Verizon And Duke University Join Forces To Develop Transformative Health Information Technology Initiatives

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon and Duke University will jointly develop health information technology initiatives to drive better care, expanded access and lower costs.

Under a strategic agreement announced Wednesday ( Oct. 5), Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, the company's health care practice group, and Duke will combine technical resources and personnel to focus on projects that leverage the inherent value of advanced communications technologies.  Among the initial potential projects are mobile health applications and consumer health care education.  

Verizon will provide the computing infrastructure to perform analytical processing and modeling, as well as implementation and operational staffing and resources required for technical development.  Duke University will provide personnel including students, research and project management experts, and educational program development staff, as well as intellectual property and other research required for use in program-sponsored initiatives.

"The ties between academia and technology companies run long and deep, and this collaboration underscores Verizon's commitment to enabling the transformation of U.S. health care delivery through the common-sense application of health IT," said Dr. Peter Tippett, vice president of Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions.  "Leveraging Duke's renowned research capabilities will help Verizon's technical staff identify and deploy technologies that are needed to advance U.S. health care in a sustainable manner."

The multiyear agreement will tap the collective strengths of both organizations and address the following areas:

• Technical Collaboration – Identification and assessment of health care-related technologies and solutions for technical and commercial viability, including conception, strategy, development and testing.
• Business Collaboration – A formal internship program under which Duke University students will be assigned to positions within Verizon and work with teams on the development and implementation of strategic business initiatives.
• Scientific Advisory Board – Staffed with senior representatives from both organizations, this group will review the progress of initiatives and offer input and guidance to meet program goals.

"This strategic agreement with Verizon offers great promise to serve as an agent of positive change in the U.S. health care delivery market," said Kevin Schulman, director – health sector management program, Duke University.  "By tapping into Verizon's leading technology resources and applying Duke's research expertise, both organizations will be able to closely collaborate to explore how we can collectively unleash the powerful potential of health information technology."

( NOTE:  On Oct. 12, Verizon will participate in the third annual Duke University Medical Innovation and Strategies Conference, focused on consumer health care and wireless technologies, in Durham, N.C.  Verizon's Peter Tippett will deliver a keynote address at 8:30 a.m. EDT titled "How Are We Reaching Consumers in Health Care?"  At 2 p.m., Nancy Green, a managing principal with Verizon's health care practice, will participate in a panel titled "Health IT and the Consumer.")

Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, the company's health care practice group, offers a comprehensive portfolio of managed, IT and consulting services for the health care industry.

Verizon is a global leader in driving better business outcomes for enterprises and government agencies. Verizon delivers integrated IT and communications solutions via its high-IQ global IP and mobility networks to enable businesses to securely access information, share content and communicate. Verizon is rapidly transforming to a cloud-based "everything-as-a-service" delivery model that will put the power of enterprise-class solutions within the reach of every business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.

About Duke University Health Sector Management Program

The Duke MBA Health Sector Management (HSM) program at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business is the oldest and largest health management concentration among top U.S. business schools.  HSM leverages Duke's long-standing leadership in education, research and clinical care by layering the interdisciplinary study of the global health sector with Fuqua's world-class business management curriculum.  The nearly 400 MBA students who enroll in HSM's full-time and executive programs every year work closely with faculty and industry leaders to identify answers to health care's most fundamental issues and advance the business of health care.  For more information, visit www.dukembahealth.com.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 106 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon

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