As bands of rain and wind from Hurricane Florence are lashing North Carolina, hospitals, health systems, and physician practices are preparing for what is being called the “storm of a lifetime.” Earlier this week, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar declared public health emergencies in North and South Carolina. Such a designation makes it easier to ensure that Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries have access to medical care despite the storm, according to a posting on the HHS website. HHS also said it has positioned about 230 medical personnel in North Carolina and Maryland to help communities that may need extra medical support. In addition, HHS reported that it is working to make more ambulances available to help evacuate hospitals and nursing homes.

During this edition of Monitor Mondays: Reporting live from Charlotte, North Carolina will be Sharon Easterling, CEO for Recovery Analytics, LLC. Also on the broadcast will be Ellen Fink-Samnick, a nationally recognized expert on the social determinants of health and former emergency department and intensive care unit case manager.

The broadcast rundown also will include:

• Monday Rounds: Daniel Zirkman, MD makes his monday rounds from his facility, CarolinaEast Health System in New Bern, North Carolina where he is the chief physician advisor.

• Hot Topics: Monitor Mondays senior correspondent Nancy Beckley, president and CEO of Nancy Beckley and Associates, reports on all the latest hot topics.

• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser with Fredrikson & Byron reports on another example of a potentially troublesome issue that could pose a risk to your facility.

• Compliance Report: Regulatory expert Timothy Powell, CPA, RACmonitor national correspondent, reports on compliance issues surrounding hospital readmissions.

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