"Wellness-Centered Medicine" for Seniors Proven To Reduce Re-Admissions and Cut Medicare Costs

MIAMI, April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EliteHealth today announced plans to expand its EliteHealth "Senior VIP" wellness program to more cities after the success of its Florida-based pilot program. Built around the concept of "senior care centers," the program represents a first-in-the-nation restructuring from "acute care," to  "whole-patient wellness and prevention" for aging populations. With hospital readmissions being a highly costly yet preventable factor nationally, the EliteHealth risk-management incentive structure rewards patient quality outcomes, using a population health management platform. EliteHealth's Miami pilot population health management program produced the following outcomes in a six-month period with 1,500 patients:

• Decreased patient re-admissions by 50%
• Decreased admissions per 1,000 by 50%
• Decreased re-admits by 50%
• 30% reduction in emergency room visits
• Decrease in prescriptions per member by 20%

The pilot program demonstrated that frequency of patient touch-points, both at home and in a clinical setting, was key to reducing costs and re-admissions. Improved patient outcomes were produced by extending services into the patient's home through meal delivery, home tele-monitoring, artificial intelligence, medication review, as well as key medical staff home visits.

The combination of a wellness-focused medical practice that integrates a full service senior community center, represents a fundamental change in addressing senior health. The EliteHealth Senior VIP pilot provides on-site diagnostic testing, preventative screenings and on-site multi-specialty doctors. The co-located Community Center provides exercise classes, health and wellness coaches, nutritionists and dietitians. Merging a whole-patient clinical approach into a social setting enabled caregivers to engage the patients' emotional, intellectual and physical needs throughout the continuum of care, resulting in improved outcomes and reduction in Medicare costs.

"Elderly Americans are clinically the most vulnerable," said EliteHealth CEO, Steven Schnur, MD. "If the medical industry continues to focus on 'acute care,' there won't be enough hospital beds. Without a fundamental change in treatment strategy, this population will eat up already scarce Medicare resources."

"We're witnessing a trend toward patients receiving care where they want to be most: their home," according to Cheri Rodgers, COO for One Home Care Solutions, LLC. "Intensive, post-acute care programs such as the EliteHealth's 'Senior VIP' wellness is measurably reducing re-admissions as well as overall healthcare spending."

Seniors currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage are eligible for membership in EliteHealth's Senior VIP program at no additional cost. EliteHealth currently operates five Florida-based primary care centers located in Dade and Broward counties and are opening two new locations in Sarasota and Venice Beach, Florida.

About EliteHealth 
EliteHealth's Miami-based multi-specialty medical organization focuses on disease prevention and wellness. Founded by CEO Steven Schnur, MD and COO Perry Krichmar MD, the practice focuses on the prevention of chronic and acute diseases. For more information visit: www.elitehealth.com.

SOURCE EliteHealth