West’s Health Advocate Collaborates with Cleveland Clinic to Offer Access to Electronic Second Opinion Services
Agreement combines accessible clinical expertise with best-in-class support, improving health outcomes while avoiding expense of travel
Plymouth Meeting, PA, April 13, 2016 — Health Advocate, the nation’s leading healthcare advocacy and assistance company and a subsidiary of West Corporation, today announced a new agreement with Cleveland Clinic, rated one of the nation’s top five hospitals by U.S. News and World Report, to offer access to electronic second opinions from the country’s leading specialists. Cleveland Clinic’s MyConsult® Online Medical Second Opinion program will enhance Health Advocate’s Second Opinion Program by providing members the opportunity to have Cleveland Clinic’s world-renowned experts review their diagnoses and treatment plans.
“When employees are facing a complex or serious medical diagnosis, a second opinion can provide information they need to make important decisions about their health, as well as peace of mind,” said Abbie Leibowitz, Co-President and Chief Medical Officer, Health Advocate. “We are proud to collaborate with Cleveland Clinic to bring this valuable service to our members and contribute to improved outcomes. By combining Heath Advocate’s personalized support with MyConsult, we can ensure our members have access to the resources they need, when they need them most.”
When an employee accesses the MyConsult service, a Cleveland Clinic specialist will review their medical records and prepare a personalized, comprehensive second opinion report, taking care to answer the patient’s submitted questions. Second opinions are available for over 1,200 medical and surgical conditions in nearly every specialty. By offering employees access to second opinions from the country’s leading medical centers without having to travel to the facility, this program can improve outcomes while reducing costs.
“Cleveland Clinic is pleased to offer the MyConsult service through Health Advocate,” says Jonathan Schaffer, MD, MBA, Managing Director, Cleveland Clinic Distance Health. “It makes sense to get a second opinion when you face a medical condition that is life-changing or even life-threatening. The MyConsult program removes the geographic barriers to care and enables patients across the country to access Cleveland Clinic expertise. When your health—and perhaps even your life—is at stake, we want to make sure you are making the most informed healthcare decisions.”
MyConsult is available to Health Advocate clients as an enhancement to the Second Opinion Program. Health Advocate’s experienced clinical team of Personal Health Advocates, registered 2 nurses, and medical directors will provide confidential support to members seeking second opinions and coordinate the collection and submission of medical records for MyConsult review, making the program easy for employees to use.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first near-total face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s top five hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 90 northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 18 full-service family health centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2014, there were 5.9 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 152,500 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and 147 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/clevelandclinic.
About Health Advocate
Health Advocate, a subsidiary of West Corporation, is the nation’s leading healthcare advocacy and assistance company, serving more than 11,000 clients, including many of the nation’s largest companies. Health Advocate’s award-winning Health Advocacy program helps members navigate complex healthcare and insurance-related issues, saving them both time and money. We also offer a suite of complementing solutions, including Wellness Coaching, EAP+Work/Life and Chronic Care Solutions, among others. Our fully integrated program, EmpoweredHealth, seamlessly combines our services into a single, convenient member-centric solution, helping individuals efficiently maximize their benefits and improve their health. We also leverage the power of pricing transparency, personalized health communications and more to help members make more informed decisions and get more value out of the healthcare system. All supported by our powerful proprietary data analytics engine delivering improved health and financial results. For more information, visit us at www.HealthAdvocate.com
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