Davis

Services to be Sustained for the Community MOORESVILLE, N.C., Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Novant Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Davis Regional Medical Center and their related businesses, including physician clinic operations and outpatient services from subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH). "Our shared commitments to the community will continue to anchor our efforts and plans as we deliver exceptional, patient-centered experiences; protect safety and quality; improve community health; and promote equitable access to care," said Carl S. Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health. "This unique and exciting opportunity to extend Novant Health's regional delivery network to new communities also creates opportunities for medical education, research and innovation." The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close later this year. "Novant Health has a demonstrated commitment to delivering quality care to the patients they serve across the communities they serve," said Matthew Littlejohn, Chief Executive Officer of Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and Davis Regional Medical Center. "Our tradition of serving the community with medical services close to home will be enhanced thanks to the dedication and skill of our medical staff and employees." Once the transaction is complete, Novant Health will continue working with employees, members of the medical staff, and other stakeholders to deliver quality care close to home. SOURCE Novant Health

Davis-Standard will give show visitors an opportunity to view a running polycarbonate pipette line equipped with a Davis-Standard HPE (high performance) extruder and new DS-XEL process control at MD&M West. The line will also feature downstream equipment from the Conair Group and an OD/ID/Wall gauge system by Zumbach Electronics, both Davis-Standard technology partners. In addition, a 2.5-inch (50mm) Davis-Standard Super Blue extruder will be displayed with DS-XEL controls, and customers can learn more about the company’s DS Activ-Check cloud-based platform for preventative maintenance and monitoring. The DS-XEL, introduced last fall, implements high-performance HMI features to better facilitate the data acquisition and process information required for today’s manufacturing. Processors benefit from built-in security to prevent unauthorised changes to system set-up parameters, multi-language support, process alarm logging, and real-time and historical data trending. The DS-XEL is the new standard control for Davis-Standard’s Super Blue and HPE extruders. Davis-Standard’s HPE extruder will power the line. This extruder is available in an adjustable vertical or horizontal configuration in sizes ranging from ¾-inch (19mm) to 1 ¾ inches (44mm). A direct coupled motor and smaller footprint make this machine ideal for tight manufacturing spaces and clean-room environments. The HPE can be run as the primary extruder, or as a complementary extruder in a coextrusion arrangement. The Super Blue is easy-to-maintain, energy-efficient, and provides increased torque capacity for high-viscosity resins. It is available in sizes from 2 inches (50mm) to 4 1/2 inches (114mm) with a range of DSB barrier screw designs and a three-year warranty. “We continue to expand upon our medical tubing solutions targeted at energy efficiency, sustainable practices, and process versatility to address evolving resin and end-product requirements,” said Kevin Dipollino, Davis-Standard’s senior product manager of Pipe, Profile and Tubing Systems. “We have had excellent feedback on the DS-XEL, and can engineer this system to accommodate our DS Activ-Check digital transformation tool in order to achieve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).” DS Activ-Check has been described as a smart manufacturing solution due to its real-time monitoring, predictive and preventative maintenance, process and equipment analytics, and multi-faceted team connectivity. Processors can apply DS Activ-Check to amplify production efficiency, easily connect and collaborate using smart devices and remote PCs, manage cloud-based data collection, improve operator productivity and safety, and accelerate service and support. Davis-Standard provides multiple services aimed at strengthening product line performance. This includes die reconditioning, feedscrew replacement to boost outputs and material homogeneity, control system upgrades to enhance digitalisation and product changeover. “Consistent product quality, sustainable manufacturing, and reduced waste directly impact the bottom line,” added Dipollino. “Whether it’s’ medical tubing, medical packaging, materials for hygienic products, or other markets, we seek to deliver value-added equipment technology and timely aftermarket services to each of our customers.” Davis-Standard representatives at the show will include Kevin Dipollino, Justin McKenna and Dr. Jason Baird.

While few employers provide retiree health benefits, the ones that do are using Medicare Advantage plans more and more, a new analysis found. Currently, only 13% of large employers — or companies with 200 or more employees — offer retiree health benefits, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) report showed. Of this group, 50% provide these benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan, up from 26% in 2017. For firms with 5,000 or more workers providing retiree benefits, 60% use Medicare Advantage plans, up from 29% in 2017. Additionally, of the large firms providing retiree benefits with a Medicare Advantage plan, 44% don’t offer any other choice for coverage, the survey discovered. The KFF report relied on data from the 2022 KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey. KFF worked with NORC at the University of Chicago and Davis Research to conduct the survey, which included interviews with business owners and human resource and benefits managers at 2,188 firms. A major reason for firms turning to Medicare Advantage plans for retirees is financial. About 27% of all large firms chose these plans due to cost; 20% of firms with 200 to 999 workers and 42% of firms with 1,000 or more workers selected cost as the top factor driving their decisions. Other reasons cited for choosing MA plans were their administrative simplicity, better coverage options and flexibility for enrollees. This shift could have several effects on retirees, KFF said. “As the share of large employers offering retiree health benefits to Medicare-eligible retirees continues to decline, firms that still offer these benefits are increasingly turning to Medicare Advantage, often to lower their own financial liability, which raises questions about the implications for retirees, employers and the Medicare program,” KFF stated in the report. “For some large employers, the shift to Medicare Advantage appears to be a strategy to maintain benefits for their retirees, without terminating coverage or adopting other changes that more directly shift costs onto retirees.” One of these implications is the impact this approach could have on retirees’ access to physicians and hospitals, the report said. They’ll also have to go through prior authorization, which could limit their access to some services. If they’re not happy with their network, they would have to completely give up their retiree benefits, KFF said. Another implication is the impact on Medicare spending, as Medicare pays more for enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans than traditional Medicare, according to KFF. The report comes as Medicare Advantage enrollment in general is becoming more popular. A separate KFF report found that about 48% of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. This number could cross the 50% threshold as soon as next year. At the same time, there is a growing desire to scrutinize MA plans given that some believe they are misleading for seniors and actually drive up costs for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS recently released a requirement — effective January 1 — that bans MA plans from advertising on television without approval from the agency.