#firsthealth

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Understanding Insurance Coverage: First Health, Florida Health Care Plans & Florida Health Solution

Access to quality healthcare is closely tied to insurance coverage, especially when it comes to urgent care services. Clinics like Urgent Care Longwood make healthcare more accessible by accepting a wide range of insurance plans, including First Health, Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP), and Florida Health Solution. Understanding how these insurance options work can help patients make informed decisions and receive timely medical care without unnecessary financial stress.

Why Insurance Matters in Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are designed to treat non-life-threatening conditions such as infections, minor injuries, and routine illnesses. These facilities offer faster service and lower costs compared to emergency rooms, making them a preferred choice for many patients.

Insurance plays a crucial role in reducing out-of-pocket expenses. When a clinic accepts multiple insurance providers, it ensures that more patients can access affordable and efficient care when they need it most.

First Health Insurance

First Health is a well-known Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network that offers flexibility when choosing healthcare providers. Patients with First Health coverage can often visit urgent care centers without needing a referral, making it easier to receive immediate treatment.

This flexibility is especially beneficial for individuals who need quick medical attention for conditions like flu, infections, or minor injuries. Many urgent care clinics include First Health in their accepted insurance networks, allowing patients to receive care conveniently.

Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP)

Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP) is a trusted provider offering comprehensive healthcare coverage for individuals, families, and employers across Florida. FHCP provides structured plans that include access to doctors, specialists, labs, and urgent care centers.

One of the key advantages of FHCP is its coordinated care approach. Patients can access a network of healthcare services under one system, ensuring continuity and quality of care. Preventive services, routine check-ups, and urgent care visits are often included, making FHCP a reliable option for ongoing health management.

Florida Health Solution (FHS)

Florida Health Solution operates differently from traditional insurance providers. It offers a prepaid or discount-based healthcare model, allowing members to access medical services at reduced rates.

With FHS, patients typically pay a fixed fee or low co-pay for services such as doctor visits, lab tests, and urgent care treatments. This makes it an attractive option for individuals seeking affordable healthcare solutions without the higher premiums of traditional insurance plans.

Services Covered at Urgent Care Longwood

Urgent care centers that accept these insurance plans provide a wide range of services. Patients can receive treatment for:

Common infections such as flu, cold, and sinus infections

Minor injuries like sprains, fractures, and burns

Chronic condition management including blood pressure and arthritis

On-site diagnostic testing such as EKGs, X-rays, and lab tests

These comprehensive services ensure that patients receive immediate care without needing to visit multiple facilities.

Benefits of Choosing a Multi-Insurance Urgent Care Center

Choosing an urgent care clinic that accepts multiple insurance plans offers several advantages:

Affordable care: Reduced costs through insurance coverage

Convenience: Walk-in availability and shorter wait times

Flexibility: Access to different insurance networks

Comprehensive services: Wide range of treatments in one location

This combination of affordability and accessibility makes urgent care centers an essential part of the healthcare system.

When Should You Visit Urgent Care?

Urgent care is ideal for conditions that require prompt attention but are not life-threatening. These include:

Fever, cold, or flu symptoms

Minor cuts, burns, or injuries

Allergic reactions

Infections such as UTIs or bronchitis

Having insurance coverage through providers like First Health, FHCP, or FHS ensures that these visits remain cost-effective and stress-free.

Understanding your insurance options is key to accessing timely and affordable healthcare. First Health, Florida Health Care Plans, and Florida Health Solution each offer unique benefits that cater to different patient needs.

[nccancercare-blog]

Myths of Melanoma

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World Cancer Day

What did you do on February 4, 2013? Go to work? School? What about making strides for cancer? That is what hundreds of thousands of people across the world did on February 4, 2013 for World Cancer Day.

World Cancer Day is an annual day of advocacy observed on February 4th with events, campaigns and messages to raise awareness, educate the public and to raise funds to find a cure.

Not only is World Cancer Day about spreading awareness of the disease but it’s also about helping the World Health Organization (WHO) reach their goal to reduce premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025 and dispelling common myths of cancer.

The Union of International Cancer Control (UICC) and its members were urging the public to speak out against damaging myths and misconceptions of cancer. The four most common myths about cancer are:

Myth: Cancer is just a health issue.

Truth: Cancer is not just a health issue. It has wide reaching social, economic, development and human rights implications.

Myth: Cancer is a disease of the wealthy, elderly and developed countries

Truth: Cancer is a global epidemic, affecting all ages and socio-economic groups, with developing countries bearing a disproportionate burden.

Myth: Cancer is a death sentence.

Truth: Many cancers that were once considered fatal can now be cured and for many people their cancer can now be treated effectively.

Myth: Cancer is my fate.

Truth: With the right strategies, at least 30% of cancer cases can be prevented based on current knowledge.

Cancer is a serious issue across the globe but you can begin helping in your community by volunteering or donating to your local cancer charities. The Foundation of FirstHealth’s Cancer CARE Fund helps FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital lead the fight against cancer in the mid-Carolinas. For more information on the Foundation of FirstHealth or to learn how you can help please call [phone].

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Center offers treatment and support to cancer patients and survivors in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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Ingredients for Long-Term Health and Weight-Loss Success

Life before weight-loss surgery often feels like a constant struggle.  After weight-loss surgery, diet plans, work out sessions, and multivitamins become the way of life. There are three important ingredients in the recipe for weight-loss success after surgery; blood tests, body composition vs. body weight, and exercise.  

Blood Tests for Vitamin/Mineral Deficiencies

It’s not as scary as it sounds. Due to the potential risk for, and serious health consequences of, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and the additional risk of B12, iron, folic acid, and calcium deficits, it is essential that the bariatric patient have an annual blood test for vitamin and minerals.  The test should include measurement of red blood cell and serum folic acid, vitamin B12, and ferritin.  Blood calcium levels are not reflective of calcium loss. Therefore, it is important on a regular basis to have tests performed that are indicative of calcium deficits, such as parathyroid hormone, or tests that check for metabolic bone disease, i.e. bone scan, bone density or mineralization test, or markers of bone turnover.

NOTE: Blood tests will be drawn to detect possible thiamin deficiencies if symptoms appear, the patient does not take the correct vitamin and mineral regimen, or vomits frequently.

Body Composition vs. Body Weight

Appearances can be deceiving. Look at male patients A, B, and C. They are exactly the same height.  A and B have the same weight, and C weighs considerably more.  For his height, C appears to be fat.  But after analyzing body composition, B and C have acceptable levels of fat while A is over the healthy limit. 

Even though A appears to be healthy, he is at a higher risk of developing weight related health problems because of his higher fat mass.

Fat mass (FM) is total amount of fat in the body measured in pounds. 

Fat Free Mass (FFM) is the weight of non-fat tissue in pounds.  FFM includes muscle, bone, intestines, skin and all other fat free tissue.

The fat percent for men should be no higher than 20%, and women should have no more than 30% fat.  These are percent fat values for Bariatric patients only.  Acceptable fat percent values are lower in the standard adult population.  So remember, being healthy is more than being skinny.

Exercise

Studies have found that individuals who are morbidly obese have an increased capacity to store fat and a reduced capacity to burn fat.  Even after weight-loss, your body’s ability to burn fat is not improved, increasing your risk for weight regain.  Moderate exercise performed daily cause’s changes in the ability of your muscles to burn fat.  Moderate exercises, when performed regularly and for a period of 30 minutes to an hour daily are apparently the best for increasing the burning of fat.  These exercises burn the most fat and are most effective in helping to lose or maintain weight loss if performed before breakfast or at least 6 hours after a meal. 

Besides increasing the body’s ability to burn fat, exercise reduces emotional stress and the risk for stress-associated eating abnormalities. Exercise increases levels of certain brain messengers, such as serotonin, that reduce food cravings and provide for an overall feeling of well-being.  Furthermore, exercise increases muscle mass with a resultant increase in metabolism helping to promote and maintain weight-loss long-term

Our postoperative exercise program consists of three major components:

Cardiovascular

o   Cardiovascular activities help to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve metabolism, regulate hormone levels such as insulin, and increase muscle endurance and strength with subsequent enhancement of metabolic rate.  Furthermore, cardiovascular exercises stimulate fat breakdown from fat storage depots and increase the body’s utilization of fat for fuel. 

 Muscular Strength

o   Strength exercises help to prevent muscle and bone loss following surgery and help to build muscle and maintain or even increase resting metabolic rates (calories burned) during the rapid weight loss period. 

 Flexibility

o   Flexibility exercises include those that help to stretch muscles and increase the range of motion of joints. 

By keeping these three ingredients in mind during life after surgery, you are set up for long-term health and weight-loss success. To learn more about the FirstHealth Bariatric Program you can attend a bi-weekly free weight-loss surgery information session or visit ncweightlosssurgery.org.  FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers treatment and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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Meet the Team

This past year FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital was ranked fifth best hospital in North Carolina.  The rankings were based off of various criteria and FirstHealth was strong enough to place fifth in not just one service line, but nine. Moore Regional was recognized as a high performer in cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, geriatrics and cancer just to name a few.

As one of the top cancer programs in the state, FirstHealth’s Comprehensive Cancer Center treats over 20 different types of cancer and has the latest surgical technology. Having the latest technology is great but having an excellent staff is what makes it remarkable. Let’s take a moment to introduce the staff members that make the cancer program what it is.

Physicians

Jeffery Acker, M.D., Radiation Oncologist: Dr. Acker graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., with a B.S. in engineering sciences and earned his M.D. from the Duke University School of Medicine. He completed his residency program at Duke in 1994, serving as chief resident from 1993 to 1994. Dr. Acker has been affiliated with FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital since 1999 and with Duke University Medical Center since 1990. He is medical director of the Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center at Moore Regional.

Stephen King, M.D. Radiation Oncologist: Dr. King received a B.S. from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed his residency in radiation oncology at Duke University School of Medicine, serving as chief resident from 1992 to 1993. Since 1994, Dr. King has been an adjunct clinical assistant professor in the Radiation Oncology Department at Duke University. He serves as medical director of Radiation Oncology at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital.

Charles S, Kuzma, M.D., Hematologist/Medical Oncologist: Board certified in hematology, medical oncology and internal medicine, Dr. Kuzma earned a B.S. degree in chemistry summa cum laude from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and received his medical degree from Philadelphia’s Temple University School of Medicine. After joining the U.S. Navy, he completed a residency in internal medicine at the Naval Hospital of Oakland (Calif.) and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Naval Medical Center of San Diego/University of Southern California.

Todd A. Moore, M.D., Hematologist/Medical Oncologist: Board certified in hematology and medical oncology, Dr. Moore is a native of Galveston, Texas. He earned a B.S. degree from Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., and his M.D. from the University of Mississippi in Jackson. He completed an internship at the University of Texas in Dallas and his residency in internal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He specialized in hematology/oncology during a three-year fellowship at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Sushma M. Patel, M.D. Radiation Oncologist: Dr. Patel is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., she earned a B.A. degree in chemistry from Bryn Mawr College and received her medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey. She completed an internship year and then her residency in radiation oncology at the University of Cincinnati. She has been treating patients at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital since 2003.

Robert A. Pohlmeyer, M.D., Hematologist/Medical Oncologist: Dr. Pohlmeyer received a B.S. degree in biology summa cum laude from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and his medical degree from Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. He completed his internship and a residency in internal medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was chief fellow while completing a fellowship in hematology and oncology. He is board certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine.

Ellen Willard, M.D., Hematologist/Medical Oncologist: Dr. Willard is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative medicine. A native of High Point, N.C., she earned a B.S. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her medical degree from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. She completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She has practiced in Pinehurst since 1991.

Nurses

Susan Bazinet, MSN, OCN, C-FNP, Oncology Nurse Practitioner: Susan Bazinet is a certified family nurse practitioner and an oncology-certified nurse. She earned a B.S. degree in nursing summa cum laude from the University of Arizona and an M.S. degree in nursing, also summa cum laude, with the Family Nurse Practitioner Option from the University of Arizona. Certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, she has practiced as an advance practice nurse in both Massachusetts and Texas.

Susan Beaty, R.N., BSN, Director, FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center: Susan Beaty earned her associate degree in nursing from Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and her B.S. in nursing from SUNY College of Technology in Utica, N.Y. She began her nursing career at Duke University Medical Center as a staff nurse and then director in the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic, and has worked in various leadership roles at Scotland Memorial Hospital, FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital and FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. She is ONS chemotherapy/biotherapy certified.

Margie Thomas, BSRT, (R)(T), Director, Radiation Oncology: A nationally registered radiation therapist, Margie Thomas received a B.S. degree in radiological technology from Northwestern Louisiana University and did her post-graduate work in radiation therapy at the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute in Little Rock. She spent two years working in Mississippi and seven years in Tennessee before she joined FirstHealth of the Carolinas in 2003. She is a member of the Society for Radiation Oncology Administrators.

Lynn Lanier Agee, R.N., BSN, Oncology Patient Navigator: Lynn Agee earned her B.S. in Nursing from UNC-Charlotte and is currently enrolled as a graduate student in UNC-Charlotte’s MSN program with an emphasis on Community and Public Health Nursing. She is a registered nurse with nearly 25 years of experience in various FirstHealth services.  In 2011, she completed the Guided Care Nurse training from Johns Hopkins Hospital and University and received a Certificate in Guided Care Nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She is a member of the National Coalition of Oncology Nurse Navigators (NCONN).

Accompanying the physicians and nurses is an outstanding group of individuals who make up the oncology support staff at FirstHealth Moore Regional, Gayla Comer R.D., LDN Dietitian, Beth Dietrich, MSW, LCSW, Cancer Support Services Program, Polly H. King, Cancer Care Coordinator, Outpatient Oncology Care, and Laura Kuzma, CARE-Net Coordinator. The top treatment presented at FirstHealth Moore Regional’s Comprehensive Cancer Center would not be possible without the combined talent and hard work from all of these individuals.

FirstHealth offers cancer treatment and support to patients and their loved ones in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. To learn more about the services that the FirstHealth Comprehensive Cancer Center provides, please visit nccancercare.org.

[nccancercare-blog]

Avoid Caregiver Burnout

Since December is National Caregiver Awareness month, it’s important to recognize that sometimes they need help too. The word caregiver refers to an unpaid individual who assists another sick or disabled individual. Commonly caregivers are family members but can also be close family friends.  You are considered a caregiver if you do any of the following:

Take care of someone who has a chronic illness or disease.

Manage medications or talk to doctors and nurses on someone’s behalf.

Help bathe or dress someone who is frail or disabled.

Take care of household chores, meals, or bills for someone who cannot do these things alone.

Being a caregiver for a loved one is a tremendous responsibility and at times can be intimidating and stressful. Because it is a stressful task it is important to avoid caregiver burnout. Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude—from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Burnout can occur when caregivers don’t get the help they need or if they try and do more than they are able. (Source: WebMD)

Symptoms

Symptoms of caregiver burnout are similar to depression; they include:

Withdrawal from social contacts

 Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed

 Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless

Changes in appetite, weight, or both

 Emotional and physical exhaustion

 Excessive use of alcohol and/or sleep medications

Feeling guilty for spending anytime on themselves

(Source Caregiver.com)

Causes

The demands are often high for caregivers and can take a toll of the mind, body, and emotions making tasks feel overwhelming. That overwhelming feeling can lead to fatigue and helplessness which in turn causes burnout. Other causes of burnout include:

Role confusion- Many people are confused when pushed into the caregiver role and have a hard time separating caregiver role with the original role of spouse, lover, child, friend, etc.

Unrealistic expectations- Many caregivers expect their involvement to have a positive effect on the health of the patient.

Lack of control- Many caregivers become frustrated by the lack of money, resources, and skills to effectively plan, manage, and organize their loved one’s care.

Unreasonable demands- Some caregivers place unreasonable burdens upon themselves.

Other factors- Many caregivers cannot recognize when they are suffering from burnout and eventually get to a point where they cannot function effectively.

(Source WedMD)

Prevention

Caregiver burnout is preventable. Here are some tips on how you can avoid burning out.

 Don’t try and handle everything on your own. Set realistic goals and expectations. Accept the fact that you may need help. Maximize your support by finding resources available through local and national cancer organizations, community groups, health professionals, and the government.

Talk to others. Find someone you trust and openly discuss your concerns and fears. Talking to others relieves stress and can give a new perspective on things.

Don’t forget about yourself. It’s important to maintain your social connections. Having social support can have major health benefits and help you maintain your quality of life. Do not feel guilty for doing things for yourself.

Stay healthy. Make a conscious effort to eat right, exercise regularly and get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

Know your limits. It’s okay to take a time out from an overwhelming situation. Giving yourself a break, even for 15 minutes a day, will help increase you efficiency as a caregiver.

 Educate yourself. Learn about the specific type of cancer that the person you are caring for has. Information is empowering. The more you know about the disease and the resources available, the better prepared you will be physically and mentally to take on the challenges ahead.

(Source: Huffington Post: How to Avoid Caregiver Burnout)

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Center offers various support groups that available to patients and their caregivers. These support groups are a great place to give a voice to your feelings and learn that you are not alone. For more information regarding support groups at FirstHealth please call [phone]. FirstHealth provides treatment and support to patients, survivors, and their loved ones in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. 

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Yoga: Beneficial for Cancer Patients

Yoga is a Hindu system of philosophy dating back 5,000 years. It uses the combination of postures, rhythmic breathing, and meditation, and is said to contribute to physical and mental well-being. 

Symptoms of fatigue, sleeplessness and pain caused by cancer treatments can lower your overall quality of life. Yoga is not a treatment for cancer but as a therapy to alleviate related pain and stress related to treatments. It can be used as a complementary treatment to help improve the overall quality of life for cancer patients. Over the years studies have evaluated the use of yoga for cancer symptoms. Some of the benefits the studies have found include:

Sleep and Insomnia: Yoga may help people with cancer who have difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep.

Fatigue: In a few studies, yoga was associated with a significant decrease in the fatigue related to cancer and cancer treatments.

Anxiety: Through its centering activities and breathing practices, yoga may reduce the anxiety associated with cancer.

Loss of Appetite: In some cases, yoga may result in an improvement when loss of appetite accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

Pain: As a complementary treatment—A treatment that is used along with conventional treatments such as medication—yoga may decrease pain associated with cancer.

Stress: Yoga appears to have a role in stress reduction for people living with cancer. In a few small studies, yoga lowered blood cortisol in patients with breast cancer. Cortisol is a hormone that is secreted during stress and may play a role in the progression of cancer.

Emotional Distress: Individuals living with cancer reported significantly less emotional distress related to their disease when they incorporated yoga into their daily routine.

(Sources: Current Treatment Options in Oncology. 2012. 11 (3-4):128-40; Cancer Nursing. 2011. 34 (1): 24-31; International Journal of Yoga. 2009. 2(2):73-9.)

On top of the listed benefits for cancer patients, yoga also includes physical benefits such as flexibility, strength, and muscle tone accompanied by mental benefits like mental calmness and body awareness. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers yoga classes once a month for cancer patients and their loved ones at the Clara McLean House in Pinehurst, NC. For more information regarding these free classes please call [phone].

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Center offers treatment and support to patients and their loved ones in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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Health Benefits to Gastric Bypass

Both physically and mentally, obesity takes a toll on your body.  Morbid obesity can reduce the lifespan as much as 20% in a given patient, depending on their age and co-morbid problems. (Source: Obeseinfo.com) The risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases increase with obesity.

Occasionally traditional weight-loss methods, such as diet and exercise, are difficult for people who are obese and an alternative solution is necessary. Another possible solution is weight-loss surgery. Weight-loss surgery may help someone who is obese get a kick start to a healthier lifestyle, but by no means is it an “easy fix”.

Let’s dive deeper into the health benefits of a specific surgery:  Gastric Bypass. Other than weight-loss, Gastric Bypass surgery can provide many overall health benefits, including hypertension and diabetes remission, and improved sleep apnea, asthma, joint pain, arthritis, reflux, fatigue, shortness of breath and an overall increased sense of well-being. 

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the health benefits from gastric bypass surgery last for six years or longer. In this study there were 1,156 severely obese participants aged 18-72 years. Within this group, 418 patients were treated with Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass compared to two control groups.  The first control group was made up of 417 patients seeking Roux-en-Y surgery but did not have it, and the second control group was a population based sample of 321 patients with no prior history of bariatric surgery.

Six years later, the follow-up information concluded that the gastric bypass participants had lost and maintained their reduced weight, which was more than one quarter of their initial weight-loss, 60 percent of patients who were originally diabetic no longer were, and 42 percent had their high blood pressure return to normal. Participants in the comparison, no-surgery groups did not lose any weight and more of them developed diabetes over the six years.

With long term results apparent, it’s no wonder that the procedure’s popularity is increasing. There are pros and cons to all types of weight-loss surgeries and it is important to do your research and talk to a physician before undergoing a certain procedure. To learn more about the pros and cons of the weight-loss surgery options FirstHealth provides, please visit ncweightlosssurgery.org or you can attend a free bi-monthly weight-loss seminar.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical provides weight-loss options and support for patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.