Love in the Time of Covid-19
By Craig B. GarnerFounder
Garner Health Law Corporation
January 21, 2021, marked the one-year anniversary when the United States announced its first patient with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19). The following day, some 318 days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, California confirmed 3,108,012 COVID-19 cases to date and 36,962 fatalities. When it comes to COVID-19, medicine in part has performed miracles over twelve months, vastly improving its ability to identify the virus and its efficacy in treating it, not to mention developing a vaccine designed to stop it. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has little interest in stay-at-home orders or social distancing, nor does the pandemic favor either side in a polarized nation.
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Scaling Telehealth to Enable Care Continuity in Pediatric Cardiology During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Tara L. Haskell, MBA, MHSA,
Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
By Kori Morrison,
The Center for Telehealth, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
As a response to COVID-19, telehealth was quickly spread at our pediatric tertiary academic medical center to offset the reduction of in-person visits due to social distancing regulations. Heart Institute (HI) telehealth volumes increased by 18,100% compared to pre-COVID-19 and Cincinnati Children’s (CCHMC) hospital-wide telehealth volumes increased by 4,714% compared to pre-COVID-19. Temporary policy changes for telehealth expansion issued by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), private payors, and state licensing agencies removed barriers and empowered healthcare providers to continue care safely through the pandemic. Scaling a project of this size at an expedited rate inherently came with challenges, most notably an accelerated training process for a new care model for most physicians and putting in place a telehealth infrastructure linked to Epic. Additionally, variability in private payor reimbursement guidelines and differing state licensure requirements across provider types proved to be difficult for determining which patients were suitable for a telehealth visit.
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The Lessons I Learned from Bob Beale
By Danna Beal, M.Ed.International Speaker, Author and Coach
My dear friend of thirty years, Bob Beale, died on Dec. 27, 2020. Some of you knew him as one of the early ACIM supporters, some of you knew of him as an amazing business consultant and author, and many of my close friends knew of him from me-- because I spoke so often of his wise counsel. He was my mentor, my spiritual teacher, and beloved friend. He will be missed by his loving wife, son, and family, but also by many of us who were blessed with his friendship.
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Debunking the Fallacy that Kids Aren’t Seriously Affected by COVID-19
By Michael Brodsky, MDMedical Director for Behavioral Health and Social Services, L.A. Care Health Plan
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have heard that children are less affected by the virus, but that is far from the truth. Yes, most kids and teens infected by COVID-19 suffer less severe symptoms, and have the lowest mortality rate, but they are not immune from COVID-19’s consequences. In fact, children and teens have experienced a quadruple whammy during the pandemic.
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