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Member Highlight: Dr. David Mendelson

Dr. David Mendelson is a residency-trained, board-certified emergency physician who followed his medical training with the completion of an administrative fellowship. During 22 years of practice, he has been very involved with the administrative side of medicine in an effort to make practices better for the physicians, nurses, and APPs he works with. His most recent responsibilities comprised the management of 30 hospital-based practices including emergency medicine, anesthesiology, pediatrics, and inpatient services. These practices ranged from urban tertiary care hospitals to freestanding emergency centers. His team has been able to improve flow, efficiency, and patient satisfaction in the practices he managed.

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Sponsor Highlight: PATHFAST

PATHFAST is a small benchtop cardiac marker analyzer with industry-leading precision designed for ED and stat labs. With the flexibility to run whole blood or plasma samples, PATHFAST allows for up to six simultaneous tests in less than 17 minutes. The test menu includes Troponin, CK-MB, NTproBNP, D-Dimer, hsCRP, and Myoglobin, and test results are unaffected by hemolysis. PATHFAST provides quick and accurate results – helping clinicians diagnose patients more effectively and efficiently.

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Sponsor Highlight: RedAway

We are RedAway, a Texas owned and operated, full-service medical waste company, and a proud TAFEC sponsor. RedAway was formed to offer the market something new and professional, without any strings attached.

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National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers to Hold Inaugural Membership Meeting

AUSTIN, TX (October 21, 2015) – The National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (NAFEC) will hold its inaugural membership meeting in Boston, MA on October 27, 2015. This meeting will provide an opportunity to bring all freestanding emergency center owners, operators, and interested parties together as this emerging industry gains momentum across the country.

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Member Highlight: ER Now

Everything is a little different in West Texas – from the way we talk to the way we practice emergency medicine. The pace is a bit slower and sometimes West Texans resist change. What happens in the rest of our great state is not always viewed as the best for us, but sometimes it actually is. Convincing our community of that can be difficult task, but as West Texans ourselves, our community looks to us for approval of new advances in the delivery of emergency medical care.

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Sponsor Highlight: McKesson Medical-Surgical

McKesson Medical-Surgical supplies freestanding emergency centers (FECs) with more than 200,000 healthcare products needed for operations. McKesson provides a full line of pharmaceuticals, supplies, and equipment (including imaging and lab).

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SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT: CMR

CMR is an Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) that began more than 20 years ago with the vision and efforts of Dr. Cris Mandry, a residency-trained and board-certified physician, who is the founder of a Regional Emergency Physician Group, C&M Medical Services in Metairie, LA. Dr. Mandry is also the founding program director of the Louisiana State University Emergency Medicine Residency Program in Baton Rouge, LA.

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Member Highlight: Andy Wilson and Lon Young

 

Dr. Wilson and Dr. Young first ventured into the business side of medicine in 2013, when they started a concierge, primary care practice together in Bryan-College Station called MyMD. They were drawn to this model because it allowed them to do something almost impossible in traditional ER’s – provide excellent customer service and medical care to their patients by taking the time needed to diagnose and treat their medical problems.

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FECs: New Face, Better ‘Bond’

After transitioning from the “big box” ED to a freestanding emergency center (FEC), I was amazed by how our performance metrics, and my outlook, improved

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Member Highlight: Okemefuna I. Okpara

My journey into health care started way back in my childhood days growing up as young kid in West Africa. Fortunately for us, my father, now a retired physician, was always able to tend to most of our health care needs in the privacy of our own home. I vividly recall my younger brother being hooked up and receiving IV fluids in our bedroom during a severe bout with diarrhea. We also always had a stash of anti-malaria medication around and available whenever the first signs of Malaria seemed to kick in.

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Sponsor Highlight: Propel HR of Texas

Propel HR of Texas is a human resources outsourcing company, offering customized HR services for the freestanding emergency center (FEC) industry. They provide stress-free human resource solutions including payroll processing, benefits administration, employment tax management, workers’ compensation, and Affordable Care Act compliance.

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Consumer Confusion: Urgent Cares

There are many myths, misconceptions, and misunderstandings pertaining to freestanding emergency centers (FECs) in Texas, most of which have been blamed on the FECs themselves. As with any new industry, there is an obligation to educate the public and change their perception, which is exactly what TAFEC has worked hard to do through advocacy efforts, media relations, social media, community outreach and engagement, and facility tours. However, consumer confusion does not rest solely on FECs – other parties in the health care system are also responsible and must be held accountable. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Since the industry’s inception in 2009, FECs have been compared to urgent care facilities. Both FECs and urgent cares offer medical care in a similar setting – often in small buildings in community business parks and areas of commerce. While urgent care facilities and FECs are similar in appearance, they offer very different services.

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Sponsor Highlight: Reconstructive Orthopedic Center of Houston

Reconstructive Orthopedic Center of Houston (ROC) is a Houston-based orthopedic practice specializing in acute injury (nerve, tendon, artery, bone) and repetitive micro-trauma affecting nerves (carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, radial tunnel syndrome), tendons (tennis elbow, trigger digits,) and ligaments occurring during sports, at home, or in the work place. ROC is located centrally in the Houston Museum District, with easy access through the medical center Tram or via a valet drive up to our front office.

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TAFEC Legislative Recap: A Letter From the President

TAFEC President Swapan Dubey provides a recap of the 84th Texas Legislature at the annual TAFEC Membership Meeting.

As the 84th Texas Legislature comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who made this session so successful for our industry. This association’s primary purpose is to promote growth and protect freestanding emergency centers from unfair regulation, and I believe we have achieved that mission this session.

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Sponsor Highlight: City Ambulance Service

City Ambulance was founded in 2007. Our staff, equipment, and units were designed to exclusively service and cater to the needs of freestanding emergency rooms. City Ambulance has become one of the fastest growing private ambulance services in Texas.

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TAFEC Legislative Update: Senate Bill 425/HB 3475

UPDATE: Yesterday, the Texas House of Representatives passed SB 425 on its third reading with a vote of 138-5. SB 425 will now go back to the Senate for final approval of the new website posting requirement, and then on to Governor Abbott for final approval before being signed into law.

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Health Insurance: In-Network & Out-of-Network Providers

Much is being written today regarding the practice of balance billing by out-of-network medical providers. To paint a clear picture of why a provider is “out-of-network” and why a provider might “balance bill” a patient, it is important to understand the following:

  • The advantages/disadvantages of becoming an “in-network” provider.
  • The application process for becoming an “in-network” provider.
  • Insurance company reimbursement proposals to “in-network” providers.
  • The difference between providers who offer routine care versus those providing emergency care.

What Does In-Network/Out-Of-Network Mean for Providers?

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TAFEC Legislative Update: Senate Bill 425/HB 3475

HB 3475 by Dr. Greg Bonnen was heard in the House Public Health committee yesterday afternoon. This is the companion bill to SB 425 by Senator Charles Schwertner, MD. SB 425 was passed out of the Senate last week with no opposition. Eventually, these two bills will need to merge together, with the SB likely becoming the one that passes.

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Freestanding Emergency Centers Here to Stay

By: Michael J. Sarabia, MD, FACEP

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Texas to Host First Ever NAFEC Conference for Freestanding Emergency Centers

NAFEC Holds Conference to Advocate for Growth of FEC Facilities on National Scale

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