Virtual family health platform Ovia Health has partnered with hospitality and entertainment company MGM Resorts International on an employee benefit specifically designed for high risk pregnancies.
The benefit provides free, WiFi-enabled blood pressure cuffs to pregnant employees enrolled in Ovia Health’s preeclampsia or hypertension program. The cuffs allow members to measure their daily blood pressure levels and input their data into the Ovia Pregnancy app. The app then alerts the employee of any concerning data trends.
“We've noticed there's been a significant portion of prenatal visits that have moved online or been canceled throughout this pandemic,” says Gina Nebesar, Ovia Health co-founder and chief product officer. “MGM was really excited to introduce this as a way to continue to support people in between those appointments, help them understand their risks and seek care.”
Read More:
The early stages of the Ovia Health program will focus on preeclampsia prevention among vulnerable populations. Preeclampsia occurs when hypertension develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and is associated with signs of damage to other organ systems, including the kidneys, liver, blood or brain, according to the MayoClinic.
Preeclampsia happens in about one in 25 pregnancies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hypertension can happen in 1 in every 12 to 17 pregnancies among women ages 20 to 44, according to the CDC.
Throughout the year, Ovia will be rolling out additional clinical programming, like utilizing remote monitoring devices as a proactive way to prevent costly health outcomes. Ovia’s program is intended to be a supplement to an employee’s external relationship and pregnancy monitoring by their physician, Nebesar says.
“Women and families are seeking more and they are deserving more from their healthcare,” Nebesar says. “Ovia provides every day support between those visits, and when risks are identified we're able to [get that information] to the member so that they're seeking care immediately.”
Since 2012, Ovia Health has
Read More:
“We are proud to partner with Ovia Health to provide best-in-class preeclampsia and hypertension resources to our pregnant plan members, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Tamra Lynn, director of clinical programs and case management at MGM Resorts International, said in a statement. “We saw a need and worked with Ovia to develop a process that they were able to use with other companies as well; this is a time for our communities to come together, and in a way, we’re doing just that.”
