On the Radar – Health care and medical-related news you need to know about.

Our September 2019 cover story “Song of the Open Road” highlighted the travels of Neenah’s Tim and Ann Moe. They’ve been around the world (several times) and have hiked and biked in areas many of us will know only through the National Geographic Chan­nel. Last year, the Moes planned a fundraiser in 2020 for dear friends stricken with the degen­erative diseases ALS and PSP. In classic Moe style, they will walk and bike 800 miles across the country, 80 miles in ten states. Why 80 miles in each? Tim turns 80 this year. Their journey begins April 26 in Wisconsin on the Elroy-Spar­ta Trail and ends in San Fran­cisco on Sept. 9. To learn more about their fundraising efforts or to donate, please visit timannmoe.com. All donations go directly to re­searching cures for ALS and PSP.  

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION 

According to an analysis of 170 U.S. cities published on Feb. 10 by WalletHub, the healthiest city in the country to live in is San Francisco. 

The comparison of the nation’s 150 most populated cites, plus at least two of the largest cities from each state, was based on 43 indicators of good health from four key areas: health care, food, fitness and green space. Notable rankings from our region include: 

  • Chicago: #10 
  • Minneapolis: #15 
  • Madison: #30 
  • Milwaukee: #102 
  • Detroit: #165 

One additional item of note: Milwaukee had the highest cost per medical visit in the findings. 

KEEPING ATHLETES AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME 

In a profile from last year that coincided with the Milwaukee Brewers chase for the wild card, we highlighted the work of Dr. Etienne Mejia in his role as medical director for the Brewers in the Dominican Republic. As the 2020 MLB season draws near, the Appleton, WI-based orthopedic surgeon has already completed his first trip to the Brewer Academy in the Dominican Republic to determine the health status of players; he will return in April to coordinate care (physicals, x-rays, MRI, injury management) for 100+ Brewer prospects from all over Latin America. Mejia reports the Brewers have broken ground for their new Academy in the capital of Santo Domingo, slated for completion in 2021. The facility, he says, will be a multi-faceted complex rivaling many spring training facilities in the US. Mejia recently earned a 20-year service award from the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. His practice, Sports Medicine Center, is a NOVO Health Center of Excellence. 

NOVO HEALTH PT PARTNER AT ELITE SPORTS VENUE 

Advanced Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine (APTSM) will soon open a clinic inside the Fox Valley’s newest sports complex, Community First Champion Center in Grand Chute. The full-service physical therapy clinic, APTSM’s 22nd, will focus on the active orthopedic patient. APTSM physical therapist Katey Miller is coordinating the development of specific programs and classes for injury prevention and rehabilitation, as well as screenings that help identify strength and flexibility deficits that can be improved through personal and small class training. “We will focus on measurable programs to return injured athletes quickly and safely to their sport with the goal that whatever deficits they had prior to their injury and possibly led to the injury will be eliminated,” Miller said. Billed as a “sports tourism facility,” Champion Center features a field house with four basketball courts or eight volleyball courts, a 1,000-seat ice arena, and a 300-seat ice arena that can be converted to additional basketball and volleyball courts. 

NEW BILLS ON SURPRISE BILLS 

New surprise billing legislation has been approved by two House Committees. According to an article in The Commonwealth Fund, two proposals establish protections to ensure that consumers don’t face surprise bills over and above what they’d pay in cost-sharing for in-network providers. The bills, from the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, differ in how they would set the amount insurers must pay for out-of-network providers. The former creates a payment standard with a backup independent dispute process resolution to bridge the provider-insurer gap, while the latter relies on voluntary negotiation with a similar dispute resolution process backup, an approach favored by physician groups and hospitals. While committee action is indicative of progress, proposal differences need to be ironed out before any law to reduce consumer financial risk can be enacted. 

INFECTION PREVENTION WEAKNESSES ONAVIRUS 

According to a March article in Modern Healthcare, health care experts state the COVID-19 pandemic is laying bare the industry’s in- ability to control infections and protect employees.  

Numbers from a recent survey of nurses belonging to the union National Nurses United would seem to bolster that assertion: 

  • 19% of nurses (of 6,500 in 48 states) knew if their employer had policies to address worker exposure to the virus. 
  • 63% reported having access to CDC recommended respirator masks for protection against infection. 
  • 30% of nurses surveyed stated their employer had sufficient personal protective gear in case of a sudden spike in COVID-19 patients. 
  • 29% reported their employer had a plan in place to isolate suspected coronavirus patients. 

Preparation for a major coronavirus outbreak is a priority at many hospitals. According to the CDC, more than 1.6 million patients acquire an infection in health care settings each year that result in nearly 98,000 fatalities. 

MICHIGAN INSURER HAS BRANDED STOREFRONT ON AMAZON  

Michigan-based insurer Priority Health announced its collaboration with Amazon allow­ing commercial group or individual health plan members to use their accounts to order and pay for eligible health care items. Members can use health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA) for a wide range of products, reports Distilnfo.com. “The biggest benefit overall is just having the storefront that’s conveniently available for you to shop at home,” said Carrie Kincaid, vice president of individual markets at Priority Health. An internal survey revealed more than 80% of the insurer’s membership preferred online shopping with home delivery. Members can add savings plan debit cards to their Amazon payment list or save receipts and get reimbursed. Serving more than a million members per year, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in the state and includes employer groups as well as Medicare and Medicaid plans. Kincaid said this is the first partnership of its kind in Michigan. Michigan-based insurer Priority Health announced their collaboration with Amazon that allows commercial group or individual health plan members to use their accounts to order and pay for eligible health care items. Members can use health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA) for a wide range of products, reports Distilnfo.com. “The biggest benefit overall is just having the storefront that’s conveniently available for you to shop at home,” said Carrie Kincaid, vice president of individual markets at Priority Health. An internal survey revealed more than 80% of the insurer’s membership preferred online shopping with home delivery. Members can add savings plan debit cards to their Amazon payment list or save receipts and get reimbursed. Serving more than a million members per year, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in the state and in­cludes employer groups as well as Medicare and Medicaid plans. Kincaid said this is the first partnership of its kind in Michigan.

Sean Johnson

Sean Johnson

Editor/Publisher NOVO Live, Public Relations Manager, NOVO Health, (920) 851-1170, sean.johnson@novohealth.com

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