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Alere Medical Undergoes Significant Growth With Opening of New Denver Based Call Center to Serve the Alere - National Jewish Respiratory Program

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 January 2006, 09:00 CST

Move Represents Expansion of Recently Acquired Respiratory Program; Anticipated Increase to 12,500 Respiratory Patients

Alere Medical Inc., the leading specialty disease management company, announced the opening of its newest call center in Lakewood, Colorado, to monitor patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The opening will bolster Alere's expansion into the respiratory disease management categories and further increase their breadth of services.

COPD affects an estimated 12 million Americans and is the nation's fourth leading cause of death, accounting for $32.1 billion in 2002, according to federal health statistics. Asthma afflicts about 20 million Americans and is the most common chronic illness among children, accounting for $11.5 billion in direct healthcare costs annually.

"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to expand our business within the respiratory disease categories. With the opening of the call center and the recent acquisition of National Jewish Medical Research disease management operations, we can now effectively and affordably manage the health of our patients with respiratory conditions," said Ron Geraty, M.D., chief executive officer, Alere Medical. "These are important milestones as Alere continues to firmly establish ourselves as a diversified and nationally recognized disease management company."

Located in the Denver Metro area, the call center will employ 30 staff members comprised of nurses and technicians who will monitor patients with asthma and COPD by tracking symptom information on a daily basis and providing support and education. Additionally, the nurses will alert a patient's doctor at the onset of a problem, reducing the risk of hospitalization or emergency room visits.

"We are proud to see the expansion of the Alere - National Jewish Respiratory program moving so quickly with the opening of the call center and the hiring of additional nurses and technicians," said John Covey, director of call center operations. "Our team is enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand this industry leading respiratory program to serve a growing number of patients with the care and support they need so much."

Currently, the new call center will manage 2,500 respiratory patients with an anticipated enrollment of an additional 10,000 patients by the end of February.

About Alere Medical Inc.

Alere Medical Incorporated is a leader in specialized, disease management services focusing on select high cost diseases to maximize clients' return on investment. Alere produces unequalled clinical and cost saving results, by precision targeting the patients who will benefit most from specialty interventions. Alere's integrated care monitoring system identifies and monitors all medium- and high-risk patients, and prioritizes those patients to facilitate efficient workflow. With published outcomes that exceed those of any competitor, Alere Medical's disease management programs result in improved clinical outcomes for patients, and guaranteed savings for clients.

Alere Medical has received NCQA Patient Oriented Full Accreditation for its Heart Failure Disease Management Program (2004-2007), and is also ranked #61 on the Inc. 500 list of America's fastest-growing private companies (2005). For more information, visit www.alere.com or call (775) 829-8885.

Source: Business Wire

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