Schumacher Group and Healthagen Partnership to Drive More ER Visits to 180 Hospitals

Lafayette, LA, August 13, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Underscoring ways in which hospitals can use mobile technology to reach patients, Schumacher Group, a leading emergency medicine staffing and management firm, announced today that it will use Healthagen’s iTriage mobile healthcare platform to enable over 180 of its hospital clients to promote their services to smartphone-toting patients in need of hospital emergency services.

A proven leader in providing patient satisfaction tools and resources to emergency departments, Schumacher Group sees iTriage as an effective way to bring the latest consumer mobile technology to its hospital clients. With the iTriage mobile healthcare platform, potential patients can locate critical medical information that leads them to the closest Schumacher-staffed hospital ER or to other nearby ERs.

“With smartphone adoption predicted to hit 50 percent this year, mobile technologies are providing a new interactive channel between medical providers and patients,” said William C. “Kip” Schumacher, M.D., Chairman and CEO of Schumacher Group. “We value technologies that can make a difference in patient engagement and have committed to providing these technologies to our hospital clients as a complimentary service.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Baton Rouge General to connect with patients using mobile devices and yet another way to extend our brand reach to the community,” explained Bill Holman, President and CEO of Baton Rouge General. “Our Bluebonnet and Mid City ERs take great pride in their low ER Wait Times and the iTriage app provides us with another channel to increase awareness around those Wait Times.”

Designed by emergency medicine physicians, iTriage is the leading consumer healthcare mobile app that offers a complete Symptom-to-Provider™ pathway – the combination of information on symptoms, diseases, procedures, and medications with a nationwide provider database that helps patients locate the closest and most appropriate medical provider for a specific condition. iTriage can be downloaded for free on all iPhone® and all Android™ smartphones and Android tablets, and is available over any mobile or desktop web browser at www.iTriageHealth.com.

“When hospitals use iTriage to connect with patients at the exact point of medical need, they improve patient experience,” said Peter Hudson, M.D., CEO of Healthagen. “This strategic partnership showcases how Schumacher Group leads the way in helping emergency departments improve effective and efficient healthcare delivery for those with immediate and acute medical needs.”

About Schumacher Group

Schumacher Group holds a steadfast commitment to be the most mission-driven, user-friendly emergency management firm in the nation. In partnering with Schumacher Group, hospitals and clinicians experience not only expert staffing and management services, but also an industry-unique level of customer service and deliverables. This year Schumacher Group will serve more than three million patients at over 180 hospitals in 24 states. Please visit www.SchumacherGroup.com.

About Healthagen

Co-founded in 2008 by two emergency medicine physicians, Healthagen LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. iTriage, the company’s consumer mobile healthcare platform, offers a proprietary Symptom-to-Provider™ pathway that empowers patients to make better healthcare decisions. iTriage helps people answer the two most common medical questions: “What could I have?” and “Where should I go for treatment?” Millions of consumers around the globe have downloaded the free iTriage app on their mobile devices, and thousands of healthcare providers use iTriage to reach and communicate critical facility and service information to patients. For more information about Healthagen and iTriage, please visit www.Healthagen.com.

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