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PRESS RELEASE
EHE Health Transforms Preventive Care with the introduction of EHE Health Pulse™ preventive care continuum
New York, NY | July 20, 2021
- Partners with virtual preventive care expert, Catapult Health, to increase access and engagement in preventive care
- Americans canceled or delayed health checkups during COVID; After initial uptick, use of health services in 2021 has fallen below 2019 levels
- Employer medical cost claims expected to spike in 2022-23 without efforts to re-engage employees in health and wellness
New York, July 20, 2021 – EHE Health, a national primary care network and partner with leading employers to advance employee health and engagement in preventive care, today launched EHE Health Pulse™, a range of clinical experiences that make it easier for more people to access health services. As employers place greater strategic importance on employee health, the EHE Health Pulse offering is a resource to engage more people in preventive care, address health inequities exposed by COVID-19 and help make up for sharp declines in health screenings and care during the pandemic.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, EHE Health has expanded the reach of its nation-wide primary care network by partnering with virtual care provider Catapult Health to offer a hybrid virtual care experience. EHE Health Pulse Virtual goes beyond the limitations of telehealth, offering patients the convenience of a virtual clinical visit from anywhere of their choosing plus a kit to remotely gather biometric details and complete lab work and a detailed health report identifying and addressing health risks, including underlying risks factors for COVID-19.
EHE Health Pulse Virtual is one of three care pathways patients can choose from.
Other offerings include EHE Health Pulse Digital, an all-digital experience, using dynamic device data and app-based tools to engage people at the beginning of their health journey. EHE Health Pulse Physical is the industry-standard, comprehensive, in-person health evaluation by a board-certified primary care physician.
“COVID-19 accelerated workplace trends and heightened the importance of maintaining optimal health,” said Dr. David Levy, MD, CEO of EHE Health. “EHE Health Pulse was developed so that employers can offer their employees a pathway to health services that best needs their needs and helps break down barriers to optimal and equitable health. By meeting people where they are and delivering a patient experience that recognizes distinct differences, we can engage more people in proactively managing their health and lifestyles, which is where preventive care begins.”
An analysis of health services utilization trends among employer-sponsored health plans[1] shows that health checkups were down by 14% for the full year in 2020, after initially dropping by more than 60% early in the pandemic. While there was some catchup, health exams and important screenings such as for breast and colon cancer remain well below pre-pandemic levels, and have been trending down since March of this year. The as-yet unfilled gap in care is expected to result in more severe undetected or untreated health conditions and a likely spike in employer healthcare costs in 2022-23.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 100,000 lives could be saved each year if everyone in the US received recommended clinical preventive care and screenings for health risks that become more prevalent with age, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Yet only about half of Americans with access to employer-sponsored healthcare coverage, and 8% of all Americans, use preventive care services at the recommended rate.[2]
As a population health management resource for employers, EHE Health Pulse seeks to initiate or re-engage employees in routine health maintenance. The three patient experiences in EHE Health Pulse continuum of care includes:
- Pulse Digital: Serves as the entry point to preventive care for individuals and as a supplemental population health management tool for employers. Central to the all-digital patient experience is EHE Health’s Thrive Now app with customizable tools and resources including thousands of health articles and guidance, calendars for organizing health matters for the entire family, and optional optional trackers for weight, blood pressure, mood, exercise and other health goals. Moreover, dynamic health and biometric data from Apple Health, Google Fit and other smart or wearable devices will be able to be remotely monitored by clinicians for current and at-risk patients who opt in to the service.
- Pulse Virtual: Patients who opt for a Virtual Checkup powered by Catapult Health will have a private, one-on-one virtual consultation with a clinician when it is most comfortable and convenient. Upon scheduling their appointment, they will be sent a virtual health home kit that includes lab tests they can self-administer and return by mail, or complete at the nearest Quest Diagnostics lab location. The comprehensive kit includes a blood pressure monitor members get to keep, a measuring tape, fingerstick blood collection supplies and a postage paid return envelope. Following the conversation with the clinician, each patient creates a personal action plan which include referrals into primary care, employer health and benefits programs as well as post-care navigation of ongoing care.
- Pulse Physical: The gold standard, in-person complete and comprehensive health exam including an unrushed, one-hour discussion with one of EHE Health 300-plus primary care physician to assess physical, mental and behavioral health risk factors, enhanced lab tests and recommended health screenings, customized care plan and post-exam care with ancillary coordination, mentoring and referrals as needed.
Virtual care services are provided by EHE Health in partnership with Catapult Health which launched its VirtualCheckup® solution in 2020 to address the sharp decline in routine preventive care visits during the pandemic. The collaboration allows for a seamless transition from an initial virtual assessment conducted by Catapult nurse practitioners to ongoing in-person care by EHE Health primary care physicians, as needed and wanted by patients.
“Our partnership combines Catapult Health’s expertise in virtual care with EHE Health’s approach, which is to provide all of the ongoing care, support and services that empower people to take control of their health,” ” said David Michel, CEO, Catapult Health. “Together, by giving people options to seek care—on their terms, any time, anywhere—and providing them with better information, we can help employers create a strong culture of health, higher levels of engagement and better outcomes from their investments in employee health.”
Organizations can offer the Health Pulse offering to their employees and covered beneficiaries as part of suite of workforce health solutions offered by EHE Health, including total population health strategies and an omnichannel engagement platform featurinjg technology-enabled tools and apps, behavioral analytics and advanced marketing outreach to promote utilization and engagement in preventive services.
About Catapult Health
Catapult Health is transforming the delivery of preventive and primary care through its VirtualCheckup® , a fully integrated digital solution available through employers and health plans nationwide. For more information, visit CatapultHealth.com.
About EHE Health
EHE Health is a national healthcare provider organization and center of excellence in preventive health and primary care, that partners with mid- and large-sized employers to give their employees and beneficiaries an entry point to organized healthcare, beginning with prevention. Named as a Great Place to Work®-certified company, EHE Health is headquartered in New York City and operates 200 health clinics across the U.S., staffed by a network of curated primary care physicians and clinicians. It is the only national healthcare provider dedicated to preventive care that has no health status selection among large, diverse workforce populations. For 104 years, EHE Health has been an innovator and leader helping people live longer, healthier lives with personalized preventive care. For more information, visit us at www.ehe.health
[1] [1] Data analysis, conducted by the Center for Advanced Analytics at UnitedHealthcare, Jan 1 – May 31, 2019, 2020, 2021
[2] Preventive care includes health services like screenings, check-ups and patient counseling that are used to help prevent illnesses, disease and other health problems, or to detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/prevention/)