Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Taking Care of Our Team: How Our Health Plan Meets Needs and Promotes Good Health
• Excellence in Nursing Nominations Now Open
• “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight – Focus on Flint Hills Campus
• A Move Towards a Healthier Future for Mothers and Babies
• January Healthcare Recognitions

Taking Care of Our Team: How Our Health Plan Meets Needs and Promotes Good Health

As we begin the new calendar year, we are launching our new 2024 health plan for our team members. The Stormont Vail medical plan is self-insured. This means that Stormont Vail and participating team members pay for 100% of the plan costs, which includes medical treatments, prescriptions, and administration of the plan by Blue Cross Blue Shield. The total cost of the plan in 2023 was $55 million, and Stormont Vail pays 77%, or about $42.35 million. 

Each year we analyze our experience (i.e. claims) under the plan, looking for trends in the data. We conduct extensive research into industry best practices, and we listen to our Stormont Vail team members in order to understand what they want from their health plan. Based on all this information, we make decisions about what changes are needed in order to keep our plan competitive and affordable. We pay special attention to access/provider network issues, and how any changes will impact the team member through deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, copays, and especially bi-weekly premiums. 

Going into 2024, the estimated cost increase for our plan was 7%, or about $4 million. To address this cost increase, we made changes to the plan that allowed us to avoid premium increases and still keep deductibles, out of pocket maximums and co-pays competitive.

We were able to continue providing programs designed to improve the health of team members. These include the Wellpower program, with biometric screening to track health numbers, and the Diabetes Management Program that makes it easy and cost effective to take an active role in managing diabetes.  These programs help our team stay healthy, and help keep the overall cost of the plan manageable.

We will continue working together to offer competitively priced health plans that meet team member needs and promote good health.

Excellence in Nursing Nominations Now Open

Each year, we recognize the achievement of nursing team members who excel in their roles. Nominees represent many clinical specialties, but they all share a passion for a career that combines professional knowledge with human caring. These team members are positive role models, incorporate new learning in their practice, demonstrate strong leadership and interpersonal skills, and inspire others through service as mentors and preceptors. Nominations will be accepted until Feb. 10, 2024. ​Click here to access the nomination form.  

“To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight – Focus on Flint Hills Campus

What a difference a year can make! The WIBW “To Your Health” tonight will take a look back at the past year and recap the teamwork and improvements for patients at the Flint Hill Campus in Junction City. Tracy Duran, Interim Administrator, is interviewed on the television segment, which will air at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

A Move Towards a Healthier Future for Mothers and Babies

Collaboration between campuses is a shining attribute of the Stormont Vail Health system. What we cannot do alone, we together, can accomplish. That very mindset is furthering the care and assistance being provided to mothers and babies from pregnancy through birth. The Topeka and Flint Hills Campuses are collaborating to increase maternal quality improvements for both communities.

Read more here about how the Topeka and Flint Hills Campuses are working toward a healthier future for mothers and babies.

January Healthcare Recognitions

Healthcare observances on special days, weeks and months allow us to highlight our phenomenal team members and raise awareness of health conditions and initiatives throughout the year. We promote these recognitions in many ways across the organization and encourage departments to celebrate their teams in their areas. Monthly we will provide a listing of upcoming recognitions gleaned from the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development, which lists more than 230 healthcare observances.  Here are some of the January healthcare observances:

• Glaucoma Awareness Month
• National Birth Defects Prevention Month
• Cervical Cancer Screening Month
• Integrative Health Month
• Medical Travel Month
• National Blood Donor Month
• Radon Action Month

We together,
Dr. Kenagy