Showing posts with label Partners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Partners. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

National Health Partners Successfully Launches New Marketing Initiative

HORSHAM, Pa., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- National Health Partners, Inc. (National Health) (OTCBB: NHPR), a leading provider of discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it has successfully launched a new marketing initiative during the 2nd quarter. As a result of this new marketing approach the Company has seen strong monthly growth in both sales and cash flow. The Company also expects to continue adding more partners under this new program.

"The Company embarked on a bold new initiative at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and the results have been extremely positive," stated David M. Daniels, National Health Partners' President and CEO. "It's important to understand this new approach is a radical departure from how we previously compensated our partners. Historically we have paid residual commissions for the life of each membership; however, under the new program, the Company pays a one-time fee for each sale generated by a partner. The net effect is we own the memberships outright and therefore have no further obligations for the life of that member. As a result, the profit margin for retained memberships is almost triple what we would make under our previous residual payout structure."

Mr. Daniels further states, "This new program is having a profound impact on both revenues and cash flow. The Company expects to deliver positive cash flow from operations and we anticipate substantial gains in our overall cash flow for the remainder of the year. Another benefit from this payout program is the number of new partners who have signed up with us which will further drive sales going forward. As we continue to gain more traction under this new program we will be able to provide a more detailed forecast for both the 3rd quarter and 4th quarter. One thing is for certain, we are very excited about where we are now and where we expect to be by year-end."

National Health Partners, Inc.

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called "CARExpress."  CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that belong to such PPOs as CareMark and Aetna.  The company's primary target customer group is the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance of any kind.  The company's secondary target customer group includes the millions of Americans who lack complete health insurance coverage.  The company is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania.  For more information on the company, please visit its website at www.nationalhealthpartners.com.

Safe Harbor Provision

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding the company's future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues and costs, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation thereon or similar terminology or expressions.  Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from results proposed in such statements.  Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations include, but are not limited to, its ability to fund future growth and implement its business strategy, its ability to develop and expand the market for its CARExpress membership programs, demand for and acceptance of its CARExpress membership programs, its dependence on a limited number of preferred provider organizations and other provider networks for healthcare providers, as well as those factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and its other filings and submissions with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.  Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any of the information contained in this press release.

Contact

National Health Partners, Inc.
David Daniels
President/CEO
(941) 729-1766
info@nationalhealthpartners.com


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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Health Partners Number Three on Inquirer/Daily News Top Workplace List

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Health Partners of Philadelphia Inc., the not-for-profit, managed care health insurance organization, is one of the top large companies to work for in the Philadelphia region, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. Health Partners ranked number three out of 20 large businesses. The premier Philadelphia daily newspapers partnered with WorkplaceDynamics to identify the Delaware Valley's "Top Workplaces of 2012" — those that stand-out as ethical, caring employers with good leadership, fair pay and development opportunities for staff.

“This is why we’re continually number-one in member satisfaction. Our employees truly feel appreciated and good about what we do, which guides how we treat our members, providers and each other,” says William S. George, president and CEO. “I am so proud that our employees view Health Partners as an engaging, inspiring and rewarding place to work.”

WorkplaceDynamics invites employers throughout the region with at least 50 workers to participate in a survey designed to identify employee perceptions of their workplace. The survey focuses on issues such as the organization’s mission, the direction of the company, its leadership, pay and benefits, career development, corporate culture, work/life balance, etc. After the survey was completed, WorkplaceDynamics ran statistical measures to identify their list of the top 100 workplaces, which is made up of the 20 highest-ranked large employers, 35 midsize organizations, and 45 small firms.

For more than 25 years, Health Partners has been enhancing the lives of it members with the guidance and support of its dedicated employees and extensive network of providers. Health Partners goes beyond the scope of an ordinary health plan by also serving the local community through the Health Partners Foundation, an employee-founded non-profit that works to fill unmet needs and make a difference in underserved communities.

About Health Partners:

Health Partners is a not-for-profit health plan serving nearly 170,000 members in the Greater Philadelphia region. Its HealthChoices Medicaid plan consistently ranks number one in the area for member satisfaction in an annual consumer survey; is rated as “Excellent,” the highest level possible, by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA); and was the first plan in the nation to receive NCQA’s Multicultural Health Care Distinction. In 2009, the company launched KidzPartners, which provides free or low-cost health insurance to uninsured children and teens through CHIP, Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program. Founded more than 25 years ago, Health Partners is one of the few hospital-owned health plans in the country and has received national recognition for its innovations in managed care. For more information about Health Partners, please visit www.healthpart.com.


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Sunday, March 18, 2012

William George, doing the right thing at Health Partners

Training sessions at Health Partners of Philadelphia Inc. often include a brief, emotional video to instill a customer-centered service mentality at the nonprofit that provides government-paid health insurance for 160,000 people, mostly in Philadelphia.

One such true-life video shows how a college senior hits her first home run, then blows out her right knee, leaving her unable to round the bases. Rules prohibited teammates from helping.

Two players from the opposing softball team, moved to do what they called "the right thing," picked up their injured opponent and carried her around the bases, allowing her to touch them with her left foot, preserving her home run - and costing their team a win.

For William S. George, 60, Health Partners' president and chief executive, that story, which in his words, "tugs at the heartstrings," is an example of doing the right thing no matter what it costs. "It's what we truly believe here," he said. "That's the boundary of making a decision here."

Asked to elaborate, George said: "Sometimes doing the right thing means approving something that is very expensive for a member. . . . The member needs a wheelchair that costs 50,000 bucks. Well, you know what, that's the right thing, so do it. We don't want to be in the newspaper for denying some care that the member could have used and destroys our reputation."

That attitude is what helped George - who believes so strongly in collaboration that he did not want to be interviewed or photographed for this article without some of his top lieutenants on hand - win a special award for leadership at companies with more than 500 employees in the Top Workplaces 2012 survey.

Mary K Stom, senior vice president for health care management and chief medical officer at Health Partners, offered the example of a social worker on her staff who took the initiative to help a Haitian mother and daughter who came to Philadelphia in 2009.

The 13-year-old daughter had cerebral palsy and needed an expensive wheelchair and handheld computer to communicate. Her mother, who could not speak English, needed an interpreter to help arrange for her daughter's care so she could work. The social worker arranged it all.

"Fortunately, Bill trusts me and my team," Stom said. "If my team says, 'We need this,' then that's what happens, and that's the tone that Bill has set since I've been here," said Stom, who has been at Health Partners for six years.

Stom said she did not know the cost of the help for the Haitian family.

Health Partners, which employs 520 and has headquarters at Ninth and Market Streets, had $1 billion in total revenue last year, up 4 percent from $963 million in 2010, when the nonprofit's net income was $9.2 million. Last year's net income figure was not yet available.

In the last three years, Health Partners' membership has climbed 18 percent, to 160,016 in December from 146,187 three years earlier, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Health Partners has a 36 percent market share in the city for Medicaid recipients, putting it in second place behind Keystone Mercy Health Plan, whose market share is 46 percent.

Health Partners, founded in 1985, is unusual in that it is still owned by a group of Philadelphia hospitals.

The owners are: Albert Einstein Medical Center, Aria Health, Episcopal Hospital, Hahnemann University Hospital, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, and Temple University Hospital.

A Temple representative had praise for George, an accountant by trade who has been an executive at Health Partners since 1992 and president and CEO since 2006.

"Under William George's leadership, Health Partners is one of the state's most significant and innovative Medicaid health-maintenance organizations," said Robert H. Lux, vice president and chief financial officer of the Temple University Health System.

Among Health Partners' innovations are methods for reducing members' unnecessary emergency-room visits, as has been recognized by an industry group.

But with health-care reform, George is looking for growth. "We hope to minimally increase by 50 percent, if not double, by the end of 2014," hiring as many as 250, he said.

Contact Harold Brubaker at 215-854-4651 or hbrubaker@phillynews.com.


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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Health 2.0 Partners With AT&T for SXSW Hackathon

Gas Prices Break 27-Day RiseCNNMoney.com

The nationwide average for gasoline prices eased Tuesday, marking the first decline after 27 straight days of increases, …


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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Health Evolution Partners Makes Investment in Freedom Innovations, LLC

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Health Evolution Partners, a health care private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired a majority interest in Freedom Innovations, LLC (“Freedom”). Freedom, based in Irvine, California, is a leading provider of premium high-technology prosthetic devices and is focused on developing world-class solutions for individuals with lower limb amputations. Freedom’s senior management team will continue their leadership of the organization, and will remain significant shareholders in the company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are very excited to partner with Freedom,” said Ned Brown, Investment Partner of Health Evolution Partners. “Freedom develops, manufactures, and has successfully commercialized, a broad and attractive portfolio of proprietary lower limb prosthetic devices. The company provides a tremendous platform for expansion in a dynamic and growing market, and has a robust pipeline of new products. We have been impressed with Freedom’s strong management team and employees; they have an outstanding track record of innovation and development, along with superior commercial execution and customer service. We look forward to working with them.”

“Health Evolution Partners is an ideal partner for Freedom,” said Maynard Carkhuff, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom. “Their extensive background in the medical device industry, combined with their strategic insight, and the firm’s total-systems approach to healthcare investing will be extremely valuable to Freedom as we continue to execute our growth strategy. We believe that Health Evolution Partners will be able to help accelerate Freedom’s growth through their broad-scale healthcare systems, strategic, operational, reimbursement, and commercial sales and marketing experience. Furthermore, their strong relationships with key decision-makers in the healthcare industry, both in the U.S. and internationally, will be highly valuable.”

As part of the transaction, and to finance further growth opportunities for Freedom, Health Evolution Partners facilitated the successful completion of new senior credit facilities. The senior credit facilities were led by Madison Capital Funding LLC and included BMO Capital Markets as Co-Lead Arranger.

Health Evolution Partners focuses on creating strong partnerships with high growth companies and exceptional management teams in the healthcare industry. The firm seeks to invest in platforms where the expertise and experience of the firm’s operating and transaction principals can contribute to accelerating the growth and value of the businesses. Freedom is Health Evolution Partner’s ninth Growth Fund investment. Health Evolution Partner’s previous investments include AOS, CambridgeSoft, CenseoHealth, Halcyon Healthcare, Kisimul, Mollen Immunization Clinics, Optimal IMX, and Prolacta Bioscience.

“We are enthusiastic about Freedom Innovations, and look forward to working with them to continue their global growth,” said David J. Brailer, Ph.D., M.D., Chairman of Health Evolution Partners. “Freedom adds undisputed value to its patients and to the overall health care system. It is led by a strong and proven management team, and is poised to take major steps forward as a commercial leader in its space. It is, in short, the kind of company that we want to work with and to have in our portfolio.”

About Health Evolution Partners | www.healthevolutionpartners.com

Health Evolution Partners buys and invests in rapidly growing companies that are commercial leaders in the health care industry. We invest around the globe and across the health economy, including services, information technology, and life sciences. We form close working partnerships with outstanding management teams and connect our companies to our network of CEOs, policy makers, and thought leaders. For more information on Health Evolution Partners, visit www.healthevolutionpartners.com.


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Monday, February 6, 2012

Verizon and Health Evolution Partners Join Forces to Accelerate Connected Health Innovation and Adoption

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Evolution Partners and Verizon Enterprise Solutions have established a strategic relationship to encourage innovation and adoption of connected health information technologies that help drive patient care improvements and better manage costs.

Under a new multiyear agreement announced Monday (Feb. 6), Health Evolution Partners (HEP), a health care buyout firm, and Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, the company's health IT practice group, will collaborate to identify and work with companies to spur the development and adoption of advanced IT solutions and applications in areas such as mobile health, telemedicine and health data management to help transform health care delivery in the U.S.

Demand for connected health technologies is expected to grow rapidly as the industry seeks to better manage costs and improve patient care by facilitating real-time care coordination, increasing patient engagement and enabling information portability. The firms will leverage HEP's unique health care insight and Verizon's platform-based health IT portfolio of mobility, cloud and IT offerings to accelerate transformative change by providing innovators with the ability to develop and scale connected health IT solutions and applications.

"The next generation of health IT will not be anchored to a desk," said Dr. David J. Brailer, chairman of Health Evolution Partners.  "Clinicians and patients will expect technologies that support mobility and virtual care.  Advanced broadband, video-based technologies and wireless devices that incorporate geo-location capabilities and sensors will change the landscape of health care from development to delivery. Our relationship with Verizon demonstrates the importance of bringing these innovations to market."

Dr. Peter Tippett, vice president and chief medical officer, Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, said: "Strong collaboration across the health care ecosystem is essential to enabling health IT transformation. Verizon is committed to building strategic relationships to help spur the adoption of connected health technologies. Health Evolution Partners stands out because of the firm's deep understanding of the health care industry and its proven ability to invest in innovative companies that are poised to play important roles in the future of health care."

Executives from HEP and Verizon Enterprise Solutions will discuss market opportunities in connected health during a session on mobility at this year's HEP Leadership Summit, an annual gathering of 350 world-class health care CEOs, innovators, investors, policy makers and thought leaders, to be held April 25-27 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Calif.

About Health Evolution Partners

Health Evolution Partners buys and operates rapidly growing companies that are commercial leaders in the health care industry.  We invest around the globe and across the health economy, including services, information technology and life sciences.  We form close working partnerships with outstanding management teams and connect our companies to our network of CEOs, policy makers and thought leaders. For more information on Health Evolution Partners, visit www.healthevolutionpartners.com.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.


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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Peter Neupert, Globally Recognized Health Care Information Technology Executive, Joins Health Evolution Partners As ...

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Health Evolution Partners (HEP), a health care buyout firm, announced today that Peter Neupert has joined the firm as Operating Partner. Mr. Neupert is a health care information technology leader who is globally known for his experience building major health care information technology products and bringing them to market. He will collaborate with HEP’s other operating partners to help the firm’s portfolio companies achieve commercial success.

“As one of the world’s top health information technology executives, Peter will bring immeasurable strength to HEP and our companies,” said David J. Brailer, MD, PhD, CEO of Health Evolution Partners. “His experience, ranging from start-ups to the largest global companies, puts him in a unique position to help our companies be market leaders.”

“I’m excited to join the Health Evolution Partners team and to share my experience launching and growing new health information technology businesses,” said Mr. Neupert. “HEP’s portfolio companies are among the most innovative growth companies in the industry, and I look forward to contributing to their successes.”

Mr. Neupert most recently served as Corporate Vice President of the Microsoft Health Solutions Group since its formation in 2005. Under his leadership, the group brought two primary software platforms to the market: Amalga, a data integration platform, and HealthVault, a personal health application platform. Previously, Mr. Neupert served on the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) from 2003 to 2005, co-chairing the Health Information Technology subcommittee. Prior to Microsoft, he led drugstore.com Inc., which become a top online retail store and information site during his time as president and CEO from 1998 to 2001. He remained as chairman of the board of directors of drugstore.com Inc. until April 2004.

Mr. Neupert received a M.A. in business administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and B.A. from Colorado College. He is an active member of the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Healthcare and serves on the board of trustees for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He has also served on the boards of GlobalScholars.com (sold to Scantron Corp.), Aquantive.com (sold to Microsoft) and Cranium, Inc. (sold to Hasbro).

About Health Evolution Partners

Health Evolution Partners buys and operates rapidly growing companies that are commercial leaders in the health care industry. We invest around the globe and across the health economy, including services, information technology and life sciences. We form close working partnerships with outstanding management teams and connect our companies to our network of CEOs, policy makers and thought leaders. For more information on Health Evolution Partners, visit www.healthevolutionpartners.com.


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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Veteran Health Care CEO Barry Smith Joins Health Evolution Partners As Operating Partner

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Health Evolution Partners (HEP), a health care buyout firm, announced today that Barry Smith has joined the firm as Operating Partner. Mr. Smith is a veteran health care CEO with experience founding and leading health care companies, including hospice and pharmacy benefits management. Mr. Smith will join other operating partners and investment professionals to help the firm’s portfolio companies achieve commercial success.

“Barry is a stellar CEO who will deepen our operating experience and expand our business savvy,” said David J. Brailer, MD, PhD, CEO of Health Evolution Partners. “His deep experience founding and leading major health care companies will be invaluable in helping our portfolio CEOs build great and durable companies.”

“I’m thrilled to join Health Evolution Partners as it builds world class operating capabilities,” said Mr. Smith. “This is a time of enormous opportunity for strong health care companies, and I look forward to working with our CEOs to build top tier companies.”

Mr. Smith founded and served as Chairman, President and CEO of VistaCare, Inc., a national provider of hospice services, from 1996 to 2003. Prior to that, he served as Chairman and CEO of Value Rx, Inc., then one of the country’s largest pharmacy benefit management companies. Before that, he served as Vice President of Operations for PCS Health Systems, also a pharmacy benefits management firm. He currently serves as a director of Magellan Health Services, and has served on several for-profit company boards as well as several charitable boards. He is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bon Travay, S.A., a charitable organization dedicated to healthcare and educational efforts in developing countries. Mr. Smith received a B.A. in finance from the University of Utah.

About Health Evolution Partners

Health Evolution Partners buys and operates rapidly growing companies that are commercial leaders in the health care industry. We invest around the globe and across the health economy, including services, information technology and life sciences. We form close working partnerships with outstanding management teams and connect our companies to our network of CEOs, policy makers and thought leaders. For more information on Health Evolution Partners, visit www.healthevolutionpartners.com.


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EmpowHER Partners With Health Guru to Expand Video Audience

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire -01/19/12)- EmpowHER, an award-winning social health company for women today announces a new partnership with HealthGuru Media, the leading company for health video on the Web. Through this partnership, HealthGuru.com will offer its viewers EmpowHER's original, HD-quality women's health video library - the largest of its kind on the Web. Through the partnership, EmpowHER will syndicate videos to more than 100M annual visitors on HealthGuru.com and throughout Health Guru's premium health network.

Health Guru has a comprehensive library of health videos, with 3,000+ titles covering 125 different conditions. This library was built utilizing a unique approach to health education which places equal focus on presenting credible, easy-to-understand health information with doing so in a powerfully engaging context. Providing the user with an immersive, media-rich experience, HealthGuru.com uses cutting edge technology that truly engages their audience to ensure the optimal user and learning experience. The result is the most engaged health video audience on the web, with the typical Health Guru viewer spending 61.9 minutes a month watching Health Guru content (comScore Video Metrix, December '11)

"According to Nielsen, over two thirds of women ages 20-50 consume online videos," says Thom Brodeur, Executive Vice President and CMO of EmpowHER Media. "Partnering with HealthGuru.com enables us to deliver important health and wellness video resources to a broader global audience."

Since its launch in 2008, EmpowHER has achieved a leading position in the women's online health and wellness space, and is today recognized as the fastest growing social health community for women. EmpowHER Media expects to reach nearly 40M female health consumers on EmpowHER.com, and another 200M through a powerful syndication network that includes a Who's Who of the Web like: Yahoo! Health, AOL, Shine by Yahoo!, Hearst's RealAge, Rodale's Healthy Living Network, Fox News Health and others. Understanding the power of video, bringing not only educational videos to female health consumers, but enabling real women to share their person health and wellness stories with each other, EmpowHER has also built a robust video syndication network of partners including HealthGuru.com, reaching more than 160M of women across the web each month.

"By 2015, online video consumption will be so pervasive that no one will even make the distinction between Internet users and Internet users who watch video," says Josh Silberstein, CEO of HealthGuru.com. "With health and wellness information consistently among the most popular search subjects online, we know that videos on these topics will continue to be in high demand. HealthGuru Media is pleased to partner with a market leader like EmpowHER to expand our ability to deliver video content to millions of women around the world, and to continue helping them with their health and wellness needs."

Click here to view this release on EmpowHER.com and share it with your social networks.

About EmpowHER Media
EmpowHER Media is an award-winning, HON-certified, social health company for women. The Company's flagship -- EmpowHER.com -- is the third most visited women's health and wellness destination on the Web (comScore Media Metrix). As the online home for female health consumers, EmpowHER.com offers a unique value proposition of a peer health community and premium, original women's health and wellness content. Health care professionals, brands and agency professionals rely on EmpowHER Media for reaching the most influential health and wellness buyer on the Internet -- women. EmpowHER reached more than 60 million women onsite and through syndication in 2011, and expects to reach more than 250 million in 2012.

About HealthGuru.com
HealthGuru.com is the leading destination site for health video on the web (comScore Video Metrix, November 2010). Our unique approach to health education was developed specifically for the video audience and is differentiated in three key ways: HealthGuru.com focuses on the health topics that matter most to today's audience, including: diet & fitness, mental & emotional health, sexual health, pregnancy, baby health & childcare, beauty & grooming, drugs & alcohol, and more. The modern health consumer seeks out an immersive, rich media experience on the web, not the text-centric offerings commonly found on other health sites. Health Guru was created with cutting edge media -- like the largest health video library on the web and interactive applications -- so we can offer the experience our audience expects. World-class information providers know that an accurate and comprehensive resource is just the first step. Creating content that truly engages the audience is the way to ensure that information becomes learning. That's why Health Guru is dedicated to making our content as interesting and when relevant, entertaining, as it is useful.


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