Farmington, CT- Ovation Benefits, one of the largest independent benefits brokers in the country and a national leader in workforce health is pleased to announce the launch of Karelia Health, a new business focused on preventing and reversing chronic disease in high risk members.  Karelia Health will operate as a subsidiary of the newly formed Ovation Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Ovation Benefits Group.

Karelia Health employs a national network of specially trained clinicians to work with individuals who are at high and emerging risk for heart disease, diabetes and life-style related cancers.  In addition to reducing the cost of healthcare, Karelia Health has helped change and save the lives of members by avoiding catastrophic health events that lead to premature death and disability.

Customers of Karelia Health include leading employers, government plans, health plans and third-party administrators focused on controlling costs and improving the health, productivity and quality of life for their members.  The primary markets being served by Karelia Health are the Southeast and Northeast regions of the country, with major customers headquartered in Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Previous to the launch of the new company and the Karelia Health brand, services were provided through the Ovation Workforce Health division that was formed after the 2010 acquisition of Health Navigators, LLC.  “We have completed the first phase of our strategy by integrating Health Navigators with our core business, and our new TakeCharge brand has delivered terrific results for our brokerage customers” says Ovation CEO Bill Carew.  “With the launch of Karelia Health, we are now positioned to grab a substantial share of the multi-billion dollar chronic disease market by working directly with employers, payers and newly organized provider entities.”

"The time is right for us to take this step so we can focus our energy and resources on the needs of high risk individuals” says Bill Mauke, President of Ovation Workforce Health and a co-founder of Karelia Health.  “With over a decade in workforce health and now two years of experience working with Health Navigators under our belt, this new entity gives us the flexibility we need to serve the huge market opportunity driven by the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease,” said Mauke.

 In addition to Mauke, leaders of the Karelia Health management team include Chief Engagement Officer John Carew; Vice President of Client Service and Operations Carrie Balicki, and the original co-founders of Health Navigators, Peter Townsley and Dr. Charles Taylor.  Ovation CEO Bill Carew will serve in the same capacity for Karelia Health, while CFO Kim Kovalski takes on the added role of Chief Operating Officer for the new company. 

The results produced by Karelia’s True Health Program have been dramatic, with average improvements in clinical lab values of 14% to 22%.  But the real value doesn’t end there, according to Balicki, who oversees all program services. “The real satisfaction comes in knowing that we have changed and even saved the lives of our members. How can you put a price on that?”

ABOUT OVATION
Established in 2002, Ovation is a national leader in Workforce Health Improvement and one of the largest independent benefit brokers in the nation, representing more than 300 employers and more than 100,000 individuals in 43 states. Ovation's clients include small business, middle market and Fortune 1000 employer groups and more than 40 cities, towns and boards of education. TakeCharge is Ovation's new fully-integrated product platform that incorporates best-in-class benefits, incentives, interventions, and member support services designed to deliver sustainable cost reduction through health improvement and unparalleled employee engagement. For further information, please visit www.ovationbenefits.com.

ABOUT KARELIA HEALTH

Karelia Health is a member-centric organization focused on helping at-risk individuals to make lifelong changes in behavior that will produce a higher quality of life for participants and lower medical expenses for payers.  Karelia Health was founded in 2012 and its foundation dates back more than 30 years with the pioneering work of Peter Townsley and Charles Taylor, MD at Corporate Health Services of America and Health Navigators, LLC. Karelia Health’s programs follow an evidence-based medical model supporting aggressive Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) that is promoted by the top primary care and preventive cardiologists in the country. Karelia Health is a subsidiary of the newly formed Ovation Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Ovation Benefits Group. Learn more at www.kareliahealth.com.