Shane Donaldson CEO Pinnacle Home Care
What is Pinnacle Home Care’s key mission? The Mission of Pinnacle was born out of an obsession I had for the patient care experience while I was still practicing as a physical therapist in the early days of the organization. Our mission is: Changing Lives Through the Art of the Experience. Here at Pinnacle, we believe that although “what” we do is important, “how” we do it is equally if not more important. Creating an exceptional experience for a patient is an art that is only fully appreciated when you have the heart to serve. Beyond our patients, we recognize three other “stakeholders” for whom the experience is equally important: our staff, our referral partners and the communities we serve. How will the development of telehealth disrupt your operations? We were already working on a telehealth platform when the pandemic struck, so we were in the right place at the right time when it came to our deployment phase. We accelerated our rollout plans and began to implement videocall technology throughout our operations where possible. This platform proved to be incredibly beneficial as it allowed us to maintain close contact with our patients during the pandemic at a period of time where there was understandably heightened concern for any face-to-face contact. What challenges is the homecare industry facing? One of the major recent changes has been a modification in the way we are compensated for our work. Until the end of 2019, we were responsible for the care of a patient for a 60-day payment period. We would receive approximately 40% of that payment up front, based on the patient’s anticipated needs, to cover our expenses. We would then receive the rest of the payment on conclusion of the treatment period. In 2020, the upfront payment dropped to 20% and as of 2021, we no longer get paid anything up front. This creates significant cash flow issues for many organizations. 142
| Invest: Tampa Bay 2021 | HEALTHCARE
Tampa Bay’s healthcare system consists of world-class hospitals, research institutions, specialty centers, physicians and staff, all of which are paving the way in the advancement of medicine and health.
2020, then the largest for 2021 has certainly been the rollout of the vaccine. The state was able to make the vaccine available to all adults, several weeks ahead of Biden’s goal of doing so for the entire country. That said, the vaccination drive has not been without its issues, such as local skepticism of vaccines generally. The state is also taking pains to vaccinate communities that have been disproportionately burdened by the pandemic. Black residents have been underrepresented among those who have received the shot, and to counter this, the state government is partnering with community organizations, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to engage those underserved. The state has also allotted $200 million to help with minority outreach. Another issue facing vaccination efforts has been the eligibility of seasonal workers and immigrants. Toward ensuring these groups get vaccinated the state has provided translators at vaccination sites and reduced the threshold for identification: a resident of
