Partnership Provides Innovative Access to Care for At-Risk Populations Amidst Global Pandemic
Kansas City, MO – Leading care provider Healient Physician Group and Kansas City’s newest Medicare-approved diagnostic imaging vendor, New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics, have announced a partnership to improve access to care for seniors put at risk by the Covid-19 health crisis.
According to the CDC, 41% of adults in the United States have delayed or avoided medical care including urgent or emergency care (12%) and routine care (32%) due to fears of exposure during the pandemic. The aim of the partnership is to bring high quality, life-saving diagnostic services directly to patients in care facilities throughout Kansas and Missouri.
“Heart disease, stroke, and diabetes didn’t stop because of the pandemic; these conditions still need to be diagnosed and treated,” says Dr. David Burkart, principal of Healient. “Under our partnership with New Frontier, we can continue to diagnose critical conditions without exposing patients to further risk.”
Healient Physicians Group provides the diagnosis and treatment of select healthcare specialties, such as conditions of the heart, wound care, and various forms of vascular disease. Often, these conditions are prominent among patients in long-term care or skilled nursing facilities serving seniors or individuals with disabilities.
“Diagnostic procedures for these conditions have traditionally been performed by transporting patients to hospitals or imaging centers,” said Burkart.
“By partnering with New Frontier, we’re helping vulnerable patients minimize their risk of exposure to Covid-19 by bringing trained healthcare technologists into their care facilities to perform diagnostic procedures.”
“Obviously, senior care facilities have been overwhelmed by the demands of the pandemic, and they are working hard to balance the ongoing healthcare needs of their patients with the realities of the virus,” said Jeff Blackwood, CEO of New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics.
“We’re providing facilities with a new, high-quality care option that doesn’t require one of the most at-risk populations to go to hospitals. This helps minimize the risk of breaking the protection barrier these patients need to stay safe from the virus.”
New Frontier started procedures in July 2020, and the company is already seeing the positive impact that ease of access to care can have in the Kansas City health market.
“We’ve been working hard to build the local partnership between New Frontier, our facility partners, and the team at Healient,” said Blackwood. “We know that direct, open relationships between the technologists, physicians, and care facility staff equate to higher quality procedures and fewer mistakes.”
Access to care remains a significant problem for Americans, according to the American Heart Association and other healthcare organizations. “Our first goal was to help the senior care community, since the pandemic had the greatest impact on their access to care,” said Blackwood.
“As we grow, New Frontier will address access to care in other areas, including urban health centers and rural towns that have lost hospital facilities. We can bring the imaging center directly to the people that need it.”
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About Healient Physician Group
Healient Physician Group is Kansas City’s leader in the diagnosis and treatment of select healthcare specialties, including conditions of the heart; traumatic, diabetic, and post-operative wounds, and various forms of vascular disease. Founded in 2013, Healient’s patients have come to expect excellent experiences and people who care about people. For more information, go to www.Healient.com.
About New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics
New Frontier is the Greater Kansas City Area’s newest Medicare-approved provider of in-room diagnostic imaging services for heart, vascular, and general imaging procedures. Our partnership with Healient Physician Group ensures informed, professional analysis, bringing patients access to quality diagnostic care, when they need it, where they need it. For more information, go to www.NewFrontierMD.com.