Health Hero(R) Network Earns Recertification From National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for Chronic Care Programs
Health Hero Network, a leading innovator of technology solutions for chronic care management, announced today that it has received recertification in Disease Management from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for 10 of its Health Buddy(R) health management programs. NCQA certification indicates that Health Buddy(R) Programs have passed rigorous reviews for their quality in implementing evidence-based practice guidelines for patient education and care management. These programs are delivered via the Health Buddy System, which serves as the interface between patients at home and care providers, facilitating patient education and monitoring of chronic conditions. “We appreciate NCQA’s continued recognition and validation that our Health Management programs meet the highest level of quality,” says Leslie Honor, RN, Clinical Director for Health Hero Network. “This recertification assures our customers that these Health Buddy Programs indeed offer quality care management for their patients with chronic illnesses.”
NCQA DM certification standards are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, reduce patient risk, and create an environment of continuous improvement. Health Hero Network received recertification in all ten previously recognized areas of care. The Health Buddy Programs recertified by NCQA include asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, depression, pediatric asthma, chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and hypertension programs.
“Disease management offers tremendous promise for improving the care received by the chronically ill. By achieving NCQA DM Certification, an organization is showing that it is ready to provide specific services that can help fulfill that promise,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Health Buddy Programs consist of interactive scripted content that has been written by clinicians based on standard practice guidelines. The Health Buddy System delivers these programs to patients to educate, enhance medication compliance and guide behavior in support of the doctor’s treatment plan and lifestyle recommendations.
“We are very proud to have received recertification by NCQA for all ten of our previously certified Health Buddy Programs. We were the first enabling technology company to receive NCQA certification and this renewed endorsement underscores our deep commitment to providing high quality disease management programs as part of the Health Buddy System. By using the Health Buddy System, our customers are able to provide care management that can both increase quality of care and lower overall costs,” says Derek Newell, CEO of Health Hero Network.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations, recognizes physicians and physician groups in key clinical areas and manages the evolution of HEDIS, the tool the nation’s health plans use to measure and report on their performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. For more information, visit http://www.ncqa.org.
About the Bosch Group and Health Hero Network
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 271,000 associates generated sales of 46.3 billion euros (over $63 billion) in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in roughly 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3 billion euros for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.”
In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs approximately 25,000 associates in more than 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with reported sales of $9.5 billion in fiscal 2007. For more information on the company, visit www.boschusa.com.
Based in Palo Alto, Health Hero Network develops and markets the Health Buddy System for health improvement. The Health Buddy System serves as the interface between patients at home and care providers, facilitating monitoring of and self-management support for patients with chronic conditions. The System includes monitoring technologies, clinical information databases, Internet-enabled decision support tools, health management programs and content development tools. Through increased communication, behavior modification, and prevention, the Health Buddy System improves the quality of patient care while reducing overall costs. Health Hero Network’s systems are protected by 57 issued US patents. For more information, visit www.healthhero.com.
CONTACTS: Health Hero Network, Inc. Rick Mendez Director of Marketing (650) 690-9127 Email Contact
SOURCE: Health Hero Network