GetWellNetwork Announces Partnership with the Paquin Group to Offer Bedside Access to Hospital Online Retail Stores
Medical University of South Carolina First to Deploy Integrated Solution, Enhancing Patient Satisfaction, Driving Additional Revenue
BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 20 - GetWellNetwork, Inc., a leading provider of Interactive Patient Care (IPC) solutions, today announced that it has formed a joint development partnership with The Paquin Group, the nation's leading specialist in healthcare-based retail solutions. The Paquin Group offers hospitals a turn-key opportunity for deploying a customized online healthcare retail store.
With the integrated solution, patients can use the GetWellNetwork® PatientLife System® to visit the hospitals' online store directly from their hospital bed to shop for products and services that help improve their health and recovery. Hospitals can have their own online store that includes more than 250,000 products designed for various patient populations, including new mothers, diabetics, orthopedics and heart health.
"At the Medical University of South Carolina, patient satisfaction is a top priority," said David Bennett, Director of Web Resource Services at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Giving access to the online store from the patient bedside is a wonderful convenience for patients, allowing us to deliver a better hospital experience - one that is becoming increasingly expected by patients." The Medical University of South Carolina has been using the GetWellNetwork solution for more than two years and intends to launch the integrated functionality from Paquin in the spring of 2008.
The partnership also benefits hospitals by establishing non-traditional revenue sources, helping to capture hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and significantly improve financial performance.
The GetWellNetwork PatientLife System turns the television in the patient room into an interactive resource during a hospital stay. By using a wireless keyboard, touch screen or handheld device, patients can interact with the system to access valuable education, communication and entertainment tools directly at the bedside. With the integration of the Paquin solution, the GetWellNetwork system will deliver an on-screen prompt to patients upon admission, prior to discharge and following completion of prescribed educational videos to visit the hospital's online retail store for product and service packages recommended by the patients' physicians to aid in their recovery process and post-discharge care.
"We are pleased to be working with GetWellNetwork to bring these integrated solutions to fruition," said Tony Paquin, CEO of The Paquin Group. "In recent years, the online healthcare industry has grown to a billion dollar plus market. By integrating online shopping into the delivery of patient care, hospitals are able to not only improve the patient experience but also effectively generate additional revenue streams."
"As the innovator in the IPC space, GetWellNetwork continually seeks new ways to provide the patient with a better hospital experience," said Michael O'Neil, Jr., founder and CEO of GetWellNetwork, Inc. "In development for more than seven months, our partnership with the Paquin Group enables us to offer hospitals a powerful solution that adds a new dimension to the patient experience. Patients will enjoy the ease and convenience of ordering products and services to aid in their recovery before they even leave the hospital - while hospitals will benefit from the potential revenue opportunity."
GetWellNetwork solutions will be featured at the HIMSS 2008 Conference, February 24-28, at booth #1920.
About The Paquin Group
The Paquin Group, the nation's leading specialist in healthcare-based retail, is an alliance of industry leading experts and resources created to assist hospitals in the implementation of healthcare retail strategies. The company's core mission is to increase revenue opportunities and minimize risks for healthcare organizations. As Medicare reimbursement rates continue to be pressured downward and expenses rise, new sources for non-reimbursed revenues are becoming essential to the financial viability of hospitals. The Paquin Group helps hospitals identify and implement these new retail revenue strategies. For more information, visit: thepaquingroup.com
About GetWellNetwork, Inc.
GetWellNetwork, Inc. is the leading provider of Interactive Patient Care (IPC) solutions. In partnership with more than 50 thought leading hospitals and healthcare systems, the company delivers innovative technology and services to drive optimal patient outcomes. Empowering patients as active participants in the healthcare process, IPC solutions are patient-centric applications delivered at the point-of-care to ensure the completion of service and quality requirements, while driving new revenue opportunities and operational efficiencies for healthcare providers. GetWellNetwork and its clients have been widely acknowledged for their IPC innovations by the healthcare community. In 2007, the GetWellNetwork solution received the exclusive endorsement of the American Hospital Association (AHA). GetWellNetwork, Inc. headquarters are in Bethesda, Maryland. For more information, please call 877.MEET.GWN or visit www.getwellnetwork.com.
Contact:
John Plunkett
240.482.3134
jplunkett@getwellnetwork.com
Pauline Louie
781.684.0770
getwellnetwork@schwartz-pr.com
Source: GetWellNetwork, Inc.
Web site: www.getwellnetwork.com/
http://thepaquingroup.com/
