Shields health care group

"There are caregivers everywhere, and they don't look like what you expect," Drane said. "They need you to stop and recognize their challenges, and they will recognize yours. Just connecting around a shared reality is a relief. Let that be your bright spot." … [Read more...] about Parents and other caregivers are more stressed and in poorer health due to pandemic, report finds

How have our states done it? Social distancing, mask wearing mandates, and science-based communication have been vital. But one key factor has received less fanfare: the use of community-based strategies for testing, contact tracing and social support. In Chelsea, the coronavirus epicenter in Massachusetts, our clinic was flooded with COVID-19 patients in April, when rates of infection surged to 3,841 per 100,000 people, one of the highest in the country. Chelsea responded by bringing testing into the community at pop-up sites in the town square. It worked with the state to hire unemployed residents as contact tracers. Community health workers and community organizations organized to provide social support, like food aid, quarantine kits, and even shelter for those unable to safely isolate at home. Community-driven action helped slow the virus, save lives and reduce test positivity, allowing us to safely re-open the economy. … [Read more...] about Expanding our health force can save lives and create jobs simultaneously

That's sparking a shift toward team-based care that includes a health coach who helps patients lose weight, a social worker who screens for depression and a case manager to make sure diabetics keep taking their insulin. The idea is to attack problems such as obesity before they turn into major medical expenses such as diabetes or a heart attack. … [Read more...] about Retail clinics, apps change doctor-patient relationship

The problem, insurers said, is providers can charge whatever they want for the tests and insurers must cover the full costs — no matter how high — under federal laws passed to address the coronavirus pandemic. One freestanding emergency room charged Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas $4,800 for a nasal swab test, according to a redacted claim provided by the insurer. … [Read more...] about Insurers bearing the brunt of COVID-19 test costs. That might mean higher premiums.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump slams Nevada governor at rally, takes aim at mail-in voting Former NFL coach Mike Holmgren slams Trump pandemic response, throws support to Biden Watch Live: Trump rallies supporters in Nevada MORE’s unveiling Wednesday of a list of 20 additional judicial prospects came less than eight weeks ahead of an election whose winner could nominate as many as three new justices over the next four years, radically altering the court’s ideological balance. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Supreme Court list reveals influence of Clarence Thomas