COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Olivia is a 10-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis, and a new member of American Health's Beyond Disease Management program. Before joining the program, she received intense respiratory treatments and IV infusions of antibiotics that cause her to miss at least 20 days of school each year. But Olivia missed out on more than just schoolwork -- the inpatient treatments meant she was also unable to participate in field trips, sporting events and other school functions that the rest of her friends enjoyed. Being isolated from her friends and out of school made her unhappy, and she began to dread her treatments for more reasons than just the pain they caused her.
Olivia's mother, a Registered Nurse at the hospital where Olivia received her treatments, also felt saddened and worried by her daughter's situation. A mother's role is to comfort, and as a nurse she wished there was more she could do to help her daughter. One of her coworkers told her about Beyond Disease Management, which is offered free to them through their benefit program. After checking into it, she decided it was worth a try.
American Health's Care Manager spent time talking with Olivia and her mother about Olivia's illness, and the particular challenges they face. "It's really important for our Care Managers to get to know the individuals in the program," states Michael J. Reidelbach, President and CEO of American Health. "There is so much more to them than just their illnesses." The Care Manager prepared packets of information about cystic fibrosis for Olivia and her mother, and directed them to websites where they could learn more. She also reviewed the case with Olivia's physicians, and continues to work with them to develop a care plan that allows her to have as normal a childhood as possible. She provides support and help to Olivia's family as they learn what health care options are available to them.
Since becoming a member of the Beyond Disease Management program, Olivia's hospital admissions have been reduced from ten or more days a year to only two, and much of her care is now completed on an outpatient basis:
-- American Health's Care Manager was able to negotiate with a home care agency to furnish Olivia with a portable IV pump, allowing her to go to school and still receive her IV medications.
-- Arrangements were made for a respiratory therapist to visit Olivia's school daily to administer the aggressive respiratory treatments she needed.
Through the interventions of her Care Manager, Olivia is now able to keep up with her schoolwork and maintain closeness with her friends and classmates, while still receiving the medical care she needs to stay healthy. "Our Care Manager and the Beyond Disease Management program are Godsends," says Olivia's mother. "I finally feel like we're controlling Olivia's cystic fibrosis, instead of letting it control us."
ABOUT American Health Holding, Inc.: Since 1993 American Health has provided clients with a wide array of options for reducing health care costs and maintaining quality care. As a full-service, national medical management company, American Health provides URAC-accredited Utilization and Case Management, Demand Management, Out-of-Network Repricing, the Tomorrow's Child maternal/newborn program, a suite of Internet medical management products, and the Beyond Disease Management program. Beyond Disease Management is an innovative approach to managing members with high medical costs and chronic illnesses. The goal of the program is to make a difference in patients' lives through proactive education and health management. Using state-of-the-art predictive modeling, medical claims and pharmacy data, and a continuum of intervention methodologies, American Health can intervene prior to a catastrophic event and assist the member in navigating the health care system if a catastrophic event does occur. For more information about American Health Holding, please visit the website: www.AmericanHealthHolding.com