North Dakota health care worker shortage widespread

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GRAND FORKS A shortage of health care workers including doctors, specialists, nurses and other professionals is a major concern in three-fourths of the 36 North Dakota communities surveyed in health needs assessments conducted over the past three years.

Other top priorities include mental health issues, including substance abuse, as well as health care costs, obesity and financial viability of hospitals, according to a new report from the Center for Rural Health at UNDs School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Theres a workforce shortage statewide, said Karin Becker who, along with Ken Hall, conducted assessments in 21 of the states 36 communities with critical access hospitals. The report also included results of a half-dozen surveys conducted by hospitals or other organizations.

The Community Health Needs Assessments are required every three years for nonprofit hospitals as part of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The first report covered 2011 through 2013.

As a whole, the identified needs paint the current picture of health needs confronting rural communities and affecting the state, Becker summarized in the report. They provide a baseline for which to measure change in the future and a way to chart progress.

The CHNA process involves a combination of surveys and community focus groups to identify communities most pressing health needs, according to Becker. The assessments involve several steps, including interviews with health care workers and community members.

Once tentative results are compiled, Center for Rural Health staff members then meet with community members, who vote on which items are the highest priorities.

Its a way for a community to articulate their needs. Then, depending on how they prioritize their needs, we choose a top five, she said.

Top needs

Other top community health issues that emerged from the process were aging population services, alcohol/substance abuse, and maintaining emergency medical services, according to the report.

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North Dakota health care worker shortage widespread

Health care sign-ups hit 5M mark

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AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

This Oct. 30, 2013, file photo shows Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington. The administration says more than 900,000 people enrolled for coverage under President Barack Obamas health care law in February. But its starting to look like the White House could miss its unofficial goal of signing up 6 million people by the end of open enrollment season March 31.

Posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 5:54 pm | Updated: 5:56 pm, Mon Mar 17, 2014.

Health care sign-ups hit 5M mark Associated Press |

The Obama administration says more than 5 million people have signed up for private health insurance under the new health care law.

That still leaves about 1 million to go over the next two weeks for the White House to meet its latest goal of 6 million enrolled by March 31.

That would work out to more than 70,000 people a day. And some independent analysts say that's a stretch.

Medicare administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced the 5-million milestone in a blog post Monday.

March 31 is the last day to enroll for a taxpayer-subsidized health plan through the new online markets, or exchanges.

It's still unclear whether the White House will grant an additional grace period for people who've started but not finished their applications by that date.

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Health care sign-ups hit 5M mark

InfoSight Inc. Signs Marketing Agreement with Unified Physicians Management (UPM): Providing Health Care Centers with …

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Miami Lakes, FL (PRWEB) March 18, 2014

InfoSight Inc., provider of Managed Health Care IT Security, HIPAA Compliance and Vulnerability Management services for regulated industries, announced a new agreement with Unified Physicians Management (UPM). UPM is the management services organization to Floridas largest Obstetrics and Gynecology group practice, Florida Woman Care and to Unified Womens Health Care in Georgia and North Carolina. UPM offers comprehensive practice management to its clients, including technology solutions, electronic health records, human resource management, accounting, managed care contracting and management, group purchasing and data analytics.

The agreement offers information technology (IT) and IT security support and HIPAA Compliance services to UPMs Care Centers throughout Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Services include Network Support, Managed IT Security Services, HIPAA-HITECH Risk Assessments and GAP Analysis, among others.

InfoSight has served regulated industries nationwide minimizing risk exposure for more than 15 years, providing the highest levels of IT security assurance and regulatory compliance. InfoSight provides straightforward, highly-robust, affordable solutions. Offering a broad portfolio of IT security and HIPAA compliance solutions designed to solve information technology challenges unique to the health care industry, InfoSight identifies, measures, controls and monitors technology to avoid the risks that threaten the security and soundness of medical practices.

We feel the value added services that will be offered to our Health Care Centers will complement our existing suite of services, said Allan Boshell, Chief Operating Officer of UPM. This comprehensive approach will reduce IT support costs, as well as strengthen the HIPAA compliance posture and IT security of Unified Physicians Management client physicians.

By proactively addressing patient privacy and information security from a technology perspective, medical practices can reduce their risk foot print, said Tom Garcia, CEO of InfoSight. By partnering with InfoSight for their IT and information security needs, UPM Care Center Practice Managers and health care providers can focus on core medical practice competencies, improving operational efficiencies and reducing overall IT and security costs.

To learn more about special discount pricing on IT security support and HIPAA Compliance services contact InfoSight Inc, or find them in UPMs most recent Group Purchasing Directory (GPD) booklet.

About InfoSight Inc. InfoSight Inc. offers proven and affordable HIPAA Compliance and IT Security and Vulnerability services that protect and optimize how a health care organizations critical information is processed, managed and stored. For more than 15 years, InfoSight has served regulated industries like health care nationwide minimizing risk exposure and providing the highest levels of security assurance and regulatory compliance. InfoSights offering fits any budget with minimal upfront cost or capital outlay and can be installed in-house or as a complete Managed Services offering. For more information about HIPAA compliance, visit http://www.infosightinc.com or contact us at 305-828-1003 / 877-577-9703.

About Unified Physician Management (UPM) UPM is the management services organization to Floridas largest OB/Gyn group practice, Florida Woman Care and to Unified Womens Health Care in Georgia and North Carolina. With over 500 physicians since its inception in 2009, UPM gives physicians the ability to concentrate on their medical practices growth, the pursuit of quality initiatives, and income growth while improving patient satisfaction. Unified Physicians Management offers comprehensive practice management to its clients, including technology solutions and electronic health records, human resource management, accounting, managed care contracting and management, group purchasing, and data analytics for quality initiatives. http://www.unifiedhc.com

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