June 2023 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Cleveland Clinic, Nestlé USA partner on Meal Delivery Wellness Program
Cleveland Clinic is partnering with Nestlé USA to launch a first-of-its-kind pilot program providing no-cost frozen meal delivery via Instacart to Cleveland Clinic employees as part of a weight management program.
Participants already receive e-coaching from a certified health coach for weight management through Cleveland Clinic’s employee health plan. Now they will additionally receive 10 dietitian-approved, frozen prepared meals from Nestlé USA every two weeks for three months at no cost to them. Participants also will receive education on how to fit these meals into their overall eating plan.
The meals will be delivered via Instacart biweekly from local grocery stores. The program will give participants Instacart Health Fresh Funds – category-specific virtual stipends – to pay for the frozen meals.
The pilot will measure how the meals impact engagement in e-coaching, how often people are ordering meals, and pre- and post-program weight. Following the 12-week pilot, Cleveland Clinic and Nestle will assess results and jointly explore ways to expand this frozen meal/coaching program to not only patients and caregivers within Cleveland Clinic, but to employers and consumers.
Atrium Health opens first apartment complex-based virtual care clinic
Atrium Health and Ascent Housing opened a community-based virtual care clinic in an apartment complex in Charlotte, North Carolina. The clinic will provide access to health care for both residents and non-residents of the apartment complex. This is the first time Atrium Health has brought a virtual care clinic to an apartment complex.
With a goal to serve vulnerable individuals and families within their rhythm of life, when and where they need health care, the clinic will include an onsite health care technician who will assist in the completion of an enhanced video visit with either a primary or a specialty care provider.
Utilizing a secure telemedicine platform and innovative technologies, a medical professional, located remotely, will complete a comprehensive health examination using a tele-stethoscope to listen to the patient’s heart and lungs, a tele-otoscope to see their eardrums and a high-resolution camera to evaluate the patient’s eyes, nose, throat and skin. Onsite testing will be available for conditions including flu, COVID-19, strep throat and various types of infections. Upon completion of an exam, the diagnosis and treatment plan will be discussed with the patient, including prescriptions and follow-up care, if needed.
HCA Healthcare announces agreement to buy 41 urgent care centers from FastMed
HCA Healthcare announced it has signed an agreement to purchase 41 urgent care centers in Texas from FastMed.
Once completed, the transaction will expand significantly HCA Healthcare’s urgent care operations, which currently comprise 268 clinics. The agreement includes 19 FastMed and 22 MedPost urgent care centers in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and El Paso. It does not include FastMed’s urgent care locations outside of Texas.
“The addition of these urgent care centers will improve access to care for patients in the Texas communities we serve,” said Erol Akdamar, president of HCA Healthcare’s American Group. “It will provide convenient outpatient care options when and where they need it. It also will help seamlessly connect these patients to our broader healthcare network when a higher level of care or specialty service is needed.”