23andMe and Palomar Pomerado Health Partner to Give PPH Members Access to Their Genetic Information
San Diego Healthcare District Offers 23andMe Personal Genome ServiceTM at Health Centers to Encourage Preventive Care
Mountain View, CA and San Diego, CA - April 27, 2009 - 23andMe, Inc., an industry leader in personal genetics, and Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH), the largest public health district in California, today announced that PPH will be offering the 23andMe Personal Genome Service for sale to San Diegans at its outpatient health centers. As an innovator in preventive health care, PPH encourages its communities to understand their genetic information in order to make more informed decisions about their health. This partnership marks the first time that a healthcare organization has provided the Personal Genome Service to members of its community, and the first time that 23andMe has made the service available for purchase outside of its website.
Starting today, PPH will be offering the Personal Genome Service for $399 at two of its expresscare retail health centers in Escondido and Rancho Penasquitos, as well as the Pomerado Outpatient Pavilion (POP) in Poway. PPH patients who purchase the service at those locations also will receive a live, 30-minute Personal Education Session with a PPH nurse practitioner who can help answer questions they may have about the process and provide a tour of the Personal Genome Service.
The 23andMe Personal Genome Service provides information about how markers in a person's genome affects his or her propensity for over 100 health conditions and inherited traits, including prostate cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, venous thromboembolism, and cystic fibrosis. The service also provides users with information about their ancestry, allows them to compare their genome to those of family and friends who are also 23andMe participants, and contribute to the advancement of genetic research by participating in 23andMe research studies.
PPH has taken an active role in promoting preventive health care. Because genetics is a major factor in the development of health conditions and diseases, PPH believes that individualized genetic information can help members make more educated lifestyle and healthcare decisions, as well as helping physicians better understand their patients' health. Dr. Jerry Kolins, MD, FACHE, Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer and Medical Director for PPH Laboratories, said, "PPH is in the business of helping our members lead healthier lives. Because genetics significantly impacts a person's risk for developing certain diseases, having access to genetic information can be useful for both patients and physicians in helping to prevent health problems down the road."
23andMe believes that providing genetic information to patients through partnerships such as this will facilitate the future integration of genetic information into medical practice. 23andMe co-founder Linda Avey said, "As more genetic discoveries are made and the clinical impact of these correlations is more fully understood, physicians and patients will be better equipped to incorporate genetic information into health care and lifestyle decisions. PPH recognizes that providing their patients with their genetic information now is the first step on this path to more personalized health care and prevention."
About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome ServiceTM enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. 23andMe, Inc., was founded by Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. Its Series A investors include Genentech, Inc., Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and New Enterprise Associates. More information on the partnership is available at https://www.23andme.com/pph/.
About Palomar Pomerado Health
Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH), California's largest public health district, is North County's most comprehensive health-care delivery system, nationally recognized for clinical excellence in cardiac care, women's services, cancer, orthopedics, trauma, rehabilitation and behavioral health services. As the largest employer in Inland North County, with more than 3,600 employees and 700 physicians, PPH was named San Diego County's Best Place to Work in 2006. Facilities include Palomar Medical Center, Pomerado Hospital, Villa Pomerado, Palomar Continuing Care Center, the Jean McLaughlin Women's Center, and PPH expresscare health centers. For more information please visit: http://www.pph.org/23andMe.