E-Ceptionist Launches Real-Time Internet Based Telemedicine Scheduling Service Across California
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- E-Ceptionist, Inc. announced today
that they are currently implementing their real-time Internet based
E-Ceptionist(TM) scheduling service across the State of California as part of
a deal they have signed with WellPoint Health Networks Inc. (NYSE: WLP) on
behalf of its affiliate, Blue Cross of California.
The service is being used to support Blue Cross of California's statewide
telemedicine program. E-Ceptionist(TM) allows Blue Cross general
practitioners to schedule telemedicine appointments with specialists over the
Internet in real-time.
"We are proud to be associated with Blue Cross of California, one of the
most well recognized and respected names in California health care," said Dirk
Voorhees, E-Ceptionist's President and Chief Executive Officer.
E-Ceptionist(TM) enables the telemedicine program to shift away from the
traditional "hub and spoke" model to a "virtual Web" network in which any
primary care site can link to any available appointment times at any specialty
hub. This allows the health plan and participating providers to maximize the
utilization and benefit of telemedicine.
The announcement was made at the start of the Healthcare Information and
Management Systems Society Telehealth 2000 Conference and Exhibition in Los
Angeles. Speaking on the first day of the conference, E-Ceptionist's
Chairman, Merrick Alpert, stated: "We are honored to be here today with the
members of Blue Cross of California. We look forward to working with them in
using the power of the Internet to provide the world's most advanced form of
appointment scheduling to their doctors and patients."
E-Ceptionist, Inc., founded in May of 1999, is a privately held company
located in Bellaire, Texas. The company owns and licenses the
E-Ceptionist(TM) scheduling service that allows doctors and patients to
schedule health care appointments in real-time over the Internet. The service
is secure and encrypted and the privacy of patient information is protected.
E-Ceptionist can be embedded in an organization's existing Intranet site or
set up as an Extranet to give an organization real-time scheduling
functionality. The service allows primary care office staff to identify
available specialist appointment times by specialty type, day of the week,
time of day, physician, and other custom criteria. It also provides real-time
electronic confirmation and notification of appointments between the primary
and specialty physicians and the health plan.
Blue Cross of California, with 5.4 million medical members, is the
California operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., one of the
nation's largest publicly traded managed care companies. WellPoint serves the
health care needs of more than 7.7 million medical and more than 38 million
specialty members nationally. WellPoint offers a broad spectrum of quality
network-based health products including open access PPO, POS and hybrid
products, HMO and specialty products. Specialty products include pharmacy
benefit management, dental, utilization management, vision, mental health,
life and disability insurance, long term care insurance, flexible spending
accounts, COBRA administration, and Medicare supplements. |
