JCH&L Billing Information Now Available by Text

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Med Plan process to provide texts as first contact on bills

Based on consumer demand, Med-Plan will be offering a text-first option to JCH&L patients beginning March 20. Med-Plan is the billing company used by JCH&L.

For patients who have a cell phone number in the JCH&L system, a text message inviting the patient to view their statement online will replace paper statements. The text message will include a link to access their Med-Plan account and will always come from the same phone number – (734) 506-6025. JCH&L encourages people to save the phone number in their contacts as JCH&L Statement.

Email is also an option for those who prefer email. If the patient wishes to receive notifications by email they may opt-in through their account to receive email communication.

Patients may log in to their account through the JCH&L website by going to I want to pay my bill, or through the JCH&L patient portal by clicking on Pay your Bill. In order to log in, the patient needs their account number (available on a statement) and date of birth.

Patients who prefer to receive a paper statement will still have that option. Patients may opt out of the text process at any time by logging in to their account. Anyone who needs assistance may call the Med-Plan patient account representatives at (800) 888-2584.

“We are pleased to offer this new option, since we know many patients have requested receiving electronic communication and account access rather than paper statements,” said Kim Shadduck, JCH&L business office manager. “Med-Plan has used electronic communications with patients for more than 2 years, and is adding this option based on consumer demand.”

Anyone with questions is encouraged to call Shadduck at (402) 729-3351, extension 7124.

Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Set for Aug. 1

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The Progressive Agriculture Safety Day will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairbury. This year’s Safety Day is the 24rd event for the local chapter of Jefferson County Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.

Safety Day is not just for “farm kids,” organizers said. Safety Day is designed to provide safety information that is agriculturally oriented as well as general safety information.

Through hands-on activities, participants learn to prevent incidents and reduce the extent of injuries if incidents do occur. Safety Day stresses the importance of children taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules, and sharing safety tips with their family and friends.

Progressive Agriculture Safety Day is organized by Jefferson County Farm Safety 4 Just Kids. It is made possible by The Progressive Agriculture Foundation. Area business sponsors are key to making Safety Day successful.

Please watch for details to come!

Anyone who needs more information on Safety Day should call the Nebraska Extension office in Jefferson County at (402) 729-3487, or Coordinator Lana Likens at JCH&L at (402) 729-6855.

Caregivers Support Group to Meet April 13

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The Caregivers Support Group offered by the Alzheimer’s Association will meet on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 4 p.m. in the Jefferson Community Health & Life Clinic Conference Room.

The program will be a video “Shadowing” by Island Health.

Easiest access will be by parking in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the signage to “Caregiver’s Support.”

The Caregiver’s Support Group is a program of the Alzheimer’s Association. The group meets at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the JCH&L Clinic Conference Room.

The support group is designed for those who are caregivers and family members of those who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.  The group provide an opportunity anyone interested to share their experiences with Alzheimer’s Disease and learn from other’s experiences. There is no cost, and no pre-registration required.

For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at 402-729-6855.

Using ER Wisely Can Keep Costs Down

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Family Medicine Clinic Care More Cost Effective for Non-Emergency Health Needs

Increasing health care costs are a concern to many, and wise use of the health center emergency room is an important aspect of keeping health care costs down.

“The health center emergency room is not a cost-effective place to get routine health care,” said Erin Starr, chief nursing officer at Jefferson Community Health & Life in Fairbury. “Very ill and critical patients will be prioritized for care ahead of anyone with routine, non-life threatening problems. In addition, emergency room care is very expensive.”

It is important that a patient be seen in the emergency room if they have any of the following symptoms:

  • Chest pain or signs of heart attack or stroke
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Pain that is uncontrollable
  • Severe shortness of breath
  • Allergic reaction to a sting or bite, or medication reaction
  • Poisoning
  • Unexplained stupor, drowsiness, or disorientation
  • A major injury, fall or possible broken bone
  • Trauma, such as a car accident
  • Uncontrollable bleeding
  • High temperature (over 103 degrees)
  • Laceration that needs stitches when the physician’s office is not open

 

“We provide the needed care for every patient who comes to our emergency room. It is important to understand that we also must prioritize care in the emergency room. If you come with something that is not life-threatening, and we have another patient whose concern is life-threatening, care will be prioritized to the patient with emergency needs,” Starr said.

There are also many medical needs which are not life threatening and can be handled appropriately at your physician’s office during regular office hours. Some of these might include:

  • Flu symptoms
  • Sore throat, cold, cough, fever
  • Rash, lumps, bumps, minor burns
  • Cuts where bleeding is controlled
  • Animal bites
  • Bee stings, insect bites
  • Sprains, strains
  • Earaches
  • Headaches
  • Sores that don’t heal or changes in growths

Jefferson Community Health & Life Fairbury Clinic is a family medicine clinic offering all types of preventative care, care for non-life threatening illnesses and injuries, in addition to physicals and regular followup visits. Five board certified family medicine physicians, four nurse practitioners and 2 physician assistants provide quality care. At JCH&L Fairbury Clinic same-day appointments are available Monday through Friday for urgent health needs. To make an appointment at JCH&L Fairbury Clinic please call (402) 729-3361.

The health center at JCH&L is staffed by nurses 24/7/365 – including weekends and holidays. Medical staff and ancillary medical services are on call at all times, and will be called in as necessary once an assessment is completed.

When an emergency patient arrives by private vehicle they should use the Emergency/Outpatient Entrance on the south side of JHC&L. During regular business hours – typically 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – the entrance is not locked and the area is staffed. After regular hours, patients and their families can enter the emergency entry way and need to pick up the telephone to notify nursing they are in the building. Nursing can then unlock the door remotely and come to the area to assist.

Some tips for most effective use of emergency services:

*Call first. Staff may be able to give additional instructions. Even if you have called ahead, expect to use the phone if you arrive between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30  a.m.

*Bring your list of current medications, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and herbal medications.

*Know and be ready to share your health history. For example, have you had surgeries in the past? Do you have allergies?

*Be prepared to share your symptoms, when they started and how severe they are.

An emergency room is a valuable resource in any community. Using it wisely will help patients make the best use of their time and health care dollars, and receive care appropriate to their needs.

If you are in doubt about whether you should come to the emergency room with any specific symptoms, please feel free to call Jefferson Community Health & Life at 729-3351. We are glad to help you determine the best place to receive care for your current health need.

Caregivers Support Group to Meet March 9

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The Caregivers Support Group offered by the Alzheimer’s Association will meet on Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 4 p.m. in the Jefferson Community Health & Life Clinic Conference Room.

The program will be a video “Sleep Disturbances” by UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.

Easiest access will be by parking in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the signage to “Caregiver’s Support.”

The Caregiver’s Support Group is a program of the Alzheimer’s Association which started again in November after a break because of COVID. The group now typically meets at
4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the JCH&L Clinic Conference Room.

The support group is designed for those who are caregivers and family members of those who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.  The group provide an opportunity anyone interested to share their experiences with Alzheimer’s Disease and learn from other’s experiences. There is no cost, and no pre-registration required.

For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at 402-729-6855.

Nebraska Community Bloodbank Visits April 17

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The next Nebraska Community Bloodbank blood drive will be held on Monday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the mobile unit in the parking lot of JCH&L’s North Building, 825 22nd St.

All types are needed. Giving blood is giving a gift of life. Nebraska Community Bloodbank is Jefferson Community Health & Life’s blood supplier, and the two organizations partner for blood drives in Fairbury to save lives.

Appointments are recommended. To make an appointment, call JCH&L Outpatient Services at 402-729-6851, or visit NCBB.org/searchdrives and use sponsor code JCHC.

With iDonate you can save time by completing your health history on line ahead of your bloodmobile visit. To get started, visit mbc.org/iDonate

JCH&L Encourages Everyone to Know Their Insurance Plan

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Jefferson Community Health & Life encourages everyone to know their health insurance plan – and check carefully into what coverage is available when choosing a plan.

“We are seeing more patients recently being disappointed because JCH&L is not in the network for their health insurance plan,” said Kim Shadduck, JCH&L business office manager. “Often the issue is that we are contracted with the company but not their particular plan.”

Shadduck said that every carrier has a wide variety of plans available. Some plans are “narrow network” plans, meaning they cover only a specific group of hospitals or providers – and those providers may not even be in our state. Some are specific to virtual visits with specific providers.  She said when considering plans, be sure to ask which health care facilities and providers are covered as a part of the plan, and whether you can continue to use your chosen health care provider and home town clinic and hospital services. She said sometimes a plan may cover only Emergency Room visits when out of network, and the patient may or may not have to meet a deductible or pay a copay on that.

Some things to pay extra attention to when shopping for new insurance are: Is this a new plan offered by the company? Does the plan name contain any key words that may indicate a narrow network, like the name of a hospital/group or words like Virtual or Region or the name of a state?  Then be ready to ask questions or do more online research about what that means. If shopping on the healthcare.gov market place, check on whether the facilities and providers you may want to use are covered as part of the plan.

The JCH&L business office welcomes calls and questions about whether we are “in-network” for specific plans – but please be sure to ask about the specific plan. JCH&L may be in network with the company, but not every plan the company sells, Shadduck said.

JCH&L Occupational Health Program Invites Businesses to Learning Opportunity

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JCH&L’s Occupational Health Program is inviting representatives of area businesses to come to a lunch program to learn about the services offered by the program. The lunch will be held at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. Those interested are asked to call Director Lori Ohlde RN at 402-729-6857 or email Lori.Ohlde@JCHealthandLife.org to make reservations.

JCH&L’s Occupational Health program has expanded, and is located at JCH&L’s North Building, 825 22nd St. Occupational Health works with area employers to help them improve their employees’ health and productivity.

A wide variety of services are available including Physical Capacity Profile testing, drug screenings, vaccinations, screening bloodwork, and health risk assessments. JCH&L recognizes that each business has its own specific needs, so staff will help you come up with the plan that meets your needs. Bundled prices and volume discounts are available.

The program will provide an overview of the program, a tour of the facility, and an opportunity to see a demonstration of the PCP equipment. Business owners, managers and Human Resources staff are encouraged to attend.

For more information contact Lori Ohlde at 402-729-6857.

Murphy Now Certified Lactation Counselor

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Kasey Murphy, PT, DPT, CLC, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist, has earned the designation of Certified Lactation Counselor from the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice.

Certified Lactation Counselors are dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation in their work to prevent and solve breastfeeding problems. The credential signifies Murphy has demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies to provide breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding, lactation, and infant feeding.

Murphy said lactation support fits well with her work in pediatric therapy and early childhood development, and the knowledge and expertise can be beneficial to the families and young children she serves. Her physical therapy experience in assessing posture, range of motion, infant reflexes, developmental milestones and coordination brings a unique perspective to the CLC designation.

Murphy works both in outpatient and early intervention settings.  With a physician’s referral, insurance may cover lactation support services in the outpatient setting. Early Intervention is provided by the local school district for families who qualify. Anyone can make a referral. If you are concerned about the development of your child or have questions about participation in Early Intervention, please call 402-239-3646 or 729-6104. The cost is free. More information also provided at: http://edn.ne.gov.

Murphy has been with JCH&L since 2021. She has a bachelor of science in medicine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and is a Board Certified Pediatric Specialist.

For more information, contact JCH&L Sports Medicine and Rehab Services at 402-729-6841.

Dry Needling Now Available Without a Doctor’s Order

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Dry needling is now offered as a stand-alone, cash-based service without a doctor’s order at Jefferson Community Health & Life Sports Medicine and Rehab Services.

Dry needling is a non-pharmaceutical therapeutic modality which uses a small filiform acupuncture needle specifically for treating and preventing soft tissue pain and dysfunction. Dry needling stimulates the healing process in soft tissues, leading to pain relief and restoration of tissue health and mobility. Dry needling can be beneficial for back pain, neck pain, headaches, TMJ pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, tennis elbow and many other diagnoses.

Callie Engler PT, DPT, Board Certified Orthopaedic Specialist, and Travis Kostal, PT, DPT, are both trained in trigger point dry needling for pain management.

“While it does not help every patient, for many patients who experience pain it can be a very helpful technique,” Engler said. “I have had many patients report great results.”

She said how often the area is treated depends on many variables, including how many needles are inserted during a treatment. Younger and healthier patients need 2-3 days between treatments, and older and weaker patients need 4-7 days between treatments. Sometimes patients may find relief after just a few treatments, but severe or chronic symptoms typically require more treatments.

The treatment can be done on those who are under 19 with parent permission.

Some patients may experience side effects, including syncope, bleeding/bruising, pneumothorax, post treatment soreness, drowsiness, and erythema.

There are times when dry needling is not something she would recommend, including: near surgical sites less than 4 weeks after surgery; near implants or joint replacements for at least six weeks; if the patient has problems with needles; or near open wounds. She would recommend extra caution with patients who are pregnant, have very high or low blood pressure, or have a fear of needles.

When dry needling is done as a cash-based service, insurance will not be billed and a physician order is not required. Dry needling with up to a 30-minute treatment session is offered for $40. Call 402-729-6840 to schedule or for more information.

2200 H St., PO Box 277, Fairbury, NE