Digital Tech

How COVID-19 Has Accelerated Digital Transformation in Healthcare

/in /by

At the beginning of 2020, digital strategy initiatives around telehealth, data analytics and digital engagement were well underway for many healthcare organizations — albeit as a “nice to have” addition in some cases.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of these efforts industrywide, making them absolutely essential for healthcare organizations.

Hospitals and health systems in hard-hit areas were overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, putting substantial constraints on space, supplies and staff.

Soon after, providers and payers faced a spike in call center traffic, while their websites were overwhelmed with individuals seeking information on changes to services, resources on testing, health plan coverage and locating in-network providers for care.

Read more…

Football on Field

Camping World Stadium Crews Focused on Health, Safety Through Massive Cleaning Effort

/in /by

ORLANDO, Fla. — Camping World Stadium is the only venue in North America that pulls off three bowl games each year, and doing it during a pandemic is a feat in itself.

With one down and two to go, Channel 9 got a look at the work involved in getting to this point and the greater message the city wants to send.

Nonstop disinfecting of the locker rooms of Camping World Stadium was just the start of the challenge of getting the venue ready for its trio of college football bowl games.

Read more…
Doctor with vaccine

Vaccines Boost Big Pharma’s Image, But Won’t Change Its Ways

/in /by

The development of Covid-19 vaccines in record time will not be enough to fix big pharma’s tarnished image.

In 1955, Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine, was asked a question about who owned the patent to the drug. “Well, the people I would say,” he told a journalist. “There is no patent. Could you patent the Sun?”

The widespread availability of an affordable polio vaccine in subsequent years has almost eliminated the disease from the world, saving millions of children from paralysis and death.

A few months back, large American and European pharmaceutical companies in the race to make Covid-19 vaccines were being pushed to follow Salk’s path and keep their research in the public domain.

Read more…

Video Chat with Doctor

Addressing Social Isolation; Telehealth’s Impact on Patient Care

/in /by

Welcome to this week’s edition of Healthcare Career Insights. This weekly roundup highlights healthcare career-related articles culled from across the Web to help you learn what’s next.

Read more…

Medical Syringe & Vaccine

Vaccinations Have Begun At The Nursing Home Hit By The First U.S. Virus Cluster

/in /by

A nurse at the suburban Seattle nursing home that was ravaged by the first U.S. cluster of coronavirus cases sat down beside a visiting pharmacist on Monday, pulled up her blue shirtsleeve and received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine administered at the facility.

It was the beginning of what residents, families and employees hope will be a turning point in a pandemic that has killed tens of thousands of people in long-term care facilities. Vaccination teams from Walgreens and CVS were fanning out to facilities across the country on Monday, the start of a long, difficult campaign to vaccinate some of the country’s most vulnerable people.

At the facility near Seattle, the Life Care Center of Kirkland, which is connected with 46 coronavirus deaths, relatives of residents got a text message on Monday morning alerting them that vaccinations were beginning.

Read more…

Stressed at Work

Holidays A Good Time To Make Mental Health A Priority

/in /by

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio — It’s a very stressful time of a very stressful year, and that can take a toll on your mental health.

The holidays and the time after can be very difficult, and this year, especially, depression and anxiety can really set in.

NEWS9 spoke with two professionals about taking care of yourself and knowing when to ask for help.

As we look forward to a new year – and perhaps make a resolution or two – it’s important to make healthy habits and mental health a priority.

Read more…

Hand Sanitizer

Good Bacteria That Help Fight Illnesses

/in /by

Most people relate bacteria to diseases and presume that bacteria are bad for our health. Plus, there are various household cleaning products that claim to be anti-bacterial.

However, did you know that for some bacteria, the opposite is true? These good bacteria, particularly those residing in the gastrointestinal tract, actually help our body to fight against illnesses.

Our gastrointestinal tract, also called the gut, contains trillions of microorganism. This community of microorganism include both good and bad bacteria, and collectively they are known as the gut microbiota.

It comprises about 1,000 different species of bacteria, with the potential to stimulate the maturation of the immune system and protect the body against pathogenic microbes.

Read more…

Health Insurance Form

NEW LAW WILL AFFECT HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

/in /by

(KNSI) – A new law going into effect on January 1st will affect how health insurance pays for certain items.

The way it stands now, if you switch your health insurance plan in between when you are approved for planned surgery and when the surgery takes place, your new insurance company doesn’t have to honor that pre-authorization.

Under the new law, the new provider “will be required to comply with previous prior authorizations for health care services for the first 60 days after enrollment while a new utilization review is conducted. The enrollee, or a medical professional acting on their behalf, will be required to submit documentation to access this.”

Read more…

Hospital

US Hospitals Facing Worrisome Shortage of Nurses, Doctors

/in /by

SAN FRANCISCO — With so many states seeing a flood of coronavirus patients, U.S. hospitals are again worried about finding enough medical workers to meet demand just as infections from the holiday season threaten to add to the burden on American health care.

California, which is enduring by far its worst spike in cases and hospitalizations, is reaching out to places like Australia and Taiwan to fill the need for 3,000 temporary medical workers, particularly nurses trained in critical care.

“We’re now in a situation where we have surges all across the country, so nobody has many nurses to spare,” said Dr. Janet Coffman, a professor of public policy at the University of California in San Francisco.

Hospitals in some states have enlisted retired nurses and students. In Alabama, more than 120 students and faculty members from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s nursing school began helping with care last week at UAB Hospital.

Read more…

Nurse with gear stressed out

More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year — And the Government Barely Kept Track

/in /by

More than 2,900 U.S. health care workers have died in the COVID-19 pandemic since March, a far higher number than that reported by the government, according to a new analysis by KHN and The Guardian.

Fatalities from the coronavirus have skewed young, with the majority of victims under age 60 in the cases for which there is age data. People of color have been disproportionately affected, accounting for about 65% of deaths in cases in which there is race and ethnicity data. After conducting interviews with relatives and friends of around 300 victims, KHN and The Guardian learned that one-third of the fatalities involved concerns over inadequate personal protective equipment.

Many of the deaths — about 680 — occurred in New York and New Jersey, which were hit hard early in the pandemic. Significant numbers also died in Southern and Western states in the ensuing months.

Read more…