Ochsner Health Blazes a Trail to Better Malnutrition Diagnosis with Junum

Junum's MalnutritionCDS™ solution integrates seamlessly with Ochsner's leading EHR system

NEW ORLEANS, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Junum, an innovative digital health company, today announced that Ochsner Health will integrate the Junum MalnutritionCDS™ clinical support solution with its Epic EHR. The technology innovation partnership aims to help Ochsner clinicians identify and diagnose malnutrition within their existing workflows for better patient care.

Nutrition Insights — When and Where Clinicians Need Them
The MalnutritionCDS solution, Junum's flagship product, has proven valuable to Ochsner clinicians by delivering key nutrition insights directly to the EHR — helping organize information and inform clinical decisions as early as possible. The software also helps dietitians document clinical characteristics to support physicians' diagnoses, as well as visualize treatment impact.

Addressing Food Insecurity Inside and Outside the Hospital
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14.5% of Louisiana residents face food insecurity, which can put individuals at higher risk for malnutrition and its comorbidities. When hospitals can accurately diagnose malnutrition and recognize food insecurity during a patient's hospital stay, they can provide referrals to programs like food banks, meal delivery services or nutrition education programs — helping to improve their health for years to come. 

"Junum and Ochsner Health share a passion for improving lives and communities through better care," says Molly Hegarty, MS RDN, Founder and CEO of Junum. "With our MalnutritionCDS solution, we can put nutrition care insights in front of Ochsner's care teams earlier than was previously possible. That means they can intervene sooner to help drive better outcomes in the hospital and beyond. We're looking forward to many more success stories as this partnership progresses."

"Malnutrition is not always obvious to physicians or top of mind when it comes to care, so having decision support tools and supporting information is incredibly helpful," said Amanda Logue, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Ochsner Lafayette General.

Ochsner Health is an investor in the Healthcare Innovation Fund that invested in Junum in 2019.

About Junum
Junum is founded and led by Molly Hegarty, a Registered Dietitian and engineer. The company helps hospitals understand and address malnutrition to maximize the value of their clinical teams, drive revenue and deliver exceptional patient care. Our intuitive tools operate within existing EHR workflows, giving clinicians easy access to the nutrition insights they need to drive improved outcomes. Visit junum.io for more information.

About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children's hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State by 2030 initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient, and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 37,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana's top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.

SOURCE Junum