For Immediate Release
Cheyenne, Wyoming
February 09, 2006

APS Healthcare and EqualityCare Partner with Wyoming Network for Telehealth (WyNETTE)

Increase Number of Clients Using Health Buddy Device

APS Healthcare—one of the nations leading specialty health care management organizations and EqualityCare (Medicaid) have partnered with the Wyoming Network for Telehealth (WyNETTE), to increase the number of clients using the Health Buddy device.  “Telehealth” and “telemedicine” are umbrella terms covering a wide range of pilot projects being carried out under a $1.5 million federal grant utilizing electronic tools to put patients in touch with doctors and nurses.  The Health Buddy device is for selected high-risk individuals with diabetes, coronary artery disease, depression, or asthma with the intention of improving health by educating and increasing the understanding and management of their condition. Clients selected for this particular project are those who currently don’t have land line phone service. The phone service, a telephone (if the client doesn’t have one in the home) and any needed home visits by a nurse will be funded by the WyNETTE project through EqualityCare.

Health Buddy is a simple, remote health management monitoring device collecting symptoms, behavioral information and vital signs from clients and transmitting the information over an ordinary phone line to a secure data center.  The information is sent to APS Health Coaches (nurses) who monitor, review and analyze client status by analysis of data obtained from the Health Buddy.  Clients are contacted if there are increased risk factors and, if needed the Health Coach facilitates communication with their health care provider. If the situation warrants, the Health Coach will also call the treating physicians/providers and fax condition reports.

APS Healthcare and EqualityCare are asking for assistance from providers for client referrals who could benefit from the Health Buddy and home health and public health nurses to make home visits.  The visits are to encourage participation, assess client status, and to assist the client with initial set-up of the Health Buddy. Clients will be utilizing the Health Buddy device statewide, so no one agency or county will be overly impacted with visits.  These visits are not regular nursing visits and may be one time only.  For an on-site demonstration of the Health Buddy please contact APS Healthcare at (888)545-1710.

About APS
APS Healthcare, headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., is a leading provider of specialty healthcare solutions that cover more than 20 million members in the United States and Puerto Rico. APS offers customized, integrated healthcare solutions across three major healthcare product lines – health management services, behavioral health services and quality improvement programs. APS operates under the belief that managing healthcare for the mind and body improves overall health and reduces total healthcare spending.

APS is committed to “Helping People Lead Healthier Lives” through the implementation of customized programs that meet each customer’s unique needs.