Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire to Offer MedWand to Employers and Members
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) October 02, 2015 -- Nevada-based MedWand Digital Health, a technology startup that creates the MedWand, announced today that it had secured a substantial order from insurance company Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The MedWand is a revolutionary portable medical device that allows patients to be examined by doctors remotely.
The tech startup adds to the fast-growing telemedicine industry by allowing telemedicine providers to remotely conduct physical examinations of patients in addition to video chats. MedWand is the first company to manufacture such technology that combines several diagnostic tools into a single, portable device.
MedWand will provide its Digital Onsite Clinics (DOCs) to the Group Health Cooperative's employer clients. Businesses with the Digital Onsite Clinic will be able to keep employees on the job by having telemedicine providers examine and diagnose health conditions remotely, a benefit that until now, has been largely limited to videoconferencing. MedWand DOCs can be used by businesses with as few as two employees that can’t afford the “onsite clinic” luxuries of larger companies. Large employers can benefit by replacing expensive onsite clinics with cost-effective MedWand Digital Onsite Clinics that can be installed in numerous locations.
In the second phase of the project, Group Health Cooperative plans to purchase MedWands for higher-need members, granting them access to remote examinations from home, work, or anywhere there is an Internet connection. Beneficiaries can now have providers listen to heart and lungs, look into throat and ear canals, get an EKG, and obtain basic vitals from a single, consumer-friendly, medical-grade device. The MedWand also has the capability to monitor certain chronic conditions from afar.
MedWand’s President and Chairman, Dr. Samir Qamar, is confident that the technology will alter the course of care. “We are thrilled that Group Health Cooperative shares the same vision to bring affordable access to care via technology as we do,” says Dr. Qamar, who also created the MedWand. “There is great benefit to the insurance industry if it can keep claims down – with MedWand patients can avoid unnecessary trips to urgent care centers and emergency rooms for many ailments. Exam-aided telemedicine will soon be another realm of standard medical practice.”
Peter Farrow, Group Health Cooperative’s CEO, agrees. “Group Health Cooperative prides itself in its use of technology to benefit our members. We are excited to be the first in the insurance industry to use MedWand’s innovative technology, and we look forward to integrating it into our infrastructure as another tool to help improve member health and manage risk. MedWand’s appeal with convenience, access, and cost reduction should make it popular with other industries quickly.”
Praveen Mooganur, MedWand Digital Health’s first investor and senior advisor to MedWand added, "MedWand is a breakthrough innovation that is advancing the telemedicine industry to the next level. MedWand will have a global impact, enabling access to healthcare for people in developing countries and remote areas."
MedWand was just named a finalist at Health 2.0’s 2015 Launch! event, and recently cited by Frost and Sullivan as one of the top ten healthcare disrupters.
MedWand is accepting pre-orders from health plans, employers, and consumers at this time, and will be shipping the first units in 2016. Visit store.medwand.com for details.
About MedWand:
United States-based MedWand Solutions, Inc. creates MedWand telemedicine technology, allowing telemedicine providers to perform remote physical examinations in real-time. With offices in Nevada and California, MedWand’s mission is to add medical data collection to telemedicine via innovative technology. Designed to be used by patients and doctors together, the consumer-friendly, medical-grade MedWand is portable, and combines a digital stethoscope, high-definition video camera for looking at skin and inside passages, thermometer, pulse oximetry, heart rate monitor, EKG, and Bluetooth for peripheral device data. MedWand DOCs (Digital Onsite Clinics) combine MedWand devices with computers and tablets to create cost-effective virtual clinic capabilities for access to care via Internet or satellite links. For more information, please visit http://www.MedWand.com, or follow us on Twitter @MedWand.
About Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire:
Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire started over 40 years ago in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as a local thought and has grown into a nationally recognized health management organization (HMO). The Cooperative is a community-based non-profit health plan and provides health coverage to more than 65,000 members throughout Western and Central Wisconsin. To learn more about the Cooperative, please visit http://www.group-health.com.
Samir Qamar, President, MedWand Digital Health, http://www.MedWand.com, +1 855-211-3223, [email protected]
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