will focus monitoring efforts on those patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Hypertension (HTN), and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Along with the telehealth equipment, a structured program of visits, education and telephone teaching calls have been implemented to help patients reach a goal of self-management of their disease. Understanding signs and symptoms of an exacerbation and when to call, can give patients greater control over their health, improved quality of life and reduced hospitalizations.
“Structured telephone support and telemonitoring provides tremendous benefits to patients with chronic conditions,” comments Wanda Coley, COO of Well Care. “These services increase our patients’ access to cost-effective, specialized healthcare. The services provided to our clients through Cardiocom are an integral part of the proactive, comprehensive approach we take to home healthcare.”
Providing patients with access to remote monitoring has proven to reduce expected mortality rates and results in fewer, shorter hospitalizations. These services also expedite access to healthcare because they eliminate the need to schedule appointments with specialized healthcare providers. The net result is reduced pressure on healthcare resources, significantly reduced costs, and an improved quality of life for patients who receive faster access to advice and treatment.
“As healthcare providers, Well Care is continually looking for new ways to provide the highest level of care in the most efficient way possible,” continues Coley. “The Cardiocom telemonitoring services provide a convenient, cost-effective way to positively impact our patients’ health.”
About Well Care
Well Care is a leading provider of comprehensive home health services throughout central and southeastern North Carolina. For more than 25 years, Well Care medical professionals have provided in-home health care services including skilled nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work, home health and personal care aide service, and emergency response monitoring. Well Care works with private individuals as well as healthcare partners such as case managers, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, nursing homes and hospitals, to provide the highest levels of convenient, cost-effective, in-home care to patients who are ill, recovering, or suffering from chronic conditions.
Well Care is licensed by the North Carolina Division of Facility Services, certified for Medicare and Medicaid, and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Health Care Organizations. For more information about Well Care, please visit their website at www.wellcarehealth.com or call (888) 815-5310.
About Cardiocom
Cardiocom®, the Experts in Telehealths(SM), is an award-winning leader in innovative home telehealth solutions. Founded in 1997, Cardiocom develops, manufactures and markets its own telehealth devices for heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, COPD, asthma and other chronic conditions. Cardiocom’s clients include some of the most respected home health groups, health plans, hospitals, physician groups, and coordinated care companies in the nation. Through these established relationships, Cardiocom improves the lives of thousands of people each day. www.cardiocom.com.
Wanda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Webster University. Her passion for accounting has always been pursued in the medical community. She dedicated herself to her work and demonstrated her capacity early in her career when she joined a privately owned home health organization. In just four years, she was promoted from Office Assistant to Staff Accountant. Subsequently, Wanda worked for Coastal AHEC, and then New Hanover Health Network before joining the WellCare team in 2000. Wanda brings a results-oriented approach to financial management and excels in leadership with a proven ability to interact with customers as well as executive management within the health care and finance industries. The expertise and guidance that Wanda brings to her role on the Senior Management team is well known and well regarded by her peers.
