Star Ledger - Business
July 15, 2003

Hunterdon firm's nurses help families cope with health care
by Angela Stewart

Whether it is helping a client understand a doctor's diagnosis or chasing down insurance companies for pre-authorization, a Hunterdon County firm says it can help take the stress out of dealing with the health-care system.

Started in January, Support Systers sees itself as a health-care troubleshooter. It employs experienced registered nurses to help simplify the health-care process, giving individuals and families the assistance they need to navigate a system that can often leave one feeling confused and exhausted.

The nurses serve as personal health-care advocates, sitting with clients during doctor's visits, keeping medical records, handling insurance and keeping other family members abreast of medical developments.

"Often, we are dealing with complex, multifaceted cases that involve different kinds of specialists. It can become a lot to manage, especially for career people that might have their own families," said Stephen Kane, 49, president and chief operating officer of Support Systers, which is based in Annandale.

Kane said that while other companies and agencies provide some of the same services that Support Systers does -- including transportation, in-home nursing and case management -- he has found no other business in New Jersey that offers a complete package of services.

Recent studies have estimated corporate America may be losing as much as $29 billion annually in productivity due to the 14.4 million workers providing care for an elderly family member. More than half of these caregivers are female and the vast majority of them are employed, according to the American Association of Retired Persons.

Take Regina McDevitt. Her 80-year-old father was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in February. There were treatment decisions to be made and specialists to see. Her biggest problem, however, was that her parents lived in Flemington and she lived in Middletown, N.Y.

McDevitt, a 43-year-old working mother of four, doesn't think she could have managed without the help of Support Systers, which she learned about through a friend.

"One of their nurses scheduled and attended meetings with the specialists, picking up my parents and helping us through the process of choosing a treatment. They also handled all the pre-authorization for insurance. The burden they relieved was just tremendous," she said.

Although McDevitt still admits feeling "guilty" for not being able to handle all the details related to her father's prostate treatment herself, she said the peace of mind the company afforded her was valuable.

Thomas Ollis, director of program development for Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, said his hospital has referred some patients to Support Systers and had wonderful outcomes. He said the company is filling a real market niche in ensuring continuity of care once people are released from the hospital.

"It's truly a patient advocacy and patient-centered program in which the company becomes the clinical eyes and ears of the patient," he said. "Patients end up becoming more responsible and taking more interest in their health care."

Kane said clients who receive help from Support Systers generally end up feeling more secure about their medical situation, and are therefore more likely to be in compliance with doctor's instructions, cutting down on hospitalizations.

For Bill Verner, 57, of Pottersville, having his own nurse-advocate present at doctor's appointments made a world of difference. Verner, who is single and has cancer, said the company nurse even made trips between his New Jersey home and a residence he maintains during the winter months in Virginia to help coordinate his medical care.

"Kathy takes notes and always has a list of questions for the doctor I haven't even thought of. It really helps me," the retired government employee said.

It costs $75 an hour to hire a Support Systers nurse. But the company is willing to work with families who can't afford the fee, Kane said.

"I have such deep personal beliefs in the value of the service, having gone through this situation with my own parents," he said.

The company can be contacted through its Web site at www.supportsysters.com.

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