Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association Partners with Contact Harald to Support Enhanced Contact Tracing in Health Care Settings and Other Workplaces

November 17, 2020

New Relationship Between VHHA Shared Services Corporation and Contact Harald, the Developer of a Leading Bluetooth-based Contact Tracing Solution that Helps Employers, Health Care Providers, and Public Health Officials Track COVID-19 Exposure in Real Time

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and its VHHA Shared Services Corporation subsidiary has initiated a new professional relationship with Contact Harald, which provides a leading Bluetooth technology contact tracing solution in the era of COVID-19 that enables employers to quickly identify team members who have come into contact with a person affected by the virus. This technology, whose database can help trace a potential COVID-19 exposure as far back as 20 days, can inform people when they should self-quarantine or isolate to protect themselves and others around them. Access to this vital information can be helpful to Virginia health care providers, employers, public health officials, and individuals who all have a role in helping limit the spread of COVID-19.

Contact Harald’s proprietary technology solution is built on a Bluetooth platform whose sensor rests inside a credit card-sized device (similar to an employee badge or ID card) that is worn on a lanyard. To protect user privacy, the Bluetooth Proximity Tracking Card only records card-to-card proximity (via time stamp). There is no need for users to download an app, connect the device to their phone, a WiFi network, or to sync the devices to existing IT systems or charge them. The platform has a secure, private registration system. It promotes employee visual compliance and protection for health care staff, patients, and visitors by enabling the rapid isolation of potentially infected individuals. The system is also compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) standards.

“Over the past year, COVID-19 has altered the way everyday life functions as we have grown accustomed to new safety precautions such as social distancing, enhanced hygiene, and self-quarantining when appropriate. Each of these strategies, and others, are intended to limit the spread of coronavirus,” said VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “This Bluetooth badge system developed by Contact Harald is an innovative data intelligence tool that can help employers reduce the risk for viral transmission among their workforce, which in turn helps health care providers and public health officials as we all work together to confront COVID-19. We are pleased to partner on making this resource available to support other strategies that are in place to fight this pandemic.”

“Contact Harald is on a mission to provide a simple, private, and easily accessible option for organizations to implement contact tracing,” said Matias Monges of Contact Harald Americas Go-To-Market. “We are excited to partner with VHHA to bring this solution to health care organizations and assure continuity during these critical times.”

“This platform enhances existing public health efforts through a simple system that is easy to deploy in workplace settings, without requiring additional IT support or network connectivity, that provides an extra layer of protection for all frontline health care providers, as well as employees in other industries,” said VHHA Shared Services CEO David S. Jenkins.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Contact Harald: Contact Harald is designed by Safedome, a global developer and producer of Bluetooth trackers. The Safedome engineering and design teams are based in Australia, with offices in Singapore, and San Francisco. For more information, visit https://www.contactharald.com/.

About VHHA Shared Services Corporation: Founded in 1980 by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, VHHA Shared Services delivers an array of products and resources to help Virginia hospitals and health systems improve their clinical, financial and operational performance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com