C Spire, University of Mississippi Medical Center honored for role in breakthrough pilot program
Norwalk, Conn. (January 14, 2016) – C Spire and the University of Mississippi Medical Center have received the TMC 2015 Telehealth Award for a breakthrough telehealth pilot program that dramatically lowered the cost of care and improved the health of 100 consumers in the state struggling with diabetes.
The mobile service unit of the Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology firm and UMMC’s Center for Telehealth were among 10 projects recognized by HealthTechZone.com, a leading healthcare technology news source.
HealthTechZone.com is a unit of TMC, a global integrated media conglomerate and leading source of news and information for the communications and technology industries worldwide. Other winners included Arxan, Cradlepoint, NEC, Vodafon, Logic PD and Simply Home.
One of TMC’s most coveted honors, the award recognizes and honors innovative technologies and solutions that help improve healthcare delivery and overall wellness. Award winners were judged based on their ability to improve health care delivery and management.
“C Spire and UMMC are true trailblazers in using technology and best practices to address some of our most vexing healthcare challenges,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO of TMC. “Their innovative telemedicine approach is being recognized for working towards the advancement of healthcare delivery. We look forward to seeing their future endeavors.”
In 2014, C Spire partnered with UMMC and Intel-GE Care Innovations in a pilot program to improve healthcare in rural Mississippi for underserved individuals struggling with chronic diabetes through remote monitoring and data analytics. The plan combined the power and ubiquity of high-speed mobile broadband communications with easy-to-use handheld devices that linked the UMMC Care Team to patients in their homes to deliver connected, collaborative and cost-effective care.
Patients were issued tablets and wireless peripherals equipped to provide educational health information and monitor metrics like glucose levels using peripherals and equipment to check their condition and transmit a seamless stream of data to The Center for Telehealth over C Spire’s mobile broadband network. The pilot program eliminated hospital stays, emergency room visits and saved over $339,000 in just six months.
The success of the pilot effort has already spawned an expanded program and C Spire’s mobile services unit will provide wireless connections to UMMC and Care Innovations as part of a five-year program to improve and extend the lives of individuals struggling with a variety of chronic conditions, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, asthma, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“We appreciate the recognition from TMC and look forward to partnering with UMMC and Intel-GE Care Innovations in helping make a real difference in the lives of more individuals who struggle every day with the challenges of these chronic diseases,” said Kevin Hankins, COO for C Spire.
Kevin Cook, CEO of UMMC’s University Hospitals and Health System, said the health care provider is looking forward to the next phase of its telehealth initiative. “We’re pleased with the recognition and value our partnership with C Spire in expanding this program,” Cook said, noting that the program has the potential to save Medicaid $189 million a year by helping individuals better manage their diabetes.
“After seeing the improved health and quality of life for individuals participating in this program, we’re ready to expand the benefits to other chronically ill populations,” Cook said. After expanding operations, UMMC plans to enroll 1,000 new patients a month in Mississippi and surrounding states by the end of this year.
In addition to the TMC telehealth award, C Spire received the 2015 Industry Innovation Award for its role in the diabetes telehealth pilot program from the Competitive Carriers Association, the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the U.S.
About University of Mississippi Medical Center
Located in Jackson, UMMC is Mississippi’s only academic medical center and encompasses six health science schools, including medicine, nursing, health related professions, dentistry, pharmacy and graduate studies. The Medical Center’s health-care enterprise includes the state’s only level one trauma center and its only children’s hospital. UMMC’s education, research and health-care missions share the objectives of improving the health of the state’s population and eliminating health disparities.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class service and a superior, comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.
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