Amazon Care Clinics Coming To 20 More US Cities In 2022
Brick-and-mortar facilities will open in New York and 19 other cities, as the shopping giant expands its push into health care after first launching services for its employees. Structural racism in health care, problems in Alaska's state psychiatric institute, and more are also in the news.
Stat:
Amazon Care Announces Nationwide Expansion Of Health Clinics
Amazon said Tuesday it will open brick-and-mortar health clinics in 20 U.S. cities this year, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami. The new clinics will be part of the expansion of Amazon Care, the tech giant’s effort to deliver more timely and effective medical care by combining virtual and in-person care options. The company announced plans last year for a nationwide expansion of its virtual offerings. The new clinics will add to its in-person care options currently available in eight other cities from Boston to Dallas. In a press release announcing its plans, Amazon said the Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the need for more flexible approaches to delivering medical services when and where patients need them. (Ross, 2/8)
Bloomberg:
Amazon To Bring Medical Services To 20 More U.S. Cities This Year
Amazon.com Inc. says its medical consultation service is expanding around the U.S., underscoring the company’s determination to become a major player in the health care industry. Amazon Care offers virtual health services nationwide and this year will expand in-person care to 20 more cities, including New York, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago, Amazon said Tuesday in a statement. (2/8)
On race and health care —
Axios:
Black Women Face Structural Racism In Health Care Jobs
Black women are more widely represented in health care than any other demographic group, yet they're concentrated in its lowest-wage and most hazardous jobs, according to a study published yesterday in Health Affairs. The study was among several examining racism and health in Health Affairs released Monday in the medical journal's first issue devoted entirely to the topic. The study, led by the University of Minnesota, used data from the American Community Survey and found that while Black women make up about 7% of the U.S. labor force, they make up nearly 14% of the health care workforce. (Reed, 2/8)
Modern Healthcare:
Women Of Color Make Up Growing Share Of Direct Care Workforce
In 10 years, women of color went from representing 45% of the direct care workforce to 53%, according to new data from consulting firm PHI. The sector added 1 million women of color to the payroll from 2009 to 2019, the data show. Overall, 87% of direct care employees are women and 61% are people of color, PHI said. Direct care jobs—positions like personal care aides, home health aides and nursing assistants—are often hard to fill because they are low-wage jobs with little room for career advancement, PHI analysts said. PHI's research estimates that long-term care employers will have a need for 7.4 million workers from 2019 to 2029, including 1.3 million new jobs. (Christ, 2/8)
In other health care industry developments —
Anchorage Daily News:
Report: Problems Continue To Plague Alaska Psychiatric Institute
Alaska’s only state-run psychiatric institute has failed to meet federal regulations by inconsistently creating and updating treatment plans and not providing active treatment for some patients, the state ombudsman found in a report released Tuesday. The report found that some of the problems that have plagued the Alaska Psychiatric Institute for years – including treatment options that do not meet federal standards and an unsafe working environment – were not resolved as of last year, despite previous promises by the Anchorage facility to improve conditions. (Samuels, 2/8)
Modern Healthcare:
Anthem Expands Digital Health Partnerships
Anthem expanded its virtual primary care services to 11 new states on Tuesday, cementing its strategy of using tech to empower independent practitioners, rather than acquiring physician practices downright. In the coming months, the insurer aims to expand its digital health services–which offer more than 2 million commercially insured members virtual primary care–across its entire geographic footprint. Anthem, which manages Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states, embeds these digital services into its existing insurance products for fully insured and self-insured members. The company aims to cover 10 million self-insured lives through its digital primary care services by the end of the year. (Tepper, 2/8)
Houston Chronicle:
Houston's Dr. Peter Hotez Honored By American Medical Association For COVID Work
Dr. Peter Hotez has been awarded the American Medical Association's 2022 Scientific Achievement Award. Hotez — dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital — has worked for years in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development. His work has pushed him to international renown for his commentary on COVID-19 over the past two years. (Dansby, 2/8)
KHN:
The Doctor Will See You Now — In The Hallway
Nurse Heather Gatchet’s shift in the emergency department at Salem Health’s Salem Hospital in Oregon typically starts at 6 a.m. Before that, she packs her daughter’s lunch, drinks tea, and — to stave off her panic — calls her mom on the way to work. “My mom’s like my cup of coffee,” Gatchet said, her voice breaking, “to mentally psych myself up for what I’m walking into.” Gatchet’s mother reminds her she is good at what she does and she’s loved. After she walks in and sees her colleagues in the break room, Gatchet said, her panic lifts: “This is my team, and it feels safe again.” (Templeton, 2/9)
