Health System Toll: Midwest Mayo Has More Than 900 Infected Workers
"There are three things you need to take care of any patient," Dr. Amy Williams, the executive dean of the Mayo Clinic practice said. "Space, supplies and staff. And what we are most worried about is staff." Other health industry is on signing up the uninsured, a new care center in North Dakota and more.
CNN:
More Than 900 Mayo Clinic Staff Members Diagnosed With Covid-19 In Midwest Over Two Weeks
More than 900 staff members across the Midwest Mayo Clinic system have been diagnosed with Covid-19 over the last 14 days, a spokesperson told CNN. That's about 30% of the total number who have tested positive since March. "Our staff are being infected mostly due to community spread (93% of staff infections), and this impacts our ability to care for patients," Kelley Luckstein wrote to CNN in a Wednesday email. (Lemos and Maxouris, 11/19)
In other COVID-related developments in the health industry —
AP:
Coalition Seizes On Pandemic To Boost 'Obamacare' Sign-Ups
As COVID-19 spreads uncontrolled in many places, a coalition of states, health care groups and activists is striving to drum up “Obamacare” sign-ups among a growing number of Americans uninsured in perilous times. The campaign kicking off Thursday is called Get Covered 2021 and contrasts with a lack of outreach to the uninsured by the Trump administration, which is still trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act, even in the coronavirus pandemic. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/9)
AP:
Sanford Health To Open New COVID-19 Unit In Bismarck
Sanford Health is opening a new COVID-19 unit in Bismarck, a move the hospital’s president called a “wake-up call” as beds become increasingly scarce because of the explosion of coronavirus cases in the state. The 20-bed unit at the former Bismarck Surgical Associates building is expected to open next week, according to the health care system. (11/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Small Doc Groups Struggle With Telehealth, State Panel Finds
Many Massachusetts physician groups are struggling to leverage telehealth as they continue to deal with lagging patient volumes, according to new data. Small physician groups across the country had not seen volumes return to pre-pandemic levels as of early October, in part because they have not been able to incorporate telehealth into their practice, which was mirrored in Massachusetts. (Kacik, 11/18)
Houston Chronicle:
Health Experts Call For A Texas Reserve Force To Battle The Next Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is far from over, but a group of Texas health experts is already looking forward, recommending that the state prepare for future health crises by improving data collection, expanding access to health care and building a reserve force of Texans who can help with surge efforts including testing, contact tracing and logistical support. In a report released Wednesday, the group, which includes doctors, academics and health care executives, also said federal and state lawmakers should increase funding for public health and develop incentives for more students to enter the field, including more degree programs at public universities and government-sponsored internships. (Blackman, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare:
4 Policy Priorities For The American Medical Association
The American Medical Association's House of Delegates passed several resolutions during their meeting this week. Most of the measures focused on addressing the two most notable public health concerns of 2020 — combating racial discrimination and addressing COVID-19's on the country's clinical workforce. But other proposals passed during the meeting offer into the key lobbying priorities of the nation's largest physicians' organization. Here are four new AMA policies adopted this week that could affect healthcare policy over the next year. (Ross Johnson and Cohrs, 11/18)
Also —
Modern Healthcare:
Federal Judge Strikes Down Anti-Union Payment Rule For Home Health Workers
A federal judge in California on Tuesday overturned a federal rule that prohibited home health workers from using Medicaid payments to pay for their union dues. The final HHS rule has been in effect since 2019 and overturned a 2014 rule specifically allowing Medicaid payments to be diverted from providers to third parties for expenses like union dues. (Christ, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Baylor Scott & White To Create Med School Campus With Baylor College Of Medicine
Baylor Scott & White Health announced this week it's financing the formation of a new medical school campus in Temple, Texas, through a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine. The new campus, which is slated to open in fall 2023 to its first class of students, is part of an effort by Baylor Scott & White to expand the physician workforce in Texas and build a pipeline of physicians practicing at its system. Texas had a shortage of 2,002 primary care physicians in 2017 and that shortage is expected to increase by 67% in 2030, according to a 2018 report by the state's department of health services. (Castellucci, 11/18)
