Heat-related illness can become serious or even deadly.
The body cools itself by sweating. If temperatures and humidity are extremely high, sweating is not effective in cooling the body. If the body does not cool properly, a person may suffer a heat-related illness.
Anyone can suffer from heat illness, but some people are at greater risk. Infants, young children, and people 65 or older are at greater risk. People with mental illness, physically ill or have a condition like heart disease or high blood pressure are also at higher risk.
To prevent heat illness and stay cool, it is important to drink more fluids. It is important to drink water before you feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Drink a minimum of six to eight glasses of water per day. During heavy exercise, drink two to four glasses of water each hour.
Make sure you wear lightweight, light-colored and loose clothing. When outdoors, avoid direct sunlight. You should wear a hat and use sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15. Never leave anyone, including pets, inside a parked, closed vehicle. Air temperatures rise rapidly during hot weather. This can lead to serious injury or death.
Stay indoors if you can. If possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to a public place that does. Examples are churches, shopping malls, the local YMCA or other community centers.
If you must go outside, slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must exert yourself, do it early in the morning or later in the evening. It is usually cooler then. Take regular breaks. Rest is a shady or cool area.
Prolonged exposure to heat causes heat stroke. There are several symptoms of heat stroke. They include: headache, skin hot to touch, and red, dry skin. Someone with heat stroke has a body temperature of 105 degrees or more. A person could lose consciousness, have seizures, or an irregular heartbeat.
If you are someone you are with is suffering heat stroke, call 911. Quickly cool the person in a cool bath. Or wrap wet sheets around them. Heat stroke may cause someone may refuse water, vomit or show a decreased level of consciousness. If so, do not give them anything to eat or drink.
Heat exhaustion it another heat-related illness. Heat exhaustion can occur either indoors or outdoors. It can happen with or without exercise. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, cool and clammy skin, and nausea. Other symptoms are heavy sweating and muscle cramping.
To treat heat exhaustion, move the person to a cooler place. You should remove or loosen tight clothes. Also, apply cool, wet cloths. Provide cool water and encourage the person suffering from heat illness to drink slowly.
If you are unsure if you have heat illness, call your Primary Care Provider at your medical home. If you don't know who your PCP is, call Illinois Health Connect at 1-877-912-1999. This call is free.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
HIV/AIDS Hotline now offers counseling to adolescents
The HIV/AIDS & STD Hotline expanded its services. Adolescents and young adults can now get counseling.
Are you recently diagnosed with HIV or AIDS? Have you fallen out of treatment? Call the hotline.
Clients as young as 12 years old can get counseling. The hotline continues to serve adults.
Do you have questions about HIV, AIDS or sexually transmitted infections? Call the hotline. Clients can get emotional support. Information about testing is available. Clients can get statewide referrals for healthcare.
The number is 1-800-243-2437. Counseling is available in English or Spanish. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. This call is free.
Are you recently diagnosed with HIV or AIDS? Have you fallen out of treatment? Call the hotline.
Clients as young as 12 years old can get counseling. The hotline continues to serve adults.
Do you have questions about HIV, AIDS or sexually transmitted infections? Call the hotline. Clients can get emotional support. Information about testing is available. Clients can get statewide referrals for healthcare.
The number is 1-800-243-2437. Counseling is available in English or Spanish. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. This call is free.
Quality Conference: Mind the Gap between acute care and the medical home
Illinois Health Connect held its Sixth Annual IHC Quality Conference on June 28 at the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) conference center. The title of the conference was Mind the Gap: Care Coordination Between the Hospital and the Medical Home.
IHC medical director Dr. Margaret Kirkegaard opened the conference with an introduction that included these comments:
"Paul Grundy, the global CMO of IBM and chairperson of the patient-centered primary care collaborative, has likened the medical home to a battleship —that is — the horizontal platform from which vertical weapon systems can be launched. We are here today to talk about care coordination strategies and vertical integration between primary care and hospital care. These “vertical weapons systems” rely on the platform of a robust medical home network. IHC has spent the last five years working to establish and strengthen that medical home network throughout Illinois. We are now ready to turn our attention more fully to what happens at the interface of the medical home and the rest of the healthcare delivery system.
Today’s conference is titled Mind the Gap. Mind the Gap is a sign that travelers see in the British rail and subway system. It literally asks riders to be careful not to slip between the platform and the train while boarding. When a patient has a poor outcome, we often say that the patient has “slipped between the cracks,” and, in fact, if our patients have a really poor outcome, we often refer to them as “train wrecks." That’s why Mind the Gap seem appropriate for today’s discussion.
We are going to focus today on how we can leverage the skills and strengths of the primary care medical home — our fleet of battleships positioned throughout Illinois — to help our patients Mind the Gap and navigate between the acute care environment in the hospital and the medical home."
MCHC graciously donated the conference space, hosting for the second consecutive year. An estimated 80 attendees engaged in active dialogue and information sharing lead by a distinguished panel of speakers.
Denise Levis Hewson, RN, BSN, MSPH
Director of Clinical Programs and Quality Improvement, Community Care of North Carolina.
Ms. Levis Hewson shared a presentation titled Community Care of North Carolina – Enhanced Medical Home Model Supporting Transitional Care. She discussed the development and growth of coordinated care networks in North Carolina, their operational components, their positive impact on hospital admissions and re-admission rates, and strategies for patient engagement.
Carrie Nelson, MD, MS, FAAP
Medical Director for Special Projects, Advocate Physician Partners
Dr. Nelson shared a presentation titled Care Coordination across the Continuum: Lessons Learned. She walked the group through the components of AdvocateCare, which is a new method of addressing patient care and care coordination through outpatient, acute care, and post-acute care services within the Advocate network. The strategies shared shift the culture and focus from discharges to transitions for patients. Results from year one of implementation show reduced costs and improved quality.
Cheryl Lulias
CEO, Medical Home Network (MHN)
Ms. Lulias shared a presentation titled Collaboration and Connectivity: A Blueprint for Safety Net Transformation. She took the group through the methods for identifying patients in South Side of Chicago neighborhoods who would benefit from patient engagement and integrated services. MHN developed MHN Connect to help providers impact the right patients and track services and outcomes for patients, and is tracking its recent implementation.
Kathleen Kelly, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Swedish American Health System
Dr. Kelly shared a presentation titled ED Case Management for Super Users. She explained a pilot program targeted to reduce the number of ambulance runs and control the complex health conditions for an identified group of ED super users in the Rockford area encompassing all financial classes (Medicare, Medicaid, Managed Care, Commercial, and Self Pay). Outcomes shared included better connection to the medical home, reduced re-admissions, reduced ambulance runs, identification of the various social factors affecting community solutions, and protocol development.
The latter part of the conference was spent discussing payment models to support care coordination. Panelists for the discussion included: Scott Sarran, MD, Chief Medical Office for Government Programs, Health Care Service Corporation; Julie Schilz, BSN, MBA, Program Director of Patient Centered Primary Care Transformation, Wellpoint; and Michelle Maher, Bureau Chief, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
IHC medical director Dr. Margaret Kirkegaard opened the conference with an introduction that included these comments:
"Paul Grundy, the global CMO of IBM and chairperson of the patient-centered primary care collaborative, has likened the medical home to a battleship —that is — the horizontal platform from which vertical weapon systems can be launched. We are here today to talk about care coordination strategies and vertical integration between primary care and hospital care. These “vertical weapons systems” rely on the platform of a robust medical home network. IHC has spent the last five years working to establish and strengthen that medical home network throughout Illinois. We are now ready to turn our attention more fully to what happens at the interface of the medical home and the rest of the healthcare delivery system.
Today’s conference is titled Mind the Gap. Mind the Gap is a sign that travelers see in the British rail and subway system. It literally asks riders to be careful not to slip between the platform and the train while boarding. When a patient has a poor outcome, we often say that the patient has “slipped between the cracks,” and, in fact, if our patients have a really poor outcome, we often refer to them as “train wrecks." That’s why Mind the Gap seem appropriate for today’s discussion.
We are going to focus today on how we can leverage the skills and strengths of the primary care medical home — our fleet of battleships positioned throughout Illinois — to help our patients Mind the Gap and navigate between the acute care environment in the hospital and the medical home."
MCHC graciously donated the conference space, hosting for the second consecutive year. An estimated 80 attendees engaged in active dialogue and information sharing lead by a distinguished panel of speakers.
Denise Levis Hewson, RN, BSN, MSPH
Director of Clinical Programs and Quality Improvement, Community Care of North Carolina.
Ms. Levis Hewson shared a presentation titled Community Care of North Carolina – Enhanced Medical Home Model Supporting Transitional Care. She discussed the development and growth of coordinated care networks in North Carolina, their operational components, their positive impact on hospital admissions and re-admission rates, and strategies for patient engagement.
Carrie Nelson, MD, MS, FAAP
Medical Director for Special Projects, Advocate Physician Partners
Dr. Nelson shared a presentation titled Care Coordination across the Continuum: Lessons Learned. She walked the group through the components of AdvocateCare, which is a new method of addressing patient care and care coordination through outpatient, acute care, and post-acute care services within the Advocate network. The strategies shared shift the culture and focus from discharges to transitions for patients. Results from year one of implementation show reduced costs and improved quality.
Cheryl Lulias
CEO, Medical Home Network (MHN)
Ms. Lulias shared a presentation titled Collaboration and Connectivity: A Blueprint for Safety Net Transformation. She took the group through the methods for identifying patients in South Side of Chicago neighborhoods who would benefit from patient engagement and integrated services. MHN developed MHN Connect to help providers impact the right patients and track services and outcomes for patients, and is tracking its recent implementation.
Kathleen Kelly, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Swedish American Health System
Dr. Kelly shared a presentation titled ED Case Management for Super Users. She explained a pilot program targeted to reduce the number of ambulance runs and control the complex health conditions for an identified group of ED super users in the Rockford area encompassing all financial classes (Medicare, Medicaid, Managed Care, Commercial, and Self Pay). Outcomes shared included better connection to the medical home, reduced re-admissions, reduced ambulance runs, identification of the various social factors affecting community solutions, and protocol development.
The latter part of the conference was spent discussing payment models to support care coordination. Panelists for the discussion included: Scott Sarran, MD, Chief Medical Office for Government Programs, Health Care Service Corporation; Julie Schilz, BSN, MBA, Program Director of Patient Centered Primary Care Transformation, Wellpoint; and Michelle Maher, Bureau Chief, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Monday, July 23, 2012
HIV/AIDS & STD Hotline now serving adolescents
The State of Illinois HIV/AIDS & STD Hotline recently expanded its services to adolescents and young adults.
Specials counseling and referrals for clients ages 12-24 years old are now available. The hotline will now address adolescents who have a recent HIV/AIDS diagnosis. The hotline also will provide services to adolescents who have fallen out of HIV/AIDS treatment.
The toll-free number for the HIV/AIDS & STD Hotline is 1-800-243-2437. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily in English and Spanish.
The hotline will continue to provide accurate information on HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Clients can get emotional support, information about testing and statewide referrals for healthcare.
Specials counseling and referrals for clients ages 12-24 years old are now available. The hotline will now address adolescents who have a recent HIV/AIDS diagnosis. The hotline also will provide services to adolescents who have fallen out of HIV/AIDS treatment.
The toll-free number for the HIV/AIDS & STD Hotline is 1-800-243-2437. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily in English and Spanish.
The hotline will continue to provide accurate information on HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Clients can get emotional support, information about testing and statewide referrals for healthcare.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
IHC provider is featured in video series about medical home model
Dr. Tim Geleske of North Arlington Pediatrics is featured in three of the 41 videos the National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) recently posted to its YouTube channel. Dr. Geleske and his partners have provided medical homes to Illinois Health Connect clients since 2006.
The NCMHI interviews with thought leaders and medical home advocates describe their ideas about the medical home concept of care and how to implement it into practice. The recent postings are the third in a series that are designed to provide an in depth view of the essential components that make up the medical home.
The third set of interviews includes topics based on the medical home toolkit: care partnership support, care delivery management, practice performance measurement, resources & linkages, payment & finance, and general medical home.
Dr. Geleske provides commentary on a care coordination success story, on how having a care coordinator has enhanced the medical home at his practice and on how providers can make patients and their families feel comfortable when receiving care.
The NCMHI interviews with thought leaders and medical home advocates describe their ideas about the medical home concept of care and how to implement it into practice. The recent postings are the third in a series that are designed to provide an in depth view of the essential components that make up the medical home.
The third set of interviews includes topics based on the medical home toolkit: care partnership support, care delivery management, practice performance measurement, resources & linkages, payment & finance, and general medical home.
Dr. Geleske provides commentary on a care coordination success story, on how having a care coordinator has enhanced the medical home at his practice and on how providers can make patients and their families feel comfortable when receiving care.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Updated MEDI Toolbox is now available
HFS recently updated its MEDI Toolbox with additional registration and troubleshooting tips. A step-by-step guide for MEDI registration with screenshots is also available on the IHC Web site.
The MEDI Toolbox includes instructions on how to:
The MEDI Toolbox includes instructions on how to:
- Remove and administrator via MEDI or via fax to HFS security
- Download electronic remittance advice
- Check Claims Status of individual or batch claims
- Register a payee
- Recover login or password
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