Cardium Health Services: New Smoking Cessation Program Battles Rising Healthcare Costs.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers SIMSBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2001 Cardium Health Services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract has launched EndEver, a new smoking cessation smoking cessation Public health Temporary or permanent halting of habitual cigarette smoking; withdrawal therapies–eg, hypnosis, psychotherapy, group counseling, exposing smokers to Pts with terminal lung CA and nicotine chewing gum are often ineffective. program, to combat skyrocketing medical and disability costs associated with smoking. In combination with Pro-Fitness/HealthSouth and a major self-insured employer in the Northeast, Cardium is working to help employees become and remain tobacco-free. Every year in the U.S., smoking-related illnesses costs insurers and employers over $100 billion on direct medical costs, disability claims, and productivity losses. By helping people to stop smoking, the 12-month EndEver program delivers substantial economic benefits to its corporate clients. "An employer spends $1,300 more each year for an employee who smokes than for a non-smoker," said Charleen Ernst, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Cardium. "With a demonstrated 40 percent quit rate, our EndEver program delivers a real ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). to our clients." Combining nicotine-replacement therapy with one-on-one telephone counseling telephone counseling The provision of advice and verbalized moral support to a person with a particular need by a group of either volunteers or a paid staff with some level of experience and/or expertise in the area of interest; TC may include crisis , EndEver originated as part of Cardium's comprehensive coronary artery disease coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. (CAD) management program. The program's extraordinary success rate among CAD patients prompted Cardium to offer it on a stand-alone basis to other high-risk employees as EndEver. "Health promotion professionals are challenged to provide program parity across geographically dispersed dis·perse v. dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, dis·pers·es v.tr. 1. a. To drive off or scatter in different directions: The police dispersed the crowd. b. corporate populations," said Tom Sabia, CEO of Pro-Fitness/HealthSouth, an organization that provides employers with primary prevention for employees and dependents through wellness, fitness, and occupational health programs. "We recognize that technology provides an exciting opportunity to reach many widely separated people simultaneously; however, we also value human touch as an integral part of program delivery. We here at Pro-Fitness/HealthSouth see Cardium's program as a nearly perfect blend of high-tech and high-touch." Cardium, a privately held national cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease management organization, partners with self-insured employers and managed care organizations. Cardium is based in Simsbury, Conn. and has field offices in Boston and Atlanta. Supported by the DM Track(SM) disease management software system, Cardium employs a team of highly trained specialists to enhance patient health while assisting managed care organizations and employers to create predictable savings. To learn more about Cardium's services, please visit their website at http://www.cardiumhealth.com. |
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