News
New ORTEC system helps North Star Alliance to 'optimize the world'
14 November 2011
“This system enables us to select optimal Roadside Wellness Centres locations”
After successfully developing a client health registration system, ORTEC has now delivered a new application that will assist North Star Alliance in determining the optimal location and number of employees for its network of Roadside Wellness Centres (RWCs). The new solution is developed in cooperation with Paragon Decision Technology, using their mathematical optimization platform AIMMS.
According to Luke Disney, North Star Executive Director: "The delivery of this new system, named POLARIS (Program for Optimizing the Long-term Achievements of the Roadside Wellness Centres Investment Strategy), enables us to select optimal Wellness Centre locations, taking into account important factors such as continuity of care and number of visitors."
Health services for mobile populations
North Star Alliance started as a practical industry response to an urgent health problem and has matured into a balanced approach that meets industry, public health and individual needs by establishing a network of drop-in health clinics, called Roadside Wellness Centres, at truck stops, ports, rail junctions and border crossings in low-income countries. The RWCs offer essential healthcare and information to mobile populations and roadside communities who are often unable to access conventional community or in-company-based health services due to their itinerant working conditions.
“ORTEC already provides invaluable support in this area with a customized client health registration system and passport system, called COMETS,” explains Luke Disney. “With POLARIS, ORTEC has developed an innovative application to help determine the optimal locations for North Star RWCs, without the need to invest a great deal of time and expense for research and data analysis. In our collaboration with ORTEC, we are always looking for ways how –in this case where – to best serve the truck drivers and the surrounding communities.” The partnership with North Star Alliance is part of ORTEC's Social Responsibility & Sustainability Program, “Optimizing the World”.
‘Business Action on Health’ Awards
Earlier this year, the GBChealth nominated ORTEC for its contribution to optimizing the logistical processes of North Star Alliance. “Our involvement in North Star’s mission to provide long distance truck drivers and corridor communities with sustainable access to healthcare and safety services has been extremely rewarding. For ORTEC, it is a real honor to be recognized as a finalist in the 2011 Business Action on Health Awards,” adds Geerhard de Vries, VP Global Business Consulting for ORTEC.
About North Star Alliance
North Star works at the crossroads of disease and mobility to ensure that highly-mobile populations, especially truck drivers and their direct and indirect contacts have access to health and safety services. North Star is strengthening national health systems by expanding their reach and plugging the gaps through a network of “Roadside Wellness Centres” (RWCs) located at hotspots along major transport corridors in sub-Saharan Africa. North Star’s unique approach unites the transport and public health sectors in a common response to high impact diseases. North Star’s RWCs are open to everyone, but designed for the specific health needs of mobile populations. They offer a focused package of prevention and treatment services, including: information, education, primary health care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV counselling and testing, and medical referrals.
North Star Alliance is supported by six core partners including the International Transport Workers’ Federation, ORTEC, PharmAccess Foundation, TNT, UNAIDS and the World Food Programme along with more than 60 strategic and local partners. For more information, visit: www.northstar-alliance.org.