News

HealthSouth is now Encompass

1/4/2019

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Erie
143 E. Second Street, Erie, PA

Thursday – January 10, 2019
10:00am Ribbon Cutting (followed by open house & refreshments)
CONTACT: Jeff Duncan, 814-878-1464

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Erie will unveil its new name and brand as part of its Company’s name change and rebranding initiative. As of January 1, 2019, it will be known as Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Erie. It will continue to provide the same high-quality, post-acute care for patients overcoming a variety of major illnesses and injuries.
To commemorate the new name and brand, the hospital will be hosting a community ribbon-cutting event on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 10:00 a.m. followed by punch and cookies. In conjunction with the ribbon cutting, the hospital is hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Our new Encompass Health brand reflects more than the change of our name. It reinforces our commitment to working together to continuously improve the care we provide our patients,” said John Papalia, CEO of Encompass Health Erie. “With a focus on clinical collaboration and strengthening relationships, we will continue to play an important role in making a difference in the lives of our patients.”
As a national leader in post-acute care, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) has a national footprint that spans 130 hospitals and 273 home health & hospice locations in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Driven by a set of shared values, Encompass Health is the result of the union between HealthSouth Corporation and Encompass Home Health & Hospice, and is ranked as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Impact of Recent Changes to the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP)(Medicaid in Pennsylvania)

1/4/2019

MATP Controversy Mounts in PA

12/28/2018

MATP Controversy Mounts in PA
This past summer, the State’s legislature passed and the Governor approved action that requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to deliver the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) through either a statewide or regional full-brokerage system. The rationale of this action is that PA could supposedly draw down an additional 15 million $ of Federal funds to support MATP. In response to this requirement, the PA DHS has released a Request for Application (RFA).
Advocates for the senior and disabled populations have been mounting a campaign against the resulting outcome for the RFA , arguing that eliminating MATP from the state’s coordinated transportation system will result in

a loss of all MATP trips for local providers;
a reduction of services for seniors and those with disabilities;
increased service costs, well in excess of the expected Federal drawdown and
a negative impact on the Lottery-funded shared ride transportation program.

To learn more, please see the position statement from the PA Public Transportation Association and two related new stories.
Click here to the read CNHI News Service article published Dec. 9, 2018
Click here to the read GoErie.com article published Dec. 16, 2018.

Wreaths Across America

12/7/2018

Broadway-Themed Trees of Manchester

12/5/2018

Heartland Hospice's Wizard of Oz tree at Trees of Manchester.

Social Security Phone Scam Alert

11/27/2018

The Better Business Bureau is warning residents of a rise in Social Security scam calls targeting individuals. There are many variations of this scam call that residents may receive, but typically a caller, “robocall” or voicemail will inform an individual that there is a problem with their Social Security account. The caller scares the individual into believing if the problem is not resolved immediately, the individual may have their Social Security Number (SSN) suspended or their assets frozen.

Better Business Bureau Tips on dealing with the SSN phone scam:

Caller ID can be Spoofed: A con artist can easily disguise the actual phone number they are calling from, therefore caller ID is not always reliable. Scammers will often change the number they are calling from to be an 814 area code, making it look like the call is coming from somewhere local.

Calls from Government Agencies: A government agency, like the SSA and IRS, will never call unsolicited to request personal information or money. If you get a call from a government agency, the best thing to do is hang up and call the known customer service number for the agency to verify yourself that money or personal info is needed. The real Social Security Administration can be reached at 1-800-772-1213.

Callers use Scare Tactics: Scammers will use any means necessary to try to trick you into giving over personal information, like contact information, birth date, bank account info, social security number, etc. They use intimidation, scare tactics and are sometimes just plain rude!

Report Scams: You can report phone scams to your Better Business Bureau at 877-267-5222 or online at bbb.org/scamtracker. If you have any questions about a suspicious call or potential scam, BBB would be glad to help you verify legitimacy or explain the scam.

Erie News Now news coverage:
http://www.erienewsnow.com/story/39542666/social-security-scam-hits-erie-area