Rhonda Sandel, CEO of Texas Emergency Care Center

Across the state of Texas alone, there are more than 1,550 beds in 200 freestanding emergency centers. I ask that the state enable this large healthcare resource to relieve the burden on hospitals.

HOUSTON (PRWEB)
March 23, 2020

As coronavirus spreads throughout Texas, particularly in large urban areas like Austin, Dallas and Houston, Rhonda Sandel, CEO of Texas Emergency Care Center, founding member and immediate-past president of the Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC), and the National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (NAFEC), commends Governor Abbott for his response to the pandemic and recommends that the state look to freestanding emergency centers statewide as part of the solution. Freestanding emergency centers can increase the capacity of the healthcare system to test for coronavirus and treat the outbreak, including beds, pharmacies, supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and trained and experienced emergency medicine physicians and staff capable of treating all urgent and emergent medical conditions.

“Across the state of Texas alone, there are more than 1,550 beds in 200 freestanding emergency centers. I ask that the state enable this large healthcare resource to relieve the burden on hospitals,” said Sandel. “There are freestanding ERs in small rural towns and rural counties as well as large, urban areas. Our ER doctors and staff can provide much needed support in the large cities, which will most likely be hit the hardest with COVID-19 cases, but basically, we have resources that are sitting idle because of burdensome regulations on freestanding ERs.”

As a leader in the industry, Sandel has been working with state and federal legislators for years to remove constraints which would make it possible to treat all Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) patients. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, she says it is exponentially more time critical to increase access to emergency care and bed capacity.

With state waivers Governor Abbott could allow freestanding emergency rooms to:

• Expand testing for Coronavirus and COVID-19.
• Provide outpatient care services including radiology, imaging, laboratory testing, etc. at the non-emergency care rates.
• Provide telemedicine regardless of whether or not the emergency physician is an in-network provider.
• Participate in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Texas Medicaid could certify freestanding emergency centers while change is being determined at the federal level.

While officials are looking at alternative options to increase bed capacity for the hospitals, including hotels, closed hospitals and abandoned medical facilities, they should first rely on the licensed resources that are readily available in the state.

“There is no better immediate option than looking to freestanding emergency rooms during this time. During Hurricane Harvey, many facilities in Houston and across the state stepped up when hospitals were flooded or could not be reached. All facilities across the state are able to do this and I urge Governor Abbott to look to us now,” Sandel said.

Freestanding emergency care centers are licensed as emergency centers by the state of Texas, which means they are staffed by physicians who are trained, experienced, and/or board certified in emergency medicine, employ nurses and staff that are emergency-medicine trained, and have the same diagnostic testing, laboratory services, resources, and equipment including ventilators, as a hospital emergency department.

“I have personally been working closely with Houston-area hospital systems in order to increase their capacity to treat COVID-19 and hope this will be made possible statewide. Freestanding emergency rooms have the doctors, nurses, staff, equipment, supplies, and facilities to be part of the solution and we are ready to help,” she said.

About Rhonda Sandel, RN, Texas Emergency Care Center CEO

An active voice and industry advocate, Rhonda Sandel formed Sandel Healthcare Consulting in 2014 to share her knowledge, experience and expertise in the healthcare industry. As an industry leader and expert in healthcare operations and management, Rhonda is sought out by healthcare professionals and legal groups for consulting on practice development and management, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency room operations and management, and legal consulting. A known industry leader, Rhonda is frequently called upon to testify regarding regulatory issues.

Rhonda began her career in the healthcare industry over 25 years ago as a registered nurse before starting Sandel Legal Nurse Consultants in 2001. While consulting, she met the physicians that ultimately founded Texas Emergency Care Center, joining their team as CEO.

As part of their vibrant practice, Texas Emergency Care Center began their own internal revenue cycle efforts. It wasn’t long before their success brought requests to take on external clients and Gryphon Healthcare was born.

In addition to her role at Gryphon Healthcare, Rhonda is an active, founding member and Immediate-Past President of the Texas Association for Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC) and National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (NAFEC).

Rhonda has been featured in several prime-time news stories as well as an interview on Fox Business and an article featured in USA today. Rhonda was recently named as one of the most admired CEOs in Houston by The Houston Business Journal alongside 41 other for-profit CEOs.

About Texas Emergency Care Centers

One of the first freestanding emergency rooms in Texas, Texas Emergency Care Centers opened its doors in 2006 with the mission to provide the highest level of emergency medical care to each patient we treat. The physicians at Texas Emergency Care Center are residency-trained and board certified or board eligible in Emergency Medicine. But providing the best care isn’t just about the way we treat symptoms – it’s about how we treat the patient. At the core of this mission are the values that we live by, every day. Our 24/7 emergency rooms are located in the Greater Houston areas and are Joint Commission Accredited. For more information or to contact Texas Emergency Care Centers, visit http://www.txercare.com and follow @TxErCareHouston on Twitter and @TxERCare on Facebook.

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COVID-19 and Pets: Infographic

“Despite the number of humans infected with COVID-19, there have not been any cases of pets showing clinical signs of being sick from this virus.” – Dr. Sarah Wallace

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB)
March 23, 2020

With uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, pet parents all over the world have questions about how the virus will impact their four-legged family members. They’re concerned about whether pets can contract the disease, if pet food will continue to be stocked in stores, and how they can provide their pets with enrichment and keep them active at home.

GreatPetCare.com, along with its veterinary contributors, is supplying information about the steps pet owners can take to prepare and protect their pets during the pandemic.

COVID-19 and Pets: Just the Facts

“As far as we know, pets cannot contract COVID-19,” says Dr. Sarah Wallace, a veterinarian based outside of Washington, D.C. and a contributor to GreatPetCare.com. “Despite the number of humans infected with COVID-19, there have not been any cases of pets showing clinical signs of being sick from this virus.”

Wallace adds, “There have also been no positive COVID-19 tests reported from the major veterinary diagnostic laboratory, IDEXX.”

Tips for Pet Preparedness

There are some steps that pet owners can take to help keep their pets safe during this time:

Keep a supply of food and medications on hand.

“Pet owners should also consider keeping at least a month’s supply of medication and food on hand for their pets,” says Dr. Elizabeth Racine, a veterinary journalist and contributor to GreatPetCare.com. “Many veterinary clinics are now partnered with online pharmacies and pet food companies that will deliver products directly to the client. I recommend pet owners contact their veterinarian for information about signing up for these services, which will minimize trips to the store and the veterinary clinic.”

Consider telemedicine for routine veterinary appointments or questions.

“Pet parents should try and talk to their vet over the phone, as a telemedicine appointment, before scheduling an in-person visit as much as possible,” says Dr. Hanie Elfenbein, a veterinarian based in Chattanooga, Tennessee and a veterinary journalist for GreatPetCare.com. “Many minor or repeat ailments can be treated without an office visit if you have a current relationship with your veterinarian.”

Keep pets busy with interactive games and toys.

“Keep pets enriched by using puzzle toys, hiding treats around the house, or encouraging pets to ‘work for their supper by practicing tricks and obedience commands in exchange for bits of kibble,” adds Racine.

Enrich your cat’s home environment.

“Make sure cats have things to climb, scratch, and lots of space that is up high,” says Dr. Sarah Wooten, a Colorado-based veterinarian and contributor to GreatPetCare.com. “They like to watch their underlings (AKA humans) from above!”

Try to remain calm.

“Your pet likely senses your stress about the pandemic and will in turn feel stressed,” says Wallace. “Exercise, food, regularity in their daily schedules, and the love of their human should help reduce their anxiety—and yours too!”

COVID-19 and Pets Infographic

To help pet owners through this challenging time, GreatPetCare.com created and published an infographic to provide important information about COVID-19 and pets.

You can view the full infographic and share it on your website by clicking here.

About Great Pet Care

Great Pet Care, a division of Metamorphosis Partners, is an online publication that provides pet parents with practical, medically-sound pet health information, delivered with clarity and kindness. We provide pet parents with the most up-to-date and accurate articles and guides by working with a team of board-certified veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, and expert trainers.

About Metamorphosis Partners

Metamorphosis Partners is dedicated to the creation, incubation and acceleration of products and businesses in the $80+ billion pet industry focused on the consumer. In addition to Great Pet Care, our portfolio of brands includes The Anxious Pet and Muttropolis. Our highly experienced in-house management team, deep network of advisors and commitment to cultivating and partnering with entrepreneurs makes us uniquely capable of building, growing and operating innovative businesses that scale rapidly and run efficiently.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Deidre Grieves

Director of Content for GreatPetCare.com

deidre@metamorphosis.com

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CHICAGO (PRWEB)
March 23, 2020

The American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) on Monday announced an initiative to donate millions of dollars’ worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals and caregivers across the United States to help combat the growing shortages due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Medical spas provide voluntary aesthetic medical treatments, such as Botox, lip fillers and laser rejuvenation services, to patients worldwide. With 3,000 members and growing, AmSpa is the largest association of medical spas and aesthetic clinics in the United States.

“Medical spas and aesthetic clinics are in a unique position because, as medical facilities, we utilize some of the personal protective equipment that is at such a shortage nationwide,” says Alex R.Thiersch, JD, founder and CEO of AmSpa. “Since most medical spas are closed because they only provide voluntary, non-essential medical services, we need to do our part and make sure any PPE in our possession gets to the folks who really need it.”

Last Thursday, AmSpa called on all medical spas and aesthetic clinics to close nationwide to assist in reducing the spread of coronavirus. Now, AmSpa is calling on those same medical spas to donate any gloves, swabs, gowns and masks they have to their local hospitals or other hospitals in need in the hopes that the industry can help protect those medical professionals who are dealing with the pandemic. If your medical spa or aesthetic clinic has supplies but doesn’t have a local hospital in need, please log on to http://www.donateppe.org and donate through this site to make sure your supplies get to those who need them the most.

Thiersch also is calling on all plastic and cosmetic surgeons performing non-essential aesthetic surgeries to participate in the PPE drive, as well.

“This is all hands on deck,” says Thiersch. “Our health care workers on the front lines need the supplies and if you have some, please donate them immediately to your local hospital. With the total number of medical spas, plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists in this country, we should be able to donate well over a million dollars’ worth of supplies. And that’s the goal.”

To that end, Thiersch requests that medical spas that donate PPE for this cause keep track of the value of these supplies and take photos of the donations taking place, so that the industry can create a document of this moment in history. Participating medical aesthetic practices are asked to complete the form that can be found at this link about your donation, and upload a picture of the medical supplies being shipped to your local hospital: https://americanmedspa.typeform.com/to/DtWcIe

Along with that, those who donate are encouraged to share their efforts with AmSpa on Instagram. Take the photo of your donations mentioned above and post it on your Instagram account using the hashtag #AmSpaPPEDrive. Please tag @AmSpa_AmericanMedSpa and caption what you donated for a chance to be featured on AmSpa’s social media channels.

About the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa)

The American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) provides business and legal resources to medical spas and aesthetic practices across the country. AmSpa’s events—including Medical Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps and The Medical Spa Show—provide business and legal best-practices to anyone entering the medical spa space or looking to improve their existing practice. AmSpa members receive access to legal summaries of laws governing medical spas in their state, discounts, a robust and growing webinar library, and many other benefits. For more information visit http://www.americanmedspa.org, call 312-981-0993, or email info@americanmedspa.org.

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CHICAGO (PRWEB)
March 23, 2020

Impact Advisors, a leading provider of strategy, performance excellence, revenue cycle management, ERP, implementation, and technology consulting services to the healthcare industry, has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s Largest IT Consulting Firms for 2020.

This is the second year Modern Healthcare has compiled the list, which published on March 9. Impact Advisors has made the list both years. Modern Healthcare chose 18 IT companies from across the country based on 2019 revenue, health IT contracts and number of employed healthcare consultants.

“Impact Advisors is proud to be included among the top players in the healthcare IT industry,” said Pete Smith, CEO of Impact Advisors. “We’ve achieved consistent growth in this market thanks to the dedication of our associates to provide high-value services and results for our clients.”

Impact Advisors has also been featured on Modern Healthcare’s Largest Revenue Cycle Management Firms list, Largest Healthcare Management Consulting Firms list and on its Best Places to Work in Healthcare list.

The company adds this honor to a growing list of industry and workplace awards that include being named Best in KLAS for 13 consecutive years, one of Forbes’ Best Management Consulting Firms and Becker’s Hospital Review’s 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare.

About Impact Advisors

Impact Advisors is a nationally recognized healthcare consulting firm that is solving some of the toughest challenges in the industry by delivering strategic advisory, technology implementation and performance improvement services. Our comprehensive suite of digital health, clinical optimization and revenue cycle services spans the lifecycle of our clients’ needs. Our experienced team has a powerful combination of clinical, revenue, operations, consulting and IT experience. The firm has earned a number of prestigious industry and workplace awards, including Best in KLAS® for 12 consecutive years, Healthcare Informatics HCI 100, Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty, as well as “best place to work” awards from: Modern Healthcare, Consulting Magazine, Becker’s Hospital Review and Achievers. For more information about Impact Advisors, visit http://www.impact-advisors.com.

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Virtudent

In our current public health crisis with the COVID-19 outbreak, teledentistry is essential as the first line of defense for keeping patients safe and healthy, said Dr. Scott Odell, Chief Dental Officer at Virtudent.

BOSTON (PRWEB)
March 23, 2020

In its mission to make high-quality oral healthcare accessible to all, Virtudent, Inc. (http://www.virtudent.com), the leading provider of teledentistry services for employers, today announced a new service. Virtual Dental Consultations are now available, making it easy and convenient for anyone with dental-related questions, issues or pain to obtain advice and care from Virtudent’s team of expert dental professionals from the safety and security of their own home.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals are being asked to stay at home, and dental offices worldwide are closing their doors to all but emergency procedures. Failing to address symptoms quickly can mean going from routine to costly emergency care at a time when hospitals do not have the bandwidth or equipment to mitigate emergencies outside of COVID-19 cases.

Virtual Dental Consultations bring dental visits typically performed at a dentist’s office directly to the patient in a digital format. Anyone can go to http://www.virtudent.com/teledentistry to schedule an online consultation. A Virtudent dentist will answer questions, assess the situation, provide recommendations and advice and refer to a specialty provider for additional care if needed. Virtudent will bill patients’ dental insurance for the virtual visit. If no insurance is available, the patient will pay the discounted rate of $49.

“There are 2.2 million emergency room visits for dental problems annually, but most ERs in the U.S. are not equipped to deal with dental emergencies,” said Dr. Scott Odell, Chief Dental Officer at Virtudent. “In our current public health crisis with the COVID-19 outbreak, teledentistry is essential as the first line of defense for keeping patients safe and healthy.”

“We are excited to offer this vital service in support of our mission to advance dental health and access for all,” said John Voith, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Virtudent. “In these trying times, Virtudent is committed to supporting our patients by providing online teledental emergency consultations. By bringing our high-quality, teledental diagnostic care to even more patients, we are making it safer for everyone, meeting them where they are today and working to help improve the overall health of the population.”

For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit http://www.virtudent.com/teledentistry.

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About Virtudent

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Boston, Virtudent is a teledentistry practice committed to improving overall health and well-being by providing easy access to high-quality, prevention-focused dental care in the workplace. Through partnerships with hundreds of top employers, including Dunkin’ Brands, Microsoft and Wayfair, they have saved their clients tens of thousands of employee work hours. Their business model brings together experienced dentists, highly-trained hygienists and a proprietary portable dental system in a convenient setting to address often overlooked oral health. For more information, visit http://www.virtudent.com.

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