Cogent Healthcare, Inc. Launches First Internet-based Continuing Medical Education Program for the Practicing Hospitalist.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 16, 2000

Cogent Healthcare Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of inpatient physician services, is launching the first Internet-based continuing medical education (CME) program for hospitalists.

"The hospitalist approach is rapidly becoming the accepted model for inpatient care in the United States," noted Michael Rovzar, M.D. Vice President of Physician Education and Research, Cogent Healthcare. "Up until now, there have been few formal educational opportunities for practicing hospitalists. Cogent Healthcare is committed to fostering the highest level of quality care practiced by the clinical care team through our own programs and for all hospitalists. By developing and sponsoring these free clinical education programs, we are helping to provide hospitalists with the skills and knowledge to practice enhanced patient care in the hospital setting."

The first CME program, "New Strategies for Inpatient and Outpatient Deep Venous Thrombosis Management," will be available through April 30, 2001, through the Cogent Healthcare Web site (www.cogenthealthcare.com). This course is sponsored by an unrestricted educational grant from Aventis Pharmaceuticals and was developed for the practicing hospitalist in conjunction with the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine. Faculty for the course are Geno Merli, M.D., Ludwig A. Kind Professor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, and William Stringer, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harbor-ULA Medical Center. By including both an academic and a practicing hospitalist in the development of each program, Cogent will provide a perspective that focuses on the interests and needs of the practicing hospitalist.

In addition to the CME program, Cogent is also hosting an Internet bulletin board to serve as a resource center where important references designed to enhance the CME event will be posted. For the first month of the CME program's availability, physicians can post questions for the faculty to discuss and respond. In addition to Drs. Merli and Stringer, the following faculty members will be available to discuss issues raised on the Bulletin Board during that time: James Muntz, M.D., Alex C. Spyropoulos, M.D., Avelina Bardwell, M.D., Robert Chang, M.D., Michael Weiler, M.D., Sajeev Handa, M.D., Deren Sinkowitz, M.D., and R. Kendall Smith, Jr., M.D.

"The Internet Bulletin Board will be an important resource in developing a virtual community of hospitalists through the world," noted Rovzar. "It is another important tool in fostering clinical excellence in the practice of hospitalism."

Clinicians completing the course and submitting the post-test and evaluation will be eligible for continuing education credit. Physicians can receive 1.0 hours in category 1 credit towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award; nurses and pharmacists completing the program will receive the equivalent.

The Cogent Web site address is www.cogenthealthcare.com. Cogent Healthcare Inc. is located at 23282 Mill Creek Road, No. 300, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653; 949.699.6000. For more information about the CME programs, contact Dr. Michael Rovzar at [e-mail].

About Cogent Healthcare Inc.

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 provides comprehensive programs in clinical care staffing, communication, and data management that support the hospitalist physician in the delivery of inpatient care.

Cogent Healthcare currently contracts to provide inpatient physician services to more than 100 hospitals and medical groups that represent more than 2,000,000 people throughout the United States. In addition to traditional hospitalist programs, the company has a program with Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest HMO, which has 2.7 million members in Southern California, to provide hospitalists to handle emergency care sought by their members at non-Kaiser hospitals. Cogent Healthcare has agreements with more than 200 physicians to provide inpatient care at hospitals.