Atlanta-Based North Star Health, Inc. Signs Partnership Deal With Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital

ATLANTA, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ — North Star Health, a health care data analytics company, recently signed Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The Hughston Clinic as implementation and development partners.

“We are excited about our partnership with North Star Health and look forward to providing our employees with the ability to control their own healthcare costs by their active participation in Lumina(TM). Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital is quality and customer service driven and we believe that healthier and happier employees will help us provide the kind of care that we want to be known for,” said James L. Matney, Chief Executive Officer, Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital.

Lumina(TM), the cost and care management program developed by North Star Health, integrates wellness, preventive health, disease management and predictive health functionalities into one platform. Designed for both employer and employee use by separate online portals, the program identifies risk factors associated with some of the most costly chronic disease states such as diabetes and heart disease. It then tracks and alerts the individual to seek medical attention based on nationally recognized preventive health guidelines.

“In order for Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The Hughston Clinic to operate at maximum profitability, we needed a system to provide us with management level visibility into our health plan expenditures. Lumina(TM) gives us the ability to analyze, predict and manage our healthcare spending while encouraging the employee to participate in their own personal wellness,” said Mark Baker, Chief Operating Officer of The Hughston Clinic. Based on a dual-option plan design, members who comply with preventive care guidelines throughout the year are rewarded with enrollment in the lower-cost plan option, Healthy Choice.

According to Dr. Paul Davis, CEO of North Star Health, “We are very excited about our partnership with Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The Hughston Clinic. Both Entities understand the importance of early intervention as it relates to chronic diseases. Lumina(TM) will empower the hospital and clinic to identify, manage, and in some cases actually prevent the occurrence of a chronic illness. According to Ken Thorpe, PhD – National Healthcare Policy Expert / Economist and Advisory Board Member for North Star Health, the top 15 chronic diseases in America account for 75% of the overall health care dollar. Using the North Star Health Lumina(TM) system, I believe, can impact this number greatly.”

ABOUT JACK HUGHSTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Located in Phenix City, Ala., the Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital (http://www.jackhughstonmemorialhospital.com/) is an 110,000-square-foot facility with 62 private patient rooms. Opened in August 2006, the facility is a general hospital providing a wide array of services such as a Surgery Department with outpatient, endoscopy and orthopaedics; and a Diagnostic Imaging Department with ultrasound, MRI and 64-Slice CT Scanner, one of the few scanners of its kind in the region. The hospital features wireless Internet access, 27-inch flat screen televisions in each patient room, a dining hall with outdoor terrace, and floor-to-ceiling windows providing natural light. The hospital received a National Pyramid Award in 2006 from the Associated Builders & Contractors for excellence in design and construction of a healthcare facility.

ABOUT THE HUGHSTON CLINIC

Based in Columbus, Ga., The Hughston Clinic (http://www.hughston.com/) is a full-service orthopaedic practice with nine offices in Georgia and Alabama. Founded in 1949 by Dr. Jack C. Hughston, The Hughston Clinic is a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence for research, education, training, and the quality treatment of musculoskeletal injury and disease. Other facilities and services located on the campus of The Hughston Clinic in Columbus include The Hughston Foundation Inc., the Hughston Health Center, Hughston Rehabilitation, and Hughston Diagnostics.

ABOUT NORTH STAR HEALTH

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, North Star Health (http://www.northstarhealth.com/) is a health care data analytics company providing risk, cost, and care-management solutions for health plans, TPAs, brokers, self-insured companies, wellness companies, disease management companies, provider networks, and benefits consulting groups. Lumina(TM) from North Star Health integrates wellness, preventive health, disease management and predictive health functionalities into one platform. It was developed in conjunction with a nationally recognized health care policy expert and economist, Dr. Ken E. Thorpe.

North Star Health

CONTACT: Sherry Farrugia, North Star Health, Inc., +1-404-419-2102,Fax: +1-404-419-2101, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.northstarhealth.com/http://www.hughston.com/http://www.jackhughstonmemorialhospital.com/