Curaspan Health Group President & CEO Thomas R. Ferry Appointed to Epilepsy Therapy Project Board of Directors

NEWTON, Mass., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaspan Health Group, the industry leader in building secure electronic patient-transition networks for hospitals, post-acute providers and suppliers, today announced that president and CEO Thomas R. Ferry has joined the board of directors of the Epilepsy Therapy Project. Founded in 2002, the Epilepsy Therapy Project brings together scientific, business and community leaders dedicated to advancing new therapies for epilepsy.  

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Epilepsy is a neurological disorder involving abnormal electrical activity in the brain. An estimated three million people nationwide have been diagnosed with epilepsy, including one of Ferry's children. When poorly controlled or uncontrolled, this condition can lead to significant impairment and mortality. Approximately 200,000 new cases of epilepsy will be diagnosed in the United States this year, affecting as many people as breast cancer.

"The combination of Tom's deep interest in our work and his business acumen makes him an ideal addition to our board," says Warren Lammert, chairman and co-founder of the Epilepsy Therapy Project.

The Epilepsy Therapy Project provides clinical and critical product development funding, as well as scientific and business direction to promising new therapies and invests in programs and platforms that can take time and costs out of new therapy development.

Ferry adds, "I can't overemphasize the importance of the work done by this organization. The Epilepsy Therapy Project provides resources to help bring new drugs to market and gives tremendous hope to those affected by epilepsy that there will be better treatments soon, and ultimately a cure."

Ferry founded Curaspan 11 years ago, after his family faced the daunting challenge of finding the best nursing home for a beloved relative being discharged from the hospital. It was a frustrating process that sparked his idea of using technology to help streamline patient transitions. Today, Curaspan HIPAA-compliant software is repeatedly recognized for excellence by the Health Care Advisory Board and KLAS, the health-care IT research firm.

Built with clinical expertise from case managers, discharge planners and social workers, Curaspan software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications empower users with actionable data to help streamline the patient-transition process, improve the quality of care, and by extension, the bottom line. With no capital investment required, the average hospital can be up and running in six to eight weeks, with less than three hours of staff training. Last year, the Curaspan eDischarge^TM application helped facilitate the smooth transition of almost 600,000 patients.

Curaspan works with many of the nation's top hospitals and post-acute care providers including Johns Hopkins Health System, New York Presbyterian, St. Thomas Health Services (part of Ascension Health), Vanguard Health Systems, Amedisys Home Health Services, American Medical Response, Gentiva Health Services, Golden LivingCenters, Kindred Healthcare, Life Care Centers of America and Sunbridge Health, among many others.  

About Curaspan Health Group

Curaspan Health Group builds secure electronic patient-transition networks for hospitals, post-acute providers and suppliers to optimize patient care. Curaspan software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications empower users with real-time, predictive decision-making data that enables all participants to continuously monitor care, improve communication and ensure compliance. This informatics exchange is integrated with the proprietary Curaspan Provider Data Bank, the industry's most comprehensive and up-to-date system of actionable patient-transition intelligence, and is complemented by the clinical process expertise of credentialed advisors. The Health Care Advisory Board and KLAS repeatedly have recognized Curaspan for its industry-leading software. Curaspan is headquartered in Newton, Mass. For more information please visit Curaspan.com.

About the Epilepsy Therapy Project

The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate new therapies for people living with epilepsy and seizures. Founded in 2002 by a group of parents, distinguished physicians and researchers, the Epilepsy Therapy Project supports the commercialization of new therapies through direct grants and investments in promising academic and commercial projects. Learn more at Epilepsy.com.

SOURCE Curaspan Health Group