For many, the COVID-19 virus and accompanying shelter-in-place orders means a worsening of mental or behavioral health conditions. For seniors already grappling with depression or anxiety, the outbreak has likely only compounded issues further. With that in mind, many home health companies — including AccentCare and Elara Caring, two of the largest providers in the
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Photo source: iStock This isn’t really a health story and it’s is a bit of an old story (may require subscription). But it is a story about perseverance that will make you feel really, really good. And who doesn’t need that right now? It’s the story of Cha Sa-soon, a 69-year-old widow who, at the
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Photo source: iStock According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease, specifically ischemic heart disease, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases result in an estimated 17.9 million deaths each year. This is about 31% of all deaths worldwide (1). Medical researchers are continually working on ways to reduce those
Artificial intelligence-focused health care companies raised nearly $1 billion in funding in the first quarter of 2020, according to a new report from data analytics firm CB Insights, reflecting a growing trend in health tech: As much of the world braces for a probable pandemic-era recession, some health startups are nailing crucial, if eleventh-hour, funding.
New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo (D) speaking at a press conference on corona virus at the State Capitol. Michael Brochstein | Barcroft Media | Getty Images New York state will reopen its beaches, including local beaches and lakeshores, for Memorial Day weekend in coordination with New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.
Providence — one of the largest health care systems in the nation — is the closest thing the U.S. has to a COVID-19 pioneer. One of its hospitals based in Washington state treated the country’s first COVID-19 positive patient back in February. Since then, the coronavirus has made its way down Providence’s care continuum, all
Home health providers were thrilled when they first heard they would be receiving “no strings attached” payments from the Provider Relief Fund, which was mandated by the CARES Act. However, agencies quickly learned that there was more to the story. The grant funding comes with conditions, and confusion around those conditions has some home health
Photo source: Pexels.com supplied by author The process of getting a cavity filled can be distressing for children, especially if they display fear or anxiety during dental visits and procedures. While most dental practices do their best to alleviate any anxiety that a child may experience, there are nevertheless always going to be instances related
More than 60 million people ages 65 and older and younger adults with long-term disabilities are covered by Medicare. Due to their older age and higher likelihood of having serious medical conditions than younger adults, virtually all Medicare beneficiaries are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill if they are infected with the new coronavirus
Dive Brief: The healthcare sector shed more than 1.4 million jobs in April according to data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics — a stunning reversal after years of consistent gains. It represented about 7% of the nation’s total job losses last month. The industry’s overall unemployment rate more than tripled between March and
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Wednesday that over $40 billion in additional funding would be provided to reimburse health care providers during the COVID-19 crisis. A chunk of that money will go to further support home health agencies. To distribute the $40 billion, HHS plans to allocate $20 billion for
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now begun distributing $72.4 billion of the $175 billion allocated for grants to health care providers in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This relief fund is designed to provide an influx of
It’s a contradiction that’s long slowed the forward march of artificial intelligence in medicine: Machine learning models need to be trained on lots of diverse data from hospitals around the world — but those hospitals are often reluctant to ship out their data due to privacy concerns, legal issues, and a cautious culture. One promising
UnitedHealth Group and Microsoft partnered to launch a tool that allows employers to screen workers for COVID-19 symptoms. The smartphone app, called ProtectWell, asks users a series of questions to screen for symptoms or exposure to the coronavirus. Employers can then direct employees who may have been infected to get tested; results will be reported
Photo source: iStock Before I dive into the scientific evidence about whether optimism and pessimism impact health outcomes, let me tell you a short story. When I was a young medical student, I had the opportunity to trail Professor John Englebert (“Bert”) Dunphy on his evening rounds. He was at that time the widely admired
As thunder crashes and lighting strikes, a curly-haired brunette climbs behind the wheel of a beige SUV, the side of which reads “Bayada.” “I’ll be there,” she says, right before hanging up her cell phone and driving off into the storm. “Their tradition was forged on the battlefield,” a booming voice narrates. “Today, they serve
Durian fruit tree Photo credit: 123RF My good friend Lenny Karpman, a cardiologist I worked with during my days as an emergency physician at Kaiser San Francisco, has written a delicious book. It is aptly titled Foods That Confuse and Amuse: 1200 Eclectic Names Demystified. The book is the perfect reference for foodies who want
Doubling down on its efforts around social determinants of health and expanding access to telehealth services are just some of the ways Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has attempted to address the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. The company has also contributed roughly $50 million to national relief initiatives via the Humana Foundation. “We are committed
Insight into how the home health industry’s large, publicly traded companies have been impacted by the coronavirus continues to roll in. The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) was considerably affected by COVID-19 in the first quarter of 2020, leadership said during a Thursday conference call. Nonetheless, the Idaho-based company is optimistic about its near-term growth
Coming into 2020, home health care providers were preparing for drastic changes to the way that low-utilization payment adjustments (LUPAs) were calculated, a nuance of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), which took effect Jan. 1. However, what no one predicted is how the coronavirus would even further rock the LUPA landscape. Amid the COVID-19 emergency,