BOSTON, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthShare Technology today announced an agreement with the Hampton Roads Health Coalition (HRHC) of Virginia to provide its members with access to HealthShare’s Select Quality Care(R) Consumer online decision support tool. HRHC is a non-profit, employer- sponsored organization committed to improving the quality of health care in the Hampton Roads community through the cooperative efforts of employers and healthcare providers. HRHC has a membership of 75 employer members across Hampton Roads, representing more than 160,000 employees and their dependants.
“As employers, our members are on the front lines of one of today’s biggest challenges: delivering high-quality, cost-effective health benefits to employees,” said Dennis A. Turner, president of HRHC and manager of welfare benefits at Norfolk Southern Corporation. “Employers are looking for consumer- friendly decision support tools, such as Select Quality Care Consumer, to help employees select the most effective and appropriate provider for their health care needs.”
One HRHC member, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, reports an annual health care spend in excess of $161,000 or more than $4,000 per employee annually. “As health insurance costs continue to escalate, we at the Chamber are constantly looking for ways to reduce those costs,” said Sylvia Farrar, senior vice president of finance and administration for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. “A decision-making tool like Select Quality Care Consumer will allow our employees to make better health care decisions. This has the potential to ultimately reduce our insurance costs.”
Another HRHC employer member, Dollar Tree, reports 2004 medical plan costs of approximately $30 million to cover 5,600 benefit-eligible employees.
Select Quality Care Consumer will enable subscribing employers/employees of HRHC members to compare and select the best hospital for their individual needs, based on objective measures such as patient volume, mortality rates, complications, length of stay and cost. The tool, named HOSPITALpick, provides access to information on more than 165 conditions and procedures, ranging from coronary artery bypass surgery to cesarean section to total hip replacement.
“Increasingly, employer groups such as HRHC are taking the lead in improving the value and quality of healthcare in their communities,” said Rick Siegrist, president and CEO of HealthShare Technology. “By providing access to objective hospital quality data, HRHC is giving employees a tool that, in partnership with their physicians, can lead to better and more confident healthcare decision-making.”
About HealthShare Technology
HealthShare is a leader in delivering robust decision support tools that help hospitals, health plans, employers and consumers make more informed and confident health care decisions. HealthShare offers an integrated approach to analyzing and comparing healthcare performance data to improve the quality of care while lowering costs. Learn more at http://www.selectqualitycare.com/.
Select Quality Care is a registered trademark of HealthShare Technology, Inc.
For more information on HOSPITALpick and the Hampton Roads Health Coalition (HRHC), please visit http://www.hrhc.org/hospitalpick.
For information, contact: Jenny McGee Eileen Ciccotelli HealthShare Technology, Inc. Hampton Roads Health Coalition 978.263.6300 757.552.0913 jmcgee@healthshare.comeciccotelli@hrhc.org John Hallock Brodeur Worldwide 617.587.2024 jhallock@brodeur.com
HealthShare Technology
CONTACT: Jenny McGee of HealthShare Technology, Inc., +1-978-263-6300,jmcgee@healthshare.com; or Eileen Ciccotelli of Hampton Roads HealthCoalition, +1-757.552.0913, eciccotelli@hrhc.org; or John Hallock of BrodeurWorldwide, +1-617.587.2024, jhallock@brodeur.com