Category: Health

Líderes de Trinity Health registraron una Solicitud de Certificado de Necesidad con Illinois Health Facilities y la Junta de Revisión de Servicios, para pavimentar el camino para abrir Mercy Care Center, que ofrecerá atención urgente, servicios de diagnóstico y coordinación de cuidado de entorno ambulatorio para atender a más de 65,000 pacientes al año. El centro estará localizado en el corazón de Bronzeville en Oakwood Shores, 3753 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL. El nuevo centro de pacientes externos ofrecerá tres tipos de atención:

Servicios de atención urgente: Los expertos en atención médica saben que el 30 por ciento de los pacientes de emergencia suelen ser atendidos en un entorno de atención urgente para una atención más rápida en una ubicación conveniente en el vecindario. El centro proveerá a los pacientes acceso a la atención que necesitan sin tener que ir a un hospital que opera para proveer más servicios complejos.

Prueba de Diagnóstico: Componente crítico del centro de pacientes externos será la prueba de diagnóstico. Mercy Care Center ofrecerá servicio de imagen para identificar enfermedades antes que se conviertan en graves y proveen a los pacientes el nivel correcto de atención a través de una pronta intervención y navegación hacia los proveedores apropiados. Las pruebas que se ofrecerán en Mercy Care Center incluyen: Tomografía Computarizada (CT), Imagen de Resonancia Magnética (MRI) Ultrasonido, rayos X, Mamografía y Densidad Osea.

Coordinación de Cuidado: Mercy Care Center ofrecerá a los pacientes acceso a servicios coordinados de cuidado para conectarlos con proveedores especializados y para atender citas y planes de atención. La coordinación de cuidado estará enfocada en transmisiones de cuidado, el compromiso del paciente y los objetivos de autogestión de los pacientes para alcanzar niveles óptimos de bienestar.

Trabajando sobre la renovación del Programa de Evaluación de Hospitales del Gobernador Pritzker a principios de este año, el Departamento de Servicios Familiares y de Salud (HFS) reveló un nuevo plan de cuidado de salud centrado en la equidad, que atiende los determinantes sociales y estructurales de salud. El departamento se afilió a la Escuela de Salud Pública de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago, para llevar a cabo una investigación exhaustiva y una escucha comunitaria exhaustiva en todo el estado para crear el plan que presenta un cambio importante en la atención médica. Para desarrollar el plan, investigadores de HFS trabajaron con organizaciones comunitarias para alcanzar algunas de las comunidades más afligidas de Illinois. Miembros de la comunidad compartieron historias de barreras históricas, culturales, económicas y logísticas para el cuidado de salud, que expusieron una grave desconexión entre la atención que las personas necesitaban y la atención que recibían. Si se implementa, el nuevo plan de HFS patrocinará proyectos piloto y subsidios de planeación para atender tanto el cuidado de salud como los determinantes sociales de salud, enfatiza la colaboración con organizaciones comunitarias más un proveedor de cuidado de salud no relacionado y garantiza que la equidad de salud sea un enfoque principal medible de cada proyecto.

La Senadora Estatal Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) está exhortando a los residentes de Illinois sin seguro o con un seguro muy bajo, a que visiten Affordable Care Act Marketplace durante el período de inscripción abierta, que va del 1º de noviembre al 15 de diciembre. Este año, los residentes de Illinois podrán escoger entre 179 planes de ocho proveedores de seguros. También existen créditos de impuestos disponibles para ayudar a los residentes de bajos ingresos a reducir sus pagos mensuales y encontrar una cobertura asequible. El año pasado, más de 240,000 personas recibieron crédito en impuestos y después de aplicarse los créditos, el promedio de pagos mensuales fue de $153. Hay tres niveles de cobertura para elegir entre ese saldo de cobertura y costo: Oro, Plata y Bronce. Cualquiera que esté ya cubierto bajo un plan ACA automáticamente será inscrito en el mismo plan o uno similar si no escogen uno diferente. Para más información para seleccionar un plan, los residentes de Illinois pueden visitar https://getcoveredillinois.gov.

Junto con la Iglesia Misionaria Bautista New Spiritual Light, Peer Plus Education y Training Advocates, CVS Health está iniciando pruebas rápidas del COVID-19 en Chicago Baptist Institute. Farmacéuticos y empleados de la farmacia CVS serán el personal de la operación de pruebas, que estará disponible para los pacientes sin costo alguno. Las pruebas en Chicago Baptist Institute, localizado en el 5120 S. King Drive en Chicago estarán abiertas al público con previa cita. Los pacientes necesitarán pre-inscribirse por adelantado llamando al 844-826-2838 para programar una hora para llegar al centro para la prueba. No se requiere un vehículo personal para la prueba y los resultados se entregan en el lugar mismo. Para ser elegible para la prueba, los pacientes necesitan reunir los requisitos establecidos por los centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, además del requisito de edad. Además de ofrecer la prueba junto con varios afiliados comunitarios en todo el país, CVS Health ofrece una prueba de auto servicio (drive-thru) en más de 4,000 Farmacias CVS a nivel nacional. Más información sobre los pasos que CVS ha dado para atender la pandemia del COVID-19 disponible en el centro actualizado del COVID-19 de la compañía.

After Halloween, let’s face it, the holiday season passes by like a bullet train. This year more than ever we need to start preparing for it and take a holistic approach.  Kit Rich, celebrity trainer and founder of KICHGO gives tips on how to approach the season regarding workouts, meals, and meditation.  She also offers a complimentary workout and one of her go-to holiday pies which she alters slightly for a healthier option. Kit’s philosophy is the best time to plan for the holiday season is now because you’re going to be so busy. Most importantly, she believes it’s important to stay consistent and of course, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 

Workout

Tip: Plan weekly

1. At the beginning of each week line up which workouts you’ll be doing so you don’t waste time. Do your research beforehand.

2. Add those times to your calendar. Once they are entered, think of them as important as a doctor’s appointment or business meeting.

3. Goal is to work out for 30 minutes to 1 hour – 3 days per week

4. Find 3 routines for 3 days per week. You will repeat these routines for two weeks. You are in essence doing each routine twice. The goal is to see if you improve in the second week. Do you have better strength? See an increase in speed? Have more range of motion?

5. Full body workout–because you are only working out three days, make it fun, exciting, and easy on yourself—lower body, upper body, full body.  

6. If you have time on your off days, try to go for a 30-minute walk or 3-mile run/jog.

Meals

Tip: Indulge don’t overindulge

1. Enjoy the holiday food, but try not to go into the meal starving because you’ll more than likely eat more than you should.

2. Drink a few glasses of water before you eat. You will feel fuller so you are less likely to overindulge.

3. Flavored water is a great option—mint, cucumber, lemon, lime—adding any of these will help satisfy a lot of cravings.

4. Always remember, your eyes are often bigger than your stomach.

5. If you plan on drinking alcohol, drink a glass of water in between each cocktail.

6. Chew an extra 10 times for every bite. You’ll find that you appreciate your food more and will feel satiated. 

Meditation

Tip: Be self-aware

1. Holidays are always stressful—people often feel like they haven’t accomplished what they wanted, being around so much family often makes them anxious, and external stressors are impacting everyday life such as Covid-19.  It’s important to watch out for triggers.

2. Every morning practice 5-10 minutes of deep breathing.

3. Make a conscious decision to implement that same method of breathing when you feel triggered. It will help calm you.

4. It’s important to look at health holistically. The thoughts going through your head and your reactions to them and your perspective as well.

COVID-19 has increased mental health needs for children and families across the State. Simultaneously, the pandemic has damaged mental health providers, including significant damage to Screening, Assessment, and Support Services (SASS) providers, the 24/7 crisis response programs. Sheltering in place has caused a significant reduction in patient referrals to SASS programs throughout the state of Illinois, decreasing revenue and creating a severe strain on the ability of these agencies to maintain staff and provide critical care and assistance. To aid this mental health system, the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has awarded $2,500,000 in total funding to 23 SASS providers working to improve the mental health of Illinois children during the COVID-19 pandemic. SASS is a statewide public mental health crisis intervention program that screens and assesses children in psychiatric crisis and provides intensive community-based services in lieu of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization when possible. SASS programs are staffed 24/7 to provide efficient response to mental health crises. Referrals for SASS services typically occur when families, schools, pediatricians and other child supportive systems become aware of a child’s distress. Due to the pandemic opportunities to see children in these settings have dramatically decreased.

Illinoisans can shop for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace. Open Enrollment began Sunday, November 1 and runs through December 15, 2020.  The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) recommends consumers begin their search at getcoveredillinois.gov to find accurate information to help compare health plans, get free enrollment help and even financial assistance (if they qualify). For more information, visit https://getcoveredillinois.gov/financialhelp

On the ACA Marketplace, consumers can choose from among three different “metal” levels that represent a range of coverage and costs: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.  Anyone who was enrolled in a plan last year will be automatically enrolled into the same plan or a similar one offered by the same insurer for the upcoming 2021 plan year. Go to the Get Covered Illinois (GCI) website to find the right health plan for you and get free assistance from a certified application counselor to help you through the process. https://getcovered.illinois.gov/en Visit the Illinois Department of Insurance to view the 2021 Analysis of the Illinois Exchange Plan https://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/ConsumerHealth.html

COVID-19 ha aumentado las necesidades de salud mental de los niños y las familias en todo el estado. Al mismo tiempo, la pandemia ha dañado a los proveedores de salud mental, incluido un daño significativo a los proveedores de servicios de detección, evaluación y apoyo (SASS), los programas de respuesta a crisis 24/7. Refugiarse en el lugar ha provocado una reducción significativa en las referencias de pacientes a los programas SASS en todo el estado de Illinois, disminuyendo los ingresos y creando una tensión severa en la capacidad de estas agencias para mantener al personal y brindar atención y asistencia crítica. Para ayudar a este sistema de salud mental, Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) ha otorgado $ 2,500,000 en fondos totales a 23 proveedores de SASS que trabajan para mejorar la salud mental de los niños de Illinois durante la pandemia de COVID-19. SASS es un programa de intervención de crisis de salud mental pública a nivel estatal que examina y evalúa a los niños en crisis psiquiátricas y proporciona servicios comunitarios intensivos en lugar de la hospitalización psiquiátrica cuando es posible. Los programas SASS cuentan con personal las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, para brindar una respuesta eficiente a las crisis de salud mental. Las remisiones para los servicios de SASS suelen ocurrir cuando las familias, las escuelas, los pediatras y otros sistemas de apoyo infantil se dan cuenta de la angustia de un niño. Debido a la pandemia, las oportunidades de ver niños en estos entornos han disminuido drásticamente.

The Center for Advanced Wound Healing located at Holy Cross Hospital – 2701 West 68th St in Chicago is now open to offer advanced wound care for people living with chronic, non-healing wounds. Sinai Health System has partnered with Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services. Healogics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and has a nationwide network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®. It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy.  If left untreated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.

The new wound care center is co-located with the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, which provides comprehensive services to help patients dealing with diabetes, endocrinology complaints and weight management to achieve and maintain good health and prevent short and long term complication by providing the knowledge, skills and support needed for successful control of their condition.  The Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology focuses on those living with pre-diabetes or Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, weight and hormone management and thyroid related care.  No referral is needed, call 773-257-HEAL (4325).

An estimated 10 million Americans struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and women are more than four times as likely as men to have it. “As a mental health issue, SAD is more than just being down about the cold and gloom of the winter months — it actually tends to keep you down and affects you day after day,” Dr. Brad says. “If you suspect you might have this disorder, you should talk to your doctor about it.” If you’re wondering how to beat those common winter blues, or looking for a way to improve your outlook (whether you have SAD or not), here are some things you can try:

1. Stay Busy — While it may seem easier to hunker down in your cozy home, try to get out and get some exercise, run errands, and do something fun. You can also boost your spirits by helping others.

2. Stay Healthy — The average weight gain during the winter months is 5-7 pounds. Stock your home with healthy food choices, and try to keep the processed foods to a minimum. While a little bit of comfort food now and then might serve a purpose, eating too much of it may only make you feel worse. Eating healthy food has a way of making you feel lighter, which may support a more positive outlook. Added tips: Stay hydrated and get plenty of vitamin C.

3. Mind Your Emotions — Starting the day with a positive affirmation can really help you keep your mind in a happy place for the rest of the day. Your morning routine could set you off on a positive or negative foot for the next 16 hours, so be mindful of how you begin the day. If negative emotional energy is hiding out in your body, you may be more likely to feel those emotions all the time. Energy healing with The Emotion Code® can help you let go of them.

4. Stay Connected — Organize a “winter blues” group. Rotate locations and plan fun, uplifting events and activities. You could all learn to cook something new, invite new friends to an activity to get to know new people, or play games and have appetizers.

5. Celebrate the Season — The colder season is chock-full of holidays that can bring you cheer. Use them as a time to have fun and celebrate life.

Veteran holistic physician Dr. Bradley Nelson (D.C., ret) is one of the world’s foremost experts on natural methods of achieving wellness. He has trained thousands of certified practitioners worldwide to help people overcome physical and emotional discomfort by releasing their emotional baggage. You can find a practitioner of his methods at www.DiscoverHealing.com/practitioners.