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Health Dialog Analytic Solutions Participates In Rebuilding New Orleans Healthcare Infrastructure

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 December 2006, 09:01 CST

Health Dialog Services Corporation today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Health Dialog Analytic Solutions (HDAS), is participating in the Louisiana rebuilding efforts aimed at addressing the healthcare impacts of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Supported by a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Tulane University Health Sciences Center (Tulane) has engaged HDAS to build a payer database using three years of pre-Katrina claims and other health care data from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Louisiana State University, Medicare and Medicaid,. Additionally, the State Department of Veteran's Affairs has committed to providing clinical data for the project. The dataset represents approximately 80% of the citizens in Louisiana.

"We believe there is a unique opportunity to build an evidence-based health system", said Gery Barry, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, "and we are excited to support an effort that is grounded in that analytical framework."

The HDAS data warehouse will provide an extremely robust tool to examine how the cost, quality, and utilization of the state's healthcare systems varied within the State prior to the hurricanes. HDAS will compare this data to national benchmarks, and based on the outcome, will work to help local stake-holders make strategic decisions regarding the redesign of Louisiana's healthcare infrastructure.

"HDAS currently analyzes varied healthcare data for over 24 million lives. Given our mission to reduce unwarranted variation, the situation in New Orleans provides an opportunity to prevent the type of variation we see throughout the rest of the country. We feel very fortunate to be working with the stakeholders in Louisiana who are developing plans for a new healthcare infrastructure," said David Wennberg, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of Health Dialog Analytic Solutions. "In building the system using evidence-based analysis, Louisiana will greatly strengthen its ability to provide the right care to the right patient at the right time and at the right price."

"Hurricanes Katrina and Rita dramatically impacted our state's healthcare system, including the loss of significant infrastructure and workforce," said Karen DeSalvo, Chief of General Internal Medicine at Tulane. "The ultimate goal is a health system that provides high-quality, cost-effective, evidence-based healthcare delivered through accessible, community-based sites supported by an integrated delivery system. We believe Health Dialog's work will dramatically enhance our ability to undertake this landmark task."

About Health Dialog

Health Dialog is a leading provider of care management services, including disease management, and is one of the fastest growing privately held firms in the U.S. The firm helps physician groups, health plans, and self-insured employers improve healthcare quality while reducing overall costs. The firm's services include analytic services and telephonic, online, and other care management support for individuals, payors, and physicians. Health Dialog helps individuals become more actively engaged in the management of their health and healthcare and have more effective relationships with their physicians. For more information about Health Dialog, please visit their website www.healthdialog.com.

Source: Business Wire

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