In the News
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Personal Health Portfolio
by Linda Blum

Good health is something we often take for granted, believing that if we take care of ourselves, our health will take care of us.  Unfortunately, that’s not always the case and problems seem to always occur at the most inopportune times.

As a result of personal necessity in her family, Cheryl Rios, a Tampa Bay resident, developed a product called the Personal Health Portfolio.  Faced with an immediate family member’s serious health condition, Cheryl found it difficult and overwhelming as a caregiver to keep track of the family member’s personal health information.

“The first Personal Health Portfolio was created to alleviate the burden of remembering critical health information each time a medical emergency arose,” says Cheryl.   “It was designed to be light and portable so that it could be taken to all medical appointments.”   Personal medical history, which was so important to her father’s medical care, wasn’t always at her fingertips especially after hurricane Charley hit, and they were told to evacuate yet again due to another hurricane.  Her family left, feeling very vulnerable.

“I decided to put together a portable organizer that could easily evacuate with us so important information wouldn’t get left behind,” Cheryl says.

Rios designed a series of forms containing information an emergency room physician would need to know in a medical emergency and developed a binder with divided, vinyl pockets to help keep the forms dry and accessible.  This way, if a medical emergency should arise, or evacuation is required due to a hurricane, all that needs to be done is to pick up the binder and go.  Further, it allows other family members to participate in the care-giving process by having critical personal health information centrally located and portable at a moment’s notice.

Documents such as an emergency contact, living will, health care surrogate and medical power of attorney are all included, along with recent appointments with physicians, lab results, and list of prescriptions.  A complete list of physicians includes addresses and phone numbers.  The vinyl dividers are waterproof to hold up to the weather and provide durability.

“My father was fortunate that family members were here to help him but many people live alone without close relatives who know them and can assist with personal health information,” says Cheryl.  “With the Personal Health Portfolio, a neighbor or friend can grab the binder in a 911 situation, and help provide important health information to emergency room staff.”

After field-testing the Personal Health Portfolio with friends and family, Cheryl was confident that this was a marketable product.  She began to offer her product to acquaintances when NBC News Channel 8 and Bay News 9 learned about the product and profiled the Personal Health Portfolio in a news report about hurricane preparedness.  Since then, Cheryl has donated 1,000 portfolios to the AmeriCares foundation for their free clinics program in Connecticut.

Information Portfolio, Inc. offers consulting services to assist individuals in completing their own personal health portfolios.  “Some people are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start in gathering information, or even what type of information is important,” Cheryl says.  “For example, most people don’t consider over-the-counter medications when asked what medications they take.  It is important to include this information.”

The time it takes to complete the forms in the binder is relatively brief.  Its value is that the information can be shared multiple times with various medical providers and is easily maintained.  

Cheryl says her goal is to help people like Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.”

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We are pleased with the feedback we’ve received from some of our customers on the positive impact their Personal Health Portfolios have had.  We are happy to know that we have developed a product that helps people, help themselves and one that is endorsed by members of the medical community.

Information Portfolio, Inc. can be reached at 1 (866) 941-1200.  Call for further information on protecting your family’s health.