Advocate Aurora Enterprises scoops up MobileHelp for RPM, personal emergency response

Advocate Aurora Enterprises on Tuesday announced its acquisition of MobileHelp, which develops remote monitoring technology and personal emergency response systems.

WHY IT MATTERS
A subsidiary of Advocate Aurora Health, AAE invests in and sometimes buys consumer health and wellness companies to expand the Illinois health system’s capabilities beyond traditional clinical care.

This is its fourth of its acquisitions, one of which is Senior Helpers, which offers in-home personal care services. Advocate Aurora is building out its portfolio of technologies and services for its aging patients, including home health and hospice care.

MobileHelp’s personal safety and medical monitoring systems will help the health system offer a more holistic care experience between doctor visits, officials said, and provide “more consumer touchpoints outside health system walls” as care is delivered in the home.

“MobileHelp shares our commitment to enabling more people to age independently, comfortably and affordably,” said Advocate Aurora Enterprises President Scott Powder in a statement. 

“With a range of innovative personal safety and medical monitoring systems, this investment lends itself to synergistic opportunities that will strengthen the care continuum and improve health outcomes.”

The company’s personal emergency response systems, built with GPS tracking, can pinpoint remote users’ location – helping emergency assistance find home-based patients more quickly.

Advocate Aurora officials say combining MobileHelp technology with that developed by Senior Helpers “could offer an even higher level of support to those aging independently.”

The health system will also now be able to offer expanded remote patient monitoring capabilities offered by Clear Arch Health – MobileHelp’s sister company – which integrates with electronic health records.

That will allow its providers to create customized RPM plans for personalized care at home – boosting care coordination and helping manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

THE LARGER TREND
Remote patient monitoring is moving into the mainstream as more patients have acquainted themselves with virtual care during the pandemic and connected health technologies mature and evolve.

Whether or not it’s eventually the standard of care, it’s clear that well-planned remote care strategies can improve patient care and outcomes. Increasingly, healthcare organizations are planning out their RPM and hospital at home programs to capitalize on the potential.

ON THE RECORD
“The addition of MobileHelp underscores our dedication to investing in solutions that are complementary to our clinical offerings, advancing whole person health and our purpose of helping people live well,” said Advocate Aurora Health CEO Jim Skogsbergh in a statement.

“Advocate Aurora’s purpose to help people live well aligns with MobileHelp’s mission to be somebody’s hero every day,” added MobileHelp CEO Rob Flippo. “Being part of this organization, which is so deeply embedded in the home health and senior care sectors, gives us an opportunity to innovate and improve care for those aging in place.”

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.

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