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IV Hydration Therapy! All You Need to Know!

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The benefits of IV hydration therapy are vast. To most people, it is a luxury to get intravenous fluids when feeling under the weather or after surgery. But at Vivify Hydration Lounge and Medispa in Batavia, NY vitamins provided intravenously can also be used to help prevent inflammation and dehydration in athletes, busy moms with toddlers running around their feet, patients with chronic illness in need of supplementation, or someone who just wants to look better and feel better!

Our recent Tune in Tuesday interview was with Michelle Maniace, owner of Vivify Hydration Lounge and Medispa. In the video below, she will tell you all about IV hydration therapy so you can decide for yourself if this is something that would benefit you or someone you know. In the video, she makes an interesting point regarding the benefit of receiving vitamins intravenously versus orally. She says that an issue with taking vitamins orally, is that when processed through the digestive system, your body is not always absorbing them, and therefore not receiving the intended benefits. However, with IV vitamins, they go directly into your bloodstream, allowing for 100% absorption.

When asked who the ideal candidate would be for IV Hydration therapy, Michelle said it could essentially be anyone, although she emphasized the significant benefits for patients with chronic conditions, as well as bariatric patients. She said patients with Cancer undergoing chemotherapy, benefit from intravenous vitamin C, among others. Additionally, she spoke about other infusions that can benefit patients with autoimmune disorders for example, such as one IV pack that assists in the detoxification of the liver.

IV therapy isn’t just for those who are sick though. It also benefits athletes, as well as those who are looking to improve the appearance of their skin through some biotin, and other intravenous vitamins. And, lest we forget…did you drink a little too much last night? No worries, Michelle has you covered with her hangover package.

Interested to learn more? Listen to the video below.

IV Hydration Therapy! All You Need to Know

Need help opening your medical or wellness practice? Click here to learn more!

Fighting to Lower Health Plan Costs!

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Fighting to Lower Health Plan Costs

From the humble Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga to the owner of a large health plan, consisting of 400,000 members and clients such as the University of Notre Dame, Dunkin Donuts and Fisher-Price Toys, Ron Zoeller knows all there is to know about health insurance.

Similarly, his business partner, Kevin Gannon, one of eight children raised in Lackawanna, New York, rose from his beginnings as a broker of life insurance, to owning and selling his own brokerage, to joining Ron in the development of Azeros Health Plans in 2019.

As the only Managing General Administrator in the Self-Funded health insurance industry, Azeros is about more than selling employer health plans. Using their combined years’ worth of experience, they are seeking to partner with employers to seek solutions that improve their bottom line and positively benefit their employees. Companies possessing 100+ employees will benefit in becoming self-funded by removing the “fat” that goes toward health insurance admin and brokerage fees. Instead, they will pay dollar-for-dollar toward their expenses, ultimately saving significantly on their health plan costs.

Transitioning companies to self-funded health insurance isn’t the only way Ron and Kevin are saving money for their clients. Additionally, they employ the practice of Reference Based Pricing (RBP), as well as a prescription benefits management program that is saving employers as much as 30% on prescription costs! Never heard of RBP? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Typically, in-patient charges can result in charges that are 250-400% of Medicare. Through Reference Based Pricing, Azeros works to obtain charges that are 150-200% of Medicare, half of what they typically would be!

Interested to learn more about what Ron and Kevin and the Azeros team can do for your company? Listen to this video to learn more, as well as head to their website at www.azeros1.com There, you can use a tool they have named the “Under-Righter”, to see what savings you may be able to achieve. Under 100 employees? That’s okay, they can still assist your organization as a fully insured employer, including still being able to assist with the significant prescription medicine savings! And yes, even if your company has already renewed their annual plan, they can assist you at any time!

Listen in as Ron and Kevin discuss their backgrounds, what they’re working on now, and how Azeros and Cornerstone are collaborating to help both employers and physicians! Also, stick around for the end, when Ron tells us the story of when the Bills almost left Buffalo, and how he influenced them staying.

Physician-Centric Consulting Services!

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Independent physicians need an ally.  Provider practices are consolidating everywhere.  Hospital systems are assuming control and purport to represent the physician perspective.  In a two-year period, the 2,800 U.S. hospital systems have bought 8,000 medical practices.

National health insurers are also in the fray, now buying regional medical groups.  United Healthcare has purchased the largest independent medical practice in Massachusetts.  United, Aetna, and Cigna aren’t yet a significant presence in Buffalo or Rochester, but when that occurs, relationships will change.

In this new environment, Cornerstone Healthcare Consulting and Management represents group practices, sole practitioners, and hospital – employed doctors.  Working as an employee for a healthcare system does not eliminate the need for an independent brand identity.

We are the physician’s “agent” – whatever is needed, we provide analysis and insight.   As important, we implement our recommendations.  Our functions can include marketing, branding, medical billing, the opening of a new practice, or a merger with another.  All services are confidential, of course.

Being aware of industry trends is essential to our business.  The rising cost of medical care to Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial (employer) budgets has put pressure on payer/provider relationships.

Western New York is not immune to the dynamic.  Why did UPMC/Pittsburgh, itself both a hospital system and health insurer, buy WCA Hospital in Jamestown?  Why did HealthNow Blue Cross allow itself to be taken over by Highmark/Pittsburgh and what will it mean to Buffalo providers?

The ultimate healthcare goal is to serve the patient; their needs get lost in the typical shuffle.  Health plan deductibles have increased dramatically, and some medical groups perform front-end credit checks on new patients.  Access to primary care is a major problem.

As Cornerstone moves forward, it has partnered with Azeros Health Plans in developing an Exclusive Provider Organization which offers visit capacity while eliminating co-pays.   The EPO model offers much needed physician independence, access to primary care, and cost control.

We want to be the trusted advisor of the medical practice.  No job is too big or too small.  Schedule a consultation via our website at www.cornerstonehealthcareconsulting.com.

Physician-Centric Consulting Services

Dr. Praba Jeyalingam – Gynecologic Surgeon

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Dr. Praba Jeyalingam -Gynecologic Surgeon

We all have a story. What’s yours? In this Tune in Tuesday episode, Dr. Praba Jeyalingam shares about her unique journey that started in family medicine, that has ultimately landed in gynecologic surgery. A fellowship trained surgeon in urogynecology, Dr. Jeyalingam is a rockstar in her specialty, with skills that include the ability to operate robotically.

Until recently, Dr. Jeyalingam has been working as an OBGYN in a private medical practice located in Buffalo, New York. Although very skilled in obstetrics, her true love is in the operating room. Having built a large patient following, we know her patients will be disappointed in no longer being able to see her, however she provides a recommendation for patients to transfer to former colleague, Dr. Marsi Cloud, who has recently joined local private practice, Buffalo OBGYN.

Don’t miss this great interview, as Missy Starowitz, owner of Cornerstone Healthcare Consulting asks Dr. Jeyalingam the following questions:

1.) Tell us about your journey to get where you are now, and where you’re headed next.

2.) Why OBGYN?

3.) Going from private practice to a hospital employee is a big change. Do you think it is helpful to have an attorney review your employment agreement?

4.) What is something you’d give as advice to a med student or resident?

5.) Who was Praba Jeyalingam in high school?

6.) Favorite place to eat in Buffalo?

What an honor it is to know and work with Dr. Jeyalingam. We are excited to witness all that is in store for her in this next chapter of her story.

Be sure to click the link below to watch the interview! Want to learn more about Dr. Praba Jeyalingam? Click here to visit her website!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ac8hu2On4E

 

Dr. Marsi Cloud Interview – Well-Loved OBGYN!

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Interview with Dr. Marsi Cloud, Well loved OBGYN!

Here at Cornerstone, we are truly blessed to work with some of the best and brightest physicians in the country. Dr. Marsi Cloud is without a doubt one of those individuals. Our journey together began at Empire OB/GYN, where she previously spent 18 years of her career.

After 18 years, Dr. Cloud realized it was time for a change, and is preparing for the next chapter of her professional journey. In this Tune in Tuesday episode, we connect with Dr. Cloud to learn more about who she is personally, as well as professionally. Also, we have the exciting opportunity of providing the Big Reveal of where she is headed to next to practice. Don’t miss this great interview, as Missy Starowitz, owner of Cornerstone Healthcare Consulting asks Dr. Cloud the following questions:

1.) Where did you grow up?

2.) What made you want to become a doctor?

3.) Did you always want to do OBGYN?

4.) Why the private practice route

5.) Who was Marsi Cloud in high school?

5.) Favorite restaurant in Buffalo?

6.) And…the BIG Revealing…what practice are you headed to next? How do patients transfer there?

What an honor it is to know and work with Dr. Cloud. We are excited to witness all that is in store for her in the next phase of her journey.

Interested to follow Dr. Cloud to her next practice? She starts September 1st! Click here to download the transfer paperwork: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JlBkjICa6vX3p0lC2luaHxh9I8073q30/view?usp=sharing or visit their website and learn more by clicking here!

Clinical Trials Beyond the Hospital Walls!

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Clinical Trials Beyond the Hospital Walls

If you live in Western New York, you have likely heard of Circuit Clinical and/or read one of the multiple stories about their growth in local news stories. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Irfan Khan, the catalyst to their success appeared to come in 2019, upon being selected as a winner of the annual 43North startup competition. As a result, they were awarded an investment of $500,000 and free rent for a year in the magnificent Seneca One office building. Since that time, Circuit Clinical has continued to blossom. However, many are still unsure as to who they are and what they do.

In this Tune in Tuesday episode, we traveled to downtown Buffalo, to learn firsthand from the founder and CEO, Dr. Irfan Khan who/what Circuit Clinical is. A cardiologist by training, listen in as he explains the Circuit Clinical business model, and how they are pioneering the way to bring clinical research trials beyond the hospital walls and to the office level, where the vast majority of patients exist. In addition to asking Dr. Khan to describe who/what Circuit Clinical is, we also asked him the following questions:

  • What prompted the idea for Circuit Clinical? Is this something you have been thinking of for a while, or did it just come to you in more recent years?
  • Why should a practice partner with Circuit Clinical? What are the pros and cons to doing so?
  • Who was Irfan Khan in high school? Were you always a “go-getter”?
  • Favorite place to eat in Buffalo?

Take the time to listen in and learn more about this exciting journey Dr Khan and his team are on. What began in Buffalo, New York is now expanding into the Northeast Region and beyond, serving patients in a way that did not exist prior. Thank you, Dr Khan for all you are doing to advance healthcare! Interested to learn more about Circuit Clinical? Click here to visit their website!