BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – (November 3, 2014) – After nine years of research and development, Advanced Health Institute (AHI), a medical startup company, has developed a process that is changing lives through the TRUHEAL Wound Program that is counter-intuitive to traditional healthcare. Because of the high success rate, AHI is paid by major insurers based on accountability and transparency. In the last two years, AHI has prevented over 30 scheduled amputations and saved patients and health care systems hundreds of thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. Advanced Health Institute’s TRUHEAL Wound Program has served over 9,000 cases to date with positive results. For this reason, AHI is a beacon of hope for diabetics living with chronic wound problems. For more information about Advanced Health Institute’s services, visit www.ahinstitute.com.
Just in time for American Diabetes Month® (ADM) in November, AHI is joining forces with Midwest Podiatry Centers to incorporate specialty centers for wound care in their 5 locations which will help improve all wounds including diabetic foot problems. The two companies will move to a new space on 66th and Lyndale in Richfield that will be comprised of more than 30 employees with gross revenues exceeding two million dollars. For more information on Midwest Podiatry Centers, visit www.midwestpodiatrycenters.com.
“The TRUHEAL Wound Program is a comprehensive plan that provides a set of tools, technologies and services available to all patients and clinicians in all care settings. We act as a critical component that ensures consistent, accurate and timely information and communication between the patient, family and the clinical team,” said Kurt Larson, Advanced Health Institute’s President. Research shows TRUHEAL improved healing rates by 35-50 percent faster and at a cost that can be as much as 50 percent lower than industry standards.
ABOUT DIABETIC FOOT PROBLEMS
According to the American Diabetic Association, diabetics are at high risk to develop slow-healing and infected wounds of the feet. Diabetes can cause changes in the skin of feet and cause them to become very dry, peel and crack because the nerves in feet that control the oil and moisture in feet no longer work. Along with dry skin, diabetics can also form calluses, ulcers and possible amputation.
When feet form too many calluses, therapeutic shoes and inserts are usually needed. If calluses are not trimmed, they can get thick, break down and turn into ulcers (open sores on feet). Many people with diabetes have peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which reduces blood flow to the feet. Also, many people with diabetes have nerve disease, which reduces sensation. Together, these problems make it easy to get ulcers and infections that may lead to amputation.
WHY DOES AHI’s TECHNOLOGY HELP?
There are over 25,000 patients residing in the 7 county metro area of Minnesota who has given up on healing their wounds. Slow-healing wounds account for a significant percentage of healthcare costs but remain a low-priority area. Current strategies often focus on alleviating symptoms at the expense of identifying cures. As a result, personal suffering and socioeconomic costs are greater than necessary. One major challenge is that patients with slow-healing wounds are treated by a variety of healthcare institutions and providers, not all of which have the same knowledge and procedures to deal with the problem.
Advanced Health Institute (AHI) identified the system drivers of wound costs and leveraged its TRUHEAL Would Program, a disease management approach to wound healing, to work with large integrated delivery networks and insurers to provide system level analysis about the impact of wounds within a system network. The institute uses a database that tracks the wounds progress and the payers and health care systems pay for a better outcome both clinically and financially.
The success both clinically and financially has moved the TRUHEAL Wound Program to be covered by major insurers that include: Sun Country Health Alliance, Fairview Health Services, Medica, Mayo Lake City, PreferredOne, Health EZ and others. The program guarantees satisfaction and results.
RESULTS
AHI became involved with Dorothy M. who had dealt with a pressure ulcer on her left heal for over 9 months. An amputation was scheduled due to the failed progression in healing the wound. Dorothy began the TRUHEAL Program and within 9 weeks was completely healed and an amputation was averted.
James W., before getting on the TRUHEAL Wound Program, was recommended for a below the knee amputation due to a chronic diabetic foot ulcer. After going on the TRUHEAL Wound Program, the patient’s wound had completely healed and averted a lower leg amputation which also saved the insurer more than $150,000.
About Advanced Health Institute
A medical startup focused on wound therapy. AHI provides a leading-edge TRUHEAL wound care program, including technologies, procedures and ancillary products and services to heal and prevent wounds quickly and cost-effectively. AHI’s TRUHEAL wound program provides a framework for a system-wide standard of care for all patients with wounds that fit the established criteria. Patients enter the wound care process either by provider, caregiver referral or by self-referral. For more information about Advanced Health Institute’s services, visit www.ahinstitute.com or email info@ahinstitute.com with questions.
