Fear of coronavirus have caused a significant reduction in healthcare visits and both physicians and their patients are feeling the impact. Melanie Lagomichos, DO, shows Star-Telegram that one way to combat this is through the use of telemedicine.
As a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has distributed $30 billion to Medicare-enrolled physicians and providers through direct deposit disbursements.
These relief funds came at a critical time and do not need to be paid back, but attestation is required within the first 30 days of receipt of payment (it will be labeled “stimulus payment” or ”HHSPAYMENT”). Find the link to provide Medicare payment attestation here. The only information you will need to complete the process is the tax ID, the last six digits of the account in which it was deposited, and the amount of the deposit.
To find more support for your practice, review TMA’s Practice Viability Toolkit, which provides the most up-to-date information and resources available.
Originally published on the City of Fort Worth website.
A new collaborative effort led by some of Tarrant County’s leading charitable organizations was established to provide food to senior citizens during the COVID-19 crisis.
Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County has teamed up with United Way and Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County, Tarrant County, Tarrant Area Food Bank and Catholic Charities Fort Worth. These organizations are addressing food insecurity among this vulnerable population.
Individuals age 60 and above and a spouse who do not have enough food to eat during the COVID-19 outbreak or who are experiencing a reduced level of nutritional support from families and friends may receive supplemental food through this new program.
Program participants will receive a weekly home delivery of five frozen meals (per person) from Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County and a 10-pound box of senior-friendly canned goods and fresh produce from Tarrant Area Food Bank. All items will be delivered by Catholic Charities Fort Worth.
“When Tarrant Area Food Bank called and said they had an idea, we jumped on board. We have the second-largest transportation fleet next to The T, and yet most of our rides are nearly empty due to the stay-at-home requirements,” said Catholic Charities CEO Michael P. Grace. “This is a perfect opportunity for us to work with these incredible powerhouse nonprofits to pivot and employ our vehicles to take the food where it is most needed.”
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said organizations have been coming together on a call to plan in this time of emergency. “This is a perfect example of how different agencies on this call have gotten together and developed solutions for not only our current needs, but also anticipating needs that will arise in the coming weeks,” Whitley said.
Client referrals should be made to Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County online or by calling 817-336-0912.
Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) today reported four more deaths due to COVID-19. The deceased include a male in his 60s and a male in his 40s, both from Fort Worth, a male in his 40s from Mansfield and a male in his 60s from an unincorporated area of Tarrant County. All had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County now has 34 confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 virus. 157 people have recovered. “These deaths continue to remind us that we are faced with a deadly disease,” said Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja. “As we suffer these losses we also are mindful of how important it is for us to continue our efforts to control the spread of this deadly virus.”
COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with cough, fever, and shortness of breath, and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia. Everyone should follow these guidelines to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus:
For more information go to coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call the Tarrant County Public Health information line, (817) 248-6299, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
COVID-19 Positive cases: 990*
COVID-19 related deaths: 30
Recovered COVID-19 cases: 157
Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.
Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.
COVID-19 Positive cases: 929*
COVID-19 related deaths: 29
Recovered COVID-19 cases: 103
Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.
Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.
Joshua and Kaytlyn Peterson of JP Tek Services in Fort Worth donated 96 face masks to Tarrant County Medical Society for distribution to doctors’ offices that continue seeing patients in person. These masks were printed on the Petersons’ 3D printer in their home using all the materials they had in immediate supply.
“The physicians of Tarrant County Medical Society appreciate the thoughtfulness of the Petersons,” says Brian Swift, Executive Vice President and CEO of Tarrant County Medical Society. “We want to be able to support our private physician practices who are still seeing patients every day and this this act of kindness is appreciated. We appreciate any and all donations of PPE.”
Materials to make up to 600 additional masks are en route to the Petersons. “The bottleneck is the printing time,” says Joshua. “It takes one hour to create two masks.”
In a JP Tek Services Facebook plea, Peterson implores those with supplies and printers to join him in supplying Tarrant County with as many masks as possible. The supplies needed are PETG filament and 8.5×11 transparency film. With this style of mask, the visor frame is able to be sanitized and reused, so other filament types will not hold up. The transparency film can also be sanitized and reused or replaced as needed.
“We can only produce so many masks, so we hope that others will see what we are doing and join us,” says Joshua. “We just want to do anything we can to help.”
The full specifications, including the downloadable pattern, can be found on the JP Tek Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JP-Tek-Services-113320616983061/.
Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) today reported that four more Tarrant County residents have died as the result of the COVID-19 virus. The deceased, all from Fort Worth, include a man in his 70s, two men in their 80s and a woman in her 80s. All had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County now has 29 confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 virus. 103 people have recovered. “We are saddened by every death that occurs because of this virus,” said Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja. “Our best hope to save lives in the future is to persevere; keep following the guidelines, and we will emerge stronger than before.”
COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with cough, fever, and shortness of breath, and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia. Everyone should follow these guidelines to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus:
For more information go to coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call the Tarrant County Public Health information line, (817) 248-6299, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Envision Imaging Is OPEN and wants to let you know that they are committed to serving our communities with love and compassion through these challenging times.
Specifically, STAT and NON-STAT exams are available for all Non-Positive COVID patients. We encourage you to visit www.envisionimg.com to make sure you have the most up to date information at any given time.
COVID-19 Positive cases: 876*
COVID-19 related deaths: 25
Recovered COVID-19 cases: 103
Data from Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Monday, April 13, 2020. Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
* These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time.
Deaths and recovered cases are included in total COVID-19 positive cases.
