Orlando Health opens 6th freestanding ER, keeping pace with rivals

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/facilities-management/orlando-health-opens-6th-freestanding-er-keeping-pace-with-rivals.html?em=&oly_enc_id=2893H2397267F7G

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Orlando (Fla.) Health opened its sixth freestanding emergency room in Central Florida., Sept. 16, according to The Orlando Business Journal. 

The 40,000-square-foot, two-story freestanding ER houses an imaging department, outpatient pharmacy and lab services unit. The ER, located in Lake Mary, Fla., cost $69 million to build. 

The opening of Orlando Health’s freestanding ER comes as two rivals that operate in Central Florida — Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth and national for-profit hospital operator Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare — race to build additional freestanding ERs in the state.

Standalone emergency departments are on the rise in Florida because of overcrowded ERs on hospital campuses, according to the report.

 

Philadelphia hospital receives 2 takeover bids

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/philadelphia-hospital-receives-2-takeover-bids.html

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A consortium of four health systems that was expected to submit a bid for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia bowed out of the auction, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The hospital, which is being sold through the bankruptcy process, received two takeover bids: One from West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health and Drexel University in Philadelphia, and another from Santa Ana, Calif.-based KPC Global.

Four healthcare organizations based in Philadelphia that teamed up in July to explore the acquisition of St. Christopher’s did not submit a bid. The consortium was led by Jefferson Health and also included Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Temple Health.

“As a consortium responsible for 60 percent of patient activity to St. Chris with three safety-net hospitals, we remain very interested in collaboration with whoever the winning bidder is to ensure continued access and quality of care for our pediatric patients,” Jefferson said in a statement to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We look forward to supporting the provision of these needed services for the children of our community.”

If the two bids submitted for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children qualify as valid bids, an auction will be held Sept. 19, according to the report.

 

Whole Foods is cutting medical benefits for hundreds of part-time workers

https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-cuts-medical-benefits-for-part-time-workers-2019-9?fbclid=IwAR1rCZfjB2rg8xRy7SzoYE51-JtpCYvD8iggWEB7Jc97ly8P3G_29-YjTAA

Whole Foods

  • Whole Foods is cutting medical benefits for hundreds of part-time workers.
  • The Amazon-owned company told Business Insider it was cutting benefits “to better meet the needs of our business and create a more equitable and efficient scheduling model.”
  • “I am in shock,” one Whole Foods worker said. “I’ve worked here 15 years. This is why I keep the job — because of my benefits.”

Whole Foods is cutting medical benefits for hundreds of part-time workers, the company confirmed to Business Insider on Thursday.

The changes will take effect on January 1 and affect just under 2% of Whole Foods’ total workforce, a Whole Foods spokesperson told Business Insider.

Whole Foods has about 95,000 employees, so it means about 1,900 people will lose benefits.

The benefits that the company is cutting are offered to part-time employees who work at least 20 hours a week. The changes will not affect full-time employees.

Whole Foods said it was making the change “to better meet the needs of our business and create a more equitable and efficient scheduling model.”

“The small percentage of part-time team members … who previously opted into medical benefits through Whole Foods Market’s healthcare plan — less than 2% of our total workforce — will no longer be eligible to buy into medical coverage through the company,” the Whole Foods spokesperson said.

“We are providing team members with resources to find alternative healthcare coverage options, or to explore full-time, healthcare-eligible positions starting at 30 hours per week. All Whole Foods Market team members continue to receive employment benefits including a 20% in-store discount.”

A 15-year employee of Whole Foods said she was devastated by the news.

She told Business Insider in an interview that her family was covered by the health-insurance plan she is enrolled in through her job at Whole Foods.

She said she would have to increase her hours to become eligible for full-time benefits and pay for childcare, or shop for a new and potentially more expensive health-insurance plan on the private marketplace. She spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

“I am in shock,” she said. “I’ve worked here 15 years. This is why I keep the job — because of my benefits.”