All Entries Tagged With: "medical"
Rhode Island – Dog Bites
Every year, many Americans are bitten by a dog. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 4.5 million people are bitten by a dog each year in the U.S. If you have found yourself in this predicament, you are not alone. If you have been bitten by a dog, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Untreated dog bites can lead to such severe injury, infections and can even be fatal. If you want to pursue legal action against the owner of the dog that bit you, then you will want to hire an expert dog to bite attorney as soon as possible. Dog bite victims in Rhode Island have three years to file a claim before the statute of limitations runs out.
Dog Owner Liability:
Under Rhode Island Statutes 4-13-16, dog bites are viewed under “strict liability.” The statute means that “the defendant is held liable if a particular event occurs, regardless of whether the defendant could have done anything to prevent the event.” To be more specific, if a dog assaults, bites or injures a person or an animal belonging to another person the owner of the biting dog will be held liable. The person or injured animal cannot be on the property of the dog’s owner when the bite occurs because it can be seen as an intruder, another law pertains to this instance. This statute applies to any and all injuries that a dog causes to people or other animals.
This statute applies to dog bites but also other injuries a dog has caused, such as a dog knocking someone over and injuring them. The other person can file a claim against the dog’s owner if they are injured. If someone is injured by another person’s dog while on the other person’s property, the injuries will ball under the “one bite” rule.
RI “One Bite” Rule
The “one bite” rule takes effect when someone steps on to another person’s property or home and is bitten or injured by their dog. In this particular situation, the “one bite” rule takes effect if the dog hasn’t bitten anyone before now so the owner couldn’t have known they would act aggressively in this manner. The injured person will have to prove that the owner had knowledge that the dog was dangerous or hostile towards other people for the owner to be liable. This is where an experienced Rhode Island attorney like Rob Levine will be able to research and fight for your justice!
New Study Shows Patient Centered Medical Homes Improve Health, Lower Costs Results of five-year study by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, RI – Patient centered medical home (PCMH)
practices can improve health outcomes and lower costs for patients,
according to a new study by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
(BCBSRI). At the end of a five-year study period, and in the final year of
the study, PCMH practices were 5 percent less costly and saved $30M
compared to standard primary care providers.
A recent analysis of BCBSRI’s PCMH experience between 2009-2014 found
patients with complex medical conditions, like diabetes or cardiac health
issues, are 16 percent less likely to be hospitalized or need to visit an
emergency department, and readmissions to hospitals were 30 percent lower,
compared to someone seeing a standard primary care provider. In addition,
patients at PCMH practices saw marked improvements in a range of quality
measures including diabetes care and colorectal screening.
“We have invested heavily in provider partnerships committed to delivering
on the triple aim of improving population health, patient experience and
cost of care, and this study shows that we are beginning to see returns on
that investment,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, president and CEO of BCBSRI.
“While we are pleased with the results to date, healthcare remains too
expensive and does not produce the experience our members deserve. Blue
Cross remains focused on accelerating delivery system change and achieving
a simpler, more satisfying and affordable care experience for our members
and all Rhode Islanders.”
The report tracked more than 89,000 commercial and 14,000 Medicare
Advantage members within BCBSRI’s PCMH over the 2009 – 2014 time period.
Today, BCBSRI has 137,000patients seen in PCMH practices. Return on
investment in the PCMH program was more than 250 percent, highlighting the
value of focusing on enhanced access to team-based primary care and
investing in programs that enable a coordinated care experience for those
who need it most.
BCBSRI has a strategic plan to drive toward affordable and simple care for
all members by 2018. The company will build on proven approaches like
strong provider partnerships, embracing and facilitating collaboration, and
promoting a team-based approach to care that puts patients at the center.
“Achieving this early success has required a complete shift in the way both
BCBSRI and our provider partners think about financial incentives, and
reinforces the importance of moving away from fee-for-service payments.
Instead of rewarding volume of care, BCBSRI and our partners have shared
financial incentives to improve access to care, coordination among
clinicians in different settings and, ultimately, the health of BCBSRI
members,” said Mark Waggoner, senior vice president of care integration and
management, BCBSRI.
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 www.bcbsri.com, follow us on Twitter @BCBSRI, and like
us on Facebook at fb.com/bcbsri.
R.I. High School Runners Dress Up, Lace Up for Tufts Health Plan High School Inspirational 3K
PROVIDENCE, RI – On Sunday, September 20, more than 650 student athletes from high schools across the state competed in the 7th Annual Tufts Health Plan High School Inspirational 3K. A race day feature of the CVS Health Downtown 5K, the road race encourages teams to compete in a creative costume contest before hitting the pavement in downtown Providence for a 3K race.
From American pride to social media themes, dozens of high school track, cross country and other sports teams showed off their creative and fun school spirit during the pre-race costume contest. Judges found the East Greenwich High School girls field hockey team to be the most spirited with their “deflate-gate” costumes, earning them $750 for new team uniforms.
“Our High School 3K is a great way to show students that exercise, especially with friends, can be fun,” said Marisa Fusco, Director of Client Services at Tufts Health Plan. “Embracing healthy habits at an early age, like running, plays an important role in lifelong wellness. Tufts Health Plan is committed to helping our community find ways to do this.”
Additional team costume themes included Harry Potter, U.S. women’s national soccer team, ninjas and more. All participants received jump ropes and Frisbees to continue to support fun fitness activities.
About Tufts Health Plan
Founded in 1979, Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage. Touching the lives of more than one million members, Tufts Health Plan serves members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, offering health care coverage regardless of age or circumstance.
New England Emergency Medical Training opens doors in East Providence with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – East Providence officials joined in the celebration of an Open House/Ribbon Cutting ceremony recently for the New England Emergency Medical Training (NEEMT) in its new location at 1970 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence.
East Providence City Manager Paul Lemont, Rhode Island State Representative Katherine Kazarian, and City Councilor Bob Britto were on hand to welcome CEO Carol Mansfield to East Providence.
Ms. Mansfield acquired NEEMT recently and plans to expand the school’s offerings. The new 2,500 square foot location will now serve as headquarters for NEEMT and will house some of the growing company’s administrative offices.
According to Mark Haskell, President of Corporate Relations and Government Affairs for Stat/Southcoast EMS and Coastline EMS, the school will be incorporated under the Stat/Southcoast and Coastline umbrella, and will seek to draw students from Massachusetts as well as Rhode Island. Presently, New England Emergency Medical Training primarily prepares individuals for EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and Paramedic examinations. Haskell notes that they may include training in related areas, such as Phlebotomy, CPR, ACLS, PAIS, EKG, CNA; and refreshers that will include CEU Credits, EVOC for ambulance, and OSHA. Additionally, they do “Mock Codes” for contracted medical facilities.
New England Emergency Medical Training currently has 10 instructors, and Haskell said that they expect to increase the number of instructors in the near future.
About Carol Mansfield
Mattapoisett, MA resident Carol Mansfield, who has just completed the acquisition of New England Emergency Medical Training, is the Chief Executive Officer of three ambulance/emergency medical transportation companies and two EMT Training Schools in New England: Stat Ambulance Service Dartmouth, Stat-Southcoast EMS, Coastline EMS, STAT Emergency Medical Training and Coastline Educational Services.
Under Ms. Mansfield’s leadership, the companies have grown from a two-ambulance service in one location into a company with multiple locations in two states with more than 200 employees.
About Coastline Ambulance Services
Coastline is based in East Providence on Dexter Avenue, and provides ambulance services and wheelchair transport, including emergent and non-emergent transportation, and inter-facility transfers. The firm was acquired in 2012 by Carol Mansfield, CEO of two Massachusetts companies, Stat and Stat – Southcoast EMS. In the three years since Stat-Southcoast has taken over the company, the number of monthly transports have quadrupled and the company has expanded its service area to work with additional hospitals and health care facilities. For additional information on Coastline Ambulance Service, please contact Mark Haskell, President of Corporate Relations and Government Affairs at 508-997-0707.
About Stat/Stat-Southcoast EMS
Stat Ambulance Service and Stat-Southcoast EMS are owned and operated by CEO Carol Mansfield, who has more than 30 years’ industry experience to the region. Stat Ambulance Service is the 911 provider for the Town of Dartmouth, MA. Stat-Southcoast EMS provides backup 911 for the Town of Dartmouth, as well as for the City of New Bedford and the City of Fall River, as well as numerous nursing care and other healthcare facilities. The firms together employ more than 200 people and operate more than 60 ambulances, 30 wheelchair vans, 9 Medical Livery vehicles and 2 Fleet Services. The Stat companies set high standards in the recruitment and training of their Paramedics and EMTs and have a strong, solid record of safety and accomplishment, and they run their own training center for the purpose of helping individuals interested in careers in Emergency Medical Services. The Stat companies maintain headquarters at 360 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth, MA, and operate satellite locations in New Bedford and Fall River, MA and Newport, RI. Stat-Southcoast EMS provides a full range of scheduled and unscheduled healthcare transports to the region. For additional information, please call Mark Haskell, President of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, or visit www.southcoastems.com.
