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RelayHealth Selected by Columbia University to

Link Doctors and Patients Online

Affiliated with Columbia University Medical Center, CPPN Becomes the
Largest Medical Group in New York to Launch RelayHealth Service

New York, NY and Emeryville, CA, January 11, 2005 — RelayHealth Corporation, the nation’s premier provider of reimbursed online doctor-patient communication services, today announced a three-year licensing agreement with CPPN the physician/provider managed care organization of Columbia University Medical Center in Manhattan.

Starting in January, the more than 1,100 CPPN physicians and other health care providers will have the opportunity to partake in this RelayHealth initiative, which enables secure communication between patients and their doctors and authorized staff.

“RelayHealth will help CPPN providers deliver non-urgent care in a convenient new way,” said Richard U. Levine, MD, President of CPPN and clinical professor with the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center. “This technology will enable our patients to have expanded access to the quality medical care provided by CPPN providers.”

CPPN provides a “single-voice” for its members in managed care negotiations.  As a self-governing organization of physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers, it has negotiated numerous major contracts with insurance companies for its membership.

CPPN-participating physicians/providers may be reimbursed $25 for RelayHealth online medical visits, or webVisits®, as part of a pilot program recently announced by Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest health insurer in New York State, according to HMO and PPO membership. Eligible providers will receive a $20 payment from Empire and a $5 co-payment from members who are covered by employer groups participating in the pilot.

Select CPPN specialists and primary care physicians/providers will be the first to roll out the RelayHealth service to their patients. The group has secured access to the full suite of RelayHealth services, including the webVisit consultation service, the eScript^® prescribing and renewal service, online appointment requests, lab and test result reporting, and referral requests.

RelayHealth’s eScript is the only online solution to include patients in the e-prescribing process. Through eScript patients can electronically request a prescription renewal directly from their doctor or route a physician-approved prescription to their pharmacy for processing. Patients are also automatically notified when their eScript prescriptions have been approved.

“Columbia University Medical Center is one of the top healthcare and research institutions in the world, and we’re honored by their decision to work with us,” noted Giovanni Colella, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of RelayHealth. ”We look forward to bringing CPPN providers and patients closer together through the coming years."

To date, dozens of major medical groups and integrated delivery networks representing more than 10,000 affiliated physicians in fifteen U.S. cities have selected and licensed the RelayHealth service.

RelayHealth is the premier provider of secure online healthcare communication services linking patients, healthcare professionals, payors, and pharmacies. RelayHealth's Web-based, doctor-patient messaging platform connects doctors and their patients efficiently, affordably, and securely. Tuned for both small and large practice environments, the RelayHealth service improves and streamlines healthcare delivery and access through modular features like the webVisit clinical consultation which tackle complex issues unique to the healthcare market, including clinical structure, practice workflow, and reimbursement. More secure and efficient than telephone or e-mail, RelayHealth combines HIPAA-ready messaging and eScript end-to-end electronic prescribing for the most seamless, comprehensive, and powerful messaging platform available to healthcare professionals and their patients. For information, visit www.relayhealth.com.

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, medical education, and health care. The medical center trains future leaders in health care and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the School of Dental & Oral Surgery, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. With a strong history of some of the most important advances and discoveries in health care, its researchers are leading the development of novel therapies and advances to address a wide range of health conditions. www.cumc.columbia.edu

CPPN is the local physician's association for the Columbia University Medical Center, located in Manhattan, a recognized worldwide leader in academic medicine and the provision of excellent, innovative medical care. CPPN is comprised of more than 1,100 accomplished, highly respected physicians, dentists, and advanced practice nurses. These professionals are world-renowned for their expertise in all areas of medicine and research. They are devoted to providing high-quality patient care and attending to all of your health care concerns.