SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matrix Medical Network, a national leader in providing prospective health assessment services for Medicare Advantage (MA) plan members, today announced that it completed more than 348,000 assessments in 2013, far exceeding the company's 2012 record-setting total. New operational processes and hiring additional nurse practitioners (NPs) have fueled the company's strong growth of the volume of member assessments completed in 2013.

Matrix is the industry's pioneer in using a national network of highly-trained employee NPs to conduct 60-minute-plus prospective assessments in MA members' homes and nursing facilities.

Matrix Nurse Practitioner Helps Make a Difference—Ongoing Story of Dedication

Beyond the health assessment, Matrix NPs engage members and coordinate care with providers, helping to change the lives of members, one home visit at a time. Thousands of times each year, an NP will have to immediately consult the member's physician because of the severity of the member's health condition. And the care and assistance provided by an NP can go ever further.

One recent example of how a Matrix NP helped make a difference, taking extra steps to assist a member while performing a home health assessment, occurred with an 83-year-old MA plan member who lived alone in an old home that she and her husband had bought several years ago with hopes of renovating it. The husband had since passed away and without any family or friends in the area, the woman had become a recluse.

The member suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but did not use oxygen because she owed the oxygen company money. The lack of oxygen severely limited her mobility, causing her to live in the dining room where the floor was piled high with papers and clutter. The NP also noted there was not any food in the kitchen and there were serious hazards with the electrical wiring. Most importantly, the NP's assessment revealed that the member's blood pressure was very high.

With findings in hand, Matrix's NP started working the phone.

• The first contact was the area's agency on aging to setup a next-day visit along with Meals on Wheels for the member.
• The NP then made a doctor's appointment for the member and ensured she had necessary transportation.
• Next up, the oxygen supplier. The company was willing to create a payment plan and said they would transport oxygen out to the member immediately.
• Finally, the NP called the member's utility company, and the utility company representative agreed to send out a technician to look at the home's wiring.

Since the member's assessment, the Matrix NP has followed up with her to make sure she is still doing well. This is just one of the many stories that illustrate how Matrix NPs make a difference in the lives of the health plan members they visit.

Matrix Chief Medical Officer, Zachary Gerbarg, MD, CPC, said, "Our Nurse Practitioners are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people they visit. Not only do they complete a very thorough medical assessment, but they listen to people's concerns, provide health and home-environment safety counseling, and share vitally important member health information with the members' physicians."

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., and provides prospective health assessment services that help health plans provide high-quality care while managing costs. Having pioneered the use of a national network of highly-trained employee Nurse Practitioners to conduct medical assessments in member homes or nursing facilities, Matrix is dedicated to improving the quality of health care in the U.S. Matrix is owned by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a leading private equity investment firm. For more information, visit www.MatrixForMe.com.