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HealthPoint Blog Post Archives

Enjoy archived HealthPoint blog posts of past projects and photos from our years of service to the Brazos Valley.

2022-2023 Company Calendar

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Welcome to the 2022 & 2023 Company Calendar!

 

Our goal in MarCom is to make you a BIG part of what we’re doing and when it happens.  This calendar is a starting point.  There are so many months, weeks, and days aimed at recognizing YOU and others.  We don’t want to leave anyone out.

 

At the top of each month, you will see what “month” it is (June is Men’s Health Month, etc.)  Weeks are highlighted.  Below each month, there is a link to suggest days of recognition, jean days, and just about anything you’d like to celebrate!

 

Please note, that we won’t be able to accommodate every suggestion, but we need your input to ensure we’re celebrating the things you care about.

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MarCom Calendar 6.22

Suggest an event for JUNE 2022

 

Suggest an event for JULY 2022

 

Suggest an event for AUGUST 2022

 

Suggest an event for SEPTEMBER 2022

 

Suggest an event for OCTOBER 2022

 

Suggest an event for NOVEMBER 2022

 

Suggest an event for DECEMBER 2022

 

Help us plan the 2023 Calendar 

 

Suggest an event for JANUARY 2023

 

Suggest an event for FEBRUARY 2023

 

Suggest an event for MARCH 2023

 

Suggest an event for APRIL 2023

 

Suggest an event for MAY 2023

 

Suggest an event for JUNE 2023

 

Thank you for making HealthPoint a wonderful place to work!

Quality Improvement

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Here we’ll share the Quality Improvement updates, and successes, discuss upcoming activities, and more. Thank you for joining us!

May Quality Improvement Updates:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Quality Improvement Updates:

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oQuality Improvement April Updates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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March Quality Improvement Updates:
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Quality Improvement PDSA’s

QI

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Email Your Ideas: 

QualityImprovement@HealthPoint-TX.com 

Head back to our blog HERE.

Compliance Team – Updates!

April Compliance & HR Team Announcement:

While HealthPoint provides the I Got My Covid-19 Vaccine badges, we want to make it clear that we do not require anyone to wear them. That is completely your choice if you do or do not share it with others, the badge is Voluntary.

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If you believe you are being treated differently for wearing or not wearing your I Got My Covid-19 Vaccine badge, we encourage you to report it to the Compliance Hotline at Compliance@healthpoint-tx.com.

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HealthPoint prohibits retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, reports a possible violation or participates in an investigation, even if sufficient evidence is not found to substantiate the concern. HealthPoint will take appropriate action against any individual determined to be engaged in retaliatory conduct.

Authored By: Fatima Naeem and Katherine Hall

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March: Important Reminder from the Compliance Team!

Quarterly HIPAA Reminder!

Quarterly HIPAA Reminder

As part of HealthPoint’s ongoing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA’s) Security Program, the HIPAA Security and Chief Information Officer, Brian Thurston, and HIPAA Privacy Officer/Director of Risk Management, Katherine Hall Chiavone are sending out this quarterly reminder.

 

What are data breaches and why is protecting against them important? A breach is defined as an impermissible use or disclosure under the HIPAA privacy rule that compromises the security or privacy of the Protected Health Information. HIPAA breaches are not only the source of disciplinary action for staff members but also costly to HealthPoint as an organization. In 2020, the average breach of healthcare data cost organizations around $9.23 million in fines and restitution, a number that keeps increasing every year. Don’t click any links you aren’t familiar with and if in doubt, reach out either Brian Thurston and/or Katherine Hall Chiavone.

 

Source Link

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Compliance Hotline!

The Compliance Team is excited to roll out a new Compliance Hotline!

HealthPoint Senior Leadership saw a need to create an additional confidential avenue for reporting unsafe working conditions, discrimination, harassment, unethical behavior, and bullying. This hotline is in addition to the current Workplace Employee Quarterly Questionnaire. Thus, we have created the mailto:Compliance@HealthPoint-tx.com email address. We understand that it may be easy to confuse things reported to the hotline with something that should remain in variance reports. The lists below outline where you should report each type of issue:

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Things you should report to the hotline:

  • Unsafe working conditions
  • Discrimination
  • Harassment
  • Unethical Behavior
  • Bullying
  • Abusive Coworkers
  • Theft/Property Damage

Things to send through variance reports:

  • Patient Falls
  • Medication Errors
  • ER Referrals
  • Abusive Patients
  • All other things that you usually report through the Variance Trigger Form.

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If you aren’t sure where to report something, reach out to our Director of Risk Management/Compliance, Katherine Hall, or our Chief Compliance Officer, Fatima Naeem. They can help you determine which avenue will be best to report!

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The Compliance Hotline emails go to the Compliance Department, Fatima Naeem, and Katherine Hall. Remember that your report is not anonymous; however, the Compliance team will do its best to keep as much information confidential as possible.

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HealthPoint prohibits retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, reports a possible violation or who participates in an investigation, even if sufficient evidence is not found to substantiate the concern. HealthPoint will take appropriate action against any individual engaged in retaliatory conduct.

Authored By: Fatima Naeem and Katherine Hall

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Return to our blog home page HERE.

Employee Feature on Juan Florez

oEmployee Feature Juan Florez

Meet Juan Florez!

Each month we randomly select two staff members to feature on our Blog. This month we’ve chosen to do an employee feature on Juan Florez! You can find out more about him below, including some facts that didn’t make it in the Newsletter. The goal is to get to know our co-workers and teams better. Enjoy the read! 

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The Basics

Juan grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Doane University in Crete, Nebraska. Juan lived in Nebraska until August of 2019, when he and his family relocated to Somerville, TX.  

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Professional Career

Juan is a man of many talents! In 1998 he joined the Brick Layers Union. Juan enjoyed his time in this skilled trade until 2005 when he left to work at BNSF Railroad. Then in 2016, Juan took a giant leap and left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur. He owned and operated a residential remodeling business for many years. Juan joined Health point in June 2021 as our Facilities Resource Manager.  He still does remodeling work in his free time.  

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Juan’s Motto & More

Juan’s favorite Texas musician is ZZ Top! He said:

I grew up on it, and it is still some of my favorite music to make my long ride back to Nebraska too.

My wife Jessica and two daughters, Melysse and Melaya are blessed to have an acreage with a bunch of animals, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 12 chickens, 10 ducks, 20 goats, an Angus and a Longhorn.

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Thank you for all you do, Juan!  

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Return to our Blog Homepage HERE.

Employee Feature on Queren Sandoval

oEmployee Feature Queren Sandoval

Meet Queren Sandoval!

Each month we randomly select two staff members to feature on our Blog. This month we’ve chosen to do an employee feature on Queren Sandoval! You can find out more about her below, including some facts that didn’t make it in the Newsletter. The goal is to get to know our co-workers and teams better. Enjoy the read! 

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The Basics

Queren was born and raised in Bryan, TX. She graduated with honors from Bryan Collegiate High School. After graduation she pursued her Medical Assistant’s Certification from College Station Medical Assistant School.

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Professional Career

Queren started her career with Health Point in January of 2020, and we are so glad she is here!

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Queren’s Motto & More

“I love to bake and watch movies to pass the time,” she said. 

Her favorite quotes and verses are:

Psalms 63:7.8 “For you are my helper, And I shout joyfully in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; Your right hand keeps fast hold of me”.

Whenever I feel down, remembering these words gives me strength, knowing that I can face anything with God by my side.

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Thank you for all you do, Queren!  

Return to our Blog Homepage HERE.

Compliance Team

Meet Our Compliance Team!

Are you asking, “What is compliance and why do we have a compliance team?”
I WAS TOO! Read below to find out more about who they are and what they do.

The Basics – What is Compliance? 

Healthcare compliance refers to the process of abiding by all legal, professional, and ethical compliance standards in healthcare. Basically, it’s about following the rules, and in healthcare, there are plenty of them.

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Who is on our Compliance Team?

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Chief Compliance Officer, Fatima Naeem:

Fatima Naeem is the new Chief Compliance Officer for HealthPoint. Prior to this role, she worked at Naeem Law Firm, PLLC handling guardianship, probate, CPS, and other matters in Brazos and surrounding counties. She started her own firm after gaining experience as an attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid. She believes in giving back to the community both in her personal and professional life. To that end, she is a fifth cohort graduate of the Texas Opportunity and Justice Incubator and she currently serves on the Board of the Friends of the Bryan/College Station Library.

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Director of Risk Management and Compliance, Katherine Hall

Katherine Hall Chiavone served as the Director of Risk Management and Compliance since September of 2020. Prior to joining HealthPoint, she worked as the Operations Manager for the Brazos County Health District. Katherine is a member of the Junior League of Bryan College Station, and enjoys working out, and practicing yoga in her free time.

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What’s next? 

Together, Fatima and Katherine work to ensure that HealthPoint remains compliant with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, such as OSHA, HRSA, and various other entities. Over the next few months we will be highlighting the work that they do to ensure that we remain compliant!

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Return to our blog home page HERE.

Meet our Behavioral Health Team

Meet our Behavioral Health Team! 

Get to know our Behavioral Health Team a bit better.  They are excited to serve you and welcome your call! 

Coming Soon! 

National Pharmacist Day 2022

January 12, 2022, is National Pharmacist Day!

For this reason, let’s celebrate National Pharmacist Day 2022 by learning more about 2 of our outstanding pharmacy team members at HealthPoint. 

First, Meet Belinda Cutrone

National Pharmacist Day 2022 Belinda Cutrone

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Education

Belinda always had a deep love for science. For this reason, she decided to pursue a degree from The University of Texas at Austin.  While there, she attended the university’s prestigious School of Pharmacy and earned a degree.

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Professional Background & Why HealthPoint?

Since graduation, Belinda has worked in various retail pharmacy settings, both corporate and privately owned. Over the years, she witnessed the escalation of drug prices. Subsequently, her patients’ struggled to afford their medications. “I sought to find an environment where I could help patients and their families find affordable medication. That’s what led me to HealthPoint 11 years ago.”

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More about Belinda

“In my leisure time, I enjoy playing my baby grand piano and hiking on wilderness excursions. Recently, my husband and I hiked 70 miles of trail in Palo Duro Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and the Guadalupe Mountains.”

 

 

Meet Annette DeSantiago

Annette DeSantiago National Pharmacist day 2022

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Education

Annette attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford, Oklahoma. While there, she earned her undergraduate degree. She enjoyed her time there so much, she decided to pursue her graduate degree from its College of Pharmacy. Specifically, she earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy.

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Professional Background

Annette completed her postgraduate year 1 Pharmacy Practice Residency with Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg, TX. Then, Annette moved to Tucson, AZ, where she completed her Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Medication Management Program. After graduation, she worked as a Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner in North Carolina. Annette provided Chronic Care Management (CCM) services before moving back to Texas.

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Why HealthPoint?

“I recently joined HealthPoint in September 2021. I wanted to be part of a team whose focus was providing care in underserved areas. My family grew up not having many resources, and I see my parent’s faces in the patients I help manage. In a way, I understand these patients’ barriers and difficulties managing their chronic diseases. With this, I strive to aid them to achieve their goals.”

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More about Annette

“I have an “Irish twin”! Meaning: I have a sibling less than a year apart in age. Here is a couple of months, my younger sister and I will be the same age for a few weeks.”

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Finally, thank you for celebrating their outstanding work by learning a bit more about Belinda and Annette on National Pharmacist Day 2022! Click HERE to return to our blog homepage. 

Employee COVID-19 Information

HealthPoint Employee COVID-19 Information

On this page you’ll find all the employee specific information you need about COVID-19 leave, additional pay stipends, available testing locations, testing requirements, and current policies all in one place. 

FAQ are at the bottom of the page.

Approved Testing Sites:

Any location that provides COVID-19 tests and documentation of the result.  HealthPoint Employee Health testing’s site is included.  for this purpose, they’re open: Monday – Friday, beginning at 7am at the POD located outside of the Memorial Clinic. Time cards will NOT approved for a “PAID ABSENCE” code without this documentation.
Send results to: EmployeeHealth@healthpoint-tx.com

PLEASE NOTE: Home test kits are NOT considered an approved testing method.

Our Chief Nursing Officer, Jennifer Mertz, has been working overtime to respond in a timely manner to all submissions.

Temporary Stipends & Paid Absences:

We have received additional COVID-19 relief funding. As a result, we plan to pass these funds on to employees to help alleviate the stress we know you are feeling. However, the funding is limited; therefore, we can only offer this program temporarily. The Details follow:

Temporary COVID-19 compensation additions:

  • All employees will receive an additional $3 per hour, up to 40 hours per week, for their worked hours in the following forthcoming pay periods:
    • 12/16/21- 12/31/21 – Pay Date: 01/14/22
    •  01/01/22- 01/15/22 – Pay Date: 02/01/2022
    • 01/16/22- 01/31/22 – Pay Date: 02/16/2022
    • 02/01/22- 02/15/22 – Pay Date: 03/01/2022
      • HealthPoint will apply this temporary stipend to worked hours only. Thus: PTO or “Paid Absence” hours will not qualify for the $3 per hour pay.

COVID-19 Paid Absences:

Employees may qualify for up to 5 days of “Paid Absences” if they meet one of the following criteria:

  • Submit positive test result
  • Are required to quarantine due to a confirmed Employee Health workplace exposure beyond their control.

Those required to quarantine due to community exposure who have not tested positive will be required to use their PTO first. However, if their PTO is exhausted, they will use a “Paid Absence.”

  • Please note: if you are not experiencing symptoms and your position can work remotely, Employee Health may release you for remote work. Therefore, this approved remote work would qualify for the additional $3/hr stipend.

Re-implementation of COVID-19 Strategies:

Effective immediately, we will re-implement the following strategies:

  • Wear mask at all times around others and use appropriate PPE as indicated (vaccinated & unvaccinated individuals)
  • Stop Communal meals/lunches (do not eat together)
  • Social distancing; meticulous hand hygiene; and increase cleaning of frequently touched surfaces
  • Re-implement 1 Visitor policy

Vaccinations

1/20/2022 Update from TACHC

The CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (CMS IFC) is now in effect in Texas.

The Texas case, in which a federal judge which had enjoined the implementation and enforcement of the CMS IFC in Texas, was just dismissed on a motion by the State of Texas and the stay issued in that case is now moot.

This means that health centers in Texas – like the other 49 states, territories, and the District of Columbia – must have policies and procedures in place for ensuring COVID-19 vaccination of all staff and that 100 percent of staff have either received the first dose or have (a) made an exemption request, (b) been granted a qualifying exemption, or (c) been identified as having a CDC-recommended temporary delay by certain deadlines.

The day after the Supreme Court ruling was released, CMS released new guidance for the 24 states where, like Texas, the vaccine mandate had been stayed to push back the compliance dates (begin coming into compliance by February 13, 2022; have 100 percent of staff have completed the vaccine series (either one dose of a single-dose vaccine, or all doses of a multi-dose vaccine) unless they have been granted a qualifying exemption or have a CDC-recommended temporary delay by March 15, 2022). It is expected that the same will occur for Texas health centers now that the Texas case has been dismissed.

TACHC will share an updated version of our COVID-19 Vaccination P&P and provide an update, if and when the compliance dates change (though there would likely be less than a week difference, at most), so centers should begin preparing now to comply with the new dates in the latest guidance.

Health center specific guidance regarding implementation and enforcement is available here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-22-07-all-attachment-m-rhcfqhc.pdf

COVID-19 vaccination, including the booster, saves lives and decreases the number of COVID-related hospitalizations.  Vaccinated individuals with COVID illness experience mild to no symptoms and recover sooner.  If you need a booster, Employee Health can help!

A letter from Jennifer Mertz and Dr. Nic

This latest surge is likely driven by the Omicron variant and case numbers may continue to rise for several more weeks before we see significant decline. Furthermore, we recognize that we are all suffering from COVID fatigue and have a strong desire to return to pre-COVID life.  We hope by sharing available data coupled with the COVID-19 mitigation strategies we have re-implemented.  We can support each of you in making good decisions to protect your own health and wellbeing, and that of your family, friends, and colleagues.

COVID-19 Cases are on the Rise in our Area

We’ve made the decision to re-implement some of our previous COVID-19 strategies due to the following:

Why?

  • As of today, 01/07/2022
    • 46 staff are currently being followed by Employee Health related to COVID-19
    • 30 staff out, with only 3 working remote
    • 23 positive cases
    • 15 potential workplace exposures, 3 confirmed
    • Expect 16 staff to return on 01/10/2022

In the same way we’ve done throughout this pandemic, we continue to focus on employee/patient safety and risk reduction

FAQ – Employee COVID-19 Information:

  • Employee Smith tested positive between Christmas and New Year’s, so he/she received a 5-day paid absence.  Then mid-January, he/she uses all his/her PTO.  Then in early Feb., he/she has to quarantine due to community exposure and he/she has a runny nose, but his/her rapid test is negative, and the PCR results take 4-5 days to return, would the individual get another 5 day paid absence?”
    • In short, the Paid Absence is a ONE TIME, ​Maximum 5 days, benefit.
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  • Today I clocked in at 08:06 AM because school traffic is wild!  In fact, I was here the full day.  I understand I will get a half an occurrence for those few minutes, but will I still qualify for the pay differential for the full day?
    • Yes, you will get .5 occurrence.
    • You will also receive the COVID pay stipend for every hour you work.
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  • Say I was sick before this policy was put in place AND I communicated it to my supervisors, with a positive test.  Will I get my PTO back?
      • IF you Submit positive test result to Employee Health and it is during the time periods listed, your PTO will be adjusted and you’ll be given those hours back.
      • But, THIS MAY TAKE US SOME TIME – Our goal was to have this completely corrected by the 2/1 payroll.  HR and Payroll are processing requests as quickly as possible.  We are working as quickly as possible.  Please be patient with us.
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  • Will the pay differential ($3/hr) include those on contract?
    • No decision regarding Spherion contractors.
    • CHI hourly employees will see the pay pay increase reflected on their checks.
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  • To clarify, we receive the first stipend on the 2/1/2022 paycheck, not on the 1/14/2022 paycheck?
    • Correct
    • PTO Hours may take a bit longer to reconcile.  We will keep you posted.
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  • Does this temporary pay increase include administrative employees?
    • All HealthPoint employees will receive the additional $3 per hour COVID stipend.
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Head back to our blog HERE.

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In the Greater Brazos Valley, HealthPoint offers medical and dental services including Urgent Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Dental Health, and Pharmacy.

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