LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Humana Inc.
(NYSE: HUM) is the latest local employer to join AIR Louisville, a
new approach to improving asthma that leverages sensors, big data,
and community collaboration.
AIR Louisville is a
grant-funded program designed to reduce the burden of asthma in
Louisville, Kentucky, a city
consistently ranked as one of the most challenging in the US for
people with asthma. The program aligns to Humana's local strategy
to address respiratory illness among its employees and members.
Dr. Rae Godsey, DO, the corporate
medical director for Humana, said that the bold goal is to improve
the health of the communities the company serves 20% by 2020. About
8% of the US population has asthma versus 13% in Louisville. Chronic respiratory diseases such
as asthma are responsible for higher health care bills for
employers and a lower quality of life for individuals.
"Our ambitious goal is only achievable if we work together with
organizations like AIR Louisville," Dr. Godsey said. "Our research
indicated that asthma, allergies, smoking and other respiratory
illnesses are significant barriers to Kentucky's health. AIR Louisville is helping us develop and implement
collaborative strategies to remove these barriers and assist us all
in breathing easier."
The AIR Louisville program is powered by Propeller Health, the
Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil, the city of Louisville, and a coalition of seven
employers, three healthcare providers, a health plan and three
advocacy groups. The program uses Propeller's smart inhalers to
help residents learn more about their asthma and reduce their
symptoms. It also provides city leaders with valuable public health
information so they can make more informed decisions about how to
keep the air quality across the metro area clean enough to prevent
asthma attacks.
Propeller Health provides an FDA-cleared digital health platform
including inhaler sensors that record the time and location of
medication use. It also engages patients through a mobile app and
feedback in order to help reduce the frequency of asthma symptoms
and improve outcomes.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded AIR Louisville through
a grant to the Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil. This
nonprofit is bringing together employers, doctors, insurance
companies and advocacy groups to support a new solution for
Louisville's asthma problem.
"The first person who joined our program said, 'I want to live
here, I want to be happy here, and I want to be healthy here.' The
AIR Louisville team is working to make asthma less of a burden for
everyone in Louisville," said
Veronica Combs, director of
community engagement for AIR Louisville.
More than 440 people have joined the program so far from
employer groups and from throughout Louisville, KY. Residents can find out more at
airlouisville.com.
About AIR Louisville
AIR Louisville is the first-of-its-kind data-driven
collaboration among public, private and philanthropic organizations
to use digital health technology to improve asthma. Propeller
Health and the Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil are
leading the program with support from the City of Louisville, the Mayor's office and the
Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. The
program also includes local employers Brown-Forman, Humana,
Kindred, Metro Louisville employees, Papa John's, Seven Counties,
WHAS11, healthcare providers including FamilyAllergy & Asthma,
JenCare, and University of Louisville
Pediatrics, and Passport Health Plan. The American Lung Association
of the Midland States, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
and the Kentucky chapter of The
Nature Conservancy are also supporting the program.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health and
well-being company focused on making it easy for people to achieve
their best health with clinical excellence through coordinated
care. The company's strategy integrates care delivery, the member
experience, and clinical and consumer insights to encourage
engagement, behavior change, proactive clinical outreach and
wellness for the millions of people we serve across the
country.
About The Institute for Healthy Air, Water and
Soil
The Institute was founded in March
2014 with the goal of making it easier for people to
understand how our natural environment shapes our health. The
Institute wants to bring about the kind of change that will help
people live healthier lives, such as helping people understand how
to clean up our natural environment as well as why we need to do
it. The Institute is leading the nation in creating new ways to
empower "citizen scientists" to reveal the connections between
environmental health and human health, starting with air quality
and asthma.
About Propeller Health
Founded in 2010, Propeller is the leading provider of an
FDA-cleared digital health platform that helps reduce the cost of
care while delivering better quality of life for individuals with
chronic respiratory disease. Propeller provides better engagement,
communication, and more insightful and personalized care. Backed by
Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE: SFE), Social Capital, California
HealthCare Foundation, Kapor Capital and other investors, Propeller
has been used by patients with asthma or COPD in over 35 commercial
programs across the US at major healthcare systems, payers,
employers and other commercial partners. Company recognition
includes TEDMED Innovation Showcase, White House Champion of
Change, and Bluetooth Breakthrough Product awards. Visit
http://propellerhealth.com/contact/ to request more
information.
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SOURCE Propeller Health