Capsules

Private Equity Group Buys Avera Telemedicine Service

Avera Health announced recently the sale of its telemedicine services, Avera eCare, to Aquiline Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York and London with $6.4 billion in assets under management. As part of the acquisition, Aquiline will execute the carve-out of Avera eCare and rename the company Avel eCare. Closing is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021. “We are very proud that Avera’s innovation in the telehealth space created this nationally renowned telehealth company,” said Bob Sutton, President and CEO of Avera Health. “During the pandemic, people nationwide recognized the value of telehealth, and telehealth grew in significance. The time is right for us to fulfill this piece of our strategic plan so Avel eCare can scale and help even more people. Avera will continue its tradition of being an innovator in the virtual care space well into the future. And, Avera will maintain a relationship with Avel eCare as a recipient of telemedicine services.” “Avel eCare has developed an innovative solution that provides critical services to underserved communities in the growing telemedicine market. It aligns with our expertise in establishing corporate carve-outs and helping to build tech-enabled service businesses. We look forward to building on Avel eCare’s strengths and working closely with the management team to expand their services and enhance their offerings for clients around the country,” said Jeff Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Aquiline. Avel eCare’s more than 230 employees will continue to work for Avel eCare, and its headquarters will remain in Sioux Falls, S.D. Avera patients will continue to benefit from telemedicine with no interruption of services. Some services, including virtual specialty consults, will remain with Avera. “Over the past decade, Avera eCare, now Avel eCare, grew telehealth services to over 600 sites across 32 states,” said Deanna Larson, who will remain the CEO of Avel eCare. “We are proud of the team that pioneered this unique care model, cultivating thousands of clinician-to-clinician relationships in support of the bedside care teams.” 

Mayo Expanding Minnesota Proton Beam Therapy Program

Mayo Clinic has announced plans to begin work this November on a 110,000-square-foot, $200 million expansion to the Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Program in Rochester. “Proton radiotherapy has provided an major technological advancement in the treatment of cancer, allowing for powerful radiation therapy to precisely target cancer in a manner superior to traditional radiation therapy,” says Nadia Laack, M.D., chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.  “When it opens in 2025, the expanded facility will feature two new treatment rooms, in addition to four treatment rooms currently in operation and improved access for patients requiring proton therapy,” says Dr. Laack. Mayo Clinic’s Proton Beam Therapy Program uses pencil beam scanning, which allows health care providers to deliver precise radiotherapy to cancerous tissue and lower doses of radiation to healthy tissue, subsequently reducing toxicity and negative side effects for patients receiving treatment. The proton beam facility utilizes a particle accelerator that drives protons to nearly the speed of light before delivering highly targeted therapeutic radiation and is ideal for people with tumors located near or within vital organs. “The availability of proton beam therapy allows Mayo Clinic physicians and the radiation oncology team to continuously provide innovation in cancer care, delivering individualized treatment plans for each patient,” says Dr. Laack. “Extensive research has proven that proton beam therapy is an effective therapy with the fewest side effects for patients with certain types of cancer.” “Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is thrilled by the institutional support for this essential expansion of our Proton Beam Therapy Program. As the world leader in proton beam radiation therapy and in new particle radiation therapies under development, we are committed to providing the most advanced cancer care to all of the patients we serve,” says Cheryl Willman, M.D., executive director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs and director of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

UMN Med School Receivers NIH Prize

 The Center for Women in Medicine and Science (CWIMS) at the University of Minnesota Medical School, led by Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE, was one of 10 institutions recently awarded the NIH Prize for Enhancing Faculty Gender Diversity in Biomedical and Behavioral Science on behalf of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Each awardee received a $50,000 prize. Started in 2018, CWIMS’ mission is to support and facilitate leadership and professional development opportunities to achieve gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. Under Dr. Berge’s leadership, the administrative leadership of Kait Macheledt, BA, and partnerships with CWIMS action group leads Nissrine Nakib, MD, An Church, MD, Sade Spencer, PhD, and Alicia Kunin-Batson, PhD, LP, they work with faculty members across the Medical School to co-create and carry out gender equity initiatives. CWIMS is an emerging leader in innovative and fast-paced institutional gender equity reform at the UMN Medical School. CWIMS utilizes a Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, which is a state-of-the-art and evidence-based framework to advance their mission and vision. Consistent with CBPR, all of the CWIMS initiatives include metrics to track our success and impact. In the first 2.5 years of the CWIMS, much has been accomplished, such as a salary equity study to creating an electronic gender equity metrics dashboard to track our progress, a Distinguished Visiting Scholar mechanism for funding and prioritizing presentations by women faculty, and grant funding for projects such as closing the gap on disparities between men and women achieving promotion and tenure. These outputs and outcomes are part of a broader ongoing gender equity-focused agenda with the goal of highly effective and sustainable reform. The other nine recipients include the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rochester Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Florida International University, University of Houston, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Boston University Medical Campus.

Allina AnnouncesInnovative Paid Caregiver Leave Benefit 

Allina Health has announced the introduction of a new paid caregiver leave benefit for non-contract employees. The new benefit, a first among the region’s health care systems, allows up to two weeks of paid time off each year for eligible staff to spend time caring for immediate family members having serious health issues or to care for and bond with a new child. “We respect and value the important contributions of all our employees,” said Christine Moore, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Allina Health. “We heard from our staff that being able to care for themselves and their loved ones is vital to their well-being. As part of our mission to provide whole person care, we are excited to be the first health care system in our region to offer this valuable benefit so our employees can take the time they need, when they need it.” As of Aug. 1, 2021, eligible non-contract employees can receive the new benefit. The benefit will pay 60-percent of an employee’s eligible pay for up to two weeks within a 12-month period. Beginning in 2023, the paid caregivers leave benefit will be enhanced to 100-percent of an employee’s eligible pay. The new benefit acknowledges the importance of time-away from work and is a commitment to supporting a healthy work-life balance for employees. In addition to the new paid caregiver leave benefit, this fall eligible non-contract Allina Health staff will also be able to purchase up to five extra paid time off days to use the following year.

Sanford Fargo Opens New Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Facility

Sanford Fargo recently celebrated the grand opening of the region’s only stand-alone orthopedics and sports medicine facility.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony was the culmination of a five-year, nearly $30 million remodeling and expansion project at Sanford’s South University campus in Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Bruce Piatt, department chair of orthopedics at Sanford Fargo, was there to celebrate. “This has really given us the opportunity to bring all of our orthopedic services under one roof, which makes it wonderful for us as physicians and health care providers, to be able to be in one facility where we can communicate easily with each other,” Dr. Piatt said. “But it also gives our patients the opportunity to be able to have their evaluations here, have their physical therapy here, have their surgeries here, all in the same building.” Over the past 10 years, Sanford orthopedics patients have had multiple different campuses and clinics to navigate based on their specific needs. Now with everything under one roof, both patients and providers will have an easier time during their appointments. The new facility provides almost everything in orthopedics, including subspecialties such as sports medicine, reconstructive work, joint work, orthopedic oncology, pediatric orthopedics, hand surgery, foot and ankle surgery, physical therapy, urgent care, and more.  

Assisted Living Licensure Becomes Law

As of Sunday, August 1, Assisted Living Licensure (ALL) became a new part of regulatory law, changing the licensing structure for assisted living facilities in Minnesota. The number of Minnesota providers applying for assisted living licenses exceeded expectations given the number of assisted living-type facilities in the state. MDH accepted a total of 2,006 applications (1,414 assisted living facility applications and 593 assisted living with dementia care facility applications) for a total capacity of 57,636 residents. “The application process provides a strong signal that our existing housing with services providers are making a smooth transition and implementing the new safety and care improvements on schedule,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm, “We are thankful for the hard work of so many who have been involved in this transition process.” The groundbreaking bipartisan reform legislation passed by the Minnesota Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in 2019 is designed to improve the safety and quality of care in long-term care in Minnesota. There are now two types of assisted living licenses beginning Aug. 1:

Assisted Living License Assisted Living License with Dementia Care

The two licenses replace the combined Comprehensive Home Care License and the Housing with Services registration, which were discontinued July 31. The new assisted living reforms set higher expectations for providers and create more protections for people living in assisted living establishments. They also create clear pathways for accountability and better services for residents of assisted living facilities. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) posted an online list of the facilities approved to be licensed as assisted living facilities which is now available and will be updated daily online at Assisted Living Information for Consumers, Families and Caregivers. The site also offers other resources such as the Minnesota Assisted Living Bill of Rights and frequently asked questions for consumers. “Checking to see whether your facility was approved for an assisted living license can be a simple way to confirm that your facility is on track with this process,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. With the new law in place it is important to be aware of these changes and to be in communication with providers about any possible changes in services.

UHC to pay 15.6 M over Mental Health Parity Act Violations

Minnesota based United Behavioral Health and United Healthcare Insurance Company will pay $13.6 million to affected participants and beneficiaries; pay $2,084,249 in penalties; and take other corrective actions following investigations and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor and the New York State Attorney General. An investigation by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration found that – going back to at least 2013 – United reduced reimbursement rates for out-of-network mental health services, thereby overcharging participants for those services, and flagged participants undergoing mental health treatments for a utilization review, resulting in many denials of payment for those services. United’s action violated the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which prohibits ERISA-covered health plans from imposing treatment limitations on mental health and substance use disorder benefits that are more restrictive than the treatment limitations they impose on medical and surgical benefits. Investigators found United failed to disclose sufficient information about these practices to plans and their participants and beneficiaries. In the settlement, United agreed to cease the violations, improve its disclosures to plan participants and commit to future compliance. “Protecting access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment is a priority for the Department of Labor and something I believe in strongly as a person in long-term recovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “In the shadow of the most devastating year for overdose deaths and in the face of growing mental health concerns due to the pandemic, access to this care is more critical than ever before.” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.