CareSeek's LEAP Fundraiser Lets Nurses Raise Money by Speaking Out

Business Wire,  March 13, 2008  

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Nurses' Expert Opinions Earn Generous Contributions for Their Professional Organizations

SOLVANG, Calif. -- CareSeek Inc., the developer of the healthcare provider recommendation social network at www.careseek.com, has launched an unprecedented fundraising program with the potential to bring in as much as a quarter of a million dollars each for professional nursing associations across the country. Called the LEAP campaign (Let Experts Applaud Providers), it offers a voice and significant financial support to local nursing programs.

Consumers are migrating online for information and services in all aspects of their lives, and the web's efficiency as an aggregator of information offers new opportunities for wider communities of users to support and educate each other. Over 30 doctor rating and review sites have sprung up on the web. CareSeek, however, is the only company to actively promote the collective wisdom of nurses for the benefit of patients looking for care. According to a new Gallup poll, 79 percent of respondents ranked nurses "very high" or "high" for honesty and ethics, higher than doctors, judges and clergy, making them the most trusted professionals in America. CareSeek is giving them a voice in promoting the best healthcare providers and challenging the rest to improve.

During this fundraising campaign, selected nursing associations are mobilizing their members to raise money by volunteering their time to recommend excellent providers. In return, CareSeek is donating money to support their charitable programs. To learn how to participate in this program that leverages the volunteer efforts of nurses into both rewards for their associations and valuable content for the CareSeek patient advocacy service, organizations can download a brochure and application. (http://www.careseek.com/content/careseekleap_fundraising program_2008.pdf) CareSeek then consults with applicants on how to promote member participation via the Web. Organizations with online communication capabilities will be selected on a first-come, first served basis, with MONA, the Missouri Nursing Association being the first to launch a LEAP campaign later this month. Participation by their members will be tracked through specially co-branded login pages to the CareSeek website.

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CareSeek's websites allow nurses and other healthcare experts to recommend healthcare providers based on personal experience, either as a patient or colleague. The content they create becomes a valuable knowledgebase for patients and caregivers seeking quality medical care.

Gale Wilson-Steele, CareSeek's CEO and founder says, "Nurses have an important role in healthcare, advocating for the patient, ensuring quality care, and now, providing information about the best doctors. By finding ways to broadcast the voice of the nurse, everyone benefits."

Patients also are encouraged to add their recommendations and reviews of providers they have consulted, but the contributions of the nurses are particularly valued for their professional perspective. Nurses are the number one source of doctor recommendations worldwide because of their expertise and position of trust with patients. CareSeek's fundraising campaign is designed to encourage busy nurses to actively contribute their insights online, much as they already do for patients and friends in the real world setting.

The pilot program was successfully pioneered by the Center for Nursing Advocacy. "It has been a win all around. Our members can contribute to us at no cost to themselves, and patients benefit from expert nurse recommendations they can trust," explained Sandy Summers, the executive director of the Center.

About CareSeek, Inc.

Based in Solvang, Calif., CareSeek Inc. was established in 2006 to create an online resource for consumers seeking healthcare. CareSeek.com is a member of the CareSeek consortium of websites and provides nurses, providers and CareSeekers with a platform for sharing their personal impressions of doctors from a professional perspective. Through the CareSeek community, patients, families and medical professionals have the opportunity to contribute to a balanced viewpoint and open sharing of experiences, providing healthcare consumers with the information they need to make better choices regarding their healthcare providers. For more information visit www.CareSeek.com or call 805-322-7773.

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CareSeek, LEAP Fundraiser, Let Experts Applaud Providers, healthcare, social network, fundraising, nursing, nursing association, MONA, Missouri Nursing Association, Gale Wilson-Steele, doctor recommendations, Center for Nursing Advocacy, Sandy Summers, nursing IT, healthcare IT

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