health partners online visit

•   Email Us

• Channels ►
• Executive Moves
• Transaction & Valuation
• Health Equity
• Patient Experience
• Care Coordination
• Legal & Regulatory
• Compensation
• Specialties ►
• Orthopedics
• Surgery Centers
• Dental / DSO
• Becker's Healthcare Websites ►
• Dental + DSO
• Behavioral Health
• Physician Leadership
• Newsletters ►
• Sign Up For Our Free E-Newsletters
• Hospital Review
• Hospital CEO Report
• Hospital CFO Report
• Health IT & CIO Report
• Clinical Leadership
• Revenue Cycle Management
• Digital Innovation Report
• Supply Chain
• Payer Issues
• Pharmacy Report
• Women's Leadership
• Laboratory Review
• Cardiology Report
• Oncology Report
• HR + Talent Review
• Post Acute Report
• Life Sciences Report
• Behavioral Health Report
• Marketing Report
• Events ►
• Upcoming Conferences and Events
• 21st Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference
• Spring Future of Dentistry Roundtable
• 9th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Annual Meeting: The Future of Business and Clinical Technologies
• Becker's ASC 30th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs
• Fall Future of Dentistry Roundtable
• Fall Payer Issues Roundtable
• 12th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable
• 15th Annual Meeting
• Exhibiting & Sponsoring
• Call for Speakers
• Virtual Events ►
• Upcoming Virtual Events
• CMO + CNO Virtual Event
• Transform Hospital Operations Virtual Summit
• Infusion Center Operations Virtual Summit
• CEO + CFO Virtual Forum
• Revenue Cycle Management Virtual Event
• Oncology Virtual Forum
• AI + Digital Health Virtual Event
• Digital Innovation + Patient Experience and Marketing Virtual Event
• Dental + DSO Virtual Event
• Human Resources + Talent Virtual Event
• 9th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Virtual Event
• 12th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable Virtual Event
• Oncology Virtual Summit
• Past Virtual Events
• Webinars ►
• Upcoming Webinars
• OnDemand Webinars
• Partner Content ►
• Current Partner Content
• Podcasts ►
• Our Podcasts
• Becker's Healthcare Podcast Episodes
• Becker’s Digital Health + Health IT Podcast
• Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast
• Podcast Summaries
• Becker's Behavioral Health Podcast
• Becker's Ambulatory Surgery Centers Podcast
• Becker's Spine and Orthopedics Podcast
• Becker's Dental + DSO Review Podcast
• Becker’s Clinical Leadership Podcast
• Becker’s Pediatric Leadership Podcast
• Becker's Cardiology + Heart Surgery Podcast
• Becker's Women's Leadership Podcast
• Lists ►
• Nominations
• Sign up for list nomination updates
• Print ►
• Current Issue
• Past Issues
• Current Issue - Becker's Clinical Leadership
• Past Issues - Becker's Clinical Leadership
• Multimedia ►
• Intuitive + Becker's Content Hub
• NRC Health Content Hub
• Now is the Time
• LeanTaaS AI Solutions
• Healthcare Upside/Down Podcast Series
• Featured Content
• Career Center
• Mass General Brigham
• AMN Healthcare
• About Us ►
• About Becker's Hospital Review
• Careers at Becker's
• Request Media Kit
• Content Specifications
• Most Read ►
• Steward files for bankruptcy
• Steward plans sale of all hospitals, reports $9B in debt
• 10 best states for healthcare: US News
• Patient fatally strangled at HCA hospital: Police
• Kaiser laying off 76 in California 
• Health systems phase out common type of anesthesia
• The 'dawn of a new era' for Tenet
• HCA accused of withholding pay of 1,000 workers
• Cleveland Clinic names 3 new leaders
• 10 things to know about Optum's bank 
• Top 40 Articles ►
• 27 hospitals, health systems cutting jobs
• 39 recent hospital, health system executive moves
• 150+ top places to work in healthcare | 2024
• 5 hospitals seeking CEOs
• Catholic health system to replace all crucifixes
• California system gave $100,000 bonuses to nurses for retention. Did it work?
• UnitedHealth suspects 'nation-state' behind Change outage: 7 things to know 
• Experts scramble to understand rising cancer rates in young adults
• Meet the 24-year-old running a Colorado hospital
• Former Kaiser nurse awarded $41M in retaliation lawsuit
• 15 'overpaid' CEOs in healthcare
• Optum enacts layoffs, workers say 
• 10 women making moves in healthcare
• Mark Cuban: CEOs 'waste a sh-tload of money' on healthcare
• 12 healthcare trends and issues we are following for 2024
• UPMC to lay off around 1,000 employees
• 100 largest hospitals and health systems in the US | 2023
• From -6.8% to 12.2%: 43 health systems ranked by operating margins
• 6 recent hospital, health system CEO moves
• As Steward's finances stumble, spotlight turns to CEO's yachts
• Hackers leak Change Healthcare contracts, patient data
• Where are Leapfrog's 15 straight-'A' hospitals?
• Optum shutting down telehealth business
• Best healthcare jobs in 2024: US News
• Hospitals slam FTC's noncompete ban
• Where are Leapfrog's 10 'F' hospitals?
• 'An attack on the entire sector': Fallout from Change Healthcare hack continues
• 11 hospital closures in 2024
• Healthgrades' 50 top hospitals for 2024
• 11 health systems moving to Epic
• UChicago sued for negligence in death of Silver Cross Hospital CEO
• 418 rural hospitals at risk of closure, breakdown by state
• The No. 1 problem still keeping hospital CEOs up at night
• 15 health systems with strong finances
• Ransomware group leader told hackers to attack hospitals, FBI, HHS say
• HHS intervenes in Change Healthcare hack
• Mark Cuban's drug company partners with 1st health system
• The layoff runway lengthens
• COO of Tennessee hospital gives resignation days after CEO
• Pennsylvania hospital CEO resigns

Leadership & Management

Why healthpartners is going hybrid to meet consumer expectations.

Imagine you’re on vacation, enjoying a good beach read while waves roll up the sandy shore.

As you finish a chapter, your stomach rumbles. You open an app, order some groceries to pick-up on your way back to the rental. Thinking about the rental reminds you to pay-off the remaining balance on the credit card you used to book the trip, all before you leave the comforts of your umbrella-covered towel.

What if healthcare were this easy?

As president and CEO of a large integrated healthcare system, it’s a vision that I’ve imagined for a long time.

We need to think differently about how we’re serving patients and how to meet the modern expectation of convenience in all things. The good news is this vision is closer than it’s ever been.

We learned two important insights during the COVID-19 pandemic: 1) a lot of people prefer virtual care and 2) innovation can happen really quickly when we need it to. Quite honestly, we didn’t really know the extent to which these were true before the pandemic.

When COVID hit, our organization trained some 2,000 clinicians on video visits in one week. While virtual care peaked during the height of COVID-19, roughly 15% of the care we provide is still delivered virtually. And in some specialty care settings, like mental health, that percentage is closer to 60%.

The challenge is how do we make sure virtual and in-person services work together to truly deliver a more convenient, connected and personal experience.

It’s the idea behind a new model that we’re implementing called Hybrid Care. To start, we’re using it for preventive care.

An expectation of convenience, whether it’s retail or health care

Think of Hybrid Preventive Care like shopping at Target. With Target, you can shop online, receive recommendations based on what the retailer knows about you, and then you can pick up your order at whatever location is most convenient. 

With Hybrid Preventive Care, you do your annual preventive assessment online at whatever time works for your schedule, receive personalized recommendations, and get labs, imaging or vaccines at whatever location is most convenient. 

Patients who have HealthPartners insurance will be directed to other relevant resources available through their health plan, too. We know increased personalization has a direct impact on outcomes. Through other work we’re doing to personalize health information, we know that it can improve vaccination rates, certain cancer screenings and reduce cancellation of some appointments.

This personalized hybrid experience is starting to meet consumers’ desire for simpler health care. It also has potential to bridge the gap that exists between virtual and in-person services. These gaps, by the way, are prompting consumers to shop for services more than they ever have before. According to a study by the data firm Trilliant, individuals are using more than four health care brands on average per year, which has implications for effective care coordination.  

It’s a trend that employers are watching, too. Survey data from the Business Group on Health show employers are concerned that virtual health care is siloed and there’s a lack of coordination between virtual and in-person services. They’re increasingly worried about the fragmented, piecemeal care their employees are receiving.

These market insights remind us that we need to think differently about how we deliver care and serve consumers and employer groups.

A better-connected experience is better for patients and employers. A true win-win.

Hybrid preventive care also happens to benefit our care teams. In a post-pandemic world, a smaller health care workforce is caring for a growing number of patients. And, in spite of record levels of investment, the workforce pipeline continues to flow at a trickle, creating access issues across virtually every specialty.

In primary care, we have roughly 40 percent more demand than capacity. Wait times for primary care appointments are roughly 24 days. This new model of care provides an efficient approach to lower acuity visits and frees up clinicians’ schedules for more complex visits.

Behind the scenes of our innovative mindset

Our care teams already see the potential benefits of this more efficient model and they’re excited about reimagining how care can better meet the needs of patients and members. We’re building hybrid models for acne, back pain and other areas. We hope to make them available by the end of the year. 

This ambitious timeline is a result of human-centered, iterative design principles that allow us to innovate more quickly. It’s a design philosophy that’s more common in tech than health care, and it allows us to build on other innovation started at HealthPartners, such as Virtuwell.

Virtuwell is the online diagnosis and treatment service we launched in 2010. At the time, we were trying to disrupt convenience care – and not without criticism. Some experts and patients balked at the initial list of conditions we treated, saying that the limited treatments would require them to go into a clinic even after using our new online clinic.

Since those early days, we’ve delivered more than a million treatment plans virtually, roughly half of which occurred since 2019.

Hybrid care uses this time-tested approach to gathering info from patients and getting that info to clinicians.

But, rather than using our Virtuwell platform to help patients heal after they’ve become sick, we’ve layered on algorithms and processes to support patients for planned, preventive care – to help them stay well.

The Hybrid Preventive Care experience is based on guidelines from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, United States Preventive Services Task Force, existing patient data in the health record, claims and other information that we have about their insurance plan. Scheduling for labs, preventive screenings or other areas of in-person care is built into the experience. What once was a siloed, separate experience is now a bridge to our comprehensive suite of services. Virtual and in-person teams are better aligned and communicate more effectively behind the scenes, giving consumers a simpler, more personalized way to engage with healthcare. 

It won’t be for everyone, of course. Those who have complex care needs, medication refills, or other more urgent symptoms might require traditional care models. But, for us, Hybrid Care is the future. It’s a different way of thinking. It’s a better way to meet our patients and members’ expectations. And, it’s what’s going to help us make health care simpler and more affordable. 

Andrea Walsh is President and CEO at HealthPartners in Bloomington, Minn.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy . Cookie Policy . Linking and Reprinting Policy .

Featured Whitepapers

Featured webinars, 10 most-read articles.

Becker's Websites

Virtual Learning

• Whitepapers

Conferences

• 9th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting: The Future of Business and Clinical Technologies
• 1.800.417.2035
• [email protected]

Masks Strongly Recommended but Not Required in Maryland, Starting Immediately

Due to the downward trend in respiratory viruses in Maryland, masking is no longer required but remains strongly recommended in Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical locations in Maryland. Read more .

• Vaccines  
• Masking Guidelines
• Visitor Guidelines  

Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care

We Are Here When You Need Care

On the go. after hours..

Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care provides easy access to care — from the convenience of your mobile device or computer. You can talk to a health care provider who can diagnose and prescribe medications for minor care concerns such as colds, rashes and pinkeye.

Johns Hopkins OnDemand accepts the following insurances:

Johns hopkins advantage md, johns hopkins us family health plan (usfhp), priority partners, johns hopkins employer health programs (ehp), get connected today.

5 Reasons to Consider a Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care Visit

"The best part about Johns Hopkins OnDemand is that I can do it wherever I am when I’m not feeling well. I love that I don’t have to drive to the nearest urgent care center or wait for a long period of time to be seen." - EHP plan member and OnDemand Virtual Care user

What We Treat

Common conditions that our health care team can treat include, but are not limited to:

• Cold and flu symptoms
• Urinary tract infection
• Respiratory infection
• Sinus problems
• Ear infection

Do not use Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care for emergency medical matters. Call 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

DOWNLOADABLE INSTRUCTIONS Get Started in Minutes

See an overview of Johns Hopkins OnDemand

Step 1: Create an OnDemand Account

Visit OnDemand.HopkinsMedicine.org , and click the blue “Create Your Account” button. On a mobile device, you will be prompted to first download the app.

Download step-by-step instructions  | Watch instructional video

Step 2: Request a Visit

After downloading the Johns Hopkins OnDemand app and creating an account, open the app and click "Request a Visit". Download the app through  App store or  Google Play .

Download step-by-step instructions  | Watch instructional video

Benefits of OnDemand

Care when you need it.

Minimal Wait Times

No Appointment Required

Connect from Anywhere in the United States

Connect to a provider now

Our Providers

Johns Hopkins Medicine is working with Teladoc to provide this service to specific insurance plan members. As such, you may receive care from either a Johns Hopkins Medicine provider or a Teladoc provider. All health care providers available through Johns Hopkins OnDemand are licensed to provide care and have the ability to review symptoms and prescribe medications, as necessary. The provider you meet with depends on availability and geographic location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use johns hopkins ondemand virtual care.

Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care is currently available to members of Johns Hopkins Advantage MD, Priority Partners, select Johns Hopkins Employer Health Program*, and U.S. Family Health Plan insurance plans. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

*EHP Plans Include: Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation (including The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Suburban Hospital and Sibley Memorial Hospital), Johns Hopkins University, Broadway Services and Student Health plan.

When should I use OnDemand

Can i get a referral for a covid-19 test.

Please contact your primary care provider or other state department of health resources to learn about available COVID-19 testing locations.

When can I use this service?

OnDemand hours:

• Advantage MD: 24/7
• USFHP: Evening hours, 6 p.m. – 8 a.m. ET Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday

Is a copay required?

Copayment will vary, based on your insurance coverage. Please check with your insurance provider. If a copayment is needed, it will be collected during the login process.

How long is a typical wait for an appointment for OnDemand Virtual Care?

You will be placed into a virtual waiting room. On average, patients wait between seven to 10 minutes before being connected to a provider.

What can I expect during my appointment?

Via secure video, the health care provider will discuss your symptoms, answer your questions, make a diagnosis and recommend next steps.

Can I access my visit by phone?

What languages are available for my ondemand visit.

You will be able to select your language when setting up your visit and be able to speak to your healthcare provider in the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese – Cantonese, Chinese – Mandarin, Arabic, Armenian, Bantu, Bengali, Bosnian, Croatian, Dari, Farsi, French, French Canadian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Navajo, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese Brazilian, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese. 

Can I get medicine prescribed?

If medications are necessary, your provider will send prescriptions to your participating pharmacy.

What if I need a follow-up appointment?

If additional, in-person care is needed, you will be referred back to your primary care provider.

If you are looking for a primary care provider, please visit our Find a Doctor website.

How do I access my after-visit summary?

If you saw a Johns Hopkins Medicine provider, by visiting the MyChart sign up portal . If you have trouble activating your account, you can call the help desk at 443-997-6225 Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

If you saw a Teladoc provider, please log into your  Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care  account to review your after visit summary.

We encourage you to share these notes with your primary care provider so that they can continue to monitor your symptoms and care needs. If you are looking for a primary care provider, please visit our Find a Doctor website.

Johns Hopkins OnDemand Visit Acknowledgements

All eligible plan members will be asked to acknowledge the following information prior to their Johns Hopkins OnDemand visit. I understand that:

• The provider that I see for treatment may not be an employee or agent of Johns Hopkins nor be providing care on behalf of Johns Hopkins;
• Despite the website logo, the provider I see for treatment may not have any affiliation whatsoever with Johns Hopkins;
• For those non-Johns Hopkins providers, Johns Hopkins does not in any way train, manage or supervise the providers, nor does Johns Hopkins in any way oversee the medical care the non-Johns Hopkins providers render;
• Johns Hopkins shall not be held liable for care provided by any non-Johns Hopkins providers;

USFHP Members

Johns Hopkins OnDemand is an added service available to USFHP members to ensure that they have care options after normal business hours. Members who have a medical concern that can be seen via video can use Johns Hopkins OnDemand on weekdays between the hours of 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on the weekends.

Use Johns Hopkins OnDemand (evenings and weekends)

During standard business hours, we encourage you to connect with your primary care provider. PCP referrals are required for all specialty visits, including those available through  Johns Hopkins Telemedicine .

If you see a Johns Hopkins primary care provider, you have access to video visits during the daytime through Johns Hopkins  MyChart  or by calling  1-833-GET-JHCP  for  Johns Hopkins Community Physicians  or by visiting the  Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine site .

OnDemand Virtual Care

Get virtual care 24/7.

When you have a minor but urgent injury or illness, we have you covered. Priority Partners members can use Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care.

Using a mobile app, computer or tablet, you can have a video visit with a health care provider in minutes who can answer your call, review your symptoms and prescribe medications if needed, no appointment necessary. Advantages of using Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care include:

• Short wait time for provider visit
• Available when your doctor’s office is closed
• Connect from anywhere in the U.S.

Members should use Johns Hopkins OnDemand when they cannot see their primary care physician. Use Johns Hopkins OnDemand for minor care concerns, such as:

• Cold, flu, and sinus symptoms
• Sinus problems
• Respiratory infection

OnDemand care is available for adults and children age 3 and older. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Our customer service team is here to assist. Contact us at:

Please do not include personal health information in your email.

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TTY for the hearing impaired:

Get Help Now

Emergencies.

Do not use Johns Hopkins OnDemand Virtual Care for emergency medical matters. Call 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

CMS Newsroom

Search cms.gov.

• Physician Fee Schedule
• Local Coverage Determination
• Medically Unlikely Edits

List of Telehealth Services

List of services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule when furnished via telehealth.

List of Telehealth Services for Calendar Year 2024 (ZIP)   - Updated 11/13/2023

Medicare Telehealth Originating Site Facility Fee, Q3014  

What you need to know:  COVID-19 Information  |  Visitors Policy

We use cookies and other tools to enhance your experience on our website and to analyze our web traffic. For more information about these cookies and the data collected, please refer to our website privacy policy .

• Holy Cross Health Partners
• Trinity Health System Office
• Mission & Vision

Tips for During and After Your Hospital Visit

Categories: Services , Primary Care

Your Holy Cross Health Partners primary care provider wants to help you maintain good health. If you spend time in the hospital, * please let us know so we can help manage your recovery process. The following information includes tips on what to do during and after your hospital visit.

During Your Hospital Visit

Inform hospital registrars of your primary care provider (pcp).

When you arrive for a planned procedure, surgery, X-ray, or Emergency Department visit, be sure to provide the hospital registrar with the name and phone number of your primary care provider. This will help ensure that we receive notification of your hospital visit and can help coordinate follow-up care.

Ask Questions

All questions are good questions, so don’t hesitate to ask. Your care team wants you to fully understand your procedure and what to expect during and after your stay.

Keep a List of Your Medications

Be sure to keep a list of medications you are currently taking in your wallet or on your phone, so hospital providers can best assist you. If you are able to bring your medication bottles with you, that’s even better.

Document information, such as the names of your care team, and any instructions or information that your doctors or nurses provide.

Keep the After-Visit Summary (also called a Discharge Summary)

• At the time of discharge, you will receive an After-Visit Summary that provides information about who took care of you, what procedures and tests were done, any medication changes, and follow-up recommendations.
• If you go to a Holy Cross Health facility, your After-Visit Summary will automatically be uploaded to your health record so that your primary care provider can review what happened during your hospital visit.
• If you go to a non-Holy Cross facility, that hospital is responsible for notifying our office about your hospital visit and providing us a copy of your After-Visit Summary. That’s why it is important to:
• Provide your correct PCP’s name and phone number to that hospital’s registrar.
• Notify our office about any non-Holy Cross Health hospital visits so we can watch for a copy of the After-Visit Summary or contact that hospital if your information is not provided to us in a timely manner.

After Your Hospital Visit

Keep and follow all instructions.

Review and follow instructions in your After-Visit Summary. Be sure to also follow up with referrals and call us if you have questions about the instructions provided to you.

Check-In With Your Primary Care Provider

Our care team tracks notifications about hospital visits and works to contact patients within two business days of a hospital stay and five business days of an emergency department visit. If you haven’t heard from us within these time periods or have questions or concerns about follow-up instructions or worsening symptoms, please call our office.

Sign-Up for MyChart

You can access your Holy Cross Health medical records, doctor notes, and test results from any of our hospitals and primary/specialty care centers through the MyChart Patient Portal . With MyChart you can:

• View test results and other information in your health record.
• View bills and set up payment options.
• Review your After-Visit Summary and other instructions from a recent office or hospital visit.
• Schedule and view future appointments – including video visits.

If you need assistance signing up for MyChart, please call our office .

Download a copy of these tips (693KB).

Related News

Causes of stroke that you can control.

Reduce you stroke risk by adopting these lifestyle changes

Holy Cross Health Partners, Your Primary Care Support System

Q&A with Rhonique Shields, MD Rhonique Shields, MD, MHA, FAAP, is the Vice President of Medical Affairs and Practice Operations for the Holy Cross Health Network, and...

Hypertension The Silent Killer

Know the Facts About Hypertension By: Tehseen Naqvi, MD, Holy Cross Health Partners Do you believe that because you have no outward signs of hi...

Hold up! Access forbidden.

This website use security service to prevent unauthorized access and online attack. Your action might trigger the security solution. Please contact the site administrator to resolve this issue.

• Online Store

• Sleeve Gastrectomy
• Gastric Bypass
• Duodenal Switch
• Testimonials
• Getting Healthy 900 Program
• Getting Healthy 1200 Program
• General Surgery
• Colonoscopy
• Patient Portal
• Physician Assistants
• Behaviorists
• Exercise Physiologists
• Hospital Locations
• Patient Referral Form

Are You A Candidate For Our Weight Loss Program?

Take Our 60-Second Assessment Request a New Patient Consultation

I had the vertical sleeve surgery in February 2015 and I couldn't be happier with my decision. I've lost 200 lbs from my highest weight and I've gained a whole new lifestyle. Theresa Buist

Our Patient's Success

You are not alone as you travel on your health journey. Not only do you have a team of doctors, nurses, dietitians, behaviorists, exercise experts, and staff at your back, you also have the community of past successful patients. Be inspired by their stories and find the motivation to tell your own.

Endoscopy Suite

Grand Health Partners’ Endoscopy Center Specializes in delivering exceptional care that is convenient and cost effective. Our bariatric surgeon’s extensive background and years of experience along with our qualified staff, provide our patients with the finest care around! We offer personalized care in an outpatient setting and perform endoscopies and screening colonoscopies and are accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.

About Grand Health Partners

At Grand Health Partners, we believe that people who succeed in making their lives healthier are happier. Our mission is to help people improve their health through a well-rounded approach to weight loss. To better fit your lifestyle and your needs, we provide both surgical and non-surgical weight loss programs. Our programs are led by a group of independent bariatric surgeons who have a passion for providing excellent patient care. Weight loss is our specialty. We will provide coaching for dietary, behavioral, and exercise habits while you are monitored by licensed bariatric physicians. Because we understand that genetic, social, cultural, and emotional factors lead to obesity, our patients are properly supported and equipped throughout their weight loss journey.

Med Loan Finance is one of the finest medical finance companies that is dedicated to finding the perfect fit for our customers' needs. We work with people of all credit histories and backgrounds, and our extensive base of lenders and providers make it possible to offer the best medical financing around.

Please contact our National Provider Manager, Sergio Lira on his direct line, 913 944-4345 prior to applying and submitting your application.

Grand Health Partners - Grand Rapids 2060 E. Paris Ave SE Suite 100 Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-956-6100 1-888-691-0050

Quick Links

• Meet Your Team
• Success Stories
• Four Great Locations & Online Support

To allow us to continue safely supporting our patients, we have updated our infection control policies as highlighted below:

– Upon arrival to our office patients and visitors will be greeted with a brief initial health screening including temperature. Those who are exhibiting a cough, fever (100.0 or greater), sore throat or shortness of breath will be asked to reschedule their appointment.

– If you are feeling ill, have had a fever within the past 24 hours, or have traveled abroad, please contact our office at (616) 956-6100 to reschedule your appointment or change your appointment to a telehealth visit.

– All GHP staff members are receiving health screenings twice daily.

– The GHP store remains open to support your healthy eating habits but is limiting the number of in-store customers shopping at one time. We encourage you to use our remote ordering options which include online ordering with UPS delivery https://store.grandhealthpartners.com/ or our new curbside pickup option – call (616) 464-4659 to place a phone order today! Store hours are 10am – 3pm Monday – Saturday

• MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
• SCHOOL & PROGRAM UPDATES
• GLOBAL ACTION
• FACULTY & STAFF HONORS
• MEMBER RESEARCH & REPORTS
• STUDENT & ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS
• PARTNER NEWS

EXPLORE THE FRIDAY LETTER

College Leadership Visits New Partners At Universidad Del Valle De Mexico, Plans Expansion of Dual Degree Program

Experience new growth possibilities with Microsoft Advertising today >

Microsoft Advertising blog

Microsoft Monetize: empowering your revenue in a multi-channel world

Microsoft Advertising has transformed from its search engine origins into a multi-format, omnichannel, ad tech leader with a global reach. The strategic acquisition of Xandr has also enhanced international growth and helped diversify Microsoft Advertising's advertising base to over 500,000 advertisers.

Empowering small and midsize businesses for growth with generative AI

At Microsoft Advertising, we’re keenly aware of the opportunity AI presents to small and midsized businesses. We've made investments to empower SMBs to exceed their business objectives. After all, we're in the business of empowering yours!

Unlocking the power and potential of generative AI for advertisers and publishers

Demystify and Advocate for IAB/MRC Retail Media Measurement Guidelines

How Microsoft Retail Media (powered by PromoteIQ) helps retailers and advertisers comply with data transparency, accuracy, privacy, and security

The cricket season game plan for advertisers

In 2023, over 500 million Indians tuned in to two of the biggest cricket events. A massive audience like this is a prime opportunity for marketers to tap into a wide demographic

Upgrading native campaigns to enhanced CPC

Starting on May 13th, all existing image and feed campaigns on a manual CPC bid strategy will upgrade to enhanced CPC.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

FILE - In this Friday, March 22, 2019, file photo, a marijuana plant is visible at Compassionate Care Foundation’s medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple-effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

• Copy Link copied

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.

“Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Justice Department director of public affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. The DEA is a component of the Department of Justice. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland’s signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move and appears to signal its importance to the Biden administration.

It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters .

Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become increasingly decriminalized and accepted, particularly by younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who backed it in 2000.

The DEA didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.

Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug,” one that may lead to the use of other drugs.

“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.

“While this rescheduling announcement is a historic step forward, I remain strongly committed to continuing to work on legislation like the SAFER Banking Act as well as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which federally deschedules cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement. “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the War on Drugs.”

Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use .

That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.

The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.

But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

Then there’s the United States’ international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.

Goodman reported from Miami, Mustian from New Orleans. AP writer Colleen Long contributed.

Tactical Menu

May is mental health awareness month: show-me strong farm families.

Free telehealth counseling available.

Breaking down barriers to mental health services for Missouri farmers and their families is a goal of University of Missouri Extension through the newly revised Show-Me Strong Farm Families website at http://muext.us/SMSFF .

During May, Mental Health Awareness Month, the people behind the website want farmers, ranchers, farmworkers and their families to know that free telehealth counseling by trusted professionals who understand agriculture is available to them, said Karen Funkenbusch, MU Extension instructor and program director for Missouri’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program.

To request free, confidential telehealth counseling, visit http://muext.us/PSCFarmRanch , email [email protected] or call 573-882-4677.

Telehealth counseling a convenient, confidential option

Funkenbusch says telehealth counseling, which is available by phone or online, is easy, safe and secure (100% confidential). Telehealth gives rural residents more choices in health care providers and can cut down on the need to take off from work or obtain child care, saving patients money and time.

Telehealth is not, however, for mental health emergencies. Call or text 988, the 24-hour National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, to connect with emergency mental health services.

Farm stress can contribute to mental health struggles

“Farm stress is real,” Funkenbusch said. She shares how to recognize the signs of stress that can lead to mental health challenges, such as weight loss or gain, changes in appetite, loss of interest in things once enjoyed, poor concentration, confusion, relationship problems, feeling anxious or irritable, and negative thinking. Physical signs, which can be more obvious but take time to develop, include body aches, fatigue and rising blood pressure.

“People can build coping skills with confidential telehealth counseling from a trusted source,” Funkenbusch said.

A 2020 report, Growing Stress on the Farm , showed Missouri had the largest shortage of health care and mental health providers in the U.S. Free counseling through Show-Me Strong Farm Families is a way to bridge that gap, she said. The report was compiled by the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Hospital Association and MU Extension.

“Check out the Resources section of the Show-Me Strong Farm Families website, which includes helpful materials, including videos, developed by MU Extension and its Missouri partners,” said Funkenbusch.

Mental Health Awareness Toolkit

“To build a sustainable future in agriculture, we need to promote the mental health, safety and well-being of Missouri’s farmers and ranchers,” said Funkenbusch. “You can use the Mental Health Awareness Toolkit (available as a PDF at http://muext.us/MentalHealthToolkit2024 ) to start the conversation, help raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, make referrals and advocate for polices that support individuals and families in our agricultural communities.”

The toolkit is also available as a digital flipbook at https://bit.ly/3UOI7qE .

Show-Me Strong Farm Families is supported by funds from the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Alliance Center (NCFRSAC), USDA NIFA grant number 2020-70028-32728.

Media Contact

Related programs.

• Missouri AgrAbility
• Mental Health First Aid