As of August 3, two proposals have been made that will change healthcare delivery now and even after the pandemic is over. Both positive and negative, the first was announced by President Trump’s administration to propose expanded beneficiary access to telehealth for rural communities and the second was proposed by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to implement up to 9% payment cuts for both physical and occupational therapy. You can learn more about these propositions and how they will affect patient care by clicking on the links below. 

Since the beginning of March, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a rippling effect on the entirety of the healthcare industry, resulting in reduced accessibility and affordability of services to certain communities around the world. With no short supply of unprecedented changes, we have all learned to overcome the challenges of fear, panic and confusion in addition to learning how to be resilient during a time of crisis. 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), a campaign aimed to encourage everyone to participate in routine vaccinations as well as advocate the importance of immunizations for all ages. Now more than ever, vaccines play an important part in helping protect our communities from preventable diseases in addition to reducing the risks of spreading new ones. 

Located in Owensboro, Kentucky, Wendell Foster’s Campus is a private non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of both adults and children with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Their agency cares for over 2,000 patients within Kentucky and Southern Indiana in addition to actively participating in community support programs such as family networking, transportation accommodations and assistive technology resources for those with disabilities. 

With states and government officials easing restrictions and beginning to authorize phased reopening, medical practices will certainly begin to see a revitalized surge in patient visits while society continues to learn how to adapt to the new normal. Over time, schedules will start to fill up as patients feel more comfortable venturing outside their homes, regular work days will resume for your staff and of course, the challenges of efficiently monitoring as well as managing your patient revenue cycle will reappear once your business reopens. 

As of early March, telehealth has become the new alternative method of healthcare delivery and has accounted for a majority of patient visits during the beginning of this year. With the adoption of telehealth services becoming more common in late February, it wasn’t until mid April that an overwhelming influx of telehealth visits were scheduled. However, recent studies show a gradual decline in telehealth visits near the end of May, resulting in a significant drop off in June and now July. While certain medical specialties such as dermatology and rheumatology have seen a resurgence of in-person visits, others, particularly physical therapy, pulmonology and some surgical specialties have been most affected by the pandemic and are still seeing in-clinic visit rates below the baseline. This means that for some healthcare providers, telehealth solutions, as of now, are their primary resource to continue caring for their patients. That is why we wanted to list a few different types of telehealth and their benefits in addition to offering some strategic insights of implementing virtual care. 

If you are starting to feel the effects of being stuck in the house for too long - we've compiled a list of resources from some of our physical therapy customers that may help you feel less groggy during the day and more motivated to keep moving. Especially if you work from home, it is important to avoid remaining sedentary all day at your desk. Be sure to read more tips for remote workers here. 

COVID-19 has definitely made 2020 already a year we won’t forget. As the media is flooded with news updates and the world is in a state of panic and confusion, it is hard to remain positive and look ahead to the brighter future coming our way. That is why, we wanted to evaluate some relatively good things that will come out of COVID-19 and help you focus on some positivity for a change. 

While a lot of places like amusement parks, resorts and vacation destinations are beginning to reopen in phases, there has been much discussion and controversy over the way in which they do so. Whether it be a lack of precautionary measures or the implementation of too many, popular leisure and entertainment businesses are now facing the challenges of enforcing their guests to social distance while also making sure their experience is not ruined by safety limitations set in place. 

Located in Boise, Meridian and Nampa, Idaho, Sawtooth Physical Therapy strives to provide specialized therapy and rehab services to the whole of the Treasure Valley area. With a team of dedicated occupational and physical therapists, their mission is to elevate patient care as well as educate their patients on the best ways to heal and prevent their bodies from injuries.