Here for a Healthier Community

Anthem Blue Cross Vivity Health Plan Giving Small Business Access to More Affordable Care in Los Angeles and Orange Counties

Vivity offers plans that deliver world-class care, a member-first experience and real value

LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 25, 2021 – Small businesses in Orange and Los Angeles counties will now have greater access to high-quality, more affordable health care thanks to Anthem Blue Cross. Anthem’s Vivity Heath Plan today announced it will be expanding its health care offerings to small businesses in both counties beginning in 2022. Vivity is Anthem’s regionally focused health plan with top-ranking non-profit health systems including Cedars-Sinai, Huntington Hospital, MemorialCare Health System, Providence, PIH Health, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, and UCLA Health. Expanding Vivity as a high value offering to small businesses, those with 100 full-time employees or fewer, is part of Anthem’s continuing efforts to simplify health care by giving employers and their employees access to care that is coordinated, affordable and helps improve their overall health and wellbeing.

“We’re pleased to offer small businesses and employees in Los Angeles and Orange counties access to Vivity which is a highly-differentiated product and provider network that features some of the nation’s top-ranked health systems,” said Mark Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer of Anthem Blue Cross. “Vivity has been part of Anthem’s Large Group portfolio since 2015 and timing is right to offer the same high-quality care, personalized experience, exceptional service, and affordable pricing to our small group customers.”

Previously only available for large group employers, those with 100 or more employees, Vivity’s small group plans offer employees low or no costs copays, 24/7 virtual doctor visits, low-cost prescription coverage, behavioral health support, and access to Vivity’s network of world-class high-quality physicians, specialists and hospitals. Through the partnership with Anthem and these nationally recognized health systems, Vivity has been able to consistently deliver lower costs and higher quality to large employers.

“Small businesses should have access to the same affordable, quality health care that their larger counterparts have and that’s what we’re doing with this expansion, added Reynolds. “Vivity provides access to health systems that deliver world-class care, a member-first experience and collaboration that drives value and better health outcomes – all at no or low-cost.”

Offered as an HMO product for employer groups in Southern California, Vivity provides high-quality care at an affordable cost to its customers and members. Small businesses will now have access to Southern California’s nationally recognized non-profit health systems that are philosophically aligned on innovative ways to deliver the best care possible at a competitive price point.

“Vivity has a novel approach to improving the care model and patient experience, where all the Vivity health systems cooperate to improve and spread best practices,” said Dr. Samuel A. Skootsky, Chief Medical Officer, UCLA Health.

In large group, average Vivity Health Plan premiums historically have ranged from 20 to 25 percent below Anthem’s leading traditional HMO network, offering access to best-in-class health systems at a competitive price. Small Group employers will realize the same competitive pricing with average premiums up to 22 percent lower than Anthem’s Full Gold HMO network.

“This is exactly what small businesses have been asking for. These small group plans are designed to help small businesses meet their business goals while providing high-quality, cost-effective care and coverage to their employees,” said Reynolds.

Vivity provides a virtually integrated health care system experience where each joint-venture partner shares best practices around clinical expertise, care coordination, and member experience to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care and coverage. Vivity leverages its nationally recognized, integrated network of doctors and hospitals with Anthem’s health plan expertise, care management capabilities, and analytical insights.

For more information visit www.vivityhealth.com.

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About Vivity

Vivity is an Anthem Blue Cross health benefit plan that brings together multiple hospital systems to partner on clinical quality goals and care coordination to provide members with a virtually integrated delivery system. The model establishes a provider reimbursement structure that contains a joint risk-sharing arrangement for institutional services between Anthem Blue Cross and the participating hospital systems that are affiliated or contractually aligned with one or more of the medical groups in the provider network. For more information visit www.vivityhealth.com.

Media Contact:

Mike Bowman

[email protected]

(916) 584-6043

Huntington Hospital Receives ECRI’s Healthcare Supply Chain Award

Huntington Hospital Receives ECRI’s Healthcare Supply Chain Award

ECRI, an independent, nonprofit health services organization that provides technology solutions and evidence-based guidance to healthcare decision makers worldwide, recently named Huntington Hospital as a winner in its 10th annual Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award.

This award recognizes U.S. healthcare organizations for achieving excellence in overall spend management, including budgeting, benchmarking, technology assessment and strategic development, and adopting best-practice solutions into their supply chain processes. Huntington Hospital was one of just twelve organizations nationwide who received this award.

“On behalf of Huntington Hospital’s entire supply chain team, we are extremely proud to be recognized by ECRI for their 2021 Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award,” said Steve Mohr, senior vice president, chief financial officer, Huntington Hospital. “This award is the culmination of strategy, focus and hard work – evidenced by our ability to provide the highest level of PPE throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, significant cost reduction through contracting and product standardization as well as processes and procedures in place to manage acquisition of new technologies.  As a non-profit hospital, these areas of efficiency are crucial to help us continue to offer excellent and compassionate care for our community.”

The Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award recognizes members of ECRI’s portfolio of supply chain services who demonstrate exemplary utilization of services across the procurement lifecycle, including budgeting, benchmarking, technology assessment, and strategic development. As part of the selection process, ECRI evaluated candidates’ 2021 spend management and market analytics efforts for capital medical devices, supplies, physician preference items, service contracts, and reagents.

“In the midst of a global pandemic that created unprecedented patient safety and supply chain challenges, these twelve healthcare organizations stand out,” says ECRI president and chief executive officer, Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD.  “We congratulate our members for adhering to supply chain best practices that have enabled them to deliver safe, high-quality care.”

More than 3,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems are members of ECRI’s strategic sourcing and supply chain programs. ECRI has analyzed nearly $50 billion in supply and capital spend over the past year and has provided valuable guidance on COVID-19-related personal protective equipment and from both traditional and non-traditional suppliers.

For more information about ECRI and a complete list of winners, go to www.ecri.org.

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About ECRI

ECRI is an independent, nonprofit organization improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings. With a focus on patient safety, evidence-based medicine, and health technology decision solutions, ECRI is respected and trusted by healthcare leaders and agencies worldwide. Over the past fifty years, ECRI has built its reputation on integrity and disciplined rigor, with an unwavering commitment to independence and strict conflict-of-interest rules.

ECRI is the only organization worldwide to conduct independent medical device evaluations, with labs located in North America and Asia Pacific. ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices PSO is a federally certified Patient Safety Organization as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) formally became an ECRI Affiliate in 2020.

Congratulations to Huntington’s July DAISY Award winner, Ruby Rose Fajardo, RN

Congratulations to Huntington’s July DAISY Award winner, Ruby Rose Fajardo, RN

As a designated Magnet hospital, Huntington Hospital is a recognized leader in nursing excellence. Every day, our nurses go above and beyond for our patients, and we are proud to recognize them for their efforts. Huntington Hospital’s July DAISY Award winner, Ruby Rose Fajardo, RN, was nominated by a patient who wrote the following:

“I have been blessed with having some of the greatest nurses, PCAs and PFCs that Huntington Hospital has to offer. I bought some of the staff boxes of chocolate to show my appreciation. If you have not had the chance to see Ruby Rose, I promise you, she is worth the biggest box of chocolate offered! Ruby Rose is my favorite, and here is why: She is vivacious. When I felt so ill, she inspired me and radiated so much life. She was able to magically transfer and share her peaceful essence and calming spirit with me so that I felt more hopeful and peaceful within myself. Whenever I see her sweet, cheerful face, I am immediately lifted and elevated. What makes her special is that she used her own life experience to convince me that I will get through this. She helped me believe that there is hope in my case and healing is possible. Ruby Rose is a superior nurse who exemplifies all the magnificent qualities of a healer.”

Congratulations, Ruby Rose, for your well-deserved DAISY Award! For more information about the DAISY Award, please visit www.huntingtonhospital.com/daisyform.

Huntington Hospital Presents Gaby Kuehl, RN, and Kimberly Shriner, MD, with Inaugural Heart of Huntington Award

Huntington Hospital Presents Gaby Kuehl, RN, and Kimberly Shriner, MD, with Inaugural Heart of Huntington Award

Huntington Hospital has recently developed a peer-to-peer recognition program for employees called the Heart of Huntington Award. Inspired by an extraordinary act of kindness experienced by our President and CEO, Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, this quarterly award recognizes individuals who make their compassionate caring felt.

During the spring of 2020, Dr. Morgan received a card from a Huntington team member that had a message of thanks and appreciation, along with a small ceramic heart. After reading the card, Dr. Morgan admired the anatomically correct ceramic heart (which, as a trauma surgeon, she appreciated). She was uplifted and deeply touched. This gesture of kindness and caring came at just the right time, exactly when Dr. Morgan needed it.

To this day, Dr. Morgan keeps her card and the perfect little ceramic heart on her desk as a reminder that the smallest acts can make the biggest difference and that we are all in this together. 

The person who sent this simple but powerful expression of gratitude is Gaby Kuehl, RN, a nurse in Huntington’s critical care unit. She is now being recognized as the first person to receive the Heart of Huntington Award. Gaby has been described by those she works with as “the kind of caregiver you want working next to you.” She is a team player who always checks on her colleagues to see if there is anything she can help with. Gaby builds trust and collaboration within her team. She is committed to giving patients and their families her full attention, inspiring confidence and compassion when it is needed most.

The second recipient of the Heart of Huntington Award is Kimberly Shriner, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control. Dr. Shriner is an expert in infectious disease and was at the forefront of the AIDS epidemic. Today, she is Huntington’s source of truth when it comes to battling COVID-19, guiding Huntington’s efforts both inside and outside of its walls. During these fearful times, her trusted advice has reduced anxiety for many and ensured Huntington’s course was based on good science and clinical evidence.

Dr. Shriner is not only an undisputed expert. She is first and foremost a caregiver who leads with her heart. She is respected by her colleagues, patients and the community for the genuine care she gives to her patients.

Congratulations to Gaby and Dr. Shriner for representing the true heart of Huntington!

Huntington Hospital Earns National Recognition for Efforts to Improve Stroke Treatment

Huntington Hospital Earns National Recognition for Efforts to Improve Stroke Treatment

The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines GoldPlus award for commitment to prioritizing quality care for stroke patients

2021 Gold Plus badge for Stroke Honor Roll and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Huntington Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“Huntington Hospital is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival and avoiding disability after a stroke,” said Arbi Ohanian, MD, medical director, comprehensive stroke center, Huntington Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke provides our team with proven knowledge and guidelines which we apply on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”

Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.

Additionally, Huntington Hospital received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

Learn more about stroke treatment at Huntington Hospital.

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About Get With The Guidelines®

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001.

Huntington Hospital offers free flu clinics throughout community

Huntington Hospital offers free flu clinics throughout community

As we move into flu season, it is important that Pasadena residents and our neighbors throughout the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities take steps to guard against the flu, especially as we continue to battle COVID-19. As the community’s leading hospital for over 125 years, Huntington Hospital is pleased to offer free flu shots at various locations throughout Altadena, Pasadena and South Pasadena.

Flu vaccine requirements:

• At least 18-years-old, or giving consent for your child, ages 9-17 years

• No allergy to eggs or the influenza vaccine

• No history of Guillain-Barré syndrome

• Do not have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection

• Do not have any of the following symptoms: fever or chills, cough, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath or have difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

There is a limited supply of vaccines for each clinic. All sites listed are open to the public. No reservations or appointments are needed and insurance isn’t required.

For a listing of free flu clinics and for more information about the flu, please go to: www.huntingtonhospital.org/flu

Congratulations to June DAISY award winner, Samantha Aispuro, RN

Congratulations to June DAISY award winner, Samantha Aispuro, RN

As a designated Magnet hospital, Huntington Hospital is a recognized leader in nursing excellence. Every day, our nurses go above and beyond for our patients, and we are proud to recognize them for their efforts. Huntington Hospital’s June DAISY Award winner, Samantha Aispuro, RN, was nominated by a patient’s family member who wrote the following:

“We would like to nominate an excellent nurse, Samantha. She is very patient and compassionate. My family member was ready to go home, and she helped for several days with coordination, working with our insurance, pharmacy, case manager and doctor. My family member was also sent home with a device, and we would have needed a home care nurse, but Samantha let me observe, showed me how to clean the area and explained why she was doing it. Explaining step-by-step, she provided me with valuable knowledge. She is a great teacher and always attended to my family member. We are very impressed with her professionalism, integrity and excellent communication skills. She is truly the best nurse we have ever run into.”

Congratulations, Samantha, for your well-deserved DAISY Award! For more information about the DAISY Award, please visit https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/about-us/nursing/daisy-award/

A message about COVID-19 boosters from Kimberly A. Shriner, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control

A message about COVID-19 boosters from Kimberly A. Shriner, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control
Kimberly Shriner, MD, Infectious Disease Specialist, Huntington Hospital
Kimberly A. Shriner, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control

As we continue to move through this summer of the Delta variant, the powerful protection that the COVID vaccines provide is so very apparent. This latest surge shows the ability of these vaccines to decrease the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death. In fact, these vaccines are performing better than any of us could imagine and are indeed, the best way out of this terrible pandemic.

We continue to urge unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family, their friends and their community. There has been much discussion around boosters. While the advantage of vaccination against SARSCoV2 is so apparent, we do not yet know the durability of the vaccines. Eight months into widespread vaccination of many of our communities, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines show persistent protection, even in the presence of a highly infectious variant and decreasing antibody levels. For those of us who are vaccinated, the next important question is when and if a booster or additional dose of vaccine is appropriate.

At this time, COVID-19 boosters are not yet authorized for the general population. We do know that some immunosuppressed individuals (solid organ transplant, cancer, uncontrolled HIV, use of immunosuppressive drugs and hematologic malignancies) would benefit from an additional dose of the original vaccine they received to produce a protective response. The CDC has authorized an additional dose of vaccine for this group. To be clear, this is not considered a booster for these individuals, but rather a third dose.

For healthy vaccinated persons, the situation is less clear.

Early data from Israel, the US and the pharmaceutical companies may suggest that an additional dose of the previously used vaccine will enhance serum antibody levels and help us better protect our communities as we face the fall and winter. That said, the human immune system has many pathways of protection that are bolstered in vaccinated individuals, perhaps most importantly, the memory T and B cells that can elicit an appropriate antibody response when faced with SARSCoV2. Currently, the FDA, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the CDC are reviewing the data and will report their recommendations after September 17.

Meanwhile, Huntington will continue to follow robust scientific data and the guidance of these agencies as to the timing and indication for COVID-19 boosters in the general population.

More details to follow as information becomes available.

Huntington Hospital Opens the Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center

Huntington Hospital Opens the Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center
Physician standing with the MRI machine at Huntington Hospital

State-of-the-art facility brings comprehensive and innovative cardiac care to the San Gabriel Valley and beyond

Huntington Hospital has opened the Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center, the most comprehensive and innovative facility for cardiac care in the San Gabriel Valley. From research and diagnosis to treatment and recovery, the center’s wide range of cardiovascular services – along with the latest medical technologies – are all brought together under one roof.

The Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center provides the potential to revolutionize the way we treat patients by integrating traditional cardiac surgery with endovascular surgery techniques and technology, further bridging the best of today with the latest advances of the future,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, president and CEO, Huntington Hospital. “The opening of this facility is a momentous accomplishment made possible by hard work, careful preparation, and a shared commitment to providing our patients leading-edge heart care. I’m incredibly proud of our project team, drawn from all areas of the hospital, and thankful for the generous support of community philanthropists who made this dynamic new cardiac care facility possible.”

World-class cardiac care, close to home

Offering a full spectrum of cardiology services – including screening and diagnostic tests, advanced medical and surgical treatments, and cardiac rehabilitation and education programs – the Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center elevates heart care further with:

  • Increased capacity
  • Two catheterization suites
  • An innovative catheterization and surgical hybrid suite
  • A high-tech electrophysiology suite
  • Six diagnostic suites
  • Eight private patient rooms
  • Latest medical technologies and treatments
  • Minimally invasive surgical options
  • Expert cardiac care team

Located directly above our Nan and Howard Schow Emergency & Trauma Center, the new Helen and Will Webster Heart & Vascular Center reduce time to treatment for cardiac patients and allows the hospital to increase the number of patients treated by 30 percent.

Find a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon at Huntington Hospital for your cardiac needs.

About Huntington Hospital

Huntington Hospital, is an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Health System, is a Magnet-designated 619-bed nonprofit hospital in Pasadena, California. We offer the full spectrum of care for every need: Whether at our hospital, urgent care, ambulatory surgery center, cancer center, or doctor’s office, we’re here to care for the physical, mental and social well-being of every person. Our level II trauma center and emergency department, the largest in the San Gabriel Valley, cares for over 70,000 people every year. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Vaccination Requirements for Hospital Visitation per California Department of Public Health Order

Vaccination Requirements for Hospital Visitation per California Department of Public Health Order
Flag poles in front of the Huntington Hospital with the California state flag and US flag in clear view

Beginning this Wednesday, August 11, 2021, Huntington Hospital will comply with California Department of Public Health’s recent order requiring that all visitors to our hospital present proof of being fully vaccinated (defined in the order and below) or show proof of negative results of a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to entering. Below is accepted proof of vaccination and test requirements per the order.

If you are fully vaccinated, prior to entering our facility you must present:

  1. COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card) which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date last dose administered); OR
  2. a photo of a Vaccination Record Card as a separate document; OR
  3. a photo of the client’s Vaccination Record Card stored on a phone or electronic device, OR
  4. documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider; OR
  5. digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader client name, date of birth, vaccine dates and vaccine type.

If you are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, prior to entering our facility you are required to present:

  1. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors are eligible for indoor visits only if they can show documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test where the specimen collection occurred within 72 hours before each visit and for which the test results are available at the time of entry to the facility.
  2. Visitors may use either PCR testing or antigen testing. Any PCR or antigen test used must either have Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or be operating per the Laboratory Developed Test requirements by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Mask, personal protective equipment, and physical distancing requirements:

  1. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status or test result, must:
    a. Wear a well-fitting face mask (a surgical mask or double masking is recommended) upon entry and at all times within the facility;
    b. Wear any other personal protective equipment (PPE) while in the patient’s room that facility personnel deem appropriate to the situation; and
  2. Physically distance from health care personnel and other patients/residents/visitors that are not part of their group at all times while in the facility.

Visitors will not be permitted inside our facility without proper documentation. Visitors who are visiting a patient in critical condition, when death may be imminent, are exempt from the vaccination and testing requirements of this Order.

Please note, the Order defines “Fully Vaccinated” and “Incompletely Vaccinated” as follows:

“Fully Vaccinated” means individuals who are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19: two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization), or two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). COVID-19 vaccines that are currently authorized for emergency use:

“Incompletely vaccinated” means persons who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine but do not meet the definition of fully vaccinated.

For more information about the health order, please go to: Order of the State Public Health Officer Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings

As a reminder, Huntington’s visitation policy is updated frequently. To see the latest visitor policy, please go to: Visitor Information | Huntington Hospital

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