HEALTHWEST NEWSFEED
CHECK OUT THE LATEST HIGHLIGHTS AND IMPORTANT UPDATES
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The Final Countdown to Latitude 43 |
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Planning for the transition |
In order to assist in the upcoming transition, check out these important upcoming dates:
Friday 2/25
No scheduled contacts, emergent/urgent needs only.
- Use this time to complete all documentation in CX360.
Monday 2/28 Morning
No scheduled contacts in the morning, emergent/urgent needs only.
- Use this time to set up Latitude 43 and assure all transferred caseloads have been transferred over accurately, set up calendars, etc.
Monday 2/28 Afternoon
Minimal scheduled contacts (2-4 appointments only)
- Use this time to work within Latitude 43 and learn the system. The doctors will follow this same schedule.
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Have Latitude 43 questions? Sign up for office hours |
Representatives from PCE will be available to answer your questions about Latitude 43.
Office Hours are currently scheduled for:
- 10 am - noon, Wednesday, Feb, 23
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Closed Captions are now enabled in Zoom. Linked below is a great video to show you how to access this feature.
Please note HealthWest has turned off the ability to copy and save the closed captions to remain HIPAA compliant.
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Upcoming "Incident To" Training |
Pam Pully will be offering a live virtual Incident To training from 1:30-2:30 pm.
on Feb. 22.
Incident To is billing as a clinician under the direction of a DO, MD or PhD. There are some insurance companies that do not allow an LLMSW, MSW or RN to bill for services and require a doc to sign off. However, there are stipulations that need to be in the treatment plan, billing, etc. This is to make sure we all know what is needed as each insurance company is different.
Register in Relias
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SUPPORTS FOR THOSE WE SERVE |
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Affordable Connectivity Program |
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a new federal program that gives families a discount on their monthly internet bill and helps them with the cost of electronics administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
How can it help?
- Up to a $30/month discount on your internet service
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Am I eligible?
According to the FCC, a household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the following criteria:
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Participates in assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline
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Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income program
How do I apply?
There are two steps in the application process. First, go to ACPBenefit.org to submit an online application or print a paper form, then contact a participating provider and select a plan. If applying via mail, mail the application that you printed from ACPBenefit.com and send it to the ACP Support Center at P.O Box 7081 London, KY 40742.
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The IHC and Lobby Teams have been working to provide hats, scarves, and gloves to guests that express a need over the last few months. If someone is in need they can visit the IHC or MHC lobby and talk to a staff member.
The offerings have been so well received that our supply of gloves is running low. If you are interested in donating gloves to help keep our community warm during the last of the winter months, please drop them off to the IHC.
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COVID-19: Setting the record straight |
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Did you know that individuals with developmental disabilities were over 3 times as likely to die following a diagnosis of COVID-19 and that those with intellectual disabilities were 2.75 times as likely to die following such a diagnosis? (Click here to read the study)
Further complicating matters is that some people with developmental disabilities may have difficulties accessing information, understanding or practicing preventative measures, and communicating symptoms of illness.
Vaccination continues to be the most-effective way to prevent serious COVID-19 infections, and HealthWest has the responsibility to ensure individuals in services are receiving honest, accurate information. To meet this responsibility, the HealthWest Strategic Plan has laid out a goal of increasing consumer vaccination by 10 percent.
A number of strategies are being developed to help HealthWest achieve this goal, but a major component of any effort is ensuring that staff has accurate, up-to-date resources to help them speak the truth to the rampant COVID-19 misinformation our consumers are exposed to. With the assistance of the Public Health Communications Collaborative, HealthWest will begin providing regular misinformation updates to staff in the weekly newsletters.
These updates will include a breakdown of currently popular misinformation claims, resources, and even suggested responses to help you address these topics with individuals in services. You can find additional support and information by visiting https://publichealthcollaborative.org.
MISINFORMATION: Cherry-picked data used to claim unvaccinated have lower infection rate
ISSUE: Misinterpreted international data is being used to suggest falsely that unvaccinated people are less likely to contract COVID-19 than vaccinated people. In many countries, vaccinated people make up the majority of COVID-19 cases because they make up the vast majority of the population. Imagine a population of 10,000 people with a 90 percent vaccination rate. If 50 vaccinated people and 40 unvaccinated people get COVID-19, that means that vaccinated people have an infection rate of only 0.6 percent compared to 4 percent for unvaccinated people. In this scenario, unvaccinated people are more than 7 times more likely to be infected despite making up a smaller portion of total COVID-19 cases.
SUGGESTED RESPONSE: Misinformation persists about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the degree of protection unvaccinated people have against COVID-19. Debunking these claims and emphasizing that vaccination is highly protective against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is recommended.
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February is National Black History Month and Cancer Prevention Month. T.I.D.E has prepared a PDF with information to help expand your knowledge on both topics.
Each week we will feature a highlight in the newsletter, but you can also download the full presentation.
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African American Contributions to Research & Development |
Dr. Percy Julian
Civil rights activist, medical professional, scientist, chemist, academic. Dr. Percy Julian was a research chemist and pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants, such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills. He was inducted into the National Academy of the Sciences, National Inventors Hall of Fame and the American Chemical Society for his lasting work.
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Black History Month Events |
Celebrate Black History Month with Hackley Public Library! They have an array of opportunities for all ages.
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Have you met all of our IHC providers? We are thankful for their support and care. |
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Tatiana Michura, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
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F. Remington Sprague, MD, F.A.C.P |
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Tessa Anderson
Interventionist, Intensive Crisis Stabilization
Start Date: 1/8/2022
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Rachelle Rowell
Supports Coordinator, IDD General Team 2
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Jessica Higgins
Access Clinician, Youth Assessment & Stabilization
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Shannon Langlois-Kondracki
Case Manager, Corrections
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Michelle Mitchell
Stabilization Specialist, Adult Assessment & Stabilization
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Krista Ferrier
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Autism
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Shavon Stokes
Case Manager, Youth Office Based Services
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Ashley Jackson
Accounting Tech, Finance
Start Date: 1/18/2022
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Anthony Huston
Masters Level Clinician, MI Adult Team 2
Start Date: 1/18/2022
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Paetyn DeVries
Supports Coordinator, ACT
Start Date: 1/18/2022
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Michael VanDam
Supports Coordinator, IDD Youth
Start Date: 1/24/2022
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Denise Sheffer
Interventionist, Intensive Crisis Stabilization
Start Date: 1/24/2022
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Sara Jones
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Autism
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Christopher Costello
Behavior Analysis Tech, Autism
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Mary Ann Trach
Accounting Tech, Finance/Claims
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Rachel Cole
Case Manager, Adult MI Team 2
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Jessica Pfeil
Client Support Specialist/Recovery Coach
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Andrew Kuipers
Client Support Specialist/Recovery Coach
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Bernie Steward
Client Support Specialist/Recovery Coach
Start Date: 1/31/2022
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Julie Nyenbrink
Youth Office Based, GVSU
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Alexis Anderson
Finance/Claims, MCC
Start Date: 1/10/2022
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Delicia Simmons
Supports Coordinator, Youth Behavior Support
Effective Date: 12/13/2021
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Melina Barrett
Project Manager, Living Room
Effective Date: 12/20/2021
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Kaylee Filip
Behavior Analysis Tech, Autism
Effective Date: 1/3/2022
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Pam Bayes
Access Clinician, Adult Assessment & Stabilization
Effective Date: 1/10/2022
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Michelle Pouch
Masters Level Clinician, Office Based Services
Effective Date: 1/10/2022
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Melissa DeAugustine
Access Clinician, Youth Assessment & Stabilization
Effective Date: 1/10/2022
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Christopher Yeager
Senior Technology Analyst, Information Systems
Effective Date: 1/28/2022
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Patty Mapes
Group Counseling Coordinator, Groups
Effective Date: 1/31/2022
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Andrea Tudor
Client Support Specialist, SUD
Effective Date: 1/5/2022
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David Born
Stabilization Specialist, Corrections
Effective Date: 1/6/2022
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Elizabeth Doriot
Supports Coordinator, IDD General Team 2
Effective Date: 1/7/2022
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Erin Jeltema
Masters Level Clinician, SUD
Effective Date: 1/7/2022
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Morgan Mathiak
BAT, Autism
Effective Date: 1/12/2022
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Carlos DelValle
Masters Level Clinician, Juvenile Justice
Effective Date: 1/14/2022
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Karen Smith
Accounting Supervisor, Finance
Effective Date: 1/14/2022
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Jessica Kowalkowski
Registered Nurse, Jail
Effective Date: 1/15/2022
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Alana Moffett
Formerly: Alana Meltcalf
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
February Anniversaries
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1 year
Samantha Woirol
Sharlisa Willey
Miranda Cole
Catherine Kloska
2 Years
Benjamin Newberry
Brittney Reynolds
Wendy Gornick-Maycroft
Kelsey Gleason
Nicholas Dykman
3 Years
Kristie Thebo
4 Years
C.J. Eastwold
Stephanie Jones
5 years
Krystal Bronnekant
Matt Plaska
Kevin Schmidt
6 years
Pamela Bayes
Laurie Johnson
Debbie LeTourneau
Randy Powers
Hayley Turner
Joshua VandenBerg
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7 years
Michelle Erickson
Holly Hawkins
Jennifer Swanger
9 years
Lauren Meldrum
10 years
Hannah Drabczyk
11 years
June Barber
19 years
Cindy Ballew
20 years
Melissa DeAugustine
27 years
Kara Jaekel
31 years
Cyndi Blair
36 years
Kris Burgess
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NOMINATE A COWORKER TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEWSLETTER
Want to share with the agency how unique, awesome, and interesting a coworker is?
You can nominate them to be featured in the newsletter using this form!
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PAST NEWSLETTERS AND NOTES
DON'T BE LEFT OUT... GET CAUGHT UP BY READING THE CONTENT BELOW
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HealthWest Staff Newsletter| healthwest.net |
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