Provider Newsletter – July 2021

Practice Tactics

“Flex” Funding for our Members’ (Your Patients’) Needs

Umpqua Health Alliance (UHA) offers Health-Related Services (HRS) to their members.  Requested items/services must meet these criteria:

  • The request demonstrates how the service/item is intended to improve health delivery, member health, and lower overall costs of care;
  • The request is consistent with the member’s primary care physician’s treatment plan;
  • The requested items and/or services do NOT have a traditional billing or encounter code, i.e., (CPT).

Requests from providers may be made to UHA for flexible services through the Flexible & Health-Related Services Request Form found here on our external website or by calling Case Management at 541-672-1685. The request form has been updated to ensure the information and documentation needed to determine eligibility for services is collected prior to submission. Once complete please submit via fax to 541-229-8180 or by email to casemanagement@umpquahealth.com. A determination will be made and sent to the provider within 7 days for standard requests and within 48 hours for urgent requests.

Update on Telehealth Covered Services

UHA has updated telehealth-covered services to include most services listed on Medicare’s List of Telehealth Services for Calendar Year 2021.

Telehealth-covered services are listed on our claims page in Appendix A. You can find  Appendix A  here:  https://www.umpquahealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/appendix-a-telehealth-code-descriptions.final-06152021-1.pdf

If you have questions regarding telehealth services, please contact our Customer Care department by calling 541-229-4842  or via email at UHAClaims@umpquahealth.com

Clinical Corner

New Option for your patients with Opioid Use Disorder

Adapt is currently recruiting participants as part of a multisite, clinical trial investigating a rapid protocol to induct individuals onto extended release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in a detox setting. Individuals may be eligible to participate if they have an OUD diagnosis that requires detoxification services, are interested in Vivitrol as a treatment option, and are willing to remain inpatient for up to two weeks in order to receive an initial injection. When appropriate, participants will transition from the detox unit into residential treatment. Participation in the study will last up to 11 weeks and participants will receive up to three XR-NTX injections during the course of their participation in the study, after which they will be returned to usual care for continued treatment. Participants can earn up to $270 if they complete all study related visits.

General questions about the study can be directed to Dr. Cora Hart at 541-492-4550.

If you would like to refer a patient to the study, they can contact Adapt Rapid Access at 541-492-0222 to be screened for detox. If they indicate they are interested in study participation, they will be connected to the study staff at or prior to admission.

The study, Surmounting Withdrawal to Initiate Fast Treatment with Naltrexone: Improving the Real-World Effectiveness of Injection Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder (SWIFT), is funded by the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

On the Lookout

For the latest information on COVID vaccination in Douglas County, visit Douglas Public Health Network: http://douglaspublichealthnetwork.org/

UHA members rate of vaccination is only half of the Douglas County rate! 

Encourage vaccination and save lives!

For Better Care and Health

A recent article in NEJM very nicely elucidates the concept of Intersectionality; it provides a lens for understanding how social identities relate to systems of authority and power, specifically, how COVID-19 continues to affect women working in the field of Medicine: Social identities are in a large part identified by productivity, careers, boundary setting, and mental health and wellbeing. In particular research shows that a more permeable work-nonwork boundary is associated with increased work-family conflict, increased distress and higher turnover.

Promoting Equity for Women in Medicine — Seizing a Disruptive Opportunity, by Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil., Elena Fuentes-Afflick, M.D., M.P.H., and Eve Higginbotham, M.D., M.L.

Article link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2104228

CME for Thee

Workshop: Healing our helping professionals (in support of PCPCH Standard 2.F: Staff Vitality) July 8

Contact: Amy Stoeber, Awstoeber@hotmail.com

Please join us for a free virtual workshop to give primary care clinics the information and resources they need to build organizational wellness and resilience and meet PCPCH standard 2.F Staff Vitality.

  • July 8, Noon–1 p.m.
  • Register here: https://doctoramyllc.mykajabi.com/Healing-Helping-Professionals
  • Audience: Primary care providers, integrated behavioral health clinicians, practice managers and administrators, practice leadership, nurse managers, independent practice associations, CCOs
  • Featuring: Dr. Amy, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, and E. Dawn Creach, MS, Principal Consultant at Creach Consulting, LLC

Primary care clinics are also invited to participate in a statewide community of practice focused on supporting staff and provider vitality.

  • For pricing and details, please contact: Awstoeber@hotmail.com or Dawn@CreachConsultingLLC.com
  • Includes everything your clinic needs to support staff and provider vitality and meet PCPCH standard 2.F
    • Administration of staff vitality survey tool, with data analysis and reporting
    • Fall 2021: 90-minute virtual workshop to discuss survey results and organizational strategies to address the top areas identified.
    • Fall/winter 2021: Individualized, professionally facilitated survey debrief and action planning session with clinic leadership (1 hour)
    • Spring 2022: After the 6-month follow-up survey is completed, all clinics will participate in a final 60-minute workshop to discuss the results, celebrate successes, and identify work still to be done.
    • Optional monthly virtual lunch and learn sessions

Diabetes metrics toolkit

A new toolkit is available to help primary care and dental clinic settings apply quality improvement frameworks and tools for measurable change in diabetes, HBA1C poor control and oral health evaluation for adults with diabetes. This toolkit includes many real-life example improvement projects, templates and inspiration to conceptualize, design and implement your own quality improvement projects.

Contact: Sarah Wetherson (Sarah.E.Wetherson@dhsoha.state.or.us)

Family-centered resources to support well-child visits

In spring 2021, the OHA Transformation Center partnered with Insight for Action to conduct an environmental scan to identify resources for parents of young children (ages 3-6) to promote their children’s wellness. This scan aligns with the OHA CCO incentive metric focused on kindergarten readiness. In the spreadsheet below, Tab 2 (“Family-Centered Resources”) contains a curated list of 67 free, easily digestible and family-centered resources intended to be shared with parents and families of young children. See tab 1 for instructions for using the built-in filters to navigate the resources.

Contact: Adrienne Mullock (Adrienne.P.Mullock@dhsoha.state.or.us)

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