Access to health care is the top issue facing Hawaii Island, assessment finds

Limited access to health care is the top issue facing Hawaii Island, particularly West Hawaii, a recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment found.

On the neighbor islands, especially for the Big Island and West Hawaii, the No. 1 issue is access to health care, said George Greene, president and chief executive officer of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, which collaborated with the Healthy Communities Institute to conduct the statewide study on Hawaiis health-care needs.

Because many health services are based on Oahu, Hawaii County suffers from limited access to various types of care, including primary, mental and specialized care, the State of Hawaii Community Health Needs Assessment reads. The assessment, released Wednesday, was compiled by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the Healthy Communities Institute.

The islands geography exacerbates the issue by making transportation and the availability of care sometimes difficult to provide.

While data shows there is a lack of both primary care and specialty care available on the island; the shortage is especially severe in Puna, Kau and Waikoloa, according to the report. In the realm of mental health care, the island is facing a shortage in providers as well as a lack of substance abuse and mental health treatment options.

Access to health care is not about having an insurance card and the availability of clinics, said Greene. Its more than that. Its looking at transportation and how we get people to community services, language issues and cultures. Those barriers to health.

The report also pointed out several themes developed from the study of data: All groups experience adverse health outcomes due to chronic illness and health risk behaviors; greater socio-economic need and health impacts are found among certain groups and places in Hawaii; cultural and language barriers inhibit effective intervention for the most affected populations; and community health centers and schools are key community assets for effective interventions.

Individuals from all geographies, race, gender, and age groups experience poor health outcomes, according to the report.

High rates of chronic disease patterns, hospitalizations due to preventable causes and patterns of unhealthy behaviors are evidence.

In Hawaii County, many residents are affected by heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and asthma, according to the report.

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Access to health care is the top issue facing Hawaii Island, assessment finds

Health care enters new era with accountable care organizations

ROCKFORD A shift is coming in the way hospitals and medical providers care for their patients.

Health systems are forming new partnerships with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers called accountable care organizations that aim to better coordinate care for patients particularly those with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. The goal is to keep people healthy and, in the process, reduce health care costs.

ACOs are game-changers, reworking the way providers are reimbursed for services they deliver, tying payments to better outcomes rather paying providers per test or per procedure they order for patients, in hopes of avoiding duplication of services and preventing medical errors.

Were at the point now that health care has become unaffordable to businesses and companies, government, wealthy people, the middle class and the working poor, said Gary Kaatz, president and CEO of Rockford Health System.

Its unaffordable to everybody, so now we get permission to really knock the doors down and develop stuff that hasnt happened in decades.

If they work, ACOs allow providers and insurers to share in the savings of delivering more efficient care, and patients benefit from better care. Theres a bigger focus on patient education as part of these ACOs, and patients can expect more direct contact with providers, even for needs outside of the hospital walls.

Pilot program Rockfords OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center is the furthest along in the ACO process. Its parent company, Peoria-based OSF HealthCare, is one of 32 health systems nationwide piloting the Pioneer ACO Model with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Peoria, Galesburg, Bloomington and Pontiac started as part of the Medicare pilot ACO last year, but Rockford just kicked off its participation in January, said Dr. Jeff Tillery, vice president of OSF Medical Groups Northern Region. It covers about 6,000 patients.

Over the past year, Tillery said, OSFs central region has seen reductions in hospital readmissions and emergency department visits for patients involved in the pilot ACO.

The goal is to target services to that subset of the population that really needs it, Tillery said. They still have broad access to any services, but its incumbent upon us to engage them in ways to get better health outcomes.

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Health care enters new era with accountable care organizations

Health Care’s New Frontier

Developing countries face aseemingly insurmountable hurdle inproviding health care totheir rapidly growing or, insome cases, rapidly aging populations, especially as health systems become increasingly overburdened andinfections andother diseases spread. Because access tomedicine inthese regions is amultifaceted challenge, it is best tackled byseveral parties.

Lasting relationships among pharmaceutical companies, governments, nonprofit organizations andcommunity leaders are needed tohelp disadvantaged populations overcome their health care challenges. Together, these parties should take abinary approach, addressing both "hardware" factors which remain constant, such as physical distance totreatment centers andelongated supply chains and"software" factors theintangibles that vary greatly ineach region, such as therole offamily andcultural beliefs.

Through public-private partnerships, China can leverage unique strengths andbe better equipped toexpand access tohealth care.

These principles are especially true inplaces like China's rural Xinjiang province, where life expectancy is stunted at67 years, compared to73.5 forChina as awhole, andlack ofaccess tohealth care undermines well-being. Xinjiang covers nearly 1.7 million square kilometers, but it is home toonly 21 million people, many ofwhom are members ofnomadic tribes.

But thereality is that maintaining thelivelihood andwell-being ofthis area's population andthose inother rural parts ofChina is aserious challenge. Throughout rural China, thespread ofinfectious diseases particularly hepatitis B, which affects millions reflects alack ofhygiene education. TheHealth Ministry cited a9.5 percent increase indeaths caused byinfectious diseases from2011 to2012. Moreover, there is aserious shortage ofhealth care workers: just 1.3 per 1,000 rural inhabitants inChina.

Free medicines are only part ofthe solution. China needs togo beyond donations andreduced-pricing schemes tobuild sustainable health care systems with strong distribution channels andeducation programs forthe public andfor health care workers.

Through public-private partnerships, China can leverage unique strengths andbe better equipped toexpand access tohealth care. This can create asymbiotic relationship, offering benefits togovernment, business andthe local community.

Forexample, Novartis' Jian Kang Kuai Che, or "Health Express," program inXinjiang is apartnership between Novartis andthe local government that aims toexpand access tomedicine, build capacity andeducate thepublic. Health Express achieves this bytraining local physicians inprevention andtreatment ofinfectious diseases andeducating students onhealth andhygiene via atraveling caravan that moves fromschool toschool.

During arecent trip toXinjiang, I met several physicians fromrural hospitals who had received training through Health Express. They told me that inthe past, hepatitis patients had totravel forhours tobe diagnosed andtreated ata city hospital, while many others who were unable tomake thejourney suffered without treatment. Now, with physicians trained ininfectious diseases, hepatitis treatment is possible inrural areas ofXinjiang, andpatient outcomes have improved.

I also met with school children atUrumqi Dengcaogou Boarding School, which is situated ina rural area outside ofthe provincial capital. Thestudents were proud tobe able tobring their new health care knowledge back totheir families. They told me how they had told their parents toquit smoking after learning about theconsequences ofthe habit onhealth.

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Health Care's New Frontier

2013 Health Care Champions announces judging panel

Health Care Champions, sponsored by TD Bank, is honored to announce this years panel of distinguished judges.

These individuals are elated to be participating in such a prestigious awards ceremony, recognizing those dedicated to improving the quality of care along the Treasure Coast.

Alice Macomber, a health care educator at Keiser University and the 2011 recipient of the Non-Physicians Excellence in Health Care Award, will be returning to Health Care Champions for her second year of judging.

Steven Salyer, CEO of Sebastian River Medical Center, will join Alice as a judge for the second consecutive year.

Gary Cantrell, CEO at St. Lucie Medical Center, will be serving on the judges panel for the fourth year in a row along with Jeffery Susi, CEO of Indian River Medical Center.

JT Barnhart, VP and Chief Operating Officer at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute, is serving his first year on the judges panel along with Rob Lord, the Senior Vice President at Martin Health Systems and Peter Gloggner, the Vice President and Chief of Human Resources at Jupiter Medical Center.

Winning the Health Care Non-Physicians Award in 2011was an incredible experience and choosing the winners is a process that takes diligence, heart and a lot of thought to make the selection for the finalist, explained Alice Macomber.

This distinguished panel of judges has multiple years of experience related to health care in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, North Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties. They are also recognized for the active roles they play in their communities whether its being a member of dif ferent boards, donating their time and talents to local community groups, or teaching and mentoring the youth about the importance of health care.

Some of our judges have received several highly respected awards through their leadership, such as Gary Cantrell. St. Lucie Medical Center has received a number of awards and recognition, for example they are recognized as a Distinguished Hospital, ranking in the top 5 percent of hospitals in the country for patient care.

The judges will come together in August, to review the nominations, discuss top selections, and vote on the winners for each of the seven categories. Finalists will be announced in Progress and Innovation Quarterly Report, publishing Monday, Aug. 26.

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2013 Health Care Champions announces judging panel

Health care snag raises questions

WASHINGTON Nothing's ever easy with President Barack Obama's health care law.

The latest hitch gives employers an additional year before they must offer medical coverage to their workers or pay a fine.

What does the delay mean for workers? And struggling businesses? And is it a significant setback for a law already beset by court challenges, repeal votes and a rush of deadlines for making health insurance available to nearly all Americans next year?

A few questions and answers:

WHY THE DELAY?

Businesses said they needed more time.

Obama administration officials say they listened to businesses that complained they needed to figure out how to comply with complicated new rules written since the plan became law. And the delay buys time for the government, as well, to improve and simplify the rules.

The law passed in 2010 required employers with more than 50 employees working 30 or more hours a week to offer them suitable health coverage or pay a fine. What's changed is the deadline for that requirement, which was to begin in January. The new deadline is Jan. 1, 2015.

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Health care snag raises questions

6.27.13 Mobile Medical App Entrepreneurs: Changing the Face of Health Care – Video


6.27.13 Mobile Medical App Entrepreneurs: Changing the Face of Health Care
On Thursday June 27, 2013, at 10:00 A.M., the Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology held a hearing titled, "Mobile Medical App En...

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6.27.13 Mobile Medical App Entrepreneurs: Changing the Face of Health Care - Video

Nutrition411.com | Renal center education and counselig for patients and health care professionals – Video


Nutrition411.com | Renal center education and counselig for patients and health care professionals
Check the Renal Center from nutrition411.com: http://www.nutrition411.com/renal-center/ Education and couseling for patients and healt care professionals. We...

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Nutrition411.com | Renal center education and counselig for patients and health care professionals - Video

Providing health care is understanding a Patients’ story – Pioneering African Leading Lady (pt 3) – Video


Providing health care is understanding a Patients #39; story - Pioneering African Leading Lady (pt 3)
WisdomExchangetv Link: http://www.wisdomexchangetv.com/thandeka-mazibuko/ Conscious Contribution, the challenges of #39;traditional healers #39; and the fight again...

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Providing health care is understanding a Patients' story - Pioneering African Leading Lady (pt 3) - Video

Employees Better Manage Their Health Care Spending with Castlight Health and HealthEquity

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Castlight Health, the leader in Health Care Transparency, today announced a partnership with HealthEquity, the largest dedicated U.S. Health Savings Account (HSA) trust organization. With the integration of HealthEquitys HSA data into the Castlight health care management suite, employees for the first time have one central location to view and manage their health care activities and costs, from finding a high-value provider to seamlessly managing the balance of their HSA account.

For most individuals today, health care benefits are challenging to manage at best. Varying co-pays, piles of receipts and unexpected bills only increase the angst around already unruly health care costs in America, said Nita Sommers, VP, Corporate and Business Development, Castlight Health. With Castlight and HealthEquity, employees have easy access to all of their medical activity and HSA balance information in a single, personalized place, along with the ability to shop for high-quality, cost-effective providers. This is a powerful proposition that engages employees to take better control of their care and maximize the value of the health care investments.

HSAs allow employees covered by HSAqualifying health plans to contribute pre-tax dollars towards an HSA for future medical expenses. The integration of HealthEquity with Castlight will provide employers a frequent and high-touch avenue to engage employees across the wider spectrum of their benefits offerings. With the partnership, users of both Castlight Health and HealthEquity will be able to seamlessly view their HSA information directly through their personalized Castlight dashboard or the HealthEquity website.

In our quest to continually offer new products that provide value for our members, we are pleased to partner with Castlight Health, said Brad Bennion, VP, Product and Implementation, HealthEquity. With greater transparency into their overall health care spending through Castlight, our members can make wiser decisions that leads to maximizing health savings.

About HealthEquity

Founded in 2002, HealthEquity is the nations oldest and largest dedicated health savings custodian. Through efficient administration and innovative technology the company helps members build health care savings while controlling premium costs. HealthEquity works with more than 60 health plan partners and services more than 760,000 health care accounts for employees at more than 23,000 companies across the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.HealthEquity.com or call 1-866-346-5800.

About Castlight Health

Castlight Health enables employers, their employees, and health plans to take control of healthcare costs and improve care. Named #1 on The Wall Street Journals list of The Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies for 2011 and one of Dow Jones 50 Most Investment-Worthy Technology Start-Ups, Castlight Health helps the countrys self-insured employers and health plans empower consumers to shop for health care. Castlight Health is headquartered in San Francisco andbacked by prominent investors including Allen & Company, Cleveland Clinic, Maverick Capital, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Oak Investment Partners, Redmile Group, T. Rowe Price, U.S. Venture Partners, Venrock, Wellcome Trust and two unnamed mutual funds. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.castlighthealth.com or call (415) 829-1400.

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Employees Better Manage Their Health Care Spending with Castlight Health and HealthEquity