All Entries in the "Health & Healthcare" Category

Feel the Power of Music:Bradley Hospital’s Annual Gala, Raises Record $557,425

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – As music filled the air at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet on Friday, June 3, setting the tone for what would be an inspirational night, Bradley Hospital welcomed more than 350 supporters to its 2016 Bravo, Bradley gala, Feel the Power of Music. Chaired by Marcy and Rick Granoff, the signature event raised a Bradley record $557,425 to advance the hospital’s pioneering pediatric mental health care, education and research.

Of the total raised, the event’s live auction Fund-a-Need generated $160,250 to help establish an outpatient clinic for young patients with autism and developmental disabilities.

“Every day at Bradley, we heal the hearts and minds of children and their families who often have nowhere else to turn for help, and so much of that work is possible thanks to the generosity of our donor community,” said Daniel J. Wall, President of Bradley Hospital. “As we mark the 85th anniversary of Bradley opening its doors, it was philanthropy that fueled our creation and remains the fuel that keeps us on the leading edge of care, cures and hope—our sincerest thanks to everyone who made this event a success.”

With an overarching theme that captured music’s intrinsic ability to bring forth powerful emotions and connect people, guests were treated to a special musical performance by The 18 Wheelers and Sidy Maïga to kick-off the evening. After a moving video about a young boy’s challenges with mental illness, autism and other developmental disabilities, and the impact Bradley Hospital has had on his life, professional auctioneer Paul Zekos of The Zekos Group presented the event’s live auction and Fund-a-Need.

As Mr. Zekos introduced an impressive array of items, spirited bidding surrounded each with two experiences generating a level of friendly competition that resulted in additional packages being added mid-auction. Three sets of guests bid $12,000 individually, each landing a7-night trip to Tuscany for four to stay in a Cortona Villa, while two in-home dinners for 10 prepared by Chef Ben Lloyd of The Salted Slate in Providence sold for $8,500 each. At the end of the auction, guests dined on dinner expertly prepared by Russell Morin Fine Catering and danced to the sounds of Steve Anthony & Persuasion.

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to chair such an important event and work alongside a committee whose unprecedented involvement and dedication paved the way for the record amount raised,” said Rick Granoff, who chaired this year’s Bravo, Bradley with his wife, Marcy.

“Helping children live life to the fullest is what Bradley is all about—this is a hospital near and dear to our hearts—and thanks to the community’s outpouring of support, more children and families will benefit from its life-changing care,” added Marcy. Bradley Hospital extends special thanks to title sponsors, Susan and David Brown, and Richard and Susanne Baccari and family; presenting sponsor, AECOM; leadership donor, Amica Companies Foundation; and platinum sponsors, Marcy and Rick Granoff, and Transdev.

About Bradley Hospital

Founded in 1931, Bradley Hospital, located in East Providence, R.I., was the nation’s first psychiatric hospital devoted exclusively for children and adolescents. It remains a nationally recognized center for children’s mental health care, training and research. Bradley Hospital is a member of the Lifespan health system and is a teaching hospital for The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BradleyHospital) and on Twitter (@BradleyHospital).

Innovative Option to Reduce Healthcare Benefits Costs for Your Business

by Lauren Hedde

Last year, CNBC aired a special on five ways small businesses can save on healthcare costs. “Robin Wiener [‘owner of health-care IT firm, Get Real Health in Rockville, MD’] has achieved something many small-business owners have struggled to do: She has lowered her firm’s health-care premiums.”

One of the five recommendations highlighted by CNBC and implemented by Wiener is to “Explore Direct Primary Care.” They highlight that “a growing number of primary-care physicians are partnering with employers to deliver affordable preventative and primary care on a fixed-monthly membership model, in what is known as direct primary care. Instead of billing patients’ insurance, direct primary care providers charge users a monthly fee for unrestricted access to their doctor….Unlike in concierge practices, which also charge monthly fees, providers in direct primary care do not bill insurers or Medicare for medical visits.”

According to last year’s article in Time Magazine, Qliance – which is the largest Direct Primary Care practice in the nation – has “signed up previously undreamed-of populations: big private employers like Expedia and Comcast, public and industry employee unions like the one for Seattle firefighters and–most radical of all–at least 15,000 Medicaid patients….Treating a wide variety of patients – young and old, healthy and chronically sick, well-off and poor – Qliance claims to be saving approximately 20% on the average cost of care compared with traditional fee-forservice providers.”

One of Qliance’s largest clients is Expedia. According to Time, “Expedia was motivated to try direct care for reasons that are familiar to business executives everywhere: health care bills were skyrocketing, but employees were not getting healthier. ‘We had a number of catastrophic illnesses in 2011 and a disturbing number of deaths–12,’ vice president for human resources Connie Symes tells me. ‘We found Qliance and their model of spending quality time with patients addressed our need to get employees involved in their own care….’ At the end of last year, Expedia surveyed the staff, Symes says, and the response was emphatic. More than half the employees had tried Qliance, and of those, more than 95% said they were satisfied. ‘They love the doctors,’ Symes says. ‘They love the personal relationships they’re forming.’ And although Expedia still classifies Qliance as an experiment, Symes says direct primary care, with its emphasis on prevention, ‘is taking us in the right direction on lowering costs.’ ”

Local small business owners and larger company CFOs in Rhode Island now have access to a similar option for covering their employees’ healthcare benefits – Direct Doctors. As a Direct Primary Care practice already established and seeing 100s of patients on an individual level, Direct Doctors physicians are now starting to branch into the world of employers/small businesses by discussing wrap-around types of health insurance plans (at lower premium costs to business owners and their employees) alongside employee memberships in this DPC practice. This is an extremely unique, new, and exciting alternative to the traditional health insurance benefit offerings most companies can provide to their employees. And, unfortunately, in this world of ever-rising premium costs & deductibles, employers are struggling to provide affordable benefits to their employees without sacrificing access to their physicians/health care (in the form of higher copays, narrower provider networks, etc). In other words, health insurance is being offered instead of health care.

Direct Primary Care practices, on the other hand, are able to provide patients (including employees of member businesses) 24/7 cell, text & email access, same day visits, convenient scheduling with longer appointments and no waiting. They can even see employees at their job site if feasible. All together, this can reduce employee absenteeism (no inconvenient visits during the middle of the day with long wait times, less preventable chronic illness, and less time out of work for acute illnesses that can be treated quickly and conveniently at the office).

Qliance has shown great cost reductions with this concept for both employer and employee. By reducing the amount of claims sent in to an insurance company (no copays for visits, no bills to the insurance companies, and no charging patients coinsurance), premiums stay lower, coverage costs picked up by employers and employees are more manageable, and everyone is happier and healthier.

Dr. Lauren Hedde & Dr. Mark Turshen practice Direct Primary Care at their Direct Doctors office in Wickford. They are hosting an Open House geared toward introducing and explaining this concept to employers June 9th 4-8pm at the Quonset Annex. RSVP to directdoctors@gmail.com.

Last year, CNBC aired a special on five ways small businesses can save on healthcare costs. “Robin Wiener [‘owner of health-care IT firm, Get Real Health in Rockville, MD’] has achieved something many small-business owners have struggled to do: She has lowered her firm’s health-care premiums.”

One of the five recommendations highlighted by CNBC and implemented by Wiener is to “Explore Direct Primary Care.” They highlight that “a growing number of primary-care physicians are partnering with employers to deliver affordable preventative and primary care on a fixedmonthly membership model, in what is known as direct primary care. Instead of billing patients’ insurance, direct primary care providers charge users a monthly fee for unrestricted access to their doctor….Unlike in concierge practices, which also charge monthly fees, providers in direct primary care do not bill insurers or Medicare for medical visits.”

According to last year’s article in Time Magazine, Qliance – which is the largest Direct Primary Care practice in the nation – has “signed up previously undreamed-of populations: big private employers like Expedia and Comcast, public and industry employee unions like the one for Seattle firefighters and–most radical of all–at least 15,000 Medicaid patients….Treating a wide variety of patients – young and old, healthy and chronically sick, well-off and poor – Qliance claims to be saving approximately 20% on the average cost of care compared with traditional fee-for-service providers.”

One of Qliance’s largest clients is Expedia. According to Time, “Expedia was motivated to try direct care for reasons that are familiar to business executives everywhere: health care bills were skyrocketing, but employees were not getting healthier. ‘We had a number of catastrophic illnesses in 2011 and a disturbing number of deaths–12,’ vice president for human resources Connie Symes tells me. ‘We found Qliance and their model of spending quality time with patients addressed our need to get employees involved in their own care….’ At the end of last year, Expedia surveyed the staff, Symes says, and the response was emphatic. More than half the employees had tried Qliance, and of those, more than 95% said they were satisfied. ‘They love the doctors,’ Symes says. ‘They love the personal relationships they’re forming.’ And although Expedia still classifies Qliance as an experiment, Symes says direct primary care, with its emphasis on prevention, ‘is taking us in the right direction on lowering costs.’ ”

Local small business owners and larger company CFOs in Rhode Island now have access to a similar option for covering their employees’ healthcare benefits – Direct Doctors. As a Direct Primary Care practice already established and seeing 100s of patients on an individual level, Direct Doctors physicians are now starting to branch into the world of employers/small businesses by discussing wraparound types of health insurance plans (at lower premium costs to business owners and their employees) alongside employee memberships in this DPC practice.

This is an extremely unique, new, and exciting alternative to the traditional health insurance benefit offerings most companies can provide to their employees. And, unfortunately, in this world of ever-rising premium costs & deductibles, employers are struggling to provide affordable benefits to their employees without sacrificing access to their physicians/health care (in the form of higher copays, narrower provider networks, etc). In other words, health insurance is being offered instead of health care.

Direct Primary Care practices, on the other hand, are able to provide patients (including employees of member businesses) 24/7 cell, text & email access, same day visits, convenient scheduling with longer appointments and no waiting. They can even see employees at their job site if feasible. All together, this can reduce employee absenteeism (no inconvenient visits during the middle of the day with long wait times, less preventable chronic illness, and less time out of work for acute illnesses that can be treated quickly and conveniently at the office).

Qliance has shown great cost reductions with this concept for both employer and employee. By reducing the amount of claims sent in to an insurance company (no copays for visits, no bills to the insurance companies, and no charging patients coinsurance), premiums stay lower, coverage costs picked up by employers and employees are more manageable, and everyone is happier and healthier.

2016 Rhode Island and New England Microenterprise of the Year

Ensuring That Physical Limitations will no longer dictate an independent home life

Linda and Bill Bohmbach, Founder and Owner, Home Healthsmith

Linda and Bill Bohmbach’s story did not start with their business, Home Healthsmith. Linda began her career in consumer products industry with major drug and food retailers, Bill was the owner of his own professional elevator company. While these positions were lucrative and both Bill and Linda were successful they wanted to do more. They believed in helping people and their passionate advocating and volunteering at the MS society allowed them to see how they could.

The Bohmbachs had an idea that they could provide products and services to help clients achieve mobility and safety in their homes. With this thought in mind Bill sold his company to focus full time on bringing this idea to life. Before long the demands of what would become Home Healthsmith ensured that Linda would leave her position to dedicate herself full time as well and by 2012 they had begun their journey to improve the quality of life for their customers.

Linda and Bill began offering solutions to help accommodate a person’s individual in-home needs such as elevators, stair lifts, ceiling lefts, vertical platform lifts, wheelchair ramps, home modifications, installation of grab bars, portable showers, and to her accessibility equipment. They also provide many of these options in rentals which helps to enhance their customers freedom, improve their sense of control and protect their personal dignity.

Home Healthsmith grew quickly and no longer would their in-home operations suffice. Linda began searching for an adequate space and found their first office which allocated them 500 square feet. In less than one year they would once again be searching for a bigger space and by July of 2014 had moved into a 4905 square foot location at 207 High Point #2 in Portsmouth. Even with the space provided Home Healthsmith continued to grow at an astounding rate and once again the need for more space had Linda acquiring an additional 1250 square feet at their current location with a 4000 square coming in Q1 of 2016.

Recently, they have opened The Center for Adaptive Living at High Point in Portsmouth. This is an open environment that allows seniors, disabled individuals, rehab patients and many more including those that want to age-in-place in their homes. They also have architects, builders, PT’s, OT’s, and nurses who bring their expert knowledge to help those who may be interested in learning more about the process. This site also provides incredible training to professionals and is the only applicable site on the east coast and elevates Home Healthsmith above the competition, Linda also added this site isn’t all that separates them from their competitors, “we have a very strong project management where we work with architects and builders on, we also develop relationships with our clients as well as the builders and architects. What we find is that there are competitors out their but they’re not doing what we do, they’re not answering phone calls, they’re not getting back to the client who may have a service issue in a timely manner. People need stair lifts and elevators and in a majority of these cases they need them in order stay safe in their homes or in order for them to even live in their homes.”

For all their success and growth this still is very much a family business with the heart and soul of it being Linda and Bill. Linda felt strongly that even though she was the recipient of this award that she had not done it alone, “This is a team effort and Bill and I couldn’t have done it without each other.” Linda elaborated more on why the company has been so successful, “We have really developed a strong team here and one of the biggest things is that we are striving to have a self-managing company. We’ve empowered our employees to make the right decisions and it is really working with them and allowed them to grow as well.”

For their demonstrated success and potential for future growth, the U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to honor Linda and Bill Bohmbach, Owners of Home Healthsmith, as the 2016 Rhode Island and New England Microenterprise of the Year.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Launches 2015 Annual Report

PROVIDENCE, RI – New customer initiatives, expanded partnerships with providers and local community organizations, and innovative contracting models made 2015 a year of continued healthcare transformation and financial strength for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), which today released its 2015 Annual Report. BCBSRI’s efforts in 2015 met key goals of improving the customer experience, creating a more collaborative healthcare environment and improved patient experience and producing cost savings. These same efforts, combined with continued focus on low administrative costs, resulted in a $21.6 million gain on operations and a $29.7 million addition to reserves, assuring the company’s continued stability and ability to invest in transformative initiatives.

“We continue to believe that the only avenue to a sustainable, affordable, and simple healthcare system for our state is through collaboration—among providers of healthcare, state leadership, customers, and regulators,” said BCBSRI President and CEO Peter Andruszkiewicz in the opening of the online report. “Simply put, it takes a team.”

Throughout 2015, BCBSRI introduced several initiatives to further enhance service and simplify the healthcare experience for customers, including:

• A new retail store location and innovative offerings to meet customers’ active lifestyles. Locations include Your Blue Store Lincoln, Bristol and Warwick.
• Seven-day-a-week customer service, a 24/7 Nurse Care Line, HouseCall by Blue appointments for members struggling with complex medical needs, and enhanced online shopping capabilities.
• Collaboration with Care New England’s Women & Infants Hospital to offer a free in-home doula visit through a first-in-Rhode Island partnership between an insurer and provider for free doula services.

BCBSRI generated impressive results through team-based provider partnerships committed to delivering on the triple aim of improving population health, patient experience and cost of care. BCBSRI’s five-year study of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) showed improved health outcomes compared to standard primary care providers—and a savings of $30 million in healthcare costs. BCBSRI also realized $43M in healthcare cost avoidance by integrating pharmacists into primary care offices through the Medication Therapy Management Program.

The collective impact of grant programs, volunteer efforts and in-kind donations – which support more than 190 local non-profits – is highlighted in the companion 2015 Community Report. BCBSRI’s Blue Angel Community Investment Program supports nonprofits and programs that address the most critical health issues facing Rhode Islanders, from childhood obesity to health literacy to quality care for the uninsured.

In addition to stories that feature BCBSRI’s customers and provider partners, the annual report includes an overview of 2015 business results and examples of the company’s leadership and ongoing investments in corporate citizenship and diversity and inclusion.

About Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island 

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is the state’s leading health insurer and covers more than 450,000 members. The company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit http://www.bcbsri.comwww.bcbsri.com, follow us on Twitter @BCBSRI, and like us on Facebook at fb.com/bcbsri.