Cape Fear Valley Health System in North Carolina Signs Agreement with Cogent Healthcare for Inpatient Management Services.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2004

Cogent's Involvement Will Add New Systems, Expertise to

Existing Hospitalist Program

Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has signed an agreement with Cogent Healthcare, Inc., a leading provider of inpatient management services, to provide hospitalist services for unassigned patients (patients without a physician) and patients whose physicians want to utilize the hospitalist program.

"We are partnering with Cogent to bring our existing hospitalist program to another level of clinical management that will enhance both the quality and efficiency of patient care," said Dr. Eugene Wright, vice president of the Primary Care Network at Cape Fear Valley Health System. "Cogent has the management expertise, the systems, and the technology to help us improve communication with primary care physicians and specialists, increase the efficiency of the discharge process and patients' care when they return home, and ensure that our patients get the best care for their condition, when they need it."

"The Cogent model will allow the health system to both increase the number of patients treated by hospitalists and provide the more intensive level of care that today's hospital patients need," said Alan Puzarne, chief executive officer of Cogent. "Through Cogent's experience in developing and operating these programs across the country, we can bring `best practice' standards for patient care that have been researched and developed nationally, data that can compare the hospital's program with national results, and systems to improve communication, care delivery, and patient safety."

Cape Fear Valley Health System, a regional health system with 741 beds and four hospitals in Fayetteville, will utilize seven hospitalists at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital to care for patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, commercial and government insurance, as well as patients without health insurance.

The Cogent model of inpatient care management is based upon a core group of experienced physicians who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients and who are available to the hospital 24 hours a day to attend to the changing needs of the patient.

These hospitalist physicians are supported by clinical care coordinators, experienced nurses who manage the administrative tasks so that the physicians can focus on clinical care. Cogent also provides "best practice" guidelines for the most common hospital diagnoses, audits to determine how well the guidelines were followed, information systems to record data and measure results, and automated communication systems to keep all members of the care team informed, including the primary care physician who will resume care of the patient when they leave the hospital.

Cogent's hospitalist model also includes in-house physician coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service provides the hospital with an efficient management system for the physicians who stay overnight, contributing to additional savings for the hospital.

Hospitalist physicians specialize in the care of the hospitalized patient and are available in the facility to provide continuous, coordinated care. There are an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 hospitalists in the United States today, and that number is expected to jump to 25,000 by the end of this decade, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine.

For more information about Cogent Healthcare, contact Bill Behnke, at [phone].

About Cape Fear Valley Health System:

Cape Fear Valley Health System is a 741-bed regional health system and referral center serving a six-county area of Southeastern North Carolina. A public, not-for-profit organization, it is the 10th largest health system in the state, offering a broad range of tertiary services, including heart, cancer, maternity, psychiatric and pediatric care, as well as physical rehabilitation services. For more information about Cape Fear Valley Health System, please visit www.capefearvalley.com.

About Cogent Healthcare, Inc.:

Cogent Healthcare, Inc. is a leading provider of services that improve the well being of hospitalized patients while reducing their associated costs through the creation and management of inpatient-based physician networks. Its vision is to improve care and efficiency by reducing variations in care, establishing best practices, identifying and removing barriers to efficient care, and measuring outcomes. To this end, the company provides comprehensive programs in clinical care staffing, communication, and data management that support the hospitalist physician in the delivery of inpatient care.

Cogent Healthcare's programs are currently in 13 major markets throughout the United States. Three years ago, Cogent Healthcare also launched the first Internet-based continuing medical educational program for hospitalist physicians. Its CME programs for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists can be accessed at the company's website, www.cogenthealthcare.com.