When a public health emergency was declared in Arizona on March 11, followed by school closures, teleworking, limited gatherings, business closures, elective surgery postponements, and, 20 days later, a stay at home order, Arizonans experienced a double-whammy. Both personal safety and economic security were under siege. Our daily lives changed tremendously nearly … [More]
AstraZeneca Partners with CCT to Conduct COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials in Arizona
CCT Research (CCT), a leader in community-based, embedded clinical research, today announced its partnership with AstraZeneca to advance COVID-19 research. Together with local healthcare providers, CCT will facilitate clinical trials for the AZD1222 COVID-19 VACCINE, an investigational vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. CCT is recruiting eligible study participants who … [More]
Valleywise Health Expands Diabetes Management Programming through Education and Prevention, Food Pharmacy
According to a report published by the CDC in 2020, 34.2 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 88 million with prediabetes. In Arizona, statistics show that roughly 806,000 individuals live with diabetes. As November is American Diabetes Awareness Month, Valleywise Health continues its education and prevention efforts in Maricopa County throughout the … [More]
Texas Healthcare Co. to Open New Community Hospitals throughout Arizona
Exceptional Healthcare is entering Arizona with its first facility in the City of Maricopa, in the Phoenix metro region. The 20,000-square-foot Phase 1 of the facility will be located in the heart of Maricopa on State Route 347, and will be the first facility of its kind in the community. The state-of-the-art facility includes a specialty internal medicine … [More]
As Business Changes, So Will Our Healthcare
Only a few years ago, the big issue regarding healthcare was how much responsibility an employer should or could take for his or her employees. Insofar as its economic impact registered, the focus was on small-business owners. The current pandemic has pushed healthcare issues into broader debate: impact on and responsibility of the individual; impact on and responsibility of … [More]
Pandemic Emphasizes Importance of Employee Wellness Programs
Employers know that healthy employees are a company’s best ambassadors in the community. Whether a business is large or small, a strong employee wellness and safety program is paramount to a productive work force. At Abrazo Health, we’ve always had a comprehensive benefits program that supported employee wellness, and have offered resources for crisis support for individuals … [More]
Testing Is Part of the Plan
As today’s environment continues to suffer a shifting landscape regarding COVID-19, there are actions, policies and programs employers can implement to address the needs of their employees — starting with a safety plan to minimize risk of contracting the disease. An effective COVID-19 safety plan addresses three things: physical environment, employee testing and access to … [More]
For Health, Wellness and Safety, Communication Is Key
As employers work to reopen or ramp up their operations, they face the challenge of creating a work environment that helps to prevent new outbreaks while working to support employees impacted by COVID-19. A recent Cigna study found that one in seven COVID patients who were hospitalized have still not been able to return to work two months later — meaning that employers need to … [More]
Employee Input Informs Company Response
One of the first things we did in response to COVID-19 was pull together an infectious disease policy and make sure we had a plan for dealing with COVID-19 specifically. Because this was very new, our protocols had to flex as new and better information came to light. We identified a few trusted sources of information, including the CDC, who guided this effort. Beyond policies, … [More]
Local Groups Establish Public-Private Partnership to Help Phoenix’s Latino Communities Fight COVID-19
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it quickly became apparent that underserved, vulnerable communities would be hit the hardest and suffer the most. Unfortunately, the pandemic’s rapid sweep across Phoenix’s Latino community has confirmed this grim reality — and it’s been the same for most communities comprised of people of color across the nation. For example, data … [More]
Fundamental Changes Will Last Beyond COVID-19
COVID-19 fundamentally and overnight changed how employers have to address the health, wellness and safety of their employees. Employees are their greatest resource, and in an instant their safety was immediately in question — and not just physically, but mentally too. Businesses need three distinct programs in place to protect their employees while also instilling confidence … [More]
Promote Mental Health
Promoting mental health during this time of chaos is beneficial for the employer, the employees and the overall community. Employers should encourage their employees to practice a few mental health tips. Stick to a routine. Get up at the same time and shower before starting the day. Get outside. Exercise regularly and go for a walk outside between meetings. Vitamin D is … [More]
Employers Take a Fresh Look at the Workplace
As businesses return to normal operations, they should consider various changes, including the implementation of policies to uphold physical distancing — such as limiting gatherings and visitors and scheduling meetings via phone or video. Where feasible, structural changes can include temporarily closing communal spaces, repositioning work stations and adding signage to … [More]
Healthcare Trends Have Broad Scope
In recent years, employers have been restructuring their employee benefit packages to adjust to the changing needs of their workforce. More specifically, employers have been taking a more holistic approach that focuses on employees’ overall health and wellness. While standard healthcare plans remain a priority, we will see an expansion of preventive services in those plans. … [More]
