Atlanta-based North Star Health, Inc. Signs Partnership Deal with Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital
ATLANTA, August 21, 2008 - North Star Health, a health care data
analytics company, recently signed Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The
Hughston Clinic as implementation and development partners.
"We are excited about our partnership with North Star Health and look
forward to providing our employees with the ability to control their own
healthcare costs by their active participation in Lumina(TM). Jack Hughston
Memorial Hospital is quality and customer service driven and we believe that
healthier and happier employees will help us provide the kind of care that we
want to be known for," said James L. Matney, Chief Executive Officer, Jack
Hughston Memorial Hospital.
Lumina(TM), the cost and care management program developed by North Star
Health, integrates wellness, preventive health, disease management and
predictive health functionalities into one platform. Designed for both
employer and employee use by separate online portals, the program identifies
risk factors associated with some of the most costly chronic disease states
such as diabetes and heart disease. It then tracks and alerts the individual
to seek medical attention based on nationally recognized preventive health
guidelines.
"In order for Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The Hughston Clinic to
operate at maximum profitability, we needed a system to provide us with
management level visibility into our health plan expenditures. Lumina(TM)
gives us the ability to analyze, predict and manage our healthcare spending
while encouraging the employee to participate in their own personal wellness,"
said Mark Baker, Chief Operating Officer of The Hughston Clinic. Based on a
dual-option plan design, members who comply with preventive care guidelines
throughout the year are rewarded with enrollment in the lower-cost plan
option, Healthy Choice.
According to Dr. Paul Davis, CEO of North Star Health, "We are very
excited about our partnership with Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and The
Hughston Clinic. Both Entities understand the importance of early
intervention as it relates to chronic diseases. Lumina(TM) will empower the
hospital and clinic to identify, manage, and in some cases actually prevent
the occurrence of a chronic illness. According to Ken Thorpe, PhD - National
Healthcare Policy Expert / Economist and Advisory Board Member for North Star
Health, the top 15 chronic diseases in America account for 75% of the overall
health care dollar. Using the North Star Health Lumina(TM) system, I believe,
can impact this number greatly."
ABOUT JACK HUGHSTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Located in Phenix City, Ala., the Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital
(www.jackhughstonmemorialhospital.com) is an 110,000-square-foot facility with
62 private patient rooms. Opened in August 2006, the facility is a general
hospital providing a wide array of services such as a Surgery Department with
outpatient, endoscopy and orthopaedics; and a Diagnostic Imaging Department
with ultrasound, MRI and 64-Slice CT Scanner, one of the few scanners of its
kind in the region. The hospital features wireless Internet access, 27-inch
flat screen televisions in each patient room, a dining hall with outdoor
terrace, and floor-to-ceiling windows providing natural light. The hospital
received a National Pyramid Award in 2006 from the Associated Builders &
Contractors for excellence in design and construction of a healthcare
facility.
ABOUT THE HUGHSTON CLINIC
Based in Columbus, Ga., The Hughston Clinic (www.hughston.com) is a
full-service orthopaedic practice with nine offices in Georgia and Alabama.
Founded in 1949 by Dr. Jack C. Hughston, The Hughston Clinic is a nationally
and internationally recognized center of excellence for research, education,
training, and the quality treatment of musculoskeletal injury and disease.
Other facilities and services located on the campus of The Hughston Clinic in
Columbus include The Hughston Foundation Inc., the Hughston Health Center,
Hughston Rehabilitation, and Hughston Diagnostics.
ABOUT NORTH STAR HEALTH
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, North Star Health (www.northstarhealth.com) is
a health care data analytics company providing risk, cost, and care-management
solutions for health plans, TPAs, brokers, self-insured companies, wellness
companies, disease management companies, provider networks, and benefits
consulting groups. Lumina(TM) from North Star Health integrates wellness,
preventive health, disease management and predictive health functionalities
into one platform. It was developed in conjunction with a nationally
recognized health care policy expert and economist, Dr. Ken E. Thorpe.
SOURCE North Star Health