06Jun

Telehealth continues to demonstrate its popularity, this time among people suffering with chronic pain.

At their annual meeting this month, itself held online, anesthesiologists heard that patients who met with their pain specialist remotely were overwhelmingly satisfied with the experience.

Conducted by the UCLA Comprehensive Pain Center in Los Angeles, the survey period began in August 2019, long before the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients at the pain center were given the option of in-office or remote appointments by video or phone. The 1,398 patients who chose the remote options had a cumulative 2,948 virtual appointments.

According to an account of the study by Healthcare Finance the virtual meetings saved patients both time and money. Half saved at least 69 minutes commuting and a roundtrip of 26 miles or more. They also saved a median $22 in gas and parking fees for each virtual visit.

Initial visits for new patients or existing patients with new conditions were best served by in-person office appointments, the report said. Thereafter, follow-up appointments could be conducted remotely. Anesthesiologists participating in the conference estimated that up to 50% of visits could be virtual.

Before the pandemic, telehealth growth was limited by rules limiting the types of visits Medicare and Medicaid and private insurers would reimburse. Those limits were waived during the pandemic, resulting in a rapid expansion of virtual medical consults.

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

[bdp_post_carousel]

Majority of Employers Still Honoring Job Offers and Internships

There’s some good news for college students anxious about their summer internships. Almost two-thirds of employers intend to go ahead with them. The same is true for the jobs they offered to graduating seniors.

A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found 64% of employers are not revoking their offers of full-time or internship employment. They may shift the start date and 29% expect to move interns to a virtual program, but only 15% are reducing the number.

The survey did find about a quarter of employers were considering what to do about the offers they made, given that no one is certain what will happen in the next several weeks.

Even if they decide to make cuts, there’s no reason to despair, says Green Key’s Clare Wright. There are companies still hiring. In fact, the dearth of campus recruiting has created opportunities.

“Smaller firms will have a chance to snap up those high caliber candidates who are eager to get working right out of school.”

Katelin Carbon, who as Green Key Resources’ Recruitment Director focuses on healthcare, says jobs are available for new grads in physical and occupational therapy and as speech language pathologists.

“Given all that is happening,” she add, “There is a huge need” for RNs especially in ICUs and emergency rooms, and for respiratory therapists, where there is a severe shortage.

“We encourage new grads to upload their resumes to job boards – Careerbuilder, Monster, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn.”

Add Handshake to that list, adds Wright, who says, it is “an excellent resource for both college students and employers looking to hire.”

Especially for employers who do have internships and jobs to offer, Wright recommends being more proactive and creative in recruiting.

“Employers should reach out to colleges who are currently holding virtual career fairs and offering online career counselling to seniors,” she says. “Companies should invest heavily in their social media presence as well as hiring through their own staff networks – everyone will know someone affected by this pandemic so word of mouth networking will be strong.”

Wright, an Executive Director with a focus on office support, adds that Green Key Resources may be able to help.

“We are always ready and willing to talk to recent grads. While most clients like to see some relevant internship or corporate experience, often companies will look to grads with any kind of work experience such as summer jobs, or customer service.”

Wright, who graduated college in 2009 during the worst recession since the Depression, has some words of encouragement for college students: “Try to breathe. The job market will bounce back.

“This will not be the graduation that you expected, but it will be okay. You might not end up in your dream job right away, but make connections, create a LinkedIn page, network, temp, finish up school strong, use your college career department, attend a virtual career fair that many colleges are hosting, focus on sectors that are hiring right now — healthcare, tech, pharma, e-commerce are all still hiring.”

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

[bdp_post_carousel]

Jun 6, 2023

In Honor of Home Care and Hospice Workers

Every day, all across the country millions of home care aides, therapists, nurses and social workers make life better for people with chronic illnesses, the disabled and healthy, but frail elderly by assisting them with daily living activities.

Home health aides care for patients who are still living at home, helping to lift the burden from family caregivers. Nurses and therapists make regular visits to their housebound patients to check on their progress and, for those with life limiting illnesses, to provide palliative care.

They go about their work quietly, serving patients and families, providing companionship and comfort to those they serve.

For the work they do, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice asks all of us to recognize November as National Home Care & Hospice Month and November 8-14 as Home Care Aides week.

In honor of these special people, all of us at Green Key Resources say thank you to those who do so much to make life better for so many. We join with NAHC President William A. Dombi who says,

“Home care and hospice nurses, therapists, aides, and other providers choose to use their lives to serve our country’s aged, disabled, and dying. This noble work is deserves our recognition and praise and we celebrate November as home care and hospice month for that very reason.”

Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger on Unsplash

[bdp_post_carousel]