Vital Metrix: Innovation That Molds a Healthy Future

Alton Reich, CEO
Congestive heart failure remains a major health challenge in the U.S. today, both in terms of its detrimental nature and hefty expense. Heart failure patients make up 18 percent of the overall Medicare population in the country and account for 40 percent of all Medicare spending. Frequent readmissions are also snowballing into a major headache for hospitals. A contributing reason is that physicians often have limited access to the measurement of cardiac output, flow and pressure parameters. Once patients are discharged from hospitals, if they return back to the same hospital inside of 30 days, the hospital incurs a financial penalty. Consequently, hospitals are subjected to Medicare penalties, which account for 3 percent of their overall Medicare billings.

In such a scenario, hospitals desire an improved cardiac output measurement solution, which can help them take on these challenges. This is precisely where Utah-based Vital Metrix, Inc., introduces its patented data analysis solution. The company’s non-invasive cardiac output measurement software solution, will provide reliable measurement of cardiac parameters and collect patients’ data even in non-hospital clinical settings. It does so by combining non-invasive pulse pressure measurements, waveform captured by a pulse oximeter, and patented advanced signal processing, which can then be sent to Vital Metrix’s HIPAA-compliant servers, where its patented algorithm processes it into actionable information for the healthcare provider. Physicians can use these insights to provide care for patients, allowing hospitals to improve congestive heart failure treatment and reduce the risk of readmission. With Vital Metrix, clinicians can frequently evaluate and adjust treatment so that heart failure management is made more effective.

“Our solution will allow low risk, non-invasive cardiac output measurement while ensuring improved patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs,” says Alton Reich, CEO of Vital Metrix. The company’s patient monitoring technology solution is designed to allow easy integration with existing, off-the-shelf pulse oximeters and other medical devices.
With such a novel solution under its belt, Vital Metrix is recognized as an innovative leader in the industry and has attained appreciation from various healthcare experts. The company has received investments from two major players—Baptist Health System based in Little Rock and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arkansas. While Baptist Health System has short term goals to prevent readmissions, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is focussed on reducing their overall hospitalization rate in the long run, and Vital Metrix will serve as a reliable partner in assisting them in achieving these goals.

Reich chalks the inception of Vital Metrix up to his expertise in fluid mechanics and dedication to enhanced healthcare delivery. He found his way into the healthcare industry by recognizing the similar structure of our cardiovascular system with industrial piping. This served as a powerful framework for the company’s efforts to develop its first-of-a-kind solution. The innovation labs at Vital Metrix developed a system and wrapped it with the most advanced sensor technologies to create its novel product.

The right combination of innovative management, experienced Healthcare leadership, and powerful solution has enabled Vital Metrix to draw a comprehensive future roadmap. “We are pushing our solution outside the four walls of the hospital into other healthcare settings such as physician offices and urgent care centers and in the future to a point where heart failure patients can use it at home,” quotes Reich. Geographical expansion is always a part of the company’s prime agenda, and it is planning to make its entry into the European and Asian markets. When it comes to the technical side, Vital Metrix is always driving toward newer developments to further enhance its solution’s capabilities and user-friendliness. Identifying the needs for a distinctive solution for monitoring pediatric patients with congenital heart defects, the company is rolling out plans to develop the same in the future. “Our long-term goal is to democratize our non-invasive cardiac output measurement solution that allows people to have a routine, low cost, easy to use measurement that provides information that can be acted on,” concludes Reich.

Company
Vital Metrix

Headquarters
Lindon, UT

Management
Alton Reich, CEO and Ginny Rowland, COO

Description
Vital Metrix develops non-invasive clinical setting (hospital and physician offices) monitoring system for performing cardiac output measurement with a roadmap to bring the technology into the home. The company’s non-invasive cardiac output measurement software solution, will provide reliable measurement of cardiac parameters and collect patients’ data even in non-hospital clinical settings. Physicians can use these insights to provide care for patients, allowing hospitals to improve congestive heart failure treatment and reduce the risk of readmission. With Vital Metrix, clinicians can frequently evaluate and adjust treatment so that heart failure management is made more effective

Vital Metrix