Wellinks Integrates Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at UMass Memorial Health for Massachusetts Residents Living with COPD

NEW HAVEN, Conn., August 8th, 2024 – Wellinks, a digital healthcare company offering comprehensive value-based solutions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management, today announced plans to integrate its pulmonary rehabilitation program at UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) to support people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Central Massachusetts. In collaboration with UMMH’s Center for Digital Health Solutions (CDHS) and the UMMH Digital Health Clinic (DHC), Wellinks will provide physicians and care teams with additional tools to support virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, dedicated care management, remote monitoring, and specialized nursing care.

‍

Wellinks’ COPD disease management program will be available for UMMH patients who have been discharged from the hospital following a COPD exacerbation, as well as those receiving outpatient care from their pulmonologists and/or primary care providers. Wellinks will help ensure care teams receive regular updates on patient progress and can coordinate proactive care when needed.

‍

“There is tremendous opportunity to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation in the United States.” said Stacie Bratcher, Chief Executive Officer at Wellinks. “Since 2022, Wellinks and UMass Chan Medical School have collaborated to demonstrate our program’s value in the Healthy at Home study. We are excited to work with UMass Memorial Health and expand access to our services for more individuals living with COPD in the Central Massachusetts community.”

‍

COPD is the third leading cause of death by chronic disease in the United States and the fifth most costly chronic disease, with one-in-five people patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates a total of $49.9 billion is spent annually on COPD treatment, driven largely by frequent emergency department visits and hospitalizations caused by exacerbations. Despite evidential findings that pulmonary rehabilitation is both cost effective and improves COPD health outcomes, a shortage of centers nationwide limits access for many patients. To expand access, the American Thoracic Society updated clinical practice guidelines in 2023 to recommend tele-rehabilitation and remote or virtual monitoring for patients with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases.

‍

“UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan are committed to empowering patients and removing barriers to care in all areas, including preventative care, which is critical to improving clinical outcomes and overall quality of life for patients,” said John Broach, MD, MPH, associate professor of emergency medicine and director of the Division of Disaster Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine.   “This collaboration will help simplify the care journeys of people living with COPD in our region.”

‍

In 2022, UMass Chan Medical School’s Program in Digital Medicine and Wellinks recognized the need to improve the management of COPD at home and conducted a study to assess the feasibility of app-based consumer technology and comprehensive virtual disease management to improve quality of life and achieve better health outcomes among people with COPD. This ongoing study inspired the integration of Wellinks’ pulmonary rehabilitation program across the UMMH system.

‍

“Finding new ways for patients to receive high quality care from the comfort of their own homes was a key driver for our Healthy at Home study,” said principal investigator Apurv Soni, MD, PhD’21, assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Program in Digital Medicine. “Our work with Wellinks is critical for improving patient outcomes, making care more efficient, and closing health equity gaps for patients with COPD.”

‍

‍

About UMass Memorial Health

UMass Memorial Health is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts with 17,000 employees and 2,100 physicians. Our comprehensive system includes UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, UMass Memorial Health – HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Marlborough Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Community Healthlink, and UMass Memorial Medical Group. We are the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School. For more information, visit www.ummhealth.org.

‍

About Wellinks

Wellinks is on a mission to help those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) live fully and breathe freely. COPD is the third leading cause of death by chronic disease in the U.S. and the fifth most costly chronic disease. With its personalized, virtual-first COPD management system, Wellinks breaks down barriers for patients, providing the evidence-based care they need and deserve outside the four walls of the clinic. Wellinks supports patients through virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, health coaching, and monitoring through connected devices and an easy-to-use smartphone app. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Wellinks is led by a team of digital health veterans and backed by top investment firms including Morningside, HighCape Capital, Connecticut Innovations, and Benslie. For more information, visit www.wellinks.com and follow on Twitter (@WellinksHealth) and LinkedIn.

‍

About UMass Chan Medical School

UMass Chan Medical School, one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system, comprises the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, ForHealth Consulting of UMass Chan Medical School and MassBiologics. At UMass Chan, we are advancing together to improve the health and wellness of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery and public service. UMass Chan is perennially ranked in the top 10 percent of medical schools for primary care education and among the top 50 medical schools in the nation for biomedical research funding. Learn more at www.umassmed.edu.