Andover, Mass. -Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) and the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) announced earlier this month that Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions has been awarded the contract as the "preferred provider" for telehealth products and services for VNAA members. As an advocate and resource for its member VNAs from across the country, VNAA also serves as a group purchasing organization, and has selected Philips remote patient monitoring as its preferred telehealth offering. This builds on the company's strong relationship, as Philips Lifeline is the VNAA's preferred provider of medical alert services.

Philips is offering a comprehensive telehealth program to VNAA members: wireless telemonitoring measurement devices, robust clinical content-including patient education, validated health surveys and risk assessment tools-as well as innovative pricing models and wide-ranging service delivery and implementation support. Philips also launches its Risk Assessment Service as part of the VNAA contract. This telephone-based screening helps agencies stratify their patients based on risk, identify care intervention opportunities, and determine which patients may be suitable candidates for telemonitoring.

"Telehealth was embraced by many of our VNAs early in the technology's launch into home healthcare," said VNAA President and CEO Carolyn Markey. "With the growing senior population and the acuity of home healthcare patients, agencies need to move forward with smart technology that will assist them in managing their human resources, their most needy patients and their bottom line. Philips brings state of the art software and wireless hardware, as well as a one-of-a-kind financial model to the array of options in telehealth. Many of our members who thought that they could not afford a telehealth program will now be able to think again. We have had a long standing relationship with Philips Lifeline, which has been a model collaboration, and we look forward to enhancing that partnership through the Philips telehealth program."
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to expand our relationship with the VNAA, who has recognized the potential for remote monitoring and early intervention to decrease readmissions and emergency care," said Mike Lemnitzer, senior director, for Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions. "We look forward to partnering with the VNAA to deliver a telehealth program designed around the needs of both clinicians and patients: advanced telemonitoring services, comprehensive assessment tools, and validated clinical content. Philips is committed to offering the highest level of customer service and satisfaction to the members and the patients they serve."

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