Carena:
What: The Centers for Disease Control and Annals of Emergency Medicine recently published studies that show two key trends. First, overall use of the ER rose 36 percent in the past decade, with about 20 percent of all visits for preventive care. Second, the number of ER visits by patients who came to the ER because they couldn't get an appointment with their primary care provider is on the rise. Seattle-based Carena offers a service that is helping reduce the strain on ERs - by reinventing the traditional medical house call. Working in partnership with employers like Microsoft, Carena primary care physicians provide urgent care to employees/family members in the home, any time of night or day, giving them access to care without the need for the ER. Since inception in 2000, Carena has delivered more than 20,000 house calls. Who: Ralph Derrickson, CEO of Carena, is available to discuss the business model for Carena and how it lowers costs for employers, improves care and outcomes for patients and reduces stress on the ER system. When: Ralph is available to speak via phone, by appointment Where: Carena is based in Seattle and currently offers its house calls in the Seattle and Louisville/Frankfort, Kentucky areas. Media Opportunities: Carena can provide access to corporate customers, house call patients, industry analysts, b-roll of house call, b-roll of executives & doctors Contacts: John Williams, Scoville PR for Carena, 206.625.0075 ext. 1 or 206.660.5503 (cell)
About Carena
Carena, Inc., www.CarenaMD.com, offers a new model for health care delivery — its physicians treat patients at their work or home. This unique “point-of-patient” model eliminates the cost of medically unnecessary trips to the hospital emergency room. By providing unmatched access to high-quality care and information, Carena helps employees manage their health, which increases employee productivity and reduces overall health care costs for employees and their employers.
— Studies available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/08newsreleases/visitstodoctor.htm (CDC) and http://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(08)00365-X/abstract (AEM)
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