Interview: Al Hernandez, Public

Challenges The health sector in the Tampa Bay region is the largest employer and in a time of pandemic — and an outpouring of sympathy toward overworked health workers — job security among those in this industry would not appear to be an issue.

But the truth is more complicated. While this year has ushered in new interest in lab-based, infectious disease research, the hard facts of the pandemic have made it a difficult year for some workers.

Again, Tampa General Hospital is paving the way as a regional leader. It recently opened the Taneja Family Global Emerging Diseases Institute in part as a response to the pandemic. At one point, over $8 million was invested to transform a former rehab building into a COVID-19 care unit.

Moving forward, the new Institute will be a forum in which Tampa General, University of South Florida Health, and private physicians will be able to work together on clinical trials and research. So far, Tampa General has done promising work on in-house sequencing that could rapidly identify new variants of COVID-19 as they emerge.

Besides areas such as this though, it has been a tough year for medical workers. The sector was second only to the restaurant industry in terms of layoffs. An order by Gov. DeSantis to stop all non-emergency elective surgery, as well as a steep decline in in-office consultations — both a financial lifeline for clinics and smaller practices — has put serious strain on the industry. The Watson Clinic in Lakeland, for instance, saw a drop of $600,000 a day after the restriction on elective surgery came into place, and, as a result, it had to furlough over 388 employees and slash salaries for senior administrators, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported. Across the nation, where healthcare is generally regarded as a business, billions were lost due to similar strictures.

Added to these stresses are the long-term effects of burnout and overwork among medical staff. There was a paucity of medical supplies and beds which forced frontline workers to make difficult decisions when executing their tasks.

Adding to the stress of frontline workers’ situation is the fact that, on account of the contagious nature of the virus, no loved ones were allowed to visit ICUs, meaning that one’s role as a nurse or doctor could quickly evolve into something more akin to hospice care and grief counselling. The strain on medical workers has been addressed by programs such as the Hillsborough County Medical Association’s Physician Wellness Program. Al Hernandez

Public Sector VicePresident – Florida Humana

How has the demand for telehealth evolved over the course of the pandemic?

A few years ago, Humana launched our partnership with Doctor on Demand to provide our members with virtual access to U.S.-based, board-certified physicians. At the time, we saw minimal utilization of the program. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen significant growth in telehealth, with up to 30-40% of Humana members utilizing virtual care. This has created a significant shift in the way we do business, and we believe telehealth will continue to play a postpandemic role.

How does your partnership with Accolade improve your offerings?

Employers typically provide benefits that include offerings like medical, dental, vision and life insurance, as well as other products. However, let’s face it, insurance can be confusing. Employees may be able to understand some of the components of their benefits but may struggle to find the best care and coverage. Humana Impact with Accolade is a navigation tool that allows us to aggregate all of these benefits under one umbrella, creating a holistic approach. Employees have access to a Healthcare Support Specialist to help them optimize their benefit programs, find the best quality healthcare providers and clinical programs, and minimize their out-of-pocket expenses. So far, we’ve had phenomenal feedback.

How is Humana using data-driven technology to improve its services?

Artificial intelligence and data-driven technology are playing a huge role in our services. The reality is that everything we’re doing, from a claims perspective down to the individual calling in to express their needs and desires, goes into a database that we constantly analyze. We’re utilizing technology to help provide personalized healthcare experiences for our members. We’re extremely proud of our back-end tools that allow us to provide a unique, personalized experience to our members.

FY21 Florida budget: $2.8 million to combat HIV/AIDS, $9 million for minority health infrastructure, $4 million to improve services

Public policy In terms of public policy, the pandemic has shifted focus to the vaccine rollout on the federal, state and local levels. The effort to contain the spread of the virus has resulted in the unprecedented vaccination drive that is unfolding in the United States at a rapid rate when compared to the rest of the world.

On the federal level, the Biden administration is expected to reverse many of the Trump administration’s cuts and rollbacks. Trump made deregulation and cuts a signature aspect of his presidency and, over the course of his four years in power, chiseled away at the Affordable Care Act, reduced access to Medicaid, and did away with other consumer protection measures. As part of his signature infrastructure plan, Biden has also displayed an interest in investing more in research and development, something which bodes well for the medical research and life science sectors.

On the state level, government action alternates between forward thinking on the one hand and totally absent on the other. There has been a raft of legislation in the pipeline that will affect Florida’s healthcare professions, including the establishing of standards of practice for telehealth, measures that will counter the opioid epidemic, and continuing education for dentists.

Among DeSantis’ budget proposals for 2021 are $2.8 million for combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Florida, $9 million for strengthening minority health infrastructure and $4 million to improve the services offered by healthcare professionals. There is a drive to increase the health of mothers and newborns through encouraging healthy living. ( )