Columbine Health offers 24/7 call center

Within the complex mosaic of health-care delivery and cost containment are many possible paths to achieving better outcomes – a key goal of the ongoing health-care reform effort being pushed by the Obama administration.

One idea is getting a closer look at Columbine Health Systems facilities in Fort Collins and Loveland. Last month, Columbine, which provides residential and home-care services for seniors, introduced a telehealth monitoring program designed to help clients better manage their day-to-day health and potentially avoid expensive hospital and emergency room treatment.

Columbine partnered with Connections 365, a company offering a 24/7 call center that monitors health data input through kiosks called “Health Buddies.”

The basic goal, said Columbine health systems coordinator Yvonne Myers, is to help seniors stay in their homes and empower them to take charge of their health situation.

“Our average age is around 85 years old,” Myers said. “It’s about helping them to better manage their health and doing it at home helps them be in charge of their life. They all want to stay in the least restrictive environment as long as possible.”

Initially, Columbine has installed kiosks in its residential facilities so residents can check on their own vital signs and get feedback on any changes they may notice. In the near future, Myers said Columbine intends to offer the Health Buddy table-top monitoring units through its home-care providers as well.

The home units are hooked to a telephone or Internet connection that feeds data to the call center, where the information is assessed and a local intervention can take place before a health condition becomes critical.

Gilbert Cruz, a spokesman for Connections 365, said studies have shown that self-monitoring systems can decrease hospitalizations and premature entry into nursing homes. But the units also help encourage wellness and illness prevention, he added.

Cruz said the cost of renting a Home Buddy hasn’t been finalized but would likely be somewhere between $100 and $200 a month.

“We want to keep it no greater than a high-end cable TV package because we want to keep it affordable,” he said.

The client can take his or her medical record stored in the Health Buddy on visits to the doctor and the physician can get a better idea of how the patient has been progressing. Cruz said the service also includes a weekly wellness call from a real person to check on the client to provide an opportunity to ask questions or just talk to someone.

And the system offers some piece of mind for relatives. “It brings a sense of security to family members when they aren’t close,” Cruz said.

The system works best when monitoring chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and lung disease. And many seniors have more than one condition to track.

“When you have multiple things to monitor, that’s really what the Health Buddy’s for,´ said Myers.

With millions of aging baby boomers moving into retirement with escalating health-care needs, Myers said such home-based monitoring technology will be vital.

“There just aren’t going to be enough health-care workers to take care of them all,” she said. “Moving forward, telehealth is the future of health care.”

Myers said having a connection to a call-center monitor is what will set Columbine’s telehealth program apart from other programs aimed at helping keep seniors out of hospitals, emergency rooms and nursing homes until that kind of expensive care is truly needed.

“The most unique part of it is the call center part of it – having someone available 24/7,” she said. “For homebound people without children nearby, this becomes their lifeline.”

Steve Porter covers health care for the Northern Colorado Business Report. He can be reached at 970-221-5400, ext. 225 or at sporter@ncbr.com.

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