HealthPartners, Helix partner to create DNA testing program that helps families better understand their genetic health

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Mar 07, 2022, 08:00 ET

SAN MATEO, Calif. and BLOOMINGTON, Minn., March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthPartners and leading genomics company, Helix, are launching myGenetics, a population genomics program that will provide important health information to families across Minnesota and surrounding states.

The myGenetics program hopes to enroll more than 100,000 participants over four years. Genomic data generated will be integrated with patient health records and shared during their personal clinical care. Through the partnership, HealthPartners will be able to identify risk earlier and potentially mitigate serious disease. In similar programs, as many as 1 in 75 participants were found to be at risk for a serious health issue, of which 90 percent would not have been discovered through traditional practice.

"We see population genomics as a critical step in our efforts to improve the health of the communities we serve across Minnesota and surrounding states," said Steve Connelly, MD, co-executive medical director at HealthPartners. "By understanding the role genetics play in an individual's health, we can deliver more personalized care and improve the lives of our patients."

The program aligns with HealthPartners ongoing drive to deliver simple, personalized, affordable care. The program will be strictly voluntary and will come at no cost to the patient. It's a partnership both HealthPartners and Helix say will help advance precision medicine and greater health equity.

"We are thrilled to partner deeply with one of the leading integrated delivery networks in the nation. We are excited to enable population access to preventable and actionable genetic insights and to empower providers and patients to make more informed medical decisions," said James Lu, MD, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Helix. "The partnership will also generate cutting edge insights on the best ways to improve quality outcomes, close care gaps and lower the cost of care."

HealthPartners will leverage Helix's end-to-end genomic platform and unique Sequence Once, Query Often^TM model. It allows patient access to genetic data in a cost-efficient manner while also advancing ongoing genomics research. Helix has helped to launch similar programs at the Mayo Clinic, Renown Health and most recently, the Medical University of South Carolina.

For more information about myGenetics, go to healthpartners.com/genetic-health-testing.

About Helix
Helix is the leading population genomics and viral surveillance company operating at the intersection of clinical care, research, and data analytics. Through its CLIA / CAP laboratory, its end-to-end workflow, and data analytics platforms, Helix enables health systems, life sciences companies, payers, and government partners to accelerate the integration of genomic data into patient care and public health decision making. Learn more at helix.com.

About HealthPartners
HealthPartners is dedicated to improving health and well-being in partnership with members, patients and the community. As an integrated health system, it provides care to more than one million patients and coverage to more than 1.8 million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. HealthPartners also provides medical education and conducts research through HealthPartners Institute. For more information, visit healthpartners.com.

Media Contact
Amy Fisher, Padilla for Helix
[email protected]
612.805.5707

Scott Beedy, HealthPartners
[email protected]
612.248.4622

SOURCE Helix