THREE RURAL COLORADO MEDICAL FACILITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN UNITEDHEALTHCARE AND CENTURA HEALTH'S NEW CONNECTED CARE TELEHEALTH PROGRAM
- Residents in and around Buena Vista, Lamar and Leadville to be the first in Colorado to have access to innovative telehealth services
- Connected Care will improve access to health care services, making it easier and more convenient for patients in these areas to see the doctors they need
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Oct. 13, 2009) – UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, and Centura Health, Colorado’s largest health care provider, announced the initial pilot locations for the Connected Care program in Colorado, giving patients in these rural locations expanded access to physicians and specialists using advanced telehealth technology.
The Colorado program is among the first in UnitedHealthcare’s work to build a national telehealth network. Connected Care links patients with physicians and medical specialists located hundreds of miles away, using advanced audio and video technologies and health resources to create an experience remarkably similar to an in-person doctor visit.
Starting in early 2010, Connected Care clinics will be established at the following medical facilities in rural Colorado:
- Buena Vista Family Practice in Buena Vista
- High Plains Community Health Center in Lamar
- St. Vincent General Hospital in Leadville
The initial pilot locations were selected based on a variety of factors and are expected to make more than 3,500 specialist visits per year available in these communities. Access to the Connected Care clinics will be open to everyone, not just UnitedHealthcare customers.
Colorado is among the first locations in the nation where UnitedHealthcare will introduce Connected Care. To select the sites and implement the program, UnitedHealthcare has partnered with the State of Colorado and Centura Health, with assistance from the Colorado Rural Health Center and the Colorado Community Health Network. Connected Care helps Centura Health fulfill its goal of bringing critical health care support to every corner of Colorado.
The new Connected Care program uses Cisco’s high-definition video conferencing and other collaborative network technologies to greatly expand physicians’ reach into rural, urban and other underserved areas. In Colorado, the program will enable more coordinated care between primary care physicians located in the rural communities and medical specialists located in Denver or elsewhere.
“The introduction of this technology is an example of how the public and private sectors are working together in Colorado to improve the health and well-being of residents statewide,” said Gov. Bill Ritter. “This impressive collaboration will help solve critical health care challenges and expand access to health care services in parts of Colorado that need it most.”
The initial locations are the first in a series of Connected Care sites to be established in Colorado at federally qualified community health centers, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics or Centura Health facilities. In the future, the technology may be implemented in retail and workplace locations and, eventually, homes.
The three pilot sites will improve patient access to medical specialties in rural areas that are either not currently available or only available on a part-time basis. These are likely to include Cardiology, Dermatology, Pulmonology, Diabetes Management and Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), among others.
“Bringing Connected Care to Colorado eliminates distance as an obstacle to accessing needed health care in rural parts of our state,” said Beth Soberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado. “These three sites, and the ones to follow, will build upon our state’s current health care infrastructure and provide people in these locations with a more convenient way to receive quality care.”
UnitedHealthcare has a history of supporting Colorado health care programs. The company has provided $7.5 million in grants to support rural health programs statewide, including for health information technology, facility improvements and wellness programs.
“As the largest health care provider in Colorado, we believe that it is our responsibility to bring quality primary care to the communities and families across our state, regardless of their location,” said Gary Campbell, president and CEO of Centura Health. “With the advanced medical technology that the Connected Care program offers, we can expand our network of care to communities and families in rural areas of Colorado that desperately need more quality and affordable health care services.”
More details on the Connected Care program, and its collaboration in Colorado, can be found at www.ConnectedCareAmerica.com.
About Centura Health
Colorado's largest health care provider, the Centura Health family includes 12 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, Flight For Life® and home care and hospice services. A nonprofit, faith-based organization, Centura Health is a joint venture organization that was formed in 1996 by Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado and Adventist Health System. Centura Health provides care and comfort to more than half a million people each year and is one of Colorado’s largest private employers with nearly 13,000 associates. For more information on Centura Health, visit www.centura.org.
Centura Health hospitals are: Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville; Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton; Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker; Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver; Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs; St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver; St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster; St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco; St. Francis Health Center in Colorado Springs; St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs; St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo; and St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City.
About the Colorado Rural Health Center
The Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) was established in 1991 as Colorado’s State Office of Rural Health. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, CRHC’s serves dual roles as the State Office of Rural Health with the mission of assisting rural communities in addressing healthcare issues; and as the State Rural Health Association, advocating for policy change to ensure that rural Coloradans have access to comprehensive, affordable healthcare services of the highest quality. The Colorado Rural Health Center has a diverse and inclusive statewide constituency of over 3,500 people and organizations. CRHC collaborates with a variety of partner organizations such as public and private sector corporations, government agencies, foundations, hospitals, and other health facilities. For more information visit www.coruralhealth.org, call 303-832-7493, or call toll free 800-851-6782 from rural Colorado.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with approximately 590,000 physicians and care professionals and more than 4,900 hospitals to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.