Adams Memorial Hospital offers MDsave plan
Patients without insurance or who have high deductibles for the insurance they have may benefit from the MDsave program currently being offered at the Adams Memorial Hospital.
Members of the Adams Health Network Board of Trustees learned this week at their monthly meeting about the MDsave plan which is much like buying a plane ticket online as patients can go on line and check prices for a test, procedure, or surgery they need. They can also do “comparison shopping” by checking prices not only at Adams Memorial Hospital but other hospitals in the area to see the differences.
Patients can prepay for what they need to have done or schedule a payment plan with promotional finance options. Once a payment is made, the patient will receive a voucher as proof of purchase. The advantage AMH has is that a patient who uses MDsave usually gets a lower price with the high-quality care because the billing process is much more efficient.
With MDsave, patients can save on x-ray exams, lab tests, OB-GYN procedures, pain procedures, general surgeries, colonoscopies, regenerative medicine care, sleep medicine, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
Brochures explaining MDsave have been placed in the hospital lobby and all physician offices for people wishing more information about the program.
In a report to trustees, marketing/community outreach director Susan Sefton noted “patients can get real help in affording the outof-pocket costs of healthcare with MDsave. They can save an average of 50 percent off the national average and you get upfront, easy-to-understand pricing that includes the most common fees that go along with procedures. That means no surprise bills later.”
Numerous other reports and information were given to the board as well during the meeting, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Living Director Dane Wheeler spoke about the recent state survey that ran from March 21-25 at Adams Woodcrest. He noted surveyors found two minor violations but both were easily and immediately corrected. He talked about some of the senior activities of late including Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter events, and noted the remodeling project at the Adams Heritage Nursing Home in Monroeville is nearing completion.
The dietary department of the hospital and Adams Woodcrest served a total of 13,000 and 15,700 meals respectively in March. Increases were due to the fact the Bistro at Adams Woodcrest has now reopened and the hospital cafeteria also now allows non-staff members to eat meals there; both areas had been severely restricted due to the Covid pandemic.
Nick Nelson, Chief Information Officer and Support Service Director at AMH, noted 69 new wheelchairs were purchased for Woodcrest to replace the older models. He said the new surgery office at the Strickler Oncology Building is about 90 percent complete but some needed items are still on backorder and that a new sidewalk has been extended on the north side of the Oncology building for easier patient and staff access. Also, the Woodcrest “C” wing is in the final stage of renovation and the hospital recently installed new fire panel annunciators for quicker response times for fire protection.
The Diabetes Education Program under the direction of Lisa McAfee started a fifth-year group in April and will finish a year-four group in May. Persons interested in more information about the diabetes prevention work being done at AMH should contact McAfee at 724-2145, extension 11007.
It was reported that Behavioral Health director Baldemar Silva recently met with the director of the Adams/Wells Crisis Center to develop a service contract to provide counseling services for those who are victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Megan Weirrick of the department also recently spoke to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Parkway High School about different ways of approaching anxiety.
New Sterilizing Equipment
The Surgery Department has been busy working with the Clinical Engineering and Maintenance Department at the hospital to have a new Sterrad Sterilizer installed that allows workers to sterilize the more fragile equipment used in laparoscopic cases by using hydrogen peroxide instead of heat and steam. New autoclaves will be installed in May to sterilize other surgical equipment replacing older equipment used in this process.
The number of Covid-19 illness/exposure investigations continues to fall rapidly at the hospital. In March, only 18 were done compared to several hundred of two months earlier.
A former familiar face to women needing OB/GYN care has returned to AMH with Dr. Craig Hanson seeing patients again on Tuesdays and Fridays with morning and late afternoon appointments available. His primary focuses are gynecological services and high-risk pregnancy consultation in collaboration with the current AMH family medicine physicians in the Obstetrics and Newborn Clinic located on the second floor of the hospital. Patients may schedule appointments with Dr. Hanson by calling the Central Scheduling Department of the hospital.
Under a report from the rehab and therapy department, it was noted the Worthman Fitness Center is averaging over 100 visits per day with 717 active members. The exercise class membership has doubled since the first of the year. It was noted that over 45 athletes from Bellmont participated in Functional Movement Screens in April and that the hospital is in the process of setting of dates to do similar testing at South Adams and Adams Central.