< Back FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June Forkner-Dunn HealthMedia Programs Win
Prestigious Innovations in (Ann Arbor, MI - Thursday, June 22, 2006) – HealthMedia, Inc., the market leader in web-based tailored behavior change programs announced today that the nation’s leading integrated health plan Kaiser Permanente, has won the Innovations in HealthcareSM Award from the Adapted Business Leaders (ABL) organization. The award was given for Kaiser’s eHealthy Lifestyles program which incorporates five of HealthMedia’s products: HealthMedia® SucceedTM, a health risk assessment, HealthMedia® BalanceTM, a weight management and physical activity program, HealthMedia® BreatheTM,a smoking cessation program,HealthMedia® RelaxTM, a stress management program and HealthMedia® NourishTM,a healthy eating program. The ABL is a nationally-renowned roundtable of CEOs from healthcare or technology companies headquartered along the west coast corridor between San Diego and San Francisco. Their focus is on developing strategies and operations in industries marked by huge waves of change and innovation. The Innovations in HealthcareSM, awards are given in several categories including Medical Technology, Information Technology, Innovative Approach, and Consumer Empowerment. The Internet Services Group of Kaiser Permanente won in the latter category, whose criteria included the significance of the program, scalability of the solution, and performance metrics associated with the solution. Under the eHealthy Lifestyles umbrella, the programs work together to give Kaiser Permanente plan members web-enabled behavior change interventions around critical health issues such as weight loss, physical fitness, stress reduction and smoking cessation. The programs are highly tailored in that they provide personalized health advice that is unique to each individual based upon an initial assessment of his or her current health risks, family history, health beliefs, personal goals, motivations, and barriers to success. Says Ted Dacko, CEO of HealthMedia, Inc., “We are thrilled for our colleagues at Kaiser Permanente, and mostly for their plan members. We’ve known for sometime that our programs work, it’s great to have this recognition from the ABL.” “At Kaiser, it’s always been about empowerment and prevention, and the eHealthy Lifestyles program enables our plan members to become better consumers of health,” says June Forkner-Dunn of Kaiser Permanente Internet Services Group. Outstanding Results Over 150,000 Kaiser Permanente members have enrolled in these programs since 2004 and the outcomes have been outstanding. For example, 55% of participants enrolled in BalanceTM, lost weight, 48% dropped 1-point in Body Mass Index (BMI), and 27% of obese participations(defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher)lost 5% of their starting body weight. Of these approximately one-third lost 10% of their body weight. Among those enrolled in BreatheTM, 54% stopped smoking, and 95% of those who stopped reported high motivation to stay quit. 59% of Relax1">TM, participants reported a decrease in personal symptoms of stress, and 80% of NourishTM, participants reported better nutrition.Productivity Increases and Healthcare Costs Decline The great results for plan members also translate into great results for Kaiser Permanente and their employer customers. 24% of BalanceTM, participants who lost greater than 7.5% of their body weight reported an increase in productivity by 12%. Those who lost weight reported 1.08 fewer doctor’s visits per year. These results mirror those previously proven in a randomly controlled trial of the BalanceTM, program compared to a non-tailored generic web-based weight management program also offered by Kaiser Permanente. The results of the trial showed that plan members who took BalanceTM, lost more weight and went to the doctor less than those who took the generic program1. These results earned Kaiser Permanente and HealthMedia an honorable mention in the 2004 C. Everett Koop National Health Awards. About HealthMedia, Inc. These programs, which are utilized by pharmaceutical and medical device firms, health plans, employers, and organizations focused on disease management, augment the personal touch and efficacy of a counselor by reaching far more people at dramatically lower costs to maximize the impact. HealthMedia's individually tailored solutions are proven to produce validated outcomes and positive ROI. The company has created programs for conditions and issues such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, lower back pain, teen health, smoking cessation, nutrition, weight management, stress management, and health risk assessment. For more information about HealthMedia, please visit www.healthmedia.com. 1Obesity Research, February 2006, Volume 14 Number 2
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