Once again, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant is likely to be the gift many did not want to receive from attending holiday gathering!

You may recall in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was frequent breaking news about each latest variant of the virus (remember Delta and Omicron?). Now that the worldwide public health emergencies have expired, detecting, monitoring, and responding to new variants has become more challenging. 

The Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team supports social, physical, and economic environments which promote attaining the full potential of health and well-being for all. This blog segment highlights impactful publications which promote improved health outcomes through Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) each month.

In this months article, the authors introduce a model that would links cultural trauma to health disparities by three cultural resources: cultural modes, institutions, and lands. The article encourages the need to change policy to prevent dominant groups from dominating the resources of minority groups.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. A perfect time to revisit this topic!

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S., and smoking causes almost a half a million deaths per year.

Rural NC Road in Autumn. Photo used with permission

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. 

Effective January 1, 2025, Aetna will replace Blue Cross Blue Shield NC for the NC State Health Plan coverage.

Which plans are included?

• Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20)
• Basic PPO Plan (70/30)
• High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)

This change does NOT impact members enrolled in the Humana Medicare Advantage plans.

The current pharmacy benefit manager (CVS Caremark®) will not change.

You know the health of your patients.

Do you know the financial health of your practice?

• Where does your practice stand related to financial benchmarks like days in accounts receivable?
• Do you understand your payer mix?
• What is your process for auditing for lost revenue?

North Carolina AHEC has a free tool that you can use to track your practice's financial health.

More and more patients are embracing prevention and early intervention to stay healthy and avoid health related complications. NPs encourage health promotion and a comprehensive, wellness-first approach. November 10-16, 2024 is National Nurse Practitioners (NP) Week! 

Medicaid Managed Care Fireside Chat

Healthcare workers can face many risks of potential workplace violence.

Practice Support has so much to offer you and your practice team. We focus on WHAT MATTERS TO YOU. 

Did you know:

Practice Support is your resource for your Quality Improvement Projects?

• We can help you understand reporting requirements, and support you in your work toward meeting quality goals for NC Medicaid, and the Medicare Quality Payment Programs and / or Making Care Primary.

• Maybe you want to implement a new diagnostic, treatment, or team-based care modality (like scribes or care managers)? We have expertise in the QI processes of examining current state, and identifying what your practice can do to achieve desired future state, and support you every step of the way.