Avera eCARE and CareSpan form Collaboration to Deliver “Virtualized” Primary Care in the Dakotas and Wyoming
Santa Clara, CA (PRWEB) September 22, 2014 -- CareSpan USA, Inc. announced today at the Health 2.0 conference it has entered into a joint services agreement with Avera eCARE, a leading healthcare system based in South Dakota, to deploy the CareSpan Virtual Clinic in multiple states where Avera eCARE is licensed.
CareSpan and Avera eCARE plan to deploy their joint services in remote and rural parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming where Avera eCARE is licensed. The two companies’ strategy is to focus on delivering much-needed healthcare services in the Bakken region of North Dakota. Oilfield production is booming in North Dakota and very large numbers of workers are often hours away from care. Avera eCARE, using CareSpan, has an opportunity to deliver primary care and specialty care services, without the high cost of construction of new clinics or the logistical challenges of placing medical personnel in these remote areas.
In addition to CareSpan’s Virtual Clinic that allows Avera eCARE personnel to conduct health care services online, CareSpan also installs CarePoints that contain all the medical instruments and digital health devices needed for full primary care. The CarePoints can be located within man camps (residential centers for workers), or be installed as freestanding 20 or 40 foot-long containers that are specifically built-out as mini clinics. CareSpan also offers mobile clinics that can be stationed efficiently throughout oilfield production areas to deliver health care services. In areas where there is no Internet connectivity, CareSpan deploys Ka band satellite services to support data transmission for real-time examinations over its virtual clinic.
“Avera eCARE has long been a leader in advanced telemedicine services and this technology has transformed our ability to deliver high-quality healthcare in the remote and rural areas that we serve,” said Deanna Larson, Senior Vice President of Quality Integration and eCARE Services. “We view CareSpan as the next step in reaching patients in remote locations that have been underserved with far better economics than hardware-based telemedicine systems. In many ways CareSpan can equal an in-person primary care exam experience with far better patient data collection for diagnosis and treatment.”
“We could not have chosen a better clinical partner than Avera eCARE to reach large, underserved parts of this country that urgently need healthcare” said Mark Winter, Chief Executive Officer of CareSpan. “They are a health care system with a charitable mission, but also operate state-of-the-art medical facilities staffed by world-class physicians and nurses. We are very proud to be associated with Avera eCARE and look forward to meeting the needs of patients in the markets they serve.”
Avera eCARE and CareSpan begin initial operations in Q4 of 2014 and intend to expand into multiple states in subsequent years. Their joint healthcare service offerings can be paid for through Medicare/Medicaid, private health insurance, and through self-insured employer health plans.
For more information, contact CareSpan USA Inc. at (303) 800-8296 or info(at)carespanhealth(dot)com.
About Avera eCARE and Avera Health
Avera is a regional partnership of health professionals who share support services to provide excellent care at 300 locations in 100 communities in eastern South Dakota and surrounding states. Our ministry, our people and our superior value distinguish Avera. We carry on the health care legacy of the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters, delivering care in an environment guided by our values of compassion, hospitality and stewardship. Avera employs more than 13,500. Inpatient, outpatient and clinic visits totaled nearly 2.5 million in the last year, a number equal to more than twice the population of the Avera service area. For more information, please visit http://www.Avera.org.
About CareSpan USA Inc.
CareSpan is a leading provider of virtual primary care services that can be delivered anywhere and anytime while meeting State and National standards for medical care delivery. Through an innovative online platform that combines high-resolution video communications with remote vital signs monitoring, imaging and diagnosis, CareSpan strives to set new standards for the delivery of digital health services that is equal to an in-person clinical visit. The company serves remote workers, rural communities, retail pharmacies, skilled nursing facilities and will eventually deliver at-home healthcare services. For more information please visit: http://www.carespanhealth.com
CareSpan and associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of CareSpan USA, Inc. Avera eCARE and associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avera Health. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Melody Wolfgram, CareSpan USA, Inc., http://www.carespanhealth.com, +1 (303) 800-8296 Ext: 107, [email protected]
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