Tower Health Medical Group

THE REGION'S PREMIER PHYSICIAN-DIRECTED, MULTISPECIALTY GROUP OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO PARTICIPATE WITH TOWER HEALTH IN MANAGING POPULATION HEALTH AND PROMOTING WELLNESS, AND DELIVERING HEALTH CARE.

OUR PRIMARY CARE PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF INTERNAL MEDICINE AND FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIANS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS THROUGHOUT 62 LOCATIONS IN BERKS, CHESTER, MONTGOMERY AND PHILADELPHIA COUNTIES. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021, TOWER HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP'S PRIMARY CARE PROGRAM PROVIDED CARE THROUGH 429,153 PATIENT VISITS TO PATIENTS OF ALL AGES WITH A FOCUS ON WELLNESS AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT. ALL LOCATIONS ACCEPT BOTH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PATIENTS.

OUR ACUTE HOSPITALIST PROGRAM IS COMPRISED LARGELY OF INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIANS ALONG WITH PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS AT MULTIPLE TOWER HEALTH HOSPITAL LOCATIONS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021, TOWER HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP'S ACUTE HOSPITALIST PROGRAM PROVIDED EFFICIENT, HIGH- QUALITY, EVIDENCED-BASED CARE THROUGH 282,105 VISITS TO OUR SYSTEM'S HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS. THIS PROGRAM ACCEPTS BOTH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PATIENTS.

THE SURGICAL SPECIALTIES AT READING HOSPITAL PROVIDED SURGICAL AND NON- SURGICAL CARE FOR 112,064 INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT VISITS IN FY2021. THIS INCLUDES PRIMARILY PATIENTS REQUIRING SURGICAL OR PROCEDURAL TREATMENT. THIS PROGRAM ACCEPTS BOTH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PATIENTS.

EXPENSES INCURRED IN PROVIDING VARIOUS OTHER HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO ALL INDIVIDUALS IN A NON-DISCRIMINATORY MANNER REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR ABILITY TO PAY. OTHER PHYSICIAN SERVICES INCLUDE: REVENUE EXPENSE AMBULATORY SPECIALTIES 17,891,412 36,710,560 ANESTHESIA 15,231,558 30,203,704 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCIENCES 4,146,127 12,099,637 CARDIOLOGY 15,959,825 34,348,139 EMERGENCY 20,011,708 35,143,740 NEUROSCIENCES 8,241,945 25,763,506 WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE 22,125,582 35,312,121 ONCOLOGY 2,253,171 7,306,947 ORTHOPEDICS 2,898,163 6,004,100 PATHOLOGY 3,659,295 5,108,686 PEDIATRICS 7,565,148 13,391,028 RADIOLOGY 15,723,318 20,093,244 SUPPORT SERVICES 13,353,973 21,929,089 TRAUMA 1,993,844 7,034,225 TRANSPLANT 1,933,665 6,915,662 GASTRO 712,338 1,944,831 WHEN THE COVID PANDEMIC HIT OUR COMMUNITY IN MARCH 2020, IT CAUSED MANY CRITICAL NEEDS FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY. A STRONG EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON SAFETY FOR OUR PATIENTS AND STAFF. TOWER HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP(THMG) DEFERRED AND RESUMED PATIENT APPOINTMENTS IN A PHASED IN APPROACH: PHASE 1 INVOLVED IMPLEMENTING SAFE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PROTOCOLS WITHIN OUR PRACTICE SETTINGS AS GUIDED BY THE CDC, LOCAL REGULATORY HEALTH AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY. PATIENT COVID SCREENING PRACTICES WERE IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO VISITS WITH PROVIDERS. ANY PATIENTS WITH POSITIVE COVID SYMPTOM SCREEN RESULTS WERE REFERRED TO OUR COVID TESTING SITES, URGENT CARE LOCATIONS AND/OR TRIAGE NURSING HOTLINE FOR HOME MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SUPPORT. PHASE 2 INVOLVED A TEMPORARY DEFERMENT AND RESCHEDULING OF PREVENTIVE, ANNUAL, OR WELLNESS VISITS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SAFE DISTANCING WITHIN OUR CLINICAL ENVIRONMENTS AND TO REDUCE COVID EXPOSURE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND EMPLOYEES. PATIENTS WITH NEGATIVE COVID SCREEN RESULTS WERE SEEN IN THE PRACTICES WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF LIMITED VISITOR RESTRICTIONS. THOSE PATIENTS CONSIDERED STABLE BUT PRESENTING WITH POSITIVE COVID SCREENING RESULTS WERE OFFERED BOTH TELEPHONIC OR TELEMEDICINE VIDEO VISITS WITH OUR PROVIDERS FOR MEETING THEIR REQUESTED NEEDS FOR TIMELY MEDICAL ATTENTION. PHASE 3 INVOLVED THE RESUMPTION OF PREVENTIVE, ANNUAL OR WELLNESS VISITS BEING SCHEDULED WITH PATIENTS SCREENING NEGATIVE FOR COVID SYMPTOMS. SPECIFIC APPOINTMENT GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING PATIENT WORKFLOWS AND OUR CARE ENVIRONMENT ARE BEING FOLLOWED ACCORDING TO RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. OPTIMIZATION OF TELEMEDICINE VISITS (FACE TO FACE VIDEO) RESULTED IN GREATER PATIENT ACCESS TO AMBULATORY PROVIDER CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT SERVICES. THE MAJORITY OF OUR PRACTICES HAVE RESUMED PRE-COVID PATIENT VISIT VOLUMES. THE PANDEMIC CAUSED A DECREASE IN PATIENT VISITS OF APPROXIMATELY 35% IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF MONTHS OF FY 2020. WHILE THE MOST DRAMATIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC WAS FELT BY THE ORGANIZATION FROM MARCH 2020 THROUGH JUNE 2020, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE ITS EFFECTS INTO THE EARLY PART OF FY 2021. VOLUMES FOR THE FIRST QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, WERE STILL LESS THAN PRE-PANDEMIC VOLUMES BY APPROXIMATELY 8%. BY OCTOBER 2020, THE ORGANIZATION BELIEVES ITS VOLUMES WERE RESTORED TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. THROUGHOUT FY21, THE MEDICAL GROUP CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE CHALLENGES STILL RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: (A)PERMANENT CHANGES IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, SANITATION OF FACILITIES AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WHICH ADDED OPERATIONAL COSTS. (B)TELEMEDICINE VISITS CONTINUE BUT HAVE NOT INCREASED SINCE THE MOST INTENSE PERIOD OF THE PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO EXPAND THIS SERVICE AS IT CONTINUES TO GAIN MOMENTUM FROM TIME TO TIME. (C)AS PATIENTS LIMITED TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS, WHEN PATIENTS DO PRESENT, THEY TEND TO BE SICKER AND/OR THEIR CONDITIONS HAVE REGRESSED WHICH REQUIRES INCREASED CARE AND COST. (D)THE ORGANIZATION HAS HAD TO CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THE SURGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED THROUGHOUT FY21 WHICH PUTS GREATER DEMAND ON STAFFING AND LESS RELIABILITY ON CONSISTENT VOLUMES. (E)SOME ROUTINE/ELECTIVE SURGERIES HAVE DECREASED TO CREATE ACCESS FOR THOSE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CONDITIONS AND NEEDS. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT FY21 HAS BEEN THE CONTINUED DECREASE IN AVAILABLE STAFFING. THIS HAS IMPACTED ALL AREAS OF THE ORGANIZATION INCLUDING PROVIDERS OF CARE AS INDIVIDUALS SEEK ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT OR ARE UNAVAILABLE DUE TO CONTRACTING THE COVID VIRUS. THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED AS THE GREATER DEMAND OF STAFF HAS CREATED SALARY CHALLENGES, ESCALATED COSTS AND REQUIRING THE ORGANIZATION IN MANY CASES TO FIND RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF TYPICAL EMPLOYMENT AND AT GREAT EXPENSE. THIS LACK OF RESOURCES HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED PATIENT ACCESS AND THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO PROVIDE CARE WITH LESS RESOURCES AND BALANCING COSTS.