Mee Memorial Healthcare System’s Post

The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) recently held a Health Care Affordability Board (HCAB) meeting to outline a 10-year primary care spending plan with the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA). This initiative is designed to significantly enhance primary care spending in California, which is expected to lead to increased access to whole-person, comprehensive, coordinated primary care and a reduction in hospital and emergency department visits. Freedman HealthCare has appreciated the opportunity to support this initiative, collaborating closely with OHCA to define and measure primary care spending and develop an investment benchmark. https://lnkd.in/e9ppVWis

Florida Blue and Sanitas Medical Center are teaming up to open a new primary care clinic in Jacksonville, focusing on a "value-based" approach to healthcare. This means they'll be rewarded for keeping patients healthy, instead of just the number of services provided. Key points: - Shifting from volume to value: Florida Blue's Dr. Elana Schrader says the healthcare system is moving towards paying for better outcomes, not just more procedures. - Comprehensive care: The clinic offers preventive care, chronic condition management, mental health services, and more, all under one roof. - Serving specific needs: The clinic targets individuals 50+ and Medicare enrollees, addressing the growing needs of this population. - Compassionate care: Patients are assigned a dedicated care team for consistent support. - Addressing mental health: The clinic offers readily available behavioral health services, recognizing the increased demand. Additional takeaways: - This marks the 53rd collaboration between Florida Blue and Sanitas across Florida, mostly focused on primary care. - The partnership aims to address the influx of new members due to the Affordable Care Act and provide culturally competent care. - This is their first venture into northeast Florida, with plans to serve 5 million #Medicare-eligible residents in the state. - The clinic emphasizes convenience with extended hours and virtual services. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q02kmTjD0

Let's say this together, shall we? ➡️NPs have the power to reshape the future of healthcare for better, more accessible care nationwide. Starting with healthcare in underserved rural areas… 🏞️ These communities are in dire need of passionate, dedicated healthcare professionals like you. By choosing to serve in rural areas, you can help bridge the healthcare gap and provide much-needed care to those who need it most. Your unique combination of advanced nursing skills, compassion, and commitment to patient care makes you ideally suited to address the complex healthcare needs of rural populations. As an NP in a rural setting, you can: 🌟 Provide comprehensive primary care services 🚑 Manage chronic conditions and prevent complications 🍎 Educate patients on healthy lifestyle choices 🤝 Collaborate with local healthcare resources to improve access to care 📢 Advocate for policies that support rural healthcare initiatives But why are these communities underserved? 🤔 It’s all due to the shortage of healthcare providers, and it affects millions of Americans. Patients in these communities often face numerous challenges, including: Long wait times for appointments Limited access to specialty care Insufficient preventive care services Higher rates of chronic diseases Drop a comment below if you’d be open to securing your clinicals or practicing in a rural area. 💬 #NPHub #ClinicalPlacements #PreceptorShortage

The General Practice Elective Care Service welcomes the new Health Minister Robin Swann. We look forward to continuing to support the Minister in delivering the 5-year Elective Care Framework to help to tackle the waiting list crisis over the coming months. The 5-year framework details the transformative role the Primary Care Elective Service has to offer in reforming the Health Service in Northern Ireland.   Since November 2018, over 72,000 referrals have been made to our service with just over 65,000 patients receiving episodes of care across our five pathways. These patients have been seen in a timelier manner, in a setting closer to home, in a service that has consistently performed, aids recruitment and retention of GPs and has demonstrated value for money.    These figures are symbolic of what Primary Care has to offer regarding supporting the transformation agenda and delivering non-complex elective care procedures in a local setting. We also welcome the emphasis Doug Beattie MC MLA has recently placed on continuing to implement this strategy and make real changes . System wide action is required now to tackle the current waiting times and we look forward to continuing to be part of the solution. #transformation #primarycare #generalpractice

From AHA: Anti-hospital Group Misleads on Site-neutral Impact on Rural Access to Care Once again, the anti-hospital, billionaire-backed Arnold Ventures is pushing its anti-hospital agenda with a “report” that is so disingenuous and has so many limitations that it cannot be taken seriously. In this case, a one-pager from the group twists numbers to make the Orwellian claim that “site-neutral payment reforms will protect rural patients.” They go on to diminish the extent to which rural hospitals serve their communities and flippantly write-off the proposed site-neutral cuts facing rural hospitals as “minimal.” However, the facts tell a far different story.  In reality, the rural hospitals that would be impacted by the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act — many of which operate with negative or break-even margins — would face $272 million in cuts over ten years. "The AHA recently demonstrated that hospitals and health systems play critical roles in preserving access to care for patients and communities in rural America. They have increasingly stepped up to fill voids in care by reinvesting through access points like hospital outpatient departments, also known as “HOPDs.” These sites of care provide essential services for many rural and low-income communities across the country. Oftentimes, hospitals have been a lifeline for struggling rural physician practices — helping to keep their doors open so they can continue caring for their patients.... Misrepresenting the scope and importance of rural hospitals — as Arnold Ventures does — is a great disservice to the patients and communities that rely on them for access to care that too often cannot be found elsewhere and is not provided by others in the health care sector."   Aaron Wesolowski is AHA’s vice president of research strategy and policy communications. So it goes n8 #hospitals #healthsystems https://lnkd.in/giUz8q9b

Where does reimbursement for team-based care enter the discussion in primary care? Washington Post offers up important voices surrounding primary care crisis. Excerpt from article: “The HHS initiative also does not change an essential flaw in the current financial structure, which relies on a physician visit to initiate the billing process. If a community health worker first knocks on somebody’s door, there is no way to reimburse that visit. Those problems became clearer during and after the pandemic, which put a spotlight on how few people have a lasting relationship with a primary care doctor. The challenge is to figure out ways to pay for entry-level services and care providers beyond the family doctor. “Given the shortages and trust issues, it makes much more sense for people to be allowed to see those other health professionals first,” Nundy said. “The whole system bottlenecks on the physician.” Chris Koller Bob Phillips, MD MSPH GTMRx Institute Allison Hickey Ira Klein ASHP American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Paul Grundy David B. Nash, MD, MBA Shantanu Nundy Susan M Huang, MD, MS Julie Schilz Ann C. Greiner Ann Kempski Susan Dentzer Jan Hirsch, BS Pharm, PhD Jonathan H. Watanabe #gtmrx #getthemedicationsright David Nace Gary Jacobs

Great article in The State today about PAs' ability to improve access to care in SC. Let's get the healthcare grade up in SC! #aapa #pasdothat https://lnkd.in/eiECcPaH

🚨 In a monumental move, Atrium Health becomes the 1st health system to publicly support modernized regulations for North Carolina’s #APRNs. Scott Rissmiller, MD, recently sent a letter to #NCGA legislators saying, “Atrium Health is now endorsing a path to full practice authority for APRNs.” Atrium Health is now the 25th organization outside the nursing profession to publicly endorse Full Practice Authority for APRNs in NC. There are no known opponents outside of organized medicine. “The current regulations create additional burden, cost, and ultimately unnecessary paperwork for both physicians and APRNs without true impact on patient care,” said Rissmiller. Click here to read the full letter: https://lnkd.in/gAm-7-3r The #SAVEact (H218/S175) is the only bill currently being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly that would grant Full Practice Authority to APRNs. It garnered 80 sponsors from both sides of the aisle, including 59 in the House and 21 in the Senate. At least 27 other states have passed similar legislation to the SAVE Act, which is overwhelmingly backed by more than 40 years of peer-reviewed research. Recently updated research from Duke Healthcare Economist Chris Conover shows that North Carolina would save between $647 million and $6.4 billion each year by granting Full Practice Authority to APRNs, without sacrificing quality of care. Thank you to Dr. Rissmiller, M.D. & the rest of the Atrium Health leadership for endorsing evidence-based, patient-focused modernization of healthcare. As NC preps for 600,000 new Medicaid enrollees, the timing could not be more appropriate. #NursingForward®

Access to primary care is weakening across the country. Changes in public policy are required, but state officials face myriad options that can be overwhelming. The most effective state strategies are likely the ones that align with the federal government’s primary care initiatives. To help states track the various federal primary care initiatives and prioritize their own activities, Lauryn Walker, chief strategy officer for the Virginia Center for Health Innovation, created the Primary Care State–Federal Alignment Tool to offer a template for systematically evaluating how state activities align with each federal initiative. A companion issue brief for public and private sector leaders engaged in state-level primary care reform by Walker and Milbank’s Lisa Dulsky Watkins and Christopher Koller describes six key activities that will help states best leverage their authority.

🏥 Pivotal Healthcare Providers in Rural America Did you know that there are 1,362 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) spread across the United States? These small facilities, with 25 or fewer inpatient beds, are essential for providing necessary healthcare services to underserved rural areas. 🌟 What is a Critical Access Hospital? CAHs are strategically placed more than 35 miles from another hospital or more than 15 miles in areas with mountainous terrain or secondary roads only. This distribution reflects the crucial role these hospitals play in providing care to rurally populated areas of the country. 🇺🇸 Which State Has the Most CAHs? The largest number of CAHs is found in Texas, with 88 hospitals, followed by Iowa and Kansas. This distribution reflects the crucial role these hospitals play in providing care to rurally populated areas of the country. 💡 One of the most significant benefits of CAH status is cost-based reimbursement from Medicare, which helps in covering operational expenses and maintaining financial stability. CAHs are an integral part of rural healthcare, ensuring local access to vital services and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for care. 🔍 Beyond healthcare, CAHs are often among the largest employers in their communities, contributing significantly to local economies. They offer 24/7 emergency care, general medical and surgical care, and basic diagnostic services. And for more complex medical needs, CAHs have transfer agreements with larger hospitals. 🔗 CAHs are community lifelines that play a critical role in providing essential healthcare services in rural America. #CriticalAccessHospitals #RuralHealthcare #HealthcareAccess #CAH #RuralMedicine #HealthPolicy