Mass Retirees Partners with Senscio Systems to Fight COVID-19

JUNE 23, 2020: BOSTON, MA 

The Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts ("Mass Retirees") and Senscio Systems, a Massachusetts-based health technology company that specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for chronic health management announced a new partnership today. Senscio Systems will immediately offer its revolutionary Ibis (pronounced eye-biss) program and 10-inch Ibis tablet to qualified Mass Retirees members residing in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. The Ibis program for home-based health management is also being used to monitor an individual's symptoms of COVID-19 by tracking vital signs and symptoms that indicate infection.  

"This partnership is a critical step to help our members get immediate access to new health technology that has been proven to help seniors with chronic health conditions and can now also play a pivotal role in identifying the symptoms of COVID-19. Our members and their families will also benefit from the online portal to share real-time updates with family and caretakers about their health. We are thrilled to have Senscio Systems as a trusted partner in helping keep our members healthy and safe," said Frank Valeri, President of Mass Retirees.

The partnership will include promotion and education about the Ibis program to Mass Retirees and its more than 53,000 members via their electronic newsletter, printed newsletter, phone calls and other communication channels including YouTube and Facebook. There are also plans for a Tele-TownHall to further educate Mass Retiree members. 

The Ibis program has been shown to reduce hospital visits, including unnecessary visits to emergency rooms where other people may also have COVID-19. Evidence shows that 70 percent of health deteriorations detected by the AI can be resolved in the home by Ibis members with help from their Ibis care team. 

"As the coronavirus continues to spread across Massachusetts, it is the private sector's responsibility to step up for people who are most at risk of complications from the virus," said Senscio Systems CEO Piali De, Ph.D. "Our Ibis program is the premier program for home-based chronic health management and we are proud to partner with Mass Retirees to provide our platform to their members. It has already helped hundreds of people successfully manage their chronic conditions, plus it can help many more during the COVID-19 pandemic. By blending 21st-century technologies with a human touch, our Ibis program addresses several complex health issues including COVID-19, COPD, heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and depression. The program transforms self-management while also providing caregivers real-time clinical information that can save lives." 

The first step for Mass Retiree members is to initiate enrollment via a Member Advocate at ibishealth.org. Based on the individual's health insurance, the Ibis program is available at little or no cost. The cost of the Ibis program is a covered Medicare benefit. Individuals who complete the registration will receive a COVID-19 Response Kit in the mail, including an Ibis tablet, thermometer, pulse oximeter for measuring oxygen in the blood, and relevant instructions. Recipients will then be able to monitor their temperature, oxygen level and other health indicators, in addition to having access to a Member Advocate and a Chronic Care Specialist/Consultant. The Member Advocate can raise a red flag about any of the patient's holistic health qualities, coordinating with the chronic care specialist and that patient's primary care provider if needed.

With a current presence in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, Senscio Systems has been serving residents in New England for five years and is prepared to expand rapidly with the goal of increasing resiliency in the healthcare system. 

The Ibis program has been used by more than 650 members who have been supported through nearly four million chronic health management tasks. In the process, Senscio Systems has collaboratively supported patients of more than 600 clinicians. The Ibis program uses telehealth technology that also saves the U.S. healthcare system an estimated average of $8,000 annually per member. The company's goal is to work with individuals who want to take control of their own healthcare and build stronger partnerships with their healthcare providers. Learn more at SenscioSystems.com.