How the coronavirus is shaping health care politics in 2020 – CNN

Many experts say the huge pool of uninsured people in these states compounds the challenge of coping with the outbreak in several different ways, from leaving a large number of residents with underlying conditions that increase their vulnerability to the disease to extending the outbreak's spread by discouraging the uninsured from seeking early testing and treatment.

The new pressures emerging as the virus migrates to low-insurance Sun Belt states -- after striking first primarily in Northern and Western states that expanded Medicaid, almost all of which have lower uninsured rates than the national average -- is only one of the several respects in which the outbreak is raising the stakes in the debate over the ACA's future.

All of this could make the political debate over health care even more central in 2020 than it was in 2018, when Democratic promises to defend the ACA, and in particular its provisions protecting patients with preexisting conditions, were pivotal in the party's sweeping midterm election gains.

"All the same reasons that it was [important] in 2018 are in effect now, and all the [arguments] in the middle of a pandemic are even more potent," says Democratic pollster Nick Gourevitch.

Republican pollster Gene Ulm disagrees. He says that concerns directly relating to the coronavirus outbreak -- such as whether businesses and schools can reopen safely -- are eclipsing all other issues this year. "All the oxygen has just been squeezed out," he says. "Health care before meant, 'Will I be able to get coverage? How much will I have to pay for it?' Now it's all the Covid."

But Democrats are betting heavily that Ulm and other Republicans who share that perspective are wrong. Majority Forward, the issue advocacy arm of the Senate Democratic leadership, and the Senate Majority PAC, its campaign super PAC, are once again stressing health care more than any other issue in their advertising against Republican senators this year.

"I think health care -- to the surprise of a lot of people, maybe most directly Republicans -- is more urgent and even a greater priority than it was two years ago," insists J.B. Poersch, the president and CEO of the Senate Majority PAC.

Many experts believe the pandemic and the ACA could be connected in an even more visceral way in the weeks ahead. The reason: Most expect that insurance companies are likely to define exposure to coronavirus as a preexisting condition. That means many of the millions of Americans who have contracted the disease could face higher premiums and less access to coverage and care if the administration's lawsuit (and Republican legislative proposals throughout Donald Trump's presidency) to repeal the ACA's protections prevails.

"There's no question in my mind that insurance companies would treat Covid-19 as a preexisting condition if they were allowed to," said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. That prospect, he adds, "connects the dots in a very tangible way between the ACA and the pandemic."

2018 vs. 2020

Democrats are again stressing the issue of preexisting conditions in House and Senate races this year. Majority Forward and the Senate Majority PAC have run television ads lashing GOP senators from Cory Gardner in Colorado and Martha McSally in Arizona to David Perdue in Georgia, Steve Daines in Montana and Thom Tillis in North Carolina for their votes earlier in Trump's term to repeal the ACA and its measure barring insurers from selling coverage at higher prices to patients with preexisting conditions.

These exchanges largely reprise the debate between the parties from 2018, albeit in the more highly charged atmosphere of the coronavirus crisis. But the outbreak -- combined with the ACA lawsuit -- may also be broadening the health care debate to focus more than in 2018 on the law's efforts to expand coverage to the uninsured.

"When you talk about the sheer number of people that aren't covered in a public health crisis, that is very relevant to the moment. That matters," says Poersch.

Republicans are generally countering Democratic calls to protect the ACA or to expand coverage to the remaining uninsured by accusing the party of seeking a government takeover of health care.

"Democrats showed the entire country what their objectives are on health care during the presidential primary: a government-controlled plan that seeks to eliminate employer-based coverage," Jesse Hunt, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in an email. "All roads lead to that outcome."

The issue of ensuring coverage during a pandemic, particularly by expanding Medicaid, is surfacing in races around the country.

But the issue may be most pointed in the primarily Sun Belt states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA and thus remain among the states coping with the largest share of uninsured residents even as their coronavirus caseloads spike.

How they're campaigning

In North Carolina, where Republican state legislators have repeatedly blocked efforts by Democrats to expand Medicaid eligibility, the Senate Majority PAC has stressed the issue in its advertising against Tillis, who before his election to the US Senate helped lead the fight against Medicaid expansion as the GOP speaker in the state House of Representatives.

In Alabama, Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who faces a difficult fight for reelection in a state where Trump romped in 2016, is running an ad where he endorses Medicaid expansion for the state and declares: "Too many folks face the Covid crisis without health care coverage."

In Texas, the issue is especially acute, both because it is the largest state that has not expanded Medicaid and because Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has led the coalition of GOP states suing to invalidate the ACA. Democratic House candidate Sri Preston Kulkarni, who is running strongly for an open Republican seat outside Houston, one of the outbreak's epicenters, has stressed health care throughout his campaign and unequivocally insisted that Texas should expand Medicaid eligibility.

Likewise, Democrats are promising to expand Medicaid in their uphill, but achievable, bid to win control of Texas' state House of Representatives for the first time in years. Texas' coronavirus crisis "has brought in a very crystallized way the reality of what life is with health care, and what life is without it," says Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio.

Contrary to the Democrats, Ulm says that in his research voters are not linking the outbreak with either the debate over protecting preexisting conditions or Trump's efforts to repeal the ACA. "It's not how people are looking at it," he says. "It's just not. They are looking at it more like: No one seems to understand this [disease]."

Such repositioning may reflect the enormous pressure that the coronavirus outbreak is imposing on health care systems, particularly in the states already strained by the large number of uninsured. The big uninsured population "makes it exponentially worse" to cope with the surge, says Texas state Rep. Fischer Martinez.

Challenges for non-expansion states

Medical experts say that the Sun Belt states have one big advantage over the states hit earlier this spring: Hospitals have developed more expertise on how to treat victims and reduce mortality. But in many other respects, experts say the large number of uninsured in many of these states complicates their situation. These challenges include:

In the presidential race, the coronavirus outbreak has eclipsed all other issues to the point that the health care debate hasn't been engaged as directly as in many of the Senate and House contests. But the virus' turn into the low coverage states that refused to expand Medicaid could eventually provide a vivid backdrop for one of the sharpest policy differences between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

CNN's Tami Luhby contributed to this report.

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How the coronavirus is shaping health care politics in 2020 - CNN

10-Year-Old Sells His Toys to Support Local Health Care Heroes – Saucon Source

Credit: St. Luke's University Health Network

From left to right are Michael Re (FranklinCovey); Al Douglass (Merrill Lynch); Kenn, Michelle and Skyler Miller; Pat Gubich (SLUHN); and Kelly Chando (SLUHN).

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while health care heroes were hard at work caring for patients, a 10-year old boy in Bethlehem was also hard at work thinking of ways in which he could help their efforts. Skyler Miller finally came up with a plan to sell his toys to help raise funds to donate to the hospital. Skyler didnt put a price on any of his toys, simply listing them as free with a request for a donation in the amount of the recipients choice. After only two months, he raised a total of $500, and when asked where hed like the funds to be used, St. Lukes University Hospital-Bethlehem was his immediate choice. The generosity of community members allowed him to raise more than he could ever have imagined he would.

A decade after Skyler was born at St. Lukes University Hospital-Bethlehem, he has finished his final year at Asa Packer Elementary, a school known for employing the Leader in MeProgram in their curriculum.Leader in Me is an evidence-based school-improvement model that empowers students with leadership and life skills they need to thrive. Its evident Skyler portrays the principles of Leader in Methrough his kindness and generosity at such a young age, and during an increasingly challenging environment as a result of COVID-19.

Leader in Me was first introduced at Lincoln and Governor Wolf Elementary schools in the Bethlehem Area School District in 2011. Under the leadership of Al Douglass, Glen Bressner and Bob Gadomski, the program grew to reach 38 schools throughout five districts.

There is an enhanced sense of civic engagement when you empower students to be leaders in their life. This is why Jill and I and others felt compelled to bring Leader in Me to the Lehigh Valley, said Alfred Al E. Douglass III, Senior Consultant, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. This program has developed and prepared thousands of citizens for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

In 2018, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley entered an agreement with FranklinCovey Education, a division of Franklin Covey Co., to become the formal sponsor ofLeader in Mein schools serving Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties. When Douglass heard about Skylers incredible act of kindness, he knew he and United Way had to support his efforts. Al and Jill Douglass have ensured Skylers initial $500 will be matched to provide $1,000 to the hospital.

We are so proud to invest in the next generation of leaders through Leader in Me, said Paul Hurd, Chief Development Officer, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. We applaud Skylers generosity and are inspired by the ways he brings Leader in Me to life. We are especially grateful to the leaders such as Al, who partner with United Way to bringLeader in Me to students across the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Just prior to COVID-19, St. Lukes University Hospital-Bethlehem unveiled their new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Equipped with the latest technologies and staffed with pediatric critical care intensivists 24/7, the eight-bed unit allows local children to receive advanced, personalized care close to home. Funds from Skylers efforts will directly support St. Lukes PICU patients, making their stay more comfortable.

Its so nice to see the work that Skyler has done benefitting children in the community, said Jessika Haynos, Service Line Administrator, Pediatric Services, St. Lukes University Health Network. Over the past few months our network has been focused on getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. As life returns to a more normal state, its important not to forget that kids will continue to get sick from other illnesses. Our PICU is here for them and their families during this difficult time. As our pediatric services continue to expand we are grateful to individuals like Skyler, his family and community partners who recognize their importance and contribute to our growth.

By working together, organizations like St. Lukes University Health Network, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, FranklinCovey Education and Merrill Lynch are helping to foster the next generation of leaders and service to the community.

For more information onLeader in Me, visit LeaderInMe.org.

To help support the new PICU at St. Lukes University Health Network, visit SLUHN.org.

Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Lukes University Health Network.

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10-Year-Old Sells His Toys to Support Local Health Care Heroes - Saucon Source

Amazon Makes Health Care Access Even Easier for Employees with Launch of New Third-Party Health Centers – Business Wire

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a health care pilot with Crossover Health, an expert in comprehensive primary care services, to establish local, convenient health centers near Amazon fulfillment centers and operations facilities across the country. The first Neighborhood Health Center location will be available for Amazon employees and their families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Across the U.S., an increasing number of patients do not have easy access to a primary care physician and instead utilize emergency or urgent care options, which is not only more expensive for patients, but also overlooks important preventative care opportunities, said Darcie Henry, Amazons Vice President of Human Resources. We want to solve that for our employees, and the launch of these new Neighborhood Health Centers will provide a range of quality primary care services for employees across the country further strengthening Amazons industry-leading benefits program, which provides comprehensive healthcare for employees starting on day one of employment.

Crossover Health is a national medical group that works with self-insured employers to connect every employeein headquarters or in dispersed locationsto an integrated care team that delivers comprehensive primary care to the whole family. The first Neighborhood Health Center for Amazon will be located in Las Colinas, Texas, with extended hours to accommodate various employee work schedules. The Neighborhood Health Center will be available exclusively to all local Amazon employees and their families. Crossover Health will fully operate and staff the Neighborhood Health Centers, which will provide full-spectrum acute, chronic, and preventive primary care, prescription medications, vaccinations, behavioral health services, physical therapy, chiropractic care, health coaching, and care navigation to specialty referral services. To support families, same-day pediatric services will also be available. Crossover Healths proprietary technology platform allows patients to start nearly all of their care online and then transition to in-person care as needed.

Prevention and early detection is essential to remaining healthy, and the importance of primary care cannot be understated. I appreciate seeing the collaboration between Amazon and Crossover Health to ensure their employees have access to quality and convenient health care services. I am also pleased that this pilot program will run in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The health and wellness opportunities Amazon is providing its employees should spark inspiration for other companies to follow suit in providing similar benefits, said Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.

Through this initial pilot program, Amazon expects to establish 20 health centers in five cities across the U.S., improving access and care for more than 115,000 associates and their families in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Louisville, KY; Detroit, MI; and San Bernardino/Moreno Valley, CA. If the pilot is successful, the company will look to roll out similar facilities in other cities and states.

We are proud to collaborate with Amazon to support the health and wellness of Amazons employees. Crossover Health believes that exceptional primary care is central to continued health and well-being, said Scott Shreeve, MD, CEO and co-founder of Crossover Health. Now its more important than ever to make care available through multiple channels and across the full continuum. Our advanced primary care model will serve as vital infrastructure to deliver expanded access to care in-person and online to meet the needs of Amazons employees and their families.

This new benefit further strengthens Amazons commitment to the health and wellness of its people and providing an industry-leading benefits package for employees, which includes a $15 minimum wage, comprehensive healthcare for full-time employees including full health, dental and vision, from day one, a 401(k) program with 50 percent company match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave, infertility and adoption benefits, and flexible Leave Share and Ramp Back Programs that allow new parents to share their paid leave with their spouse or partner, then return to work at their own pace. The company also offers an innovative Career Choice Program, which pre-pays 95 percent of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. Since the programs launch eight years ago, more than 25,000 employees in 14 countries have pursued degrees in game design, visual communications, nursing, IT programming, and radiology, to name a few.

Amazon also recently announced a new family care benefit through Care.com, which provides each of its 650,000 U.S. employees up to 10 days of subsidized emergency backup child or adult care between now and October 2. Read more about Amazons comprehensive healthcare benefits.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

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Amazon Makes Health Care Access Even Easier for Employees with Launch of New Third-Party Health Centers - Business Wire

Overnight Health Care: White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel | Fauci urges action on masks | Administration document says…

Welcome to Fridays Overnight Health Care. Anthony FauciAnthony FauciYoung people are increasingly driving COVID-19's spread Fauci admonishes those flouting coronavirus guidelines: 'You're part of the problem' Hillicon Valley: Russian hackers return to spotlight with vaccine research attack | Twitter says 130 accounts targeted in this week's cyberattack | Four fired, dozens suspended in CBP probe into racist, sexist Facebook groups MORE urged state and local leaders to take strong action on masks. A private White House document says hard-hit areas should encourage masks while also closing bars and gyms.And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director is being blocked from testifying on school reopenings next week before a House committee.

Lets start there:

White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel on reopening schools

The Trump administration is rebuffing House Democrats' effort to hear testimony from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield on safely reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic.

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby ScottRobert (Bobby) Cortez ScottOvernight Health Care: White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel | Fauci urges action on masks | Administration document says counties in 'red zone' should close bars, gyms White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel on reopening schools Will Congress provide relief to the ailing child care sector? MORE (D-Va.) sent Redfield a letter last week asking him or a CDC designee to testify at a hearing on how K-12 public schools can reopen for in-person classroom instruction this fall. But on Friday, Scott said his panel had been informed that the Trump administration would not allow CDC testimony at the hearing planned for next week.

A senior administration official said that Redfield has already testified before Congress at least four times in the last few months.

The White House has been limiting congressional testimony from top officials leading the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic, maintaining that they should be focused as much as possible on planning and implementing the federal government's actions to contain the virus.

Read more here.

Fauci urges state, local leaders to 'be as forceful as possible' on masks

I would urge the leaders the local political and other leaders in states and cities and towns to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said in a live-streamed event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Practically, when you're living your life and trying to open up a country, you are going to come into contact with people, and for that reason we know that masks are really important and we should be using them, everyone, added Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force.

Context: About half of all states now require masks in public spaces when social distancing isnt possible following numerous studies that show face coverings can slow the spread of COVID-19. But there are still some holdouts, including in Georgia, where Gov. Brain Kemp (R) has both refused to issue a mask mandate and is suing to block a local ordinance in Atlanta.

Read more more here.

Speaking of masks.

Private White House document says counties in 'red zone' should close bars, gyms

A document prepared for the White House coronavirus task force and obtained by the Center for Public Integrity says 18 states are in the red zone for new cases and suggests hard-hit areas should take steps to roll back reopenings.

The document lays out specific recommendations for each state in more detail than Trump administration officials have given publicly. Among the notable recommendations are for counties in the red zone to close bars and gyms and to limit gatherings to 10 people or fewer.

What it says: 18states are in the red zone for new cases, meaning they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people confirmed in the past week: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

In addition, 11 states are listed as in the red zone for test positivity, meaning more than 10 percent of their tests came back positive. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

The document says that counties that are in the red zone on both metrics should take a range of steps, including close bars and gyms, limit social gatherings to 10 people or fewer, andoffer public messaging that states wear a mask at all times outside the home and maintain physical distance.

Read more here.

US confirms more than 75,600 new coronavirus cases, breaking single-day record

The U.S. reported more than 75,600 COVID-19 cases on Thursday alone, marking a new daily record as cases continue to surge across the country.

The grim milestone marks the 11th time in the last month that the U.S. has broken this single-day record, according to The New York Times.The prior record for daily recorded cases was set last Friday at 68,241.

Fatalities amid the coronavirus pandemic also reached new highs this week.

Florida reported 156deaths on Thursday, its highest record since the pandemic began in March. The new deaths bring the states total to at least 4,677 related to COVID-19.

Florida was one of 10 states to set a single-day record for deaths this week,alongside Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, according to the Times.

Readmore here.

In non-COVID news

Washington state sues Trump administration over new LGBT health care rule

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Friday sued the Trump administration for its recent rollback of health protections given to the LGBTQ community under the Affordable Care Act.

ObamaCare prohibits discrimination against a patient because of their sex, race, national origin, age or disability.

However, if Trump's new restrictions are allowed to move forward, gender identity and sex stereotyping are removed from the law's definition of "sex discrimination," effectively allowing health care providers to refuse care to LGBTQ patients if they please.

Additionally, the rule change would allow "religious health care organizations, including religious hospitals and their employees, to discriminate on the basis of sex, the lawsuit argues.

Readmore here.

More from The Hill:

Biden rolls out school reopening plan

California gov says Orange County cant reopen schools days after vote to reopen

Conway says Trump should resume regular coronavirus briefings

The Hill event

Diabetes & The COVID Threat.

The coronavirus pandemic is presenting new challenges for the 34 million Americans living with diabetes. On Thursday, July 23, The Hill Virtually Live hosts "Diabetes and the COVID Threat" to discuss effective diabetes care during the time of COVID-19. Reps. Diana DeGetteDiana Louise DeGetteOvernight Health Care: White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel | Fauci urges action on masks | Administration document says counties in 'red zone' should close bars, gyms The Hill's 12:30 Report Presented by Facebook Public debate on face masks ramps up The Hill's Morning Report Presented by Argentum US mask debate intensifies MORE (D-CO) and Tom ReedThomas (Tom) W. ReedOvernight Health Care: White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel | Fauci urges action on masks | Administration document says counties in 'red zone' should close bars, gyms The Hill's 12:30 Report Presented by Facebook Public debate on face masks ramps up The Hill's Morning Report Presented by Argentum US mask debate intensifies MORE (R-NY), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Diabetes and a panel of health experts join The Hill's Steve Clemons. RSVP Today

What were reading

As pandemic rages, Trump puts public focus elsewhere (ABC News)

Inside Johnson & Johnsons nonstop hunt for a coronavirus vaccine (New York Times)

COVID-19 infections on the rise in kids and teens with school approaching (Bloomberg)

New studies clarify what drugs help, hurt for COVID-19 (NBC News)

State by state

Los Angeles County sees record number of single-day coronavirus cases (CBS News)

Georgia Gov. Kemp urges people to wear masks despite suing Atlanta over mask mandate (CNBC)

A detailed map of who is wearing masks in the U.S. (The New York Times)

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Overnight Health Care: White House blocks CDC director from testifying before House panel | Fauci urges action on masks | Administration document says...

Breastfeeding and coronavirus: What you need to know – Norton Healthcare

There isnt enough experience with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to know whether mothers can transmit it via breast milk, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), available data suggests breastfeeding isnt a likely source of transmission.

What should you do if you are breastfeeding and have COVID-19 symptoms or a confirmed infection?

Breast milk is still the best source of nutrition for babies and can protect against many diseases, said Kristina A. Bryant, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist with Norton Childrens Infectious Diseases, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine.While it appears that transmitting the coronavirus to a baby while feeding with breast milk is unlikely, you should take precautions. One option is for a mother to express breast milk and have a healthy caregiver feed it to her baby until her own infectious period ends.

If you are breastfeeding and suspect you have COVID-19 or have had confirmation through a nasal swab test, your baby should remain in isolation with you for the duration of your isolation period and for 14 days after that, according to the CDC. The same applies to a baby who has had any other ongoing close contact with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient.

It is still important for your newborn to be seen for all recommended medical visits, so inform your doctor that your baby has potential risk for COVID-19 when making the appointment so the office can take appropriate precautions.

Premature babies often are fed pasteurized breast milk from a donor. While there is no information available about what pasteurization does to the coronavirus, similar viruses are inactivated through pasteurization, according to the CDC.

And, remember, do not put a mask on a child under age 2.

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Breastfeeding and coronavirus: What you need to know - Norton Healthcare

Not one of the 3,000 Colorado health care workers at this company have picked up COVID-19 from their infected patients – 9News.com KUSA

An infectious diseases specialist said there isn't a secret to keeping everyone healthy.

COLORADO, USA Although those working on the frontlines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic would seem to be the most at risk for picking up the disease, there is a health care company that says they do not know of a single worker who has picked up the disease from an infected patient.

Kaiser Permanente health care workers in Colorado have seen a lot of patients with COVID-19.

But Dr. Amy Duckro, an infectious diseases specialist with the company, said they don't know of any transmission of infection to their 3,000 frontline health care workers or vice versa.

What employees at Kaiser have been doing is not a secret, according to Duckro: social distancing, wearing masks, washing their hands and not touching their mouths.

She said that while the numbers are remarkable, everyone recognizes the caution they need to continue taking during the pandemic.

"I think the moment we allow ourselves to feel relaxed there is a bit of a risk that we will not take the same level of precautions and allow ourselves to stop this careful approach," Duckro said.

She said there's nothing magical about this virus: it's an infectious disease that spreads from person to person.

If everyone follows the instructions from health officials, Duckro said that we can also help control the spread of the virus.

"I hope this translates to our community in the sense that yes, we can manage it but that we don't become complacent but that we become empowered to manage our own risk," Duckro said.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story did not correctly define Kaiser Permanente and did not clearly explain the COVID-19 rate among staff members.

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Not one of the 3,000 Colorado health care workers at this company have picked up COVID-19 from their infected patients - 9News.com KUSA

Studies Find Approximately Half of Health Care Workers Positive for COVID-19 Are Asymptomatic – Pharmacy Times

Studies Find Approximately Half of Health Care Workers Positive for COVID-19 Are Asymptomatic

The IVY Research Network completed initial studies evaluating the epidemiology of COVID-19 in health care workers and patients. Among the health care workers with positive serology results, 42% reported no symptoms of a respiratory illness in the prior 2 months.

The findings indicate that front-line health care workers are at high risk for COVID-19 and that many health care workers with the virus may not have typical symptoms of a respiratory infection, according to the study authors.

Our results suggest that screening health care workers for COVID-19 even when they dont have any symptoms could be important to prevent the spread of the virus within hospitals, said lead study investigator Wesley Self, MD, associate professor of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in a press release.

In a separate study, the IVY investigators evaluated 350 patients across 11 medical centers in the United States who tested positive for COVID-19. They found 54% of these patients reported no close contact with another person known to have COVID-19 in the 2 weeks before getting sick.

With over half of COVID-19 patients not identifying a clear source of their infection, this study reinforces the need for practical measures to reduce the spread of the virus, such as social distancing and the use of face coverings when out in public, Self said in a press release.

Additionally, 40% of COVID-19 patients in the study remained symptomatic 2 weeks after a positive COVID-19 test, showing that patients with COVID-19 tend to remain ill longer than with other respiratory infections, such as influenza, according to the press release.

REFERENCEAbout half of health care workers positive for COVID-19 by serology have no symptoms. Vanderbilt University. https://news.vumc.org/2020/07/09/about-half-of-health-care-workers-positive-for-covid-19-by-serology-have-no-symptoms/. Published July 9, 2020. Accessed July 15, 2020.

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Studies Find Approximately Half of Health Care Workers Positive for COVID-19 Are Asymptomatic - Pharmacy Times

Princeton Health Care Center resident tests positive for COVID-19 – WVNS-TV

PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) Princeton Health Care Center staff announced that one of their residents has tested positive for COVID-19.

A Facebook post on Friday, July 17, confirmed they were notified that one of their residents has tested positive and are working closely with the local and state health officials while continuing our previous infection control interventions.

Three staff members have tested positive at the center since March. Two have fully recovered, while one continues to isolate and be treated at home.

This is the first positive resident case. Staff said there are three additional individuals that they are closely monitoring due to respiratory related symptoms.

Visitation of residents remains suspended until further notice. Staff continue to encourage window visits, the use of Skype video conferencing, phone calls and written communication to stay in touch with family members.

They will also continue with increased infection control practices which includes, employee screenings, the use of personal protective equipment while in the facility, and increased cleaning procedures.

Residents with identified respiratory symptoms are being isolated. Staff members with identified respiratory symptoms are not permitted to work until they are cleared through testing or through a medical professional. Our team remains committed to increased resident and staff surveillance related to potential symptoms and overall prevention of the virus. All of our residents have been and continue to be monitored frequently for signs/symptoms of Covid-19.

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Princeton Health Care Center resident tests positive for COVID-19 - WVNS-TV

The 1 Number Healthcare Investors Should Consider When a Company Releases Study Results – The Motley Fool

With more than 13 million cases of COVID-19 around the globe and the number continuing to climb, there's plenty of incentive for healthcare companies to try to develop a treatment or a vaccine to stop the spread of the disease. But developing a vaccine takes time, and investors run the risk of getting too excited about studies that are far from conclusive. One way to avoid doing that is by focusing on one key figure in any study results: the number of participants.

When companies develop drugs, they go through four stages of clinical trials. In the first phase, a study may include fewer than 100 people, but if the drug is successful and makes it to phase 4, the number of subjects is likely to reach several thousand.

Image source: Getty Images.

The purpose is to get a diverse group of people using the drug to determine not only how effective it is but also how safe it is. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 70% of drugs survive phase 1, in which there's the fewest number of participants in a study. But as the number of participants increases, the success rate declines. That's because larger studies will include a greater cross-section of the population, and there will be more potential issues that arise than in a small study where the scope is much more limited.

One stock that's been surging this year isModerna(NASDAQ:MRNA). Shares of the biotech company are up more than 300% year to date, and it's been among the top stocks on the markets this year. The S&P 500, meanwhile, is about where it was at the start of the year. Much of Moderna's success can be attributed to its work on a coronavirus vaccine.

On July 14, the company released a preliminary report on a phase 1 study on 45 people. The results were promising, indicating that patients produced neutralizing antibodies that could help them build immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And while the drug didn't cause any serious side effects in patients, more than half of the people who took the drug reported mild or moderate ones. With a larger sample size, there may be more issues that arise.

Nonetheless, investors were focused on the positives, and the stock rose the next day by as much as 17%. Even with Moderna's stock trading at all-time highs and investors now paying around 500 times the revenue that the company's generated just to own a piece of it, there's still plenty of bullishness left.

The big test for Moderna's vaccine is yet to come as the company will be launching a much larger (30,000 participants) phase 3 study on July 27. Those results will be much more important and useful when assessing just how effective the company's vaccine is on a wide scale. A strong showing from that study could send Moderna's stock soaring even higher. However, an underwhelming result could send it crashing down, and therein lies the risk with becoming too bullish too early on small-scale studies: Subsequent studies could negate earlier signs of progress.

Pfizer(NYSE:PFE) also released positive results from a study relating to its potential coronavirus vaccine earlier this month. The drugmaker, which is working with German biotech BioNTech(NASDAQ:BNTX) on the project, released the results of the study on July 1. It involved 45 patients and, as in the Moderna study, it found that the vaccine produced antibodies in patients that could help prevent them from contracting COVID-19. Another similarity was that the study wasn't symptom-free, as more than half of patients reported issues after a second injection, although none of the side effects appeared to be serious.

So far in July, shares of Pfizer are up more than 9%, while the S&P 500 is up 4%. This outperformance is likely thanks to the test results, given that this has been the main development for the company in the past few weeks.

There's plenty of reason to be optimistic if a company's making progress in developing a COVID-19 vaccine -- there's need for it all over the world. Some analysts are estimating that if Moderna's vaccine is successful, it could generate $5 billion in revenue in just a few years. That's not bad for the Massachusetts-based company, which reported just $60 million in revenue in 2019.

But until results on a much wider scale are available, the stock's just too risky an investment right now. Its astronomical price today suggests that investors are expecting the vaccine to be successful. And if it isn't, investors who are holding the stock today could incur significant losses.

A safer option could be investing in an established company like Pfizer that's a decent buy beyond its coronavirus vaccine candidate. Trading at just 4 times sales and 12 times earnings, the New York-based company's a safer bet. A $5 billion bump in sales would to mean a lot more for Moderna than it would for Pfizer, which generated $51.8 billion in revenue last year.

Year to date, shares of Pfizer are down 9%.

It may be less exciting, but investing in healthcare companies with strong businesses in place like Pfizer is a much safer route to take than speculating on a company like Moderna. With the latter, you're essentially betting on the success of its vaccine -- which, at this stage in the process, is still too early to determine.

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The 1 Number Healthcare Investors Should Consider When a Company Releases Study Results - The Motley Fool

Garcetti says L.A. on brink of another stay-at-home order while U.S. breaks COVID-19 record at least 9 times in a month – KTLA Los Angeles

Its been a month of harrowing milestones set across the country, with the US beating its own daily record of total new coronavirus cases at least nine times.

On June 16, with most states deep into their reopening plans,the country reported more than 23,700 cases of the virus. After what some saw as hopeful dips in cases, states across the South and other parts of the country warned ofan increase in young people testing positive. Images emerged of crowded beaches and parties, despite experts cautioning Americans to stay home when possible.

In mid-June, Florida reported nearly 4,000 new cases in a day, a record single-day increase back then. The state has since grown to become the countrys hotspot, reporting more than 10,300 new cases Saturday.

In the past few weeks, hospitals across the country have reached capacity. At least 27 US states have halted or rolled back their reopening plans to slow the spread of the virus. New estimates from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sayat least 40% of people who get the virus could show no symptoms, meaning thousands of Americans could be unknowingly still infecting others.

Now, officials point to gatherings and crowded bars as some of the major drivers of the surge. To prevent further spikes, parts of the country including Arizona, California and Texas have closed bars back down. Local leaders have begun pushing schools to remote instruction in the fall, after outcries from terrified parents and educators. Across the country, more mask requirements are going into effect, despite consistent backlash from some Americans. Face masks, experts have said, are the most powerful weapon against the virus.

With the surge in cases, models are projecting more than 150,000 American deaths will be linked to the virus by August 8, according to an ensemble forecast published by the CDC. The previous forecast published July 9 projected roughly 147,000 deaths by August 1.

At least 140,119 Americans have died of the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have now been more than 3.7 million cases in the country.

Coronavirus: You asked, were answering

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted implementinga statewide mask mandate and said Saturday the state would not be prosecuting people for not wearing masks.

When asked about the possibility of stricter face mask regulations throughout the state, DeSantis said face coverings have been advised since the states first phase of reopening.

In the Miami area, which one expert called the epicenter of the virus last week, Miami-Dade Police will be giving citations for anyone violating the countys mask requirement.

The governors remarks come a day after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, urged governors and mayors to be as forceful as possible to get Americans to wear face coverings.

When youre living your life and trying to open up the country, you are going to come into contact with people, and for that reason, we know that masks are really important, and we should be using them everywhere, he said.

Experts say Floridas numbers are trending in an alarming direction. In Miami-Dade County, intensive care units are at about 122% capacity, according to county data. In the past two weeks, the county has seen a 40% increase in the number of coronavirus patients being hospitalized and about a 64% increase in the use of ventilators, according to the data.

Its really a crisis moment at (Miamis Jackson Memorial Hospital), Martha Baker, the president of a union representing health care professionals, told CNN affiliate WFOR. Were just, I say dancing on the head of a pin, hoping we can keep dancing.

Fifteen nurses in the ICUs alone called in sick today, just at Jackson Main, she told the affiliate. Theyre exhausted. Theyve been doing this since March.

Track the virus

In Texas, similar calls for help camefrom healthcare professionals as cases continue to climb across the state.

At any given time if 1.5% of the population had Covid disease, that would fill every single adult hospital bed in the city, leaving no room for heart attacks and strokes and pregnant women who are having their babies and car accidents and everything else that continues to go on, said Dr. David Persse, with the Houston Health Department, according to CNN affiliate KPRC.

Harris County, where Houston is located, has reported more than 54,800 cases of the virus.

For the fifth day in a row, Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases in a day, according to state data. The 10,158 new cases reported Saturday bring the states case tally to at least 317,730.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who once pushed for one of the most aggressive reopenings, has in recent weeks advocated for the use of face masks to help businesses stay open.

Earlier this month, he issued an executive order requiring residents in counties with 20 or more active cases to wear face coverings in public. That order took effect July 3.

In Los Angeles, which saw record single-day new cases and hospitalizations last week, Mayor Eric Garcetti is on the brink of issuing another stay-at-home order, he said. He defended his leadership during the crisis, pointing to the citys testing initiatives and mask mandate, but said many factors were beyond his control and took aim at the White House, citing the lack of national leadership.

I think that there are people who are just as exhausted. They were sold a bill of goods. They said this was under control. They said this would be over soon, and I think when leaders say that, people react and they do the wrong things. They stop distancing themselves. They stop washing their hands. They stop wearing masks, Garcetti said.

These are the states requiring face masks

Meanwhile, the CDC updated its guidance for people who are isolating at home to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.

Someone who has tested positive for the virus and has symptoms may discontinue isolation 10 days after the symptoms first appeared as long as 24 hours have passed since the last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and if symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath have improved.

People with coronavirus symptoms isolating at home and with access to tests can leave isolation if a fever has passed without the use of medication, if there is an improvement in symptoms, and if tests taken more than 24 hours apart come back negative, according to the guidelines.

For those who have tested positive but have no symptoms, the CDC had two options: a time-based strategy and a test-based strategy.

A person without symptoms can discontinue isolation 10 days after the first positive test and if they have not subsequently developed symptoms. If a person develops symptoms, then the symptom-based or test-based strategy should be used, according to the guidelines.

People who have tested positive for the virus and are asymptomatic can also discontinue isolation if the results of two tests taken more than 24 hours apart come back negative.

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Garcetti says L.A. on brink of another stay-at-home order while U.S. breaks COVID-19 record at least 9 times in a month - KTLA Los Angeles

Essentia Health receives Health Care Hero Award | Health – Aitkin Independent Age

Essentia Health has received the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MinnesotaTrailblazer Award for its nation-leading efforts to improve access to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis encouraged Essentia Health teams to provide an opportunity for patients to receive care from their health care provider virtually using a phone, tablet, laptop or personal computer, and to do so from the comfort of their home. Prompted by a need to keep patients and staff safe from the virus, virtual visits were unveiled March 18 a full month ahead of a planned launch.

We literally went from zero to about 3,000 virtual visits per day in less than three weeks and we ramped up more quickly and have done more volume than just about anyone in the country, says Essentia CEO David Herman, MD.

The new approach to care was welcomed among more than 1,200 primary care providers, as well as physicians and advanced care providers within as many as 60 specialties. Patients also responded positively. Analytics indicate as many as 69% of total Essentia Health visits were conducted using virtual visits, E-Visits and video visits between facilities. An early May survey of 1,500 patients found more than 90% said they received the care they needed and would consider virtual visits in the future. Nearly 100% of patients said they had a great experience seeing their provider virtually.

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Essentia Health receives Health Care Hero Award | Health - Aitkin Independent Age

SCAN CEO Sachin Jain: Health Care on the Cusp of a Revolution – Hospice News

Sachin Jain, M.D., on July 1 took the helm of SCAN Health Plan, a nonprofit Medicare Advantage plan, as the companys president and CEO. Jain in April stepped down as CEO of Aspire Health and CareMore Health, both subsidiaries of Anthem (NYSE: ANTM).

At SCAN, Jain leads a $2.4 billion organization that covers more than 215,000 members. The company is a part of the SCAN Group, a nonprofit dedicated to helping senior citizens stay healthy and independent.

Jain spoke with Hospice News on his priorities for SCANs future, the involvement of hospice in Medicare Advantage, and the importance of social justice in health care.

As you come into this new role at SCAN, what do you see as your top priorities?

SCAN was founded in 1977 by a group of 12 seniors who believe in social justice and believe that society can and should do more, to keep seniors aging healthily as well as aging in place. I think our objective is timeless in that regard, because were always going to have a need for innovation in the space of serving and supporting seniors.

SCAN has an extraordinary history of actually accomplishing that mission. We were originally what was called a social HMO, and it subsequently evolved into a Medicare Advantage plan thats really differentiated in the marketplace by its focus on the social determinants of health. We also have whats called our Independence at Home program, which is a set of programs that help to ensure that seniors are aging safely at home. Were actually meeting a lot of unmet needs in the community.

Were on the cusp of a revolution where I think seniors expectations are changing. Their digital savviness is changing. More and more people are accepting of care being delivered in the home, which I think gives us an extra pair of eyes and ears in terms of what patients have as unmet needs. I think that theres opportunities for us to leverage technology to engage with patients, both in scheduled interactions, but as well as asynchronously through things like remote patient monitoring. SCAN has an incredible opportunity to continue its leadership in the industry around helping seniors live independently.

What attracted you to this endeavor at SCAN? What made you say This is the organization that I want to lead?

We need more health care with heart in the United States. I think over the last several decades weve seen a corporatization of American health care. Ive known SCAN for several years now, and this is an organization thats truly heart-first, and you cant have enough of that. Its the durability of the mission, the passion of the associates, and then frankly, the ambition of the board and the people of SCAN to really make a difference, and extend what we consider our special sauce to new geographies and to new service models. This is not an organization that wants to stand still. Its always been a leader, and I think theres an opportunity to really kind of grow the organization as well as expand and extend the ways in which it reaches people who need services.

What did you learn during your tenure at Aspire and CareMore that will most significantly impact your approach to leadership at SCAN?

I was really fortunate to spend my first year at CareMore working under the tutelage of Leeba Lessin, who had been the president of CareMore for over 10 years, as well as Dr. Sheldon Zinberg, the founder of CareMore. From them, I learned important lessons about how to fundamentally redesign health care delivery.

I think Leeba was a master at putting ourselves in the shoes of the patient and designing around the patient. Then Dr. Zinberg created this incredible culture of challenging the status quo. Those are important lessons Im going to carry with me throughout my career. Theyre very different from a lot of people who say that they do those things. There was an authenticity in the culture that changed me and made me a better leader. Im excited to bring to SCAN a lot of what I learned from them and the incredible colleagues that I had the privilege of working with.

During your career you have overseen some tremendous growth at the companies you have led. Can you speak to some of the strategies you might employ to promote growth at SCAN?

Some of what were going to do at SCAN is expand to new geographies, but I think theres also opportunities for us to enter into new areas of work. SCAN has a long history of partnering with provider groups, across the areas where it works. I think theres opportunities for SCAN to build some of its own provider capabilities in geographies where seniors dont have access to great health care.

I think we have opportunities to build senior-focused digital solutions and technologies.A lot of what comes out of Silicon Valley is not made for aging seniors. We have opportunities to partner with technology companies, as well as to build our own kind of native capabilities in this space.

We have a number of programs that I think have the potential to serve, you know, people who are not just SCAN members.

This is an organization with almost unlimited potential and a history of doing amazing work on behalf of people who need it. Now the opportunity is to do more on behalf of an even greater population.

What do you think needs to change in the larger health care system to better support seniors aging in place?

We need to stop thinking about people as consumers. I think it leads us down a particular path, which is we turn them into shoppers in health care instead of serving them as patients. We have to change our mindset in terms of how we think about what health care means in the lives of the people that we serve.

I think as a society we have to better embrace the fact that not everyone lives forever and that we have opportunities to help people live the last third of their lives gracefully and healthily. We sometimes build systems and clinical programs and clinical protocols with a view to keeping people alive for an unrealistic notion. I think we have an obligation to help people live the last years of their lives gracefully.

During your career, youve had a significant impact on palliative care in the United States. Can you say a little bit about where palliative care fits in at SCAN?

We have a partnership with a home-based palliative care company, and ultimately we believe very strongly in the power of palliative care to improve the quality of life and patient outcomes. I think this is something were going to continue to take a hard look at in terms of opportunities for us to broaden the reach of palliative care, as well as improve the quality of services delivered. I think we have incredible opportunities as a nation to improve symptom management for patients who need it, and this will definitely be an area that we look at closely at SCAN.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in 2021 will begin a test of hospice coverage through Medicare Advantage. What impact do you think the demonstration project will have on the hospice and palliative care communities?

One of the experiences of seniors who transitioned from traditional Medicare to hospice is that they experienced a significant disjointedness in their care. Were hoping to see through this new demonstration project at CMMI greater seamlessness in the transition of service and a better experience for patients and family members. I think its going to be up to the hospice and palliative care community to execute on this in partnership with traditional providers. I think thats the opportunity of going forward.

Value-based payment models are designed to reduce costs, improve quality and care coordination. Do you think that payment models are the solution we need to achieve those goals?

I think payment models are a definite solution, because they create the foundation for how we deliver organized care. That said, I think theres been inadequate focus on the human element of care delivery and ensuring that we have a health care workforce thats passionate, committed, and concerned about delivering great care to people who need it.

One of the things thats happened during the last 20 years that we often lament is that weve industrialized and corporatized health care to the point where many organizations are more focused on the profit motive than they are the caring motive. I think we have an opportunity over the next several decades to recenter around the caring motive.

We treat the two, sometimes, like theyre in opposition, or as though one motive is kind of superior to the other, with the profit motive oftentimes coming out ahead of the caring motive. We have to kind of redefine the rules for companies who are operating this in this space. We have to ensure that everyone whos delivering patient care is motivated equally by doing right financially and also doing right by patients. I think thats a place where weve kind of gotten a little bit lost.

You mentioned you would like to speak about social justice in health care. What message do you have for your colleagues in the health care space?

I think health care organizations have a special obligation, given their role in society, to promote social justice and racial equity and equality. We all have to take a hard look at ourselves and evaluate how were doing, whether or not disparities exist, both in terms of the quality of the outcomes but also in terms of our reach of service.

We have to look at whether we truly are fulfilling our mission to serve the communities in which we work. I think theres another layer of it, which is ensuring that were creating a socially just and equitable workplace. These are huge priorities for me for SCAN at this moment in time when we do have a renewed dialogue around social justice and racial equality in this country, Its really important for anyone whos in a position of leadership in health care to take that on as an important mandate. Its ensuring that we are treating people equally and that we are giving everyone an opportunity to live their very best lives.

Dr. Jain will be participating in a Fireside Chat at Hospice News upcoming Virtual Summit on Value-Based Care.

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SCAN CEO Sachin Jain: Health Care on the Cusp of a Revolution - Hospice News

As COVID-19 resurges in Ohio, will Akron-area health care providers have the PPE they need? – Akron Beacon Journal

When the pandemic began to unfold in Ohio and around the globe earlier this year, there was widespread concern about acquiring enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent health care workers and others from becoming infected with COVID-19 and to stop them from passing it on.

Those worries seemed to ease here after Ohioans stayed at home for much of the spring, flattening the pandemic curve.

But now that cases are on the rise again Summit County remains at state Level 3 (red), with very high exposure and spread are area hospitals, health care systems and others still able to buy the N95 masks, gowns and other PPE they need?

The Akron Beacon Journal last week reached out to three local health care systems and Summit County public health officials for an update, asking each the same nine questions about PPE supplies, cost and reuse.

The answers below come from:

Lisa Aurilio, chief operating officer, Akron Childrens Hospital

Steve Abdenour, chief operating officer, Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Dr. Donald Dumford, medical director for infection prevention, Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Chris A. Barker, Summit County Public Healths emergency preparedness/compliance supervisor who also coordinates preparedness for the Northeast Central Ohio Regional Healthcare Coalition (NECO), a collaboration among hospitals and health care systems and their partners in Summit and 13 surrounding counties.

Summa Health did not respond to individual questions, but did provide a general statement about PPE, which follows the questions and answers below.

Q: As COVID-19 cases are again on the rise, how is the supply of PPE in your health system and/or public arena (nursing homes, day care centers, etc.)?

Aurilio: We continue to work on our supply chain and developing a secure, reliable supply chain for our hospital. We are increasing our supply in expectation of surge needs that are typical for the pediatric population in the fall.

Abdenour: At this time, we have sufficient PPE to meet the needs of our caregivers and patients.

Barker: In general, the availability of PPE has improved since the onset of the pandemic, but many private distributors are still providing material based on priority allocations (allocating to critical infrastructure/health care organizations). Requests are either partially filled or fulfilled in full based on the original request. It depends on the product request.

Q: How many weeks of supplies do you have, and are you confident that the supply chain can provide every item you need to maintain adequate supplies of all items at all times?

Aurilio: We have four or more weeks worth. We partnered with several vendors that have shown a reliable source to meet our needs.

Abdenour: We are confident in our supply chain. We dont have a time frame to provide inventory.

Dumford: As a provider who spends about 85 to 90% of [his] time seeing patients in the hospital, I've felt very comfortable in the hospital and confident in how our supply chain is handling the pandemic.

Barker: The volume of resource requests have dropped since the onset of the [pandemic]. This is a positive indicator overall as organizations are procuring PPE through various means. This picture could change, however, based on national and international factors.

Q: Are there any particular items, like N95 masks, in short supply?

Aurilio: We have continued to acquire the PPE needed to safely protect our patients, families, and staff. None of the PPE are in an endless supply, but we review our current and projected use daily/weekly to ensure that our patient/family/staff needs are met.

Abdenour: N95 supplies are sufficient.

Barker: Shortages for specific types of PPE have ebbed and flowed since the onset of the pandemic. Face shields, surgical masks and isolation gowns were some notable products that had been challenging to procure, but coordination with the state and private resource providers has helped address these product gaps. At present, N95s continue to be a challenge when seeking specific makes/models of respirators. Emergency-use respirators are available, but many agencies are seeking specific makes and models of respirators as their staff are "fit tested" on these products. (A "fit test" fits the seal between a respirator face piece and someones face, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)

Q: Has the cost of PPE risen? If so, could you give some examples?

Aurilio: Prices have both decreased and increased depending on the item. For example, early in the pandemic, the cost of N95 was above $5 each. This has come down closer to 90 cents each. However some items, like gowns, have actually gone up from 43 cents to over $2 each.

Abdenour: We are part of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise that handles the sourcing and price negotiations of all products we use, including PPE.

Barker: (Deferred to the hospital officials because they have more experience with direct procurement and purchasing.)

Q: Are any PPE items now or soon to be rationed or limited? Some hospitals, for instance, allow health care workers only one N95 mask per shift. Also, if there are limits, is that entirely due to supply, or is cost a factor, too?

Aurilio: We have continued to use appropriate PPE based on screening questions, clinical symptoms and types of procedures. Currently, no rationing of PPE. Im not sure that I consider one N95 per shift "rationing" per se.

Abdenour: We have put practices in place to help us control the proper use of PPE per CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines in order to be responsible in our consumption.

Dumford: We have strategies to be good stewards of our supplies. This isn't because we're concerned about our supply right now, but because we want to make sure we have supplies three, four or five months from now. This situation is going to go on for a long time and hospitalized COVID-19 patients require a lot of resources, so health care providers everywhere have to do their best to conserve what we have.

Barker: Rationing of PPE is still a factor. Rationing ebbs and flows based on specific products being requested from distributors/vendors. PPE reuse is still in place for certain products [like N95 masks] and follows CDC guidance.

Q: Have you changed suppliers or otherwise changed how you stock/supply PPE since the pandemic began? Has it proved successful?

Aurilio: We have used multiple suppliers, both US and international but we have used only those N95 clinically that meet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards. Changing suppliers has required us to revisit and update fit testing with the new N95s specifically this has proven to be quite time and labor intensive, but again a process that had to be undertaken due to variability in supply of certain mask types/manufacturers.

Abdenour: We are part of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise that handles the sourcing and distribution of PPE supplies. The system of ordering and allocation has proved successful.

Q: Are you getting any supplies from Ohio and/or U.S. manufacturers who began making PPE only after the pandemic began?

Aurilio: The supply from the Ohio stockpile continues to be limited but we do on occasion get a distribution. Distribution is based on numbers of COVID patients treated. As we have had few pediatric patients admitted to the hospital, we get lower amounts of supplies from the stockpile than other hospitals that have treated more patients. We are now getting our supply of N95s out of Texas, where we previously received these from Asia.

Abdenour: We are working with several Ohio companies that retooled to supply products including gowns, face shields and cloth masks.

Barker: Yes, the state is providing material through the Ohio Department of Health. I cant speak as to how the material is procured at the state or federal level, but the products are provided through various manufacturers, including organizations which transitioned into PPE production.

Q: Early on in the pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine praised Battelle machines that sterilize N95 masks for reuse. Has your hospital/health system used this (or similar) technology to reuse any of its PPE? And are you confident this technology and/or system (labeling masks, etc.) works?

Aurilio: We have resterilized through Battelle but have set those aside and have not reused. We would use if we have no other choice.

Abdenour: Cleveland Clinic created its own vapor phase hydrogen peroxide system (which would be similar to the Battelle device) to sterilize appropriate PPE. Used products are collected weekly for this purpose.

Barker: Summit County Public Health provided organizations with information regarding Battelle. We use them internally for N95 [mask] cleaning.

Q: What does the public need to know about PPE at this stage of the pandemic crisis?

Aurilio: COVID-19 has continued to be a disease that predominantly affects adults so the frequency of COVID in our patients continues to be quite low, with even fewer that require hospitalization. That said, we have continued to acquire the PPE needed to safely protect our patients, families, and staff in case parents/family members/caregivers are symptomatic and to protect against asymptomatic COVID infections in our patients or family. None of the PPE are in an endless supply, but we review our current and projected use daily/weekly to ensure that our patient/family/staff needs are met.

Dumford: They should know that were feeling safe in the hospital. PPE is there to protect health care workers from getting infected and subsequently to protect our patients, colleagues, friends and family from getting exposed to us. As someone who spends nearly all his time seeing patients in the hospital, I have felt very safe. The public should remember, too, that PPE should be for reserved for front-line health care workers. I encourage you all to save N95s and surgical masks for the nurses, nurses assistants and doctors who are working with COVID-19 patients. For the general public, the most important preventive measures are social distancing, masking in public places and good hand hygiene.

Barker: PPE is still a concern and organizations should be closely monitoring PPE needs and resources as this crisis has not ended.

Summa Healths response to questions: Summa Health has and will continue to provide PPE for employees. Depending on the level of patient interaction, this may include cloth masks, N95 masks, goggles, shields and gowns. We monitor our supplies daily and should PPE supplies become limited, we will work with our county and state health care partners and continue following CDC guidelines to keep our employees, patients and visitors safe. Throughout the pandemic, Summa Health has received generous PPE donations from local businesses and community members and we are thankful for their support.

Reporter Amanda Garrett can be reached at agarrett@thebeaconjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @agarrettABJ.

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As COVID-19 resurges in Ohio, will Akron-area health care providers have the PPE they need? - Akron Beacon Journal

We need action on health care | News, Sports, Jobs – Lock Haven Express

On June 26, the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Ripping away the ACAs coverage and consumer protections without a replacement plan is irresponsible.

Overturning the ACA would eliminate health insurance for more than 20 million Americans, including more than 46,000 Pennsylvanians in the 12th District. In addition to lost coverage, all Americans would lose specific protections provided by the ACA.

These lost protections include coverage for preexisting conditions, a ban on lifetime limits on coverage, free preventative healthcare and inclusion of mental health coverage in insurance plans.

Overturning the ACA would also exacerbate social inequities by giving large tax cuts to very rich, predominantly white, households ($198,000 a year for those with incomes over $3 million a year and $42,000 a year for those with incomes over $1 million a year) while lower income communities and communities of color would disproportionately lose health coverage.

Congress needs to act to protect the American people. Instead of dividing Americans into two camps Defend the ACA vs Eliminate the ACA our leaders should be taking significant action.

The consumer protections in the ACA should be proposed as single issue bills. Legislators should vote yes or no on things like protecting those with preexisting medical conditions.

Ways to address inequities in healthcare access and pricing should be discussed. Action needs to be taken. The recent court decision requiring price disclosure by hospitals and insurance companies is a step toward reigning in cost, but much more needs to be done.

Making healthcare accessible to millions of Americans who cant afford it in the absence of the ACA should be a priority. Regardless of the courts potential ruling, we need action. We need change.

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We need action on health care | News, Sports, Jobs - Lock Haven Express

Nikki McGruder named MU Health Care director of diversity and inclusion – Columbia Missourian

Nikki McGruder, director of the Inclusive Impact Institute, will become the director of diversity and inclusion for MU Health Care on Aug 10.

MU Health Care added this new position recently, according to a press release from MU Health Care.

McGruder is expected to move forward MU Health Cares efforts on diversity, which is considered an integral aspect of the health systems culture, according to the release.

MU Health Care is committed to developing a culture of inclusion, and some progress has been made in the past two years, said Jonathan Curtright, chief executive officer of MU Health Care.

"Nikki will help us further our goal of creating a workforce where each person feels welcomed, respected, included, valued and with opportunities to be successful," Curtright said.

McGruder has been devoted to making the Columbia community more diverse and inclusive for years.

McGruder worked for the Columbia branch of the Diversity Awareness Partnership as the regional manager for more than three years. In 2018, she started her career as the director of the Inclusive Impact Institute, which aims to create "diverse and inclusive communities through collaboration, education and engagement," according to the release.

"Its clear to me that MU Health Care is passionate about having a diverse and welcoming environment for patients and employees alike," McGruder said. "I am excited to continue my efforts to bring inclusivity to our community as a member of MU Health Care."

"I am excited to lead these efforts for a world-class health system while working alongside like-minded colleagues at MU Health Care and the MU School of Medicine," she said.

McGruder studied at Webster University in St. Louis with a masters degree in human resources development and received a bachelors degree in business from Columbia College.

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Nikki McGruder named MU Health Care director of diversity and inclusion - Columbia Missourian

Meet Thryve: The Future Of Personalized Beauty, Healthcare And Body Awareness – Forbes

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 07: A model, beauty detail, walks the runway during the Chanel show as part ... [+] of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 on March 7, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Peter White/Getty Images)

I believe wholeheartedly that now matter how successful you are, borders on how well you live your life. These days, and for good reason, the fashion world has a strong focus on beauty, healthy and wellness. If applied in a balanced format, all three will live in harmony.

Lets face it, living well makes you feel stronger and more confident. When you feel confident, you have more stamina at work. People are attracted to beauty, health and positive people. Revlon understands that natural looking make-up looks radiant on healthy skin and healthy skin comes from within.

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Actress Jennifer Hudson arrives at Revlon's Annual Philanthropic ... [+] Luncheon at Chateau Marmont on September 27, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

In early 2020, mankind awakened to the sounding bell of a global pandemic Since then, beauty, health and body awareness has come to the forefront of consumer awareness. Now, more than ever, consumers are focused on looking healthy, well-dressed and displaying a strong positive attitude. Moreover, during these trying times, beauty and health allow people the ability to face the world and tackle daily problems.By choosing a healthy lifestyle, vitality, vibrancy, and vigor soon unfold and come into play to help you reach the greatest potential. This is the look of the season. Fashion, beauty and overall well-being is the new key to dressing for corporate ascension.

As I started to conduct this feature, I stumbled upon endless brands to research. Chanel, Revlon and Lancme are just a few global beauty and health brands that have been conducting in-depth research into this well-being sector of the celebrity and fashion industry.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 06: Gigi Gorgeous attends Vanity Fair and Lancme Toast Women in ... [+] Hollywood on February 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)

Despite the enormous amount of attention and dedication to the subject, mankind still has a lot to learn. Just this week, I watched the Netflix show titled Down-To -Earth featuring celebrity host Zac Efron. Upon watching the documentary, it clearly demonstrates with laser focus the importance of food, water and energy to sustain the planet. As I watched the show, I became absorbed in learning how good living is imperative in looking good and feeling productive.

Change is from the inside and maybe at this point in time, we all have to change. Tracking down Richard Lin, the co-founder and CEO of Thryve was not an easy task but it was most certainly worth the effort. My session with him was quite revealing. He believes through his beauty, health and well-being analysis that he can ensure a better path to life and a positive way to look good and feel greatespecially with respect to corporate ascension.

Launched in 2016, Thryve is focused on ensuring the availability of subscription-based customized testing of the microbiome with a personalized probiotic that any individual can use to have actionable insight into their health status and the prevention of chronic diseases. What is Thryve all about? Who is Richard Lin?

During COVID-19, I couldnt have wished for a more opportune time than this to discuss beauty and health with him. A time the world is engulfed in the distress of COVID-19 and people have faced one form of a lockdown or the other. People still want to look and feel good. Moisturizers, face-creams, vitamins are all part of a healthy regime. I cannot bypass the opportunity of bringing the good news of how your gut can be involved in creating a better version and a more successful you to your way at this time you may be embroiled with the ugly situation COVID-19 has brought on us.

The brand has it as a mission to empower you to take charge of your Health so you can feel your greatest. With a quality resource team, Thryve has been able to utilize artificial intelligence (natural language processing and machine learning) in order to summarize 50,000+ research articles on the microbiome to make the science accessible and easy-to-understand.

Richard Lin

JD: Who are you and what inspired you to start Thryve?

Richard Lin: About 4 years ago, I took antibiotics and came down with a nasty superbug called Clostridium Difficile. I had gone to multiple different doctors only to have my symptoms dismissed because I was too young and healthy looking to be sick. Through this process, I started reading scientific literature and engaging with other folks with chronic disease in Facebook Groups and Online Forums. Through my research, I asked my fourth doctor to get a DNA test to check for overgrowth of Clostridium Difficile which came back positive. I had that treated through more antibiotics and eventually a fecal transplant which resolved my symptoms.

In going through this journey, I realized that most consumers did not have a good idea what a microbiome is, why their microbiome matters, and ultimately what they can do to change it to improve their health. Thats why I started Thryve. The microbiome are the trillions of bacteria, yeast, and viruses that reside in our gut, skin, mouth, and more that science has shown to be correlated to many of the chronic and modern diseases we see in the west.

My background was in software and data science at large fortune 500 companies like SAP and startups like Deliv (acquired by Target), so I utilized these skills to bring together a scientific team that could get a product to market that was affordable and accessible for everyday consumers.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 07: Actress Halle Berry attends the 18th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women ... [+] on May 7, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

JD: Beauty enthusiasts would like to know if probiotics are any good for them, what are the skincare benefits of using probiotics?

Kimberly Griffith MS Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine and Thryves Clinical Researcher Partner: The concept of beauty from within is highly supported by the gut-skin axis. Probiotics encourage a healthy and balanced gut microflora that directly impacts skin health by reducing inflammation, preventing pathogenic growth, and increasing skin hydration and strength. Specifically, clinical evidence presents the positive role that probiotics provide in preventing and managing chronic skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, wound healing, and dandruff. However, the positive effects of probiotics are not limited to chronic skin conditions, probiotics have shown to combat accelerated skin aging and assist in the prevention of premature aging. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology confirmed the anti-aging benefits exerted by probiotics which resulted in improved skin elasticity, decreased wrinkle depth, skin gloss, and increased skin hydration. The growing body of clinical evidence continues to support the beneficial role probiotics play in managing and maintaining overall skin health.

Specialized Probiotics for beauty and health

JD: Talk to Forbes about your companys History, Development, and Projection.

Richard Lin: Thryves origin story is like any tech darling. We started out in the kitchen and slowly expanded to our own facilities over the course of 3 years. Weve raised from venture-capitalist and strategic venture arms such as Unilever Ventures, PivotNorth Capital, TrailMix Ventures, Darling Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, Unpopular Ventures, Joyance Partners, Social Starts, Shanda Group, Pharmapacks, and Bioverge

Our product which includes a microbiome DNA test, digital app (health report, customized food plan), and personalized probiotics is the worlds first customized solution to target gut health. Weve utilized artificial intelligence (natural language processing and machine learning) in order to summarize 50,000+ research articles on the microbiome to make the science accessible and easy-to-understand. Weve done this with the help of our scientific advisor board from the likes of MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Purdue, and UC Davis.

The future of healthcare which I like to call going from health 1.0 (reactive) to health 2.0 (predictive, personalized, and preventative) will be realized by using omics / DNA in order to prevent chronic disease from happening in the future.

Our goal going into 2021 and 2022 is to offer multiple site-wide microbiome testing (vaginal, infant/child, skin, oral) and build the omics platform as a service with genomics (human DNA) and exposomics (environmental toxins).

Pic Thryve COURTESY OF Thryve

JD: Why do you think people should consider using probiotics?

Richard Lin: Science has shown that probiotics when taken in adequate amounts can have far reaching health benefits such as positively affecting gut related infections and diseases, food and environmental allergies and intolerances, immune support, intestinal barrier strength, microbial imbalances, skin related issues, hypercholesterolemia, anxiety and depression, and weight management.

A recent article reviewing probiotics in treatment and disease prevention in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, stated Few treatments for human diseases have received as much investigation in the past 20 years as probiotics. Additionally, they concluded when given in adequate quantities for sufficient periods of time, are beneficial in many human disease conditions and safer than most pharmaceuticals. (Liu, et al., 2018)

As stated by Sarah Daniels Ph.D., Lead Research Scientist at Thryve: A clinical review published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, confirmed the efficacy and beneficial effects of Saccharomyces boulardii as a probiotic for the therapy and prevention of disorders within the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus CL 1285, L. casei Lbc80r, L. rhamnosus CLR2 alongside Saccharomyces boulardii I-745 and L. casei DN114001 have shown effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. (Sniffen, et al., 2018). Probiotic efficacy is not limited to the gut. A recent study published within Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, presented evidence suggesting the therapeutic role of a probiotic such as Lactobacillus casei 01 positively affecting weight management and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Khalili, et al., 2019)

That said, probiotics would be a shot in the dark if purchasing from your local grocery store. A couple of items to consider

1) what strains are in the probiotics, this will determine the actual health benefits

2) total amount of CFUs (Colony Forming Units), which determines the potency

3) prebiotic additives, which are indigestible fibers or sugars that feed probiotics to help them proliferate and growth for added benefits

4) source of ingredients, most probiotics need to be refrigerated or they expire. Although your store bought variety may be in the refrigerated aisle, it may been delivered in a high temperature storage facility like a truck or warehouse

Beauty starts with good skin

JD: What differentiates Thryve from every other probiotic company out there?

Richard Lin: 3 things:

Natural/Beauty Skin: Model With Probiotic

JD: What are some changes your company is making and how are you happy about those changes?

Richard Lin: The first 2 years in Thryve, I had never truly focused on culture. More specifically, what are the values of our business and who do we want to hire that upholds these same values. When I first started the company, I hired folks who looked great on paper, but just weren't a good fit with the culture I had internally thought about, but never externally expressed in voice or writing.

Over the course of 2020, Ive been highly vocal on our company values (growth mindset, clear accountability, customer obsession, and speed as a habit) and put into the process to continue to remind our team why we do what we do. I believe this is such an important change in any company, since companies are made up of people and the goal is to have everyone rowing in the same direction (mission).

More specifically, we enacted these changes from the start of the hiring process. When we interview candidates for new positions we hone in on our core values to ensure everyone we bring on is a good fit for our culture. Post-hiring, we set up bi-monthly performance reviews with quantitative and qualitative bi-directional (managers to employees and vice versa) feedback around these values to review where weve done well and where we need to improve. This has built a great feedback loop and positive camaraderie between the team.

JD: Do you think probiotics are any good for weight loss or weight gain?

Sarah Daniels Ph.D. and Thryves Lead Research Scientist:

Recently, the relationship between probiotics and weight change has been of great interest. Seminal work in this field has demonstrated that obese and non-obese gut microbiome profiles differ in both animal models and in humans. Given the current obesity epidemic, many studies have focused on the effects of probiotics on weight loss. However, a probiotic supplement alone may not confer full reversal of obesity. Previous research examining the direct effects of probiotics on weight loss has shown mixed results. These studies cannot always be compared side-by-side as participant demographics (e.g., age, baseline weight) and the probiotics tested vary from study to study. Overall, this field is in its infancy stages. More human studies using large sample sizes, rigorous randomized control trials, and multi-pronged approaches (i.e., incorporating diet, probiotics, and lifestyle changes) will help determine whether probiotics play a role in weight change.

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Meet Thryve: The Future Of Personalized Beauty, Healthcare And Body Awareness - Forbes

Molina Healthcare to buy Passport Health Plan, saving jobs and hope for west Louisville headquarters – HealthLeaders Media

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Molina Healthcare to buy Passport Health Plan, saving jobs and hope for west Louisville headquarters - HealthLeaders Media

Addressing racism in healthcare requires accepting responsibility – ModernHealthcare.com

We are all feeling many strong emotions in response to the recent death of George Floyd, the civil unrest, and the long-standing institutional racism and injustices in health, education, housing and wealth that are more exposed than ever.

As an expert in improving patient safety and health system performance, I believe the way we respond to harmful medical errors can offer insights into how we can make progress with racism. When clinicians harm a patient, the response can be shame, guilt or love. With shame, we feel, I am a bad person. Shame makes us small and stalls progress in preventing harm in the future. With guilt, we feel, I did a bad thing. Guilt turns us inward, narrowing the focus of potential solutions. Love allows the person to both be accountable and to work with others to reduce the risk that the event happens again.

A love response requires three things: An apology and acceptance of responsibility; a transparent disclosure of what happened; and a commitment to make amends and work with others to ensure the mistake does not happen again. Conversations about race might be more productive if approached the same three ways.

Furthermore, there are two types of apologies a clinician can make after harming a patient: an apology of acknowledgment and an apology of responsibility. An apology of acknowledgment states, I am sorry you were harmed. An apology of responsibility states, I am sorry that I harmed you.

Apologies of acknowledgment do little to heal or build trust. Apologies of responsibility are a potent pill that helps heal and builds trust.

Many are asking what will work in addressing institutional racism and systemic inequities in power, health, wealth and education. In my opinion, we need to build trust, which can start with whites publicly apologizing for their contributions to racismwhether intentional or not.

Most of the public discourse has been apologies of acknowledgment that infer, I am sorry you suffer from racism. Few individuals have made apologies of responsibility. As a white man of privilege, I would like to start the process by apologizing for contributing to racism and the inequities and injustices that result. As a society, we need to begin with an apology of responsibility followed by a transparent accounting of our history of racism and a commitment to work together for change.

I call these conversations of love, because love empowers apologies of responsibility. Love can provide empathy for all, recognizing that the vast majority of people are loving and all of us want to be loved. Love can house the strong feelings that will emerge, so we can really hear and seek to understand each other.

These conversations can take place in communities where we work, worship, live, learn, congregate and collaborate. They can be jointly hosted by persons of color and a white person. To work, they need to occur with the uplifting and connecting energy of love. While they are not easy conversations to have, they will begin the healing process and will continue to grow in number. Along the way, we learn what works to make things substantively better, and we do what works.

Change progresses at the speed of trust. Trust between communities of color and white people is terribly broken. But it can be mended. Our country and our communities are ready for change. An Aspen Ideas report on education reform concluded that in any collective human endeavor there comes a moment; a moment when we know so much more about what to do; a moment when collective voices align around a common purpose; a moment when we can make the possible real. For ending racism in America, that moment is now. Words are not enough; they do not substitute for action. We need action.

So let us start conversations of love. Let us create safe spaces for all and make an apology of responsibility. Let us acknowledge and mourn our history of racism, let us draw hope from the strengths in our communities, and walk together toward a better tomorrow.

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Addressing racism in healthcare requires accepting responsibility - ModernHealthcare.com

Healthcare workers among the many who are writing up a will because of the pandemic – KSN-TV

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)-Attornies are seeing a rise in the number of people drafting up wills, many being frontline workers.

It made it really clear that this could happen to any of us, said Post Rock Family Medicine Physician Dr. Beth Oller.

With four young kids and a two-physician household, Doctor Beth Oller said writing up a will was something she needed to do.

Coronavirus really brought it into perspective of how important it was to do this sooner rather than later, said Oller.

Oller said she and her husband wanted to have a plan for their kids in case they were to get the virus working on the frontline.

She isnt the only one that has this on her mind, Attorneys who focus on estate planning said theyre seeing a surge in inquiries.

A lot of healthcare workers calling obviously being on the frontlines have an even increased concern of the virus and wanting to make sure that things are set, said Morris and Laing Law Partner and Attorney Shannon Braun.

Braun has worked with many healthcare workers and she said even her longtime clients are finalizing their wills.

It makes us think about planning for those things that a lot of times we dont want to think about or we do put off, said Braun.

Oller said while its the worst case scenario, ensuring her family is taken care of is her priority.

Its not always a comfortable conversation to have, however, this is a really perfect time as it brings these concerns and realities of life to the forefront, said Oller.

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Healthcare workers among the many who are writing up a will because of the pandemic - KSN-TV

More people may turn to the Affordable Care Act for health insurance as economic downturn lingers – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison Richardswas one of more than 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers worldwide evacuated in March when the potential scale of the coronavirus pandemic became clear.

The decision brought Richards, who was serving in Peru, home to Racine. It also left her without a job and without health insurance.

But Richards who has a gastrointestinal condition, a common health hazard when working in a developing country was eligible for subsidized health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

If I did not have this plan, she said, I would not be getting treatment, to put it simply.

This is the first economic downturn in which people who have lost their jobs can receive federal subsidies to help offset the cost of health insurance.

More than half of the U.S. population gets health insurance through an employer. And millions of people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic also have lost their health insurance.

Yet insurance brokers in the Milwaukee area generally have not seen a large increase in people buying health plans through the Affordable Care Act.

There hasnt been a big surge as I expected at least yet, said Todd Catlin of TransitionsHealth Benefits in Brookfield.

That, though, is expected to change.

Many employers have continued to provide health insurance for their furloughed workers. But the Paycheck Protection Program, which gave employers forgivable loans if they keep people on payrolls, is coming to an end.

The recent surge in infections has increased the chances of a deeper and longer recession than initially projected. And an unknown number of businesses are unlikely to survive a prolonged downturn.

People who workin low-wage jobs that don't provide health benefits have made up a large share of those now unemployed because of the pandemic.But people who have had coverageare eligible for subsidized health plans through the Affordable Care Act under what is known as a special enrollment period.

This allows people provided they previously were insuredto get coverage after the annual open-enrollment period for certain life events, such as getting married, moving or losing a job. They have 60 days to sign up.

The cutoff for the subsidies, which are pegged to annual income, is $51,040 for one person.

Most people who are unemployedwould be eligible for subsidies. In all likelihood, they also would qualify for additional subsidies available to people with low incomes to help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Richards is paying about $23 a month, for example, for a health plan with an out-of-pocket maximum of $1,500.

Nationally, about 154,000 more people through May had enrolled in health plans because they lost their jobs than in the same period last year, according to the federal government. It works out to a 46% increase.

(At the end of the open-enrollment period in December, about11.4 million people, including 195,498 people in Wisconsin, had coverage through health plans sold on the marketplaces set up under the Affordable Care Act.)

The increase in enrollment at least through May is relatively small.

Security Health Plan, a subsidy of Marshfield Clinic Health System, and Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative have yet to see a significant increase in people who have gotten coverage through the Affordable Care Act because they lost their jobs.

ButMarty Anderson, chief growth officer for Security Health, said he expects an August cliff when furloughs become layoffs.

Cathy Mahaffey, CEO of Common Ground Healthcare, also expects to see more who lost their jobs to get coverage in the next few months.

I believe its coming, she said, but certainly it hasnt happened yet.

Some signs already are appearing.

The number of people who bought health plans sold by Childrens Community Health Plan from February through June has more than doubled compared with last year, Mark Rakowski, chief operating officer, said in an email. The trend was even stronger in May and June.

Julie Kautzer, who lives Manitowoc, lost her job in mid-June when Holy Family College closed.She immediately signed up for coverage.

I knew I needed to have something, she said.

Kautzer is paying $58 a month for a health plan with an $8,000 deductible. She is healthy and that was enough coverage to give her peace of mind.

If something awful does happen, she said, it is going to cost a lot more than $8,000.

Kautzer who has since contacted several former co-workers to encourage them to get health insurance is grateful for the Affordable Care Act.

The law, though, remains controversial.

In late June, the Trump administration filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the entire law must be declared invalid because of a change made by Congress in 2017.

The administration supports a lawsuit filed by Republican-controlled states challenging the law. (Under former Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin initially was among the states but has since withdrawn from the lawsuit.) The law is being defended by 20 states and the District of Columbia.

The Supreme Court isnt expected to issue a decision until late this year.

Kautzer is among those who opposethe Trump administrations push to end the law.

This is the worsttime to do that, she said. There are so many people who need it.

Yet even supporters acknowledge the law is flawed, in part because the subsidies are too small given the high cost of health care.And public support for the law remains split.

The Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 50% of those surveyed in April support the law though support for specific provisions, such as coverage for preexisting health conditions, is strong.

Richards medical condition, for instance, would not have been covered before the Affordable Care Act.

I need this, she said. And there are people who need it way more than me.

Many people who have gotten health insurance through an employer, however,may not realize that getting coverage through the Affordable Care Act is an option.

My sense is that for people who have been on employer-sponsored plans, it just doesnt register, said Chris McArdle of MKE Benefits. Its just not on their radar.

Yet someone who was 45 years old and who lost a job at the end of June that pays $45,000 a year would be eligible for a health plan that costs $63 a month, with a $500 deductible and an out-of-pocket maximum of $2,700.

Sometimes they are astounded by how affordable the marketplace can be, McArdle said.

Insurers have been flexible in allowing employers to keep furloughed employers on their health plans,said McArdle, who also sells insurance to small employers. And employers, by and large, have done that.

The question is how long some can continue to do that.

Employers are going to be faced with some tough calls, hesaid.

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More people may turn to the Affordable Care Act for health insurance as economic downturn lingers - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel