Aetna U.S. Healthcare of Orlando Signs Agreement with Cogent Healthcare to Provide Inpatient Physician Management Services.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 6, 2000

Program in Effect at 10 Orlando-Area Hospitals

Cogent Healthcare Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of inpatient physician services, is working with Aetna U.S. Healthcare to implement a voluntary hospitalist program to provide services to more than 290,000 Aetna U.S. Healthcare members in the Orlando area who may access hospital care.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this program as an alternative for our participating physicians and members in this market," said Michael L. Howell, M.D., senior medical director for the Aetna U.S. Healthcare plan in Orlando. "This program will provide another level and intensity of services that our patients may need when they are hospitalized.

"The hospitalist program is voluntary for those primary care physicians who may not be able to provide care in an inpatient setting, and therefore agree to assign his/her patients to a Cogent Healthcare physician for inpatient care. Because physicians often make rounds at numerous hospitals in addition to their normal office hours, sometimes it is difficult for them to be available for patients and families as much as they would like."

Cogent Healthcare physicians who are experienced in providing hospital care will be available at the following participating hospitals throughout the Orlando area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week: Florida Hospital Orlando, Florida Hospital Altamonte, Florida Hospital East, Winter Park Memorial Hospital, Orlando Regional Healthcare System -- Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando Regional Healthcare System -- South Seminole Hospital, Orlando Regional Healthcare System -- Sand Lake Hospital and Orlando Regional Healthcare System -- Lucerne Medical Center.

In addition to clinical expertise, Cogent Healthcare provides a sophisticated information system and infrastructure to support the physician and make sure that important communications take place quickly, that care is expedited, and that all parties are informed of changes in the patient's condition.

Cogent Healthcare physicians will be available to communicate with patients and their families, see that needed tests or evaluations are performed in a timely manner, interpret test results, and make decisions about the patient's treatment needs without having to wait for the patient's primary care doctor to be called or to arrive at the hospital.

During the patient's hospital stay, the primary care physician receives constant updates on key events, as well as a full report on the patient's status within 24 hours. Patients are also telephoned to make sure they are compliant with their physician's care plan at home.

In addition to inpatient physician specialists, the Cogent Healthcare team includes clinical care coordinators who are registered nurses with extensive experience and a proven ability to work within the complexities of hospital systems to facilitate inpatient workflow. The care team is supported by the Cogent Healthcare proprietary communications system, CareConnect, ensuring timely communication among all concerned parties.

Aetna U.S. Healthcare, the health benefits unit of Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET), is the nation's leading health and related benefits organization, providing a full spectrum of products, ranging from health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to indemnity health insurance, group life and disability products, and dental, vision and pharmacy benefits.

The company provides products and services to 19.4 million health, 11.5 million group insurance and 14.6 million dental members nationwide. To learn more about Aetna U.S. Healthcare, visit the Web site at www.aetnaushc.com.

Cogent Healthcare Inc. is a leading provider of services that improve the well-being of hospitalized patients through the creation and management of inpatient-based specialist physician networks. By being available around the clock, these specialists, often referred to as hospitalists, are able to attend to a patient's changing condition as it occurs, rather than having to wait for the primary care physician to arrive from his/her practice.

The critical care skills of these specialists are important factors in helping today's more critically ill hospital patients get the level of care they need.

Thus, hospitalists improve the quality of care patients receive, and they enhance the efficiency of the care process. By delivering more efficient and timely care, the time the patient spends in the hospital may be reduced.

Cogent Healthcare contracts with more than 65 facilities nationwide, covering 155 hospitals, as well as 1,300 referrals from primary care physicians. Cogent Healthcare Inc. also contracts with Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest HMO, with 2.7 million members in Southern California, to provide hospitalists to handle emergency care sought by their members at non-Kaiser hospitals.