TriStar Health and CareSpot to Establish Urgent Care Centers in Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 16, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- HCA's TriStar Health and CareSpot have established a joint venture to bring as many as 15 urgent care centers to Middle Tennessee opening throughout 2013. The new partnership would make CareSpot and TriStar Health the leading urgent care provider in Middle Tennessee.

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Convenient, high-quality healthcare

"Urgent care is an important aspect of TriStar's vision to provide our community with a quality, comprehensive health system," said Steve Corbeil, president of TriStar Health. "The new urgent care centers will enhance healthcare services provided by our primary care physicians and deliver a more rapid, less expensive alternative to emergency room visits for non-emergency injuries and illnesses. Our partnership represents a significant step forward in bringing increased access to extraordinary and affordable healthcare in the communities that we serve."

"Our joint venture with TriStar Health is an exciting opportunity to partner with a well-known, high-quality healthcare provider in Middle Tennessee, expand our base beyond Florida and move into other markets where there is strong demand for urgent care centers," said CareSpot CEO Michael Klein. "Customers want more convenient, high-quality healthcare, and that's what we'll deliver. In fact, customers will be able to book their appointments on the CareSpot website or their smartphones and get in and get out faster so they can start feeling better quickly."

The new urgent care centers will offer healthcare services to treat non-emergent medical problems that can develop unexpectedly and require immediate attention, filling the gap between primary care physicians and hospital emergency rooms.   This partnership offers patients the staffing benefits and expertise of a proven network of urgent care centers combined with the broader resources of a large hospital system if a higher level of care is required.   The new centers will operate as CareSpot in partnership with TriStar Health. CareSpot will manage daily operations.

CareSpot is the largest urgent care provider in Florida

CareSpot is the new name for Solantic walk-in urgent care centers that are popular in Florida. The company, which has headquarters in the Brentwood suburb of Nashville, is the largest urgent care provider in Florida with 29 centers in major metropolitan areas throughout that state. Those centers in Florida — which average more than 400,000 patient visits a year — will change their name from Solantic to CareSpot by early September. The urgent care company currently employs more than 500 people. CareSpot plans to hire as many as 100 new employees for its new centers in Middle Tennessee.

About TriStar Health

TriStar Health is the region's largest, most comprehensive healthcare provider with 18 hospitals and 10 ambulatory surgery centers in Tennessee, South Central Kentucky and North Georgia. Approximately 5,300 physicians and nearly 13,000 employees support the hospital system. TriStar Health facilities feature state-of-the-art technology and pioneer new medical procedures every day to accommodate the needs of the more than 110,000 patient admissions and nearly 515,000 emergency department visits annually. For more information about TriStar Health, or for a physician referral, call TriStar MedLine(SM) at 615-342-1919 or toll-free outside of Nashville at 1-800-242-5662, or visit TriStarHealth.com.

About Solantic/CareSpot

Solantic/CareSpot-operated centers provide a wide range of healthcare services such as urgent care, wellness testing and occupational health services. The 3,500 sq. ft. centers feature multiple exam rooms, on-site lab testing and X-rays capabilities. Michael Klein, former CEO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Renal Advantage — the third-largest for-profit provider of dialysis services in the U.S. — took over as CEO of Solantic in May 2011. He and his management team are building a more innovative, consumer-focused urgent care company. Visit Solantic.com to learn more.

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Community Health Centers -- Providing A Base Of Care

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Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of new patients will have access to the health care system. One concern – where will all of these people obtain their health care? Because of fee for service and the inequitable tilt toward specialty care, the primary care system in our country has been decimated and will take years to rebuild.

Fortunately, the ACA puts a lot of money and effort toward correcting this imbalance. But even with all the dollars in the world, it would take many years to repair decades of damage.  The section of the ACA intended to repair our primary care system thankfully started rolling out right after the law was passed.  Primary care physicians are working hard to become certified medical care homes, which expands the role of staff and ancillary providers to pick up the workload of important but mundane tasks that do not require the work of a physician brain.  This will increase capacity, but there is still so much that has to be done to handle the new patients coming into the system.

There is hope for the newly insured. One gem of our health care system is the vast network of community health centers.  Community health centers as we know them today started in 1965 to provide health care access to poor and medically underserved communities.  Today, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, greater than 20 million patients are served in over 8,000 locations around the country.  These groups provide care for anyone – those without insurance pay on a sliding scale. They also take Medicaid and private insurance.

Although not widely stated, it was expected that the majority of new patients entering the health care system would be served by community health centers.  With the initial funding provided by the ACA, these centers were set to expand their capability to 40 million patients by 2015 – that is double their current number! Unfortunately, base funding for these centers was significantly cut by both the states and the federal government – they put some money in one hand and took it out of the other.  Because of this, community health centers pared their projections back to serving 30 million people by 2015.

Being simplistic, which is always my goal, of the estimated 30 million new people who will enter the entire health care system, 20 million would have been seen in the community health centers and the other 10 million in private physician offices.  Now those numbers will have to flip flop, because the decreased funding of the community health centers will only allow for 10 million more patients then they are currently serving.

This is a shame. Unfortunately, the decrease in funding is shooting our country in the foot.  Why? Community health centers are very efficient at providing primary care and preventive care.  Nationally, it costs $610 per year to provide comprehensive primary care to a patient in community health centers and $964 per year in other physician settings. This would save $354 per patient per year over the 10 million patients who now have to be seen by the private sector – that could have been a total savings of $3.54 billion per year.  This doesn’t take into account the added savings of keeping people healthy and out of emergency departments and hospitals. To put this into perspective, the total federal base budget for community health centers was $2 billion per year before funding was cut by $600 million last year.  States also cut funding by about another $200 million per year. So basically, we cut $800 million per year between the two and could have saved $3.54 billion per year? My financial planner brain cannot wrap itself around that one. Am I missing something?

There is another twist to this sordid tale. The insurance breakdown of patients seen in community health centers is about 40% uninsured and 40% on Medicaid, with the remaining 20% on other insurance. About 80% of patients seen at community health centers are under 133% poverty level and would have qualified for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.  The community health centers were excited about this – their funding would improve and not be at the whim of state and federal politicians. Governors in six states so far are refusing the federal dollars to expand Medicaid, so the community health centers in those states will still have to spend significant time and energy lobbying their legislatures for money. This seems like a counterproductive waste of time.

Some states are also refusing other funding allocated by the ACA. I spoke with Andy Behrman, President and CEO of the Florida Association of Community Health Centers,  regarding the challenges in his state. Florida has 48 community health centers with over 320 sites that provide care for 1.17 million patients. Eight of the centers rely on state funding – so they are at the mercy of the state politicians. Governor Scott has refused ACA funding to expand and improve Florida’s eight state funded community health centers. Florida community health centers are very efficient – it costs $510 per person per year to provide comprehensive primary care including lab and x-ray services.   Thank goodness only eight of the 48 centers rely on Governor Scott’s whims.

A strong health care system is important for our country’s resiliency and is a matter of national defense. It would be great if we could cut the $500 billion per year worth of wasted overhead from our health care system, and divert just a couple of billion per year to community health centers.  We would be much better for it.

Questions or comments? Please post here, reach me on Twitter @CarolynMcC, or at Carolyn.mcclanahan@gmail.com.

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Ill. health centers get $6.5M in federal awards

CHICAGO (AP) — Eleven Illinois health centers were awarded grants Wednesday under the Affordable Care Act to extend care to more patients.

The Illinois grants total nearly $6.5 million and include awards to health centers in Chicago, Bloomington, East St. Louis, Galesburg and Springfield.

The Illinois grants are part of $128.6 million in grants in 41 states announced in Detroit on Wednesday by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The grants will go to 219 health centers across the country, extending access to more than 1.25 million additional patients.

The money allows a Chicago health center, Centro de Salud Esperanza, to see more than 2,500 new patients and hire an OB-GYN, said Daniel Fulwiler, CEO of the center in southwest Chicago.

"It's a super exciting day for us," Fulwiler said. The Chicago clinic becomes a federally qualified health center with the award, which will allow the center to get OB-GYN malpractice insurance coverage through the government. The expense of malpractice insurance has prevented the center from hiring an OB-GYN in the past, Fulwiler said.

Health center officials said they are pleased the grants came ahead of the Supreme Court decision expected later this month on key aspects of the federal health care law that critics have labeled "Obamacare." The Supreme Court could overturn the entire law, among other possible outcomes, which might jeopardize future grant funding.

The Illinois health organizations awarded grants are:

VNA Health Care in Aurora, $489,195.

Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington, $595,833.

Beloved Community Family Wellness Center in Chicago, $608,333.

Centro de Salud Esperanza in Chicago, $595,833.

Erie Family Health Center Inc. in Chicago, $975,000.

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in Chicago, $483,003.

Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation in East Saint Louis, $431,094.

Greater Elgin Family Care Centerin Elgin, $525,000.

Knox County Health Department in Galesburg, $595,833.

Community Nurse Health Association in La Grange, $602,460.

Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University in Springfield, $595,833.

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Health Care Law Expands Community Health Centers, Serves More Patients

Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT - U.S. Markets close in 4 hrs 25 mins

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Orlando Health | Heart Attack Warning Signs | Florida's Blood Centers | Amercan Heart Association

Nancy Gay of Florida's Blood Centers reviews the warning signs of a heart attack.

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Fla. health centers getting $21M in fed grants

MIAMI (AP) — Community health centers around Florida will receive $21 million in federal grants under the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.

The announcement comes after Gov. Rick Scott and state leaders have turned down more than $100 million in grants tied to the federal health care law, which Florida is challenging in court.

Community leaders estimate the money will help them serve more than 41,000 new patients, according to the health department statement.

Borinquen Health Care Center, Inc., which was awarded more than $4.2 million, serves 27,000 patients in Miami every year, up from 13,000 four years ago. The majority of patients don't have health insurance. Another large amount, $5 million, went to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.

"It doesn't matter to me (where the money is coming from)," said Borinquen CEO Bob Linder. "We're there for those who need to be served. These moneys are tremendous opportunities for us that we can expand our services."

Linder says the demand for health care services has increased in the downturned economy as the unemployed and underemployed struggle to find health insurance. The organization has 13 locations, including five schools centers, and serves about 3,000 Haitians a month. The grant money will allow the center to expand from 18 to 32 exam rooms, modernize its x-ray machines, add more dental chairs and add hurricane impact windows.

The medical home model, where patients go to one location for regular health care, can better coordinate care for the patients they know and are monitoring over time, in theory. Proponents say it also saves money by diverting patients from making emergency room visits for less-serious issues. Borinquen has a state-funded ER diversion program with three local hospitals.

Scott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Tuesday's $21 million grant announcement.

Scott and the Republican-led Legislature have rejected or declined to pursue more than $106 million in federal grant money and returned another $4.5 million for programs linked to federal health care initiatives, including cancer prevention. Critics to say he is putting his conservative agenda ahead of residents' needs.

Scott has ordered state agencies to reject any money tied to President Barack Obama's health care plan. The figures, which are totals of funds that could have been obtained over five years, were provided by the governor's office last fall.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars are going to other states that rightly should be going to Florida because we deserve to have our fair share of what our taxpayers send up to Washington," said Democratic Sen. Nan Rich.

"One after the other, we either don't apply or turn back grant money that rightfully belongs to the taxpayers of Florida."

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Health centers for poor, uninsured see ranks swell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Community health centers that cater to the poor and uninsured saw their patients' ranks swell by nearly 18 percent from 2008 to 2011 as job loss left more Americans without health insurance, the Obama administration said on Tuesday.

A report released by the White House said 20 million Americans now receive healthcare services through 8,500 community health centers, up from 17 million four years ago.

"Those numbers really took a big jump," Mary Wakefield, who heads the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, told reporters. "A lot of those folks were people who, when they lost their jobs early on, lost their coverage."

The administration said health centers were able to accommodate larger numbers of patients because of funding provided by President Barack Obama's embattled healthcare reform law and the administration's earlier economic stimulus package.

The report, the latest in a series of government releases aimed at underscoring the value of healthcare reform, surfaced as the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates about the future of the law known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Community health centers, which often serve low-income areas where there are few doctors or hospitals, provide a cornerstone for the law's goal of expanding healthcare access to more than 30 million uninsured Americans.

The ranks of the uninsured, which equaled 1-in-4 Americans last year, pose major social and financial challenges for the $2.6 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

But the high court could overturn the reforms in a ruling expected next month, ending the administration's plans to expand coverage and much of its support for community health centers.

The law also faces repeated election year calls for repeal from Republican politicians who call it government over-reach and a potential drag on the economy.

The administration also announced on Tuesday that it had awarded $728 million in grants for about 400 renovation and construction projects at community health centers. Officials said the funding would allow another 860,000 people to gain access to medical services.

Community health centers are nonprofit groups that serve patients with low incomes, including people with no insurance, limited English proficiency, migrant and seasonal farm workers, the homeless and people living in public housing.

All told, the Obama administration has now allocated $1.5 billion to support major construction and renovation projects at community health centers.

The ranks of health center patients are expected to grow by another 1.3 million people over the next two years, the White House report said.

(Editing by Vicki Allen)

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$21M in federal grants for 5 Kansas health centers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Five community health centers in Kansas will receive about $21 million in federal grants for expansion projects, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.

The grants are from the Affordable Care Act, which provides about $9.5 billion to expand services over five years and $1.5 billion to support construction and renovation projects at community health centers, the department said in a release.

The number of patients being served by community health centers is expected to grow by about 1.3 million patients nationwide during the next two years, the department said.

"For many Americans, community health centers are the major source of care that ranges from prevention to treatment of chronic diseases," Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in the release.

The grants nationwide are from two capital programs for community health centers. One program provides about $629 million to 171 health centers for longer-term projects to expand their facilities. The second group of awards provides about $99 million to 227 health centers to take care of more urgent facility and equipment needs.

The Kansas centers receiving money for long term expansion plans are Prairiestar Health Center in Hutchinson, which will get $5 million; Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, $4.7 million; the Hunter Health Clinic in Wichita, $4.6 million; Konza Prairie Community Health Center in Junction City, $4.5 million; and the Salina Health Education Foundation, which will receive about $2.7 million.

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Health Net Community Solutions Centers Offer Free Health and Wellness Activities to Local Communities They Serve

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As 2012 begins and we focus on our New Year’s resolutions, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT - News) wants to remind you that one of the best gifts we can give to ourselves is to help ourselves be healthy.

You are not alone if your New Year’s resolution includes improving your health. According to FC Organizational Products LLC, which annually publishes the top ten New Year’s resolutions, two of the top three New Year’s resolutions for 2012 are health related: 1. Become more physically fit; and 2. Improve one’s health.

In the spirit of kick-starting the New Year on a healthy note, Health Net’s Community Solutions Centers (CSC) offer a large variety of free fitness and health-related classes, activities and events every month. In fact, the centers provide these services and health education classes all year long to all local residents, both kids and adults, alike.

Examples of activities to participate in:

Fun Fitness for Kids, Adults and Seniors Zumba Exercise Class Educational classes on topics such as cancer, heart disease, etc. Support groups that deal with depression, alcoholism, etc. Meditation

In addition to these health-promoting classes, the CSCs also offer a full scope of free activities that extend beyond health and fitness. Using the expertise of local government agencies and local community groups, the centers provide activities ranging from educational classes on cancer and prevention (Fresno) to knitting beanies for cancer patients at a local children’s hospital (East Los Angeles) to passing out free bread to the local community (Stanislaus).

Adding these positive New Year’s resolutions into your daily routine is a great way to start the New Year and help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Getting involved in one’s own wellness is key to leading a healthy life and what better way to do it, while connecting with other members in your community.

Health Net is proud to offer these educational services and events to the communities it serves.

Community Solutions Center locations:

About Health Net of California

Health Net of California, Inc., a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc., is one of the largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life Insurance Company, it serves more than 2.2 million members statewide and contracts with 67,000-plus physicians, 300-plus hospitals and 5,000-plus pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. For more information about Health Net, visit the website at www.healthnet.com.

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