Carena Expands Medical House Call Service to Everett Employer.

Everett School District Employees and Family Members Eligible for House Calls

EVERETT, Wash. -- Seattle-based Carena, Inc. is expanding its urgent care medical house call service to members of the Everett School Employees Benefit Trust. This week, the service began a phased roll-out to school district employees and dependents enrolled in the district's PPO plans.

The service, called Carena Urgent Care, helps employers reduce health care costs by avoiding unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits. Carena medical group physicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat members' urgent, but not life-threatening, health care concerns at home. Carena Urgent Care is a convenient, lower-cost option for weekends or after-hours, when a primary care physician is not available and an ER is the only option.

Board-certified family medicine physicians treat the member's acute concerns, and provide comprehensive prevention, wellness and self-management education. House calls typically last about an hour and are about 33 percent less expensive than a comparable trip to an ER. After the visit, the doctor ensures the employee receives the follow-up care he or she needs from a primary care physician or specialist.

"For many companies, reducing costs means reducing services," said Ralph Derrickson, CEO of Carena. "With our approach, we're able to provide comprehensive care and education in a way that reduces costs and improves outcomes. Our service has been proven to address a member's short-term care needs and also identify and treat long-term or chronic illnesses in high-risk members."

When Carena members have an urgent health concern and cannot reach their primary care physician, they contact Carena directly or through the employer's existing nurse line. A physician will speak with them about their medical need and may recommend a variety of options, including self-care, a visit to the ER, or if appropriate, a Carena Urgent Care visit.

The service is being rolled out in two phases to members living in specific zip codes. Employees can check when their zip code will have service by logging on to the district's employee benefit information online.

Since inception in 2000, Carena has delivered more than 20,000 house calls on behalf of employers seeking to reduce their health care costs and provide a quality option for care to their employees and members.

About Carena, Inc.

Carena, Inc. provides business-based health care solutions for the way we live and work today. The company has reinvented the model for on-site health care to help employers reduce direct costs, improve health outcomes, and increase employee productivity. Carena physicians and providers deliver care and education wherever and whenever required to meet the needs of both clients and members. For more information, visit the Web site at www.CarenaMD.com.