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Alere Introduces Industry's First 12-month Unlimited Health Coaching Program

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 June 2009, 06:22 CDT

-- Alere Personal Health Coaching program provides a wide range of communication tools, including email, IM and telephone

-- Individuals may contact their coach as often as they want over a 12-month period

-- Program offers "whole person" strategy rather than condition-focused approach to healthcare, with outreach driven by individual needs and readiness to change

MARIETTA, Ga., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Alere LLC, a leader in personal health support solutions for employers and health plans, today announced that it is now offering a new health coaching program with an unprecedented combination of distinctive features. Designed to take health coaching to a whole new level, the Alere Personal Health Support program offers unlimited 12-month access to a personal health coach, an expanded selection of communication channels and a "whole person" approach to healthcare.

Created to easily integrate into existing health plans and employee benefit programs, the Alere Personal Health Coaching program now incorporates a personal health support strategy. It is based on recognized behavior change and positive psychology principles that focus on the "whole person" - lifestyle, values and preferences - rather than just the health condition.

In this more empowering approach, individuals are encouraged to select what behaviors they want to address first rather than being told what they need to work on, making the process more personal and engaging. They can choose when they want to start a program and get to select the most convenient communication channels to consult with their own dedicated personal health coach. Such channels include phone, email and Instant Message Chat (IM). Participants have the ability to communicate with their coach as little or as much as they prefer over a 12-month period.

"Whether individuals are at home, traveling on business, vacationing, or on their lunch break at work, we want them to be able to reach a trained health coach who can help them achieve and sustain their personal health goals," says Ron Geraty, M.D., CEO of Alere. "Alere's Health Coaching program provides the technology advances to reach people where they are, allowing them to achieve success that targets their specific health conditions. Once they've achieved their goals, we want to encourage them to meet new health targets."

According to Geraty, this new program brings real value to individuals, while also helping health plans and employers reduce costs and improve productivity.

Eligible participants for Health Coaching are identified using health assessment tools, referrals and self-referrals. As soon as ten days after the participant has completed the health risk assessment, the assigned health coach begins a series of outreach attempts, making the enrollment process easy and flexible. People eligible to participate include those who have indicated a readiness to change in one of the following behavior areas:

• Weight loss
• Eating habits and nutrition
• Physical activity
• Tobacco cessation
• High or extreme stress level

All Alere coaches are highly trained and include nurses, registered dieticians, respiratory therapists, exercise physiologists and certified fitness instructors. They work with participants to develop behavior change plans that meet their needs and fit their unique lifestyles. The goal is to build sustained behavior change over time by helping individuals achieve small successes that inspire them to take on more challenging health issues.

"As with any new health routine, many people may lose focus and have several false starts before getting on track," Geraty says. "We want them to know that when they are ready to try again, their personal health coach will be there to offer the support and encouragement they need to reach their goals."

About Alere

Alere (www.alere.com) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (www.invernessmedical.com) (NYSE: IMA). Alere, a Latin verb, meaning "to care for" or "to support", offers the most patient-centered health management services available from a single provider in the industry. Alere(R) services provide health interventions that are designed for the entire lifespan from pre-cradle (high-risk pregnancy and NICU management) to end-of-life care (complex care) as well as the continuum of health from wellness (health and productivity programs) and prevention to total health management of the individual for those having various chronic illnesses.

(C) 2009 Inverness Medical. All rights reserved. Alere and Matria are trademarks of the Inverness Medical group of companies.

SOURCE Alere LLC

Source: PR Newswire

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