Campaign to Reduce High Blood Pressure and Strokes Launched by TeleHealth Services, Milner Fenwick, Abington Memorial Hospital and Long Island College Hospital

RALEIGH, N.C., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- TeleHealth Services, the nation's leading provider of interactive patient education systems and healthcare grade televisions for hospitals, today announced the launch of the High Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness Campaign in support of National Stroke Awareness month, which takes place in May every year.

The TeleHealth Services High Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness Campaign will supply four educational videos, provided by Milner Fenwick, the leading producer of patient education videos in the United States and one educational video from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in English and Spanish. AHRQ is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Its mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. In addition, the NSA reports that stroke is the third leading cause of death in America, and the number one cause of adult disability.  A dedicated provider of healthcare education technology, TeleHealth Services will use its TIGR system, an interactive patient and staff education system featuring video-on-demand access, to provide this information to thousands of patients throughout May.

Hospitals including Abington Memorial Hospital, a 665-bed referral center and teaching hospital in the Philadelphia area and Long Island College Hospital, a 506-bed, teaching hospital, which are both dedicated users of TIGR, TeleHealth's interactive patient education platform, will make these videos available to patients throughout their facilities.  Patients will receive printed material regarding the availability of these videos.  Nurses will encourage patients to view these videos in addition to any others which may be applicable to their current conditions. Patients will then access the on-demand videos using their hospital phone system, empowering them and their families as active participants in their own wellness.

"Video has time and again proven to be an extremely effective method of patient education," said George Fleming, CEO of TeleHealth Services. "TeleHealth is pleased to be working with these two content producers to provide patients with stroke prevention materials through the use of our TIGR interactive patient education system.  We are excited to be at the helm of this effort to raise awareness and better educate patients on lifestyle changes that may prevent this frequent condition."

The videos, which will be available hospital-wide for all admitted patients at both Abington Memorial Hospital and Long Island College Hospital, include: "Understanding High Blood Pressure," "Decreasing Your Sodium" and "Home Monitoring" as well as AHRQ's "Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners," in both English and Spanish.  In the video "Stroke: Reducing Your Risk," patients learn not only lifestyle changes to prevent strokes but how to quickly recognize that a friend or family member is suffering a stroke in order to seek quick medical attention to minimize the impact.

"When patients are in a hospital bed, they are a captive audience for health-related information," stated Mark Polatty, Director of Media Services for Abington Hospital. "It is our goal that patients will be empowered with the knowledge to make lifestyle changes to prevent strokes and to learn the warning signs so they can act quickly."

"It is our hope that presenting these campaign videos to our patients throughout the month of May will provide them with the knowledge they need to recognize and act upon the warning signs of a stroke," added Toby Gropen, MD, FAHA, Chairman of Neurology, at Long Island College Hospital.

"Milner Fenwick has been involved in this patient education field since 1975," said David Milner, President, Milner-Fenwick, Inc. "During our 12 year relationship with TeleHealth, we have seen the company continue to respond to the new technological advancements that are happening with video on-demand systems. Partnering with TeleHealth allows us to provide hospitals with the customized solutions they require to effectively educate their patients."

TeleHealth Services has provided interactive patient education systems to more than 450 hospitals throughout the country.  The hospital-approved educational videos can be prescribed per a specific diagnosis via the EMR, clinician entry or request by the patient and are free of charge over the hospital's television system. Videos are available on many types of common health conditions and can be obtained in multiple languages.

About TeleHealth Services:

With more than 2,500 healthcare clients across the country, TeleHealth Services is the nation's leading provider of integrated technology and communications solutions for the healthcare market. Combining 50+ years of healthcare expertise and partnerships with industry leading manufacturers, TeleHealth Services is uniquely positioned to offer a full suite of hospital technology solutions that includes:

• Interactive patient and staff education platforms
• Healthcare grade televisions and accessories
• Patient protection and security systems
• Bedside patient entertainment solutions
• The latest educational and entertainment content
• Custom designed communication systems
• Comprehensive design, implementation, and service packages
• Flexible financing solutions

Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, TeleHealth Services is a division of Telerent Leasing Corporation, which was founded in 1957. Telerent is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITOCHU International, Inc., a U.S. company based in New York City and Global 500 Corporation.  For more information on TeleHealth, call 800-733-8610, or visit at http://www.telehealth.com/.

About Abington Memorial Hospital:

Abington Memorial Hospital is a 665-bed, acute care teaching hospital with a medical staff of more than 1,100 physicians and 5,700 employees. These professionals provide medical care and health services to residents of Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

A regional provider, Abington Memorial Hospital has the only Level II accredited trauma center in Montgomery County and offers highly specialized services in cardiac care, cancer care, neurosciences, orthopedics and maternal/child health.

About Long Island College Hospital:

Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn, NY, , is a 506-bed, teaching hospital. LICH is the primary clinical teaching affiliate of the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn (SUNY-Downstate Medical Center). The LICH School of Nursing is one of the oldest nursing schools in the country.

Long Island College Hospital prides itself on combining the best features of a major medical center with the personal, caring approach of a community-centered hospital.

About Milner Fenwick:

Milner-Fenwick, Inc. is a nationally known producer and distributor of patient education program for over 25 years. Its library includes over 250 videos (many of them produced with leading medical associations) as well as a growing selection of digital products such as CD-ROM and DVD. In addition to patient education, Milner-Fenwick provides other services such production, duplication and order fulfillment for other organizations. Milner-Fenwick publishes one of the largest libraries of patient education covering many areas of health and medicine.

About AHRQ:

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. Information from AHRQ's research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services. AHRQ was formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.

SOURCE TeleHealth Services