Community Hospital Corporation’s Post

Embrace a healthier start to the year with #DryJanuary! 🚫🍷 🍸 🍺 Many are choosing to abstain from alcohol, reaping potential benefits like improved sleep, enhanced mood, weight loss, better hydration, and liver health. 💤🧘🏿♂️ Remember, moderation is key if you choose to drink. Excessive alcohol intake poses risks to your health. 🚨 If you or someone you know has concerns about alcohol use, consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice. 👨🏾⚕️ As a primary care physician, I encourage you to consider the commendable decision of alcohol cessation. Support is crucial, and resources are available! Reach out to SAMHSA's confidential helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for info, support, and treatment referrals. 📞 Visit #SAMHSA's website for a treatment locator tool to find nearby facilities. 🌐 Don't hesitate to seek help from healthcare professionals, friends, or support groups. You're not alone on this journey! 💙 #HealthierChoices #AlcoholFree #SupportMatters #HCAHealthcare #familymedicine

The U.S. Government’s Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 created the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation, one of the most significant government actions relating to rural health since the creation of the Critical Access Hospital designation in 1997. The REH designation, structured to help financially struggling low-volume rural hospitals avoid closure while continuing to provide some critical medical services, are now allowed in Iowa thanks to recent changes to the Iowa Code. Meritas’ Healthcare Group, which included this story in its latest client newsletter, is well positioned to help clients keep apprised of changes in healthcare law like this, both locally and globally, as well as provide local and cross-border client service. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g4NMp9BP Nyemaster Goode, P.C. #MeritasUSA #IndependentButUnited #HealthLaw

Almost half of rural hospitals had negative total margins in 2022 and negative patient care margins both before and after the #COVID19 pandemic, according to a report prepared for the American Hospital Association by faculty at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions. When provider relief funds are excluded from margins, the average total margin for rural hospitals was lower in 2022, the most recent year with data available, than in any year since 2017.

Last month, VITAS Healthcare was invited back on Capitol Hill to offer our expertise and contextualize the recent study by NORC at the University of Chicago. Our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joe Shega joined Dianne Munevar from NORC and Susan Lloyd of Delaware Hospice to brief Congress on the value of hospice in Medicare.     The NORC research highlighted that hospice saved the Medicare Trust Fund $3.5 billion in 2019. Furthermore, it showed that as patients stay on the benefit longer, the cost savings and quality improvements keep growing. For instance, patients who used the service for more than six months achieved an average savings of 11% across all categories of primary disease, from neurodegenerative (like dementia and Alzheimer’s) to chronic kidney/end-stage renal.    This research continues to underscore the need for a community-based palliative care benefit. If we’re truly delivering a full continuum of care, patients with serious illnesses need access to specialized services, like palliative care, while they’re still receiving curative treatment. Palliative care is proven to help improve outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, and lower overall cost of care.    Thank you to Dr. Shega and our industry partners for putting this critical research on policymakers’ radars and advocating for a community-based palliative care benefit.    Watch the video below and read more here:  https://lnkd.in/g9Y3PAJ8     #CapitolHill #PolicyChange #CommunityBenefits #Hospice 

Anecdotally, the greater the geographic distance from the client (the larger the behemoth that owns hundreds of hospice/palliative care residences across the country, the more reportable to stockholders), the less patient centric the business model is likely to be. Residences that are regionally run with fewer layers of bureacracy between administrator, caregiver and client are more apt to beneficially reflect the culture of the communities in which they operate. Maintaining that balance is an ongoing and achieveable goal, as Dr. Shega submits.

What is a virtual ward? With more and more appointments happening online, we've put together some tips on how to get the most out of the virtual health and care appointments both for patients and health and care professionals. https://lnkd.in/evKZvrDi

Healthcare in Minnesota is top notch and Greater Mankato is no exception to that rule. Mayo Clinic Health System's Mankato hospital was ranked as a top 50 hospital in the nation by Healthgrades. This follows great performance in 2022 and 2023 where we were ranked in the top 100. This is out of a ranking of over 4500 hospitals nationwide. When we look at those life-threatening issues, patients at Mayo Clinic Health Systems have better than expected survivability for all types of conditions including heart attacks/failure, sepsis, respiratory failure, and more. If your health is important to you, there is no place you should rather be than Southern Minnesota. https://lnkd.in/gnP5g-fP

How to make difficult healthcare choices and provide support to your loved ones during challenging healthcare moments - join us and our expert guest in Palliative care to find out! Get ready for Baker Health Talks this Thursday night at 7pm as we dive into insightful discussions on hospice and palliative care with Ritu Suri. Learn how to manage those you care about when they are sick or even near death - in the most compassionate way. Leave your questions for Dr. Suri in the comments below!

"We are grateful for the trust Oregon’s hospitals have built over the years, and we hope to use that trust as a foundation to innovate and improve our health care system, putting our patients and communities at the center of all we do." In her latest column Becky Hultberg shows why Oregon's hospitals are among the state's most trusted institutions and how hospitals can leverage that trust to benefit patients. Click the link below to read the column. #trust #hospitals https://lnkd.in/gAqCcraR

Better faster and more effective care, evidence right here