Iowa Farm Bureau Introduces Bold Initiative to Improve Health Care for Rural Iowans

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc. (www.USPreventiveMedicine.com) will partner with the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC) to help a group of Iowa Farm Bureau members not yet eligible for Medicare reduce health risks and live longer, healthier lives.

The two-year program, which is funded in equal amounts by a grant/cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the ICCC – a voluntary collaboration of private, academic and government organizations – is available to approximately 500 Iowa Farm Bureau members and their spouses on a first-come basis.  Participants must meet certain criteria, which include access to high-speed Internet, a rural Iowa resident between the ages of 48 and 63, and not having their primary insurance provided through the Farm Bureau.

U.S. Preventive Medicine's health improvement program, The Prevention Plan™, will help Iowa Farm Bureau members:

• Identify their top health risks through a blood test and online questionnaire.
• Follow customized action programs to reduce health risks, including one-one-one health coaching by registered nurse advocates. 
• Access a personalized web site to store medical information, complete educational health programs and receive reminders about needed screenings.
• Measure progress using The Prevention Score™, an innovative tool that measures preventive efforts throughout the year.

Program participants can earn yearly incentives, including an immediate incentive for completing the Health Risk Assessment and blood tests and an additional incentive at year end for raising their Prevention Score to the highest level through active participation in the program. The registration period for the program is Jan. 12 to Feb.12, 2010.

William Appelgate, Ph.D., executive director of ICCC, said, "We are excited to work with U.S. Preventive Medicine and the Iowa Farm Bureau to bring effective patient-centered preventive care to people living in rural areas.  We believe the online platform, registered nurse coaching and 24-hour nurse line will empower Iowans to better manage their health and enjoy a better quality of life."

Craig Lang, President of the Iowa Farm Bureau, believes the program can help rural Iowans reduce their health risks and live longer, healthier lives.

"Investing in critical prevention and wellness initiatives have always been important to our organization and we are pleased to provide this excellent program at no cost to our members," Lang said. "By using technology to provide personalized preventive services to rural residents, the ICCC can serve as a model for other states as they strive to manage health care costs and enhance productivity."

Christopher Fey, Chair and CEO of U.S. Preventive Medicine, said, "The Iowa Chronic Care Consortium is a terrific example of cooperation between the medical community, academia and private industry to save lives and reduce health care costs.  Moving from a reactive, treatment-centric mindset to a proactive prevention culture requires innovative thinking and strong leadership. We are delighted to work with these organizations to bring a more effective model to our citizens."

For more information about U.S. Preventive Medicine, visit www.USPreventiveMedicine.com.

About U.S. Preventive Medicine:

U.S. Preventive Medicine® (www.USPreventiveMedicine.com) is leading a global preventive health care movement focused on saving lives and money by keeping people healthy and better managing chronic conditions before they progress.  The company provides a suite of innovative wellness, chronic condition management, concierge, care advocacy, and executive health services—all based on the clinical science of preventive medicine.  The world's first preventive health benefit, The Prevention Plan® (www.MoreGoodYears.com) moves beyond traditional wellness to identify each individual's top health risks and design a customized action plan supported 24x7 by nurse coaches.  The company is one of the few accredited in wellness and health promotion by NCQA as well as disease management by URAC.

About the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium

The Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC) is a voluntary collaboration of public, private, academic and government organizations whose purpose is to develop capacity for the state of Iowa to effectively manage the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting Iowans.  ICCC is a not-for-profit partnership coordinated by Des Moines University. Partners include Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Health System, Mercy Health Network, and Iowa United Auto workers.

About Iowa Farm Bureau

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a non-profit, statewide, grassroots, organization dedicated to enhancing the People, Progress and Pride of Iowa.  More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve farm and rural prosperity.  For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.

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SOURCE U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc.