BALA CYNWYD, Penn. & BRONX, N.Y. (February 18, 2021)—Connect America, a provider of connected health solutions, announced its partnership with Urban Health Plan to bring remote patient monitoring (RPM) services to patients living in the underserved communities of the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan.
Urban Health Plan delivers integral health services to a patient population comprised of approximately 80% Latino and 20% African American, and its Bronx locations are among the poorest congressional districts in the nation. The joint partnership between the two organizations will help increase remote access to essential healthcare services for thousands of high-risk patients living with chronic conditions.
"This is a major milestone for us in terms of improved health care delivery that is safe and uses the latest technology, with the goal of improving patient outcomes," said Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez, president and CEO, Urban Health Plan. "Thanks to Connect America's innovation and technological advancements in RPM, we can provide critical health services to chronically ill patients remotely, while reducing their risk—and the providers' risk—of exposure to COVID-19."
Connect America's web-based platform delivers proprietary predictive analytics that can identify and stratify risk factors in a way that enables clinicians to better manage the chronic conditions of patients and educates individuals on how to better monitor their own health.
"Our RPM platform is simple to use, efficient and cost-effective, and helps to address some of the most serious challenges facing patients and providers, particularly during the COVID pandemic," said Richard Brooks, president, Connect America Healthcare. "We are proud to work with Urban Health Plan to provide their patients with safer options for health care delivery that will help improve outcomes and quality of life for their patients."
The partnership was made possible through a grant awarded to Urban Health Plan by the CARES Act as part of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program launched in April 2020. The legislation was enacted to help health providers offer remote telehealth services to patients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funding has enabled the successful implementation of thousands of new telehealth programs across the nation.
Connect America's comprehensive platform, including patient monitoring solutions and medication management tools, will help Urban Health Plan to support disease management, improve patient outcomes, lower utilization costs, reduce hospitalizations and readmission rates, promote member education, and encourage self-management.
"The Urban Health Plan community represents an area that faces significant cultural, language, and economic barriers that traditionally do not receive high-quality primary and specialty care. These barriers have resulted in a prevalence of chronic diseases, acute conditions, and hospitalizations acknowledged as the highest in the country," said Alison Connelly-Flores, chief medical information officer, Urban Health Plan. "Connect America's mission is very closely aligned with ours, and that is to improve health and quality of life for the underserved and solve issues that negatively impact community health and wellness, so we're very glad to be partnering with them to better serve those in need."
Visit connectamerica.com and urbanhealthplan.org for more information.
