NASHVILLE, Tenn. (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

EvidenceCare, a leading provider of advanced clinical decision support technology, announced today the release of a free Web solution to help clinicians in the trenches diagnose and treat COVID-19. The system will be available beginning today, Thursday, April 9, to hospital systems, emergency room providers, urgent care companies and telehealth providers actively interfacing with patients globally.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, EvidenceCare has taken the lead on gathering a consortium of healthcare industry experts from leading health systems, evidence-based content vendors, medical societies and industry organizations to rapidly deliver effective COVID-19 clinical pathways. The delivery mechanism will be a free, simpler version of the EHR-integrated EvidenceCare clinical decision support system (CDSS) traditionally deployed. The solution will support COVID-19 clinical care in conjunction with any EHR by delivering current, evidence-based pathways to caregivers around the world facing the onslaught of COVID-19.

Working with EBSCO/DynaMed, EB Medicine, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), multiple hospital systems and other healthcare industry giants, EvidenceCare curated several pathways, turning massive amounts of information into digitized, consumable and interactive pathways. These pathways help streamline the provider’s workflow by collating clinical documentation with each interaction and delivering the most current diagnosis and relevant treatment information available based on the patient’s presenting symptoms, severity and comorbidity.

Dr. Brian Fengler, chief executive officer and co-founder of EvidenceCare, commented, “I’m proud to be part of a true team effort to address this global crisis. Clinical evidence for COVID-19 is changing daily. Our team took on the laborious, but pragmatic, approach of pulling everything together and distilled that evidence down for each clinical area, taking into consideration the strength of each source. We wanted to do the hard work for clinicians so they could find the answers they need as quickly as possible.”

The pathways will be updated in near real-time within the EvidenceCare CDSS as new information about the virus is discovered, a process made easier by the number of credible partners involved. One of the first to get on board with the project was Dr. Brian S. Alper, founder of DynaMed and chief medical knowledge officer for EBSCO Information Services, who, like Fengler, was wanting to make a difference in this crisis.

“When EvidenceCare approached us about being a part of this partnership, we knew immediately it was imperative to be involved,” Alper said. “Pandemics cannot be fought alone. It will take everyone across the world doing their part to come together to find a solution to COVID-19. That’s what makes this project so powerful; we’re bringing some of the industry’s best organizations with the best evidence and information together.”

By combining the best content from some of the most respected organizations in healthcare, EvidenceCare hopes that the pathways will be seen as a resource that clinicians can trust and rely on. EB Medicine’s chief executive officer, Stephanie Williford, said the project aligns directly with her company’s values.

“One of our goals as an organization is to provide clinicians with greater access to quality, evidence-based content,” Williford said. “The EvidenceCare platform offers the velocity that we hope will make a big difference quickly as we all work feverishly to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

ACEP is also participating in this effort. Dr. Vidor E. Friedman, the immediate past president of ACEP, said the pathways and platform will be especially important for emergency physicians during the pandemic as they represent the front door of the hospital.

“The speed with which clinicians in an emergency medicine environment have to work in general, let alone during a pandemic, requires technology like this,” Friedman said. “Having the information readily available in such a digestible format is vital in helping physicians diagnose, treat and understand this virus better.”

Information about the pathways is available for all healthcare professionals at evidence.care/covid-19/, and direct access to the pathways is available at covid19.evidence.care. The pathways will be accessible for the foreseeable future.

About EvidenceCare

EvidenceCare is the leading clinical decision support system (CDSS) driving real ROI. Founded in response to the professional experience of emergency physician Dr. Brian Fengler, the platform is integrated into a clinician’s EHR workflow, delivering customized, interactive, curated guidance directly into the care process. With EvidenceCare, hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care centers enable clinicians to deliver evidence-based care with measurable outcomes. Through advanced CDSS technology, variance is reduced, and the appropriate criteria are documented during utilization and admission decisions. With government-mandated compliance measures and quality program initiatives achieved, healthcare organizations ensure that quality and safety improve, liability is reduced and operational efficiency is increased while capturing additional revenue. To learn more, visit http://www.evidence.care.

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

Cardinal Catastrophe Services is committed to keeping our Clients and our Team safe during the COVID-19 pandemic with cutting edge technology and safe-distance services. We are the STL-Metro’s FIRST and only exclusive storm damage restoration firm specializing in home-owner insurance claims. We are now the FIRST roofing company to provide a platform for virtual interaction with our clients. Cardinal Catastrophe Services is pleased to announce our two-fold approach allowing us to circumvent all face-to-face contact.

FIRST… Request an inspection through our portal, or call us at (618) 659-9800. We will conduct an inspection of your roof and other exteriors using our state-of-the-art drone. We can provide this service safely from the street with no need to approach your door.

SECOND… We have developed a fully digital, on-line Cat Service Client Portal to exchange any and all information and documentation securely. By using the Cat Service Client Portal, we avoid face-to-face interactions altogether and conduct all informational aspects of the project virtually.

If you sustain damage to your roof and other exteriors, Cardinal Catastrophe Services handles the process in its entirety. Our Project Managers are experts in identifying and assessing storm damage and handling all interactions with your insurance company. We are a licensed roofer and full service contractor. We provide home-owners with a single point of contact for the entire project, from filing the claim to restoring the roof, gutters, siding and all other damaged exteriors. Cardinal Catastrophe Services will complete your restoration project from start to finish with zero need for face-to-face contact. You are 100% SAFE with Cardinal Catastrophe Services!

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: catserviceportal.com

Cardinal Catastrophe Services :: Your LOCAL Choice for COVID-19 Safe Services

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ROCKVILLE, Md. (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

With speech and language impairment ranking as the second most common disability category under which U.S. schoolchildren receive services via the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), many parents are reporting concern about the impact of COVID-19 related school closures—worried about their children’s access to speech and language services and their children’s ability to successfully complete schoolwork and maintain skills from home.

Consequently, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers this information to parents of children who have been receiving speech-language pathology services in schools:

Your child is (still) entitled to a free appropriate public education. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has clarified that school districts must continue to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students at this time—including students with disabilities. ED has stated that FAPE may encompass, as appropriate, special education and related services provided through distance instruction (virtually, online, or telephonically). While noting that it may not be possible for services to be provided in the same manner as they are when school buildings are open, ED emphasizes that federal disability law offers flexibility in determining how to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities.

Your child may be able to receive virtual speech and language services during closures. Some school districts had virtual treatment services in place prior to COVID-19, and some have initiated or increased so-called telepractice capability because of the pandemic. According to ED, “Many disability-related modifications and services may be effectively provided online. These may include . . . speech or language services through video conferencing.” However, a school’s ability to offer telepractice services depends on state regulations of telepractice for speech and language treatment, local school district policies, technology capabilities of both the school district and family, and a variety of other factors outside the control of parents and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). And although, in some cases, telepractice can offer equal benefits to therapy delivered in person, in other cases, it may not—depending on the individual child, their specific condition(s), and their strengths and weaknesses.

Your child has a right to privacy. Privacy laws for students with speech and language disabilities still apply. A student’s personal health records may not be shared without parental consent under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)—although the government has announced that it will exercise discretion regarding enforcement of penalties for health providers using remote communications technologies that don’t fully comply with HIPAA requirements. Another important privacy law is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects students’ private educational records. Parents should know that SLPs may need to modify treatment or seek parental approval in certain instances due to these privacy considerations—such as when providing group treatment to students. Although students’ privacy may be reasonably protected when group services are provided in person, when done via telepractice, other adults or members of a household may become aware of the personal information of other students. These are factors that parents and SLPs must consider together.

Children who regress can rebound. Amidst current circumstances, children with speech and language disorders are at a greater risk of regressing educationally than other students. However, students can regain ground; in most cases, a child’s regression will not be permanent.

You are doing your best. SLPs understand that the demands parents are facing are unprecedented. They realize that most parents are not trained as professional therapists or student aides, and that many children with speech and/or language disorders may not adapt to distance learning as easily as other children. They recognize that parents are doing their best as they strive to help their child with schoolwork and therapy, often while dealing with a range of other responsibilities.

Your SLP is doing their best. Just as parents confront this new situation, so do SLPs. Most school-based SLPs were not set up to provide telepractice or implement changes to Individualized Education Programs for a large number of students in this very challenging situation. Nonetheless, SLPs continue to be dedicated and fully invested in your child’s educational, social, and life success. To SLPs, having a good partnership with parents is essential—with all parties focused on serving the child’s best interests.

For more information about speech and language services in schools, visit http://www.asha.org/public.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 211,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders. http://www.asha.org

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ATLANTA (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

Leading healthcare liability insurance provider MagMutual today announced new premium discounts on medical professional liability policies as they renew next year, for those policyholders who experienced lower patient volumes in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Discounts will extend through to 2023 policy renewal period.

“This COVID-19 crisis has altered the way our country is delivering healthcare,” said Joe Wilson, MD, executive chairman of MagMutual. “And because of these changes, many of our PolicyOwners are seeing fewer patients and doing fewer elective procedures. As a mutual company, we believe our PolicyOwners should not pay the same amount of premium when they are caring for substantially fewer patients.”

The company intends to file these discounts with the respective states’ Departments of Insurance during April 2020. Upon approval, MagMutual will inform its policyholders of their new rates at renewal. The premium discount is in addition to the company’s recently announced nine-month payment deferral option.

“This means that over a three-year period, in effect, we ensure our PolicyOwners do not pay for the exposures they did not experience due to lower patient volumes,” noted Neil Morrell, CEO, MagMutual. “Coupled with our payment deferral options, our discounted premium rates also mean than the cash flow of the policyholders more reasonably follows their expected billing cycles, as they resume to normalcy.”

About MagMutual

For nearly four decades, MagMutual has been a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance. Today, we deliver comprehensive coverage for the practice, business and regulation of medicine to over 30,000 physicians and healthcare organizations nationwide. Our focus on innovation enables us to provide exceptional service, extensive support and financial benefits that result in improved outcomes and stronger PolicyOwners™. For more information, visit MagMutual.com.

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PLYMOUTH, Minn. (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

Fulcrum Health announced today that it has teamed up with health plan clients to deliver chiropractic telehealth services for their members. This innovative approach is designed to support chiropractors in their efforts to safely and effectively use technology to deliver virtual care to patients and reduce potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), while helping them manage their overall health and well-being during mandated stay-at-home orders, shutdowns, and access restrictions.

Chiropractic care is a hands-on business, but with social distancing and mandated shutdowns due to COVID-19, providers are experiencing a significant reduction in the number of patients seeking care, potentially exacerbating existing health problems.

Telehealth services enable chiropractors to provide continued care for patients who are suffering from musculoskeletal conditions and back pain and evaluate and provide consistent care recommendations which include activities to complete at home, along with exercise instruction when appropriate.

“Chiropractic care is essential for many people, and while some may be able to forego treatment until the risks of in-person visits have abated, others could end up in already overtaxed emergency rooms due to unmanageable pain if they are not able to receive care,” said Patricia Dennis, CEO, Fulcrum Health. “During this challenging time, effective telehealth is essential to ensure ongoing connection between care providers and patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions and pain, while avoiding unnecessary COVID-19 exposure. Our goal is to make it easy and safe for our highly qualified network of chiropractic providers to evaluate patients and provide direction for steps they can take to manage existing issues and support ongoing mental and physical health.”

The chiropractic telehealth program will enable providers to support health plan members by:

• Consulting with the member about their current condition and potential treatment needs;
• Reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure associated with in-person visits;
• Educating and reassuring patients who are experiencing severe pain and offering appropriate at-home care advice on tactics like the proper use of hot or cold therapies and stretching;
• Providing active care instructions for achieving personal health goals, such as demonstrating exercises that can be done at home to manage low-back pain without narcotics; and
• Offering home instruction on daily living activities, such as how to achieve an ergonomically safe remote work environment or how to modify activities to reduce pain or injury.

Fulcrum, which operates a network of 2,900 credentialed chiropractors serving more than 1.9 million patients across the Midwest, estimates that 25% of patients will initiate a telehealth visit with their provider during COVID-19 shutdowns. The potential exists to reach even more consumers with these beneficial services, which makes the telehealth program essential, added Dennis.

To learn more about Fulcrum Health, visit https://www.fulcrumhealthinc.org/.

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About Fulcrum Health

Fulcrum Health, Inc. is a nonprofit, NCQA-accredited (National Committee for Quality Assurance), physical medicine management organization delivering quality care through its credentialed chiropractic providers for over 35 years. Its product offerings include chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, and pain management services. Serving 1.9 million members in the Midwest, Fulcrum continues to offer innovative and inspiring ways to leverage physical medicine that help lower health care costs, achieve better outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction. Fulcrum Health is a four-time recipient of the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for outstanding performance in patient satisfaction. For more information, visit fulcrumhealthinc.org. Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media contact: Barbara Tabor, APR / (651) 230-9192 / barbara@taborpr.com

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SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (PRWEB)
April 09, 2020

Partners Pharmacy is answering the call from the State of New Jersey to provide emergency pharmacy services to the three field hospitals opening across the state to alleviate the strain on local hospitals due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The first field hospital opens today at Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, with two more opening up within the next two weeks at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison and at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Partners Pharmacy will be using their APS PassPort™ system to dispense medication quickly and accurately allowing nursing staff to focus on the job at hand. The APS PassPort™ is a fully automated, remotely-monitored dispensing center focused on alleviating the stress of medication dispensing on nursing staff. These machines, in collaboration with 24/7 pharmacy staffing from partner organization, Pharma-Care, Inc. will help ensure the safety and pharmacy needs of patients across the state of NJ. It will also be used to send medications home with patients upon discharge, eliminating the need to navigate pharmacy services upon returning home.

“Our team is incredible at getting to work quickly and heeding the call for help, providing round-the-clock pharmacy services to patients in need with a goal of minimal disruption to care and no delay to medication delivery,” said Anthony Spero, Chief Operating Officer at Partners Pharmacy. “Our staff is no stranger to crisis preparedness, jumping to action during the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Harvey. We are using these same skills and the tools we’ve built, like our APS PassPort™ machine, to make sure that everyone can still provide the same high-level of care we need to get through this pandemic. Our employees are true heroes!”

About Partners Pharmacy – Partners Pharmacy is the third largest long-term care pharmacy provider in the U.S. Each regional Partners location provides the same unmatched personalized service through the combined resources of local teams and expanding national resources. Partners collaborates with the communities it serves to improve outcomes, reduce costs and increase operational efficiencies that permit more time for direct patient care. For more information about Partners Pharmacy, please contact Patricia Chiorello, VP of Communications at pchiorello@partnerspharmacy.com

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