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Conviva’s Unique Business Model Lends Itself

to Successful Primary Care for Its Senior Patients

BY CAROL NEWMAN

Conviva Care Centers is a care delivery organization
that prides itself on building a business model focused on
strong doctor-patient relationships and setting the gold
standard of care for the senior population—especially in a
tumultuous era of COVID-19.
“As a physician-led network of 300 primary care doc-
tors and 800 affiliates in Florida and Texas, we pride our-
selves on being an organization that creates strong bonds
with our senior patients,” says Steve Lee, M.D., president
of the Conviva Physician Group. “Seniors placing their
Dr. Steve Lee trust in our physicians is a critical component, especially
in this unfortunate climate of anxiety and uncertainty. We
all share the same mission of creating a unique doctor-patient experience, unlike any
other.”
At every center, Conviva’s healthcare experts take all of the necessary safety precau-
tions to provide proper care while reducing the risk of COVID-19. “Many senior
patients live with multiple chronic conditions, so a primary focus is to safeguard their
short- and long-term health,” said Dr. Lee. “We must stay healthy so they can remain Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance with its NCQA
healthy, and that calls for team members, doctors, and nurses to take every precau- Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition and NCQA Diabetes Recognition.
tion, adhere to CDC guidelines, wear protective equipment, and sanitize centers Conviva continues to reinvent excellence in healthcare by embracing meaningful
daily.” patient relationships focused on producing optimal health outcomes. With more than
Telemedicine visits also are available to patients whose care does not require an in- 90 convenient locations throughout Florida (Broward County, Daytona Beach,
person appointment. Jacksonville, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County and Tampa/Gulf Coast) and
Conviva focuses on early screening and prevention, advances in technology, and Texas (Corpus Christi, El Paso and San Antonio), the vast network of Conviva Care
new surgical techniques to help seniors live longer, healthier lives. Its clinicians Centers is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of more than 300 primary care
understand that heart issues, diabetes, emphysema, asthma, and other chronic condi- physicians and more than 800 affiliated specialists who provide a wide range of vital
tions require regular, closely-monitored coordinated care. healthcare services that patients require daily, including the advantages of senior care
Another benefit of Conviva’s business model is that it allows physicians to concen- activity centers and 24/7 on-call physicians. The success of Conviva is measured by
trate their time on patient care. Since a management services organization handles the its patients’ clinical outcomes and long-term health benefits.
company’s operational functions, clinicians at Conviva are free to do what they do
best—care for patients. This focus reshapes the patient-doctor dynamic. To learn more, visit www.ConvivaCareCenters.com or call (833) CONVIVA.
Conviva proves it belongs in an elite group of healthcare providers with recent

Avoid Costly Fines While Offering a COVID-19 Benefit

to Your Employees

As we find ourselves in 2. The employee has been thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay. limited to receive $511 per day and $5,110
the latest COVID-19 epi- advised by a health care A full-time employee is eligible for two for the two weeks, and for reasons four
center here in Florida, provider to self-quarantine weeks/ten days of pay across all six rea- through six, the employee is limited to
many businesses will have due to concerns related to sons. This means if the employee is off $200 per day and $2,000 for the two
employees affected, in COVID-19. work for one week while awaiting their weeks. For reason five, the additional ten
some way, by the virus. The 3. The employee is expe- test results (reason two) and several weeks of paid leave is also limited to $200
Families First Coronavirus riencing symptoms of months later their family member tests per day and $10,000 over the full course of
Response Act was signed COVID-19 and is seeking a positive and cares for them (reason four), the leave.
into law back in mid- medical diagnosis. then they are only eligible for one addi- This paid leave and the payroll tax credit
March, taking effect on 4. The employee is caring tional week, allowing them two weeks will remain in effect until December 31,
April 1, 2020, and it pro- for an individual who is total. Employees who are not full-time and 2020, and any unused time by the employ-
vides federally-mandated subject to a federal/state/ working 40 hours per week will receive a ees will be lost at that time. Since this is
paid sick and family leave BY ROMEO CHICCO, local quarantine order or prorated portion of time off based on their basically a government-funded paid leave,
to your employees to cover CPA the individual has been average number of hours they work over a there are few exceptions to offering it if
their absence from work. advised to self-quarantine two-week period. you have less than 500 employees.
This paid leave must be due to COVID-19-related There is no minimum amount of time Details of the few exemptions can be
offered by all employers with fewer than concerns. an employee needs to work in order to be found on the DOL website. The
500 employees, with few exceptions, 5. The employee is caring for the eligible for this paid leave and there is no Department of Labor has also released a
otherwise, they are subject to the equiva- employee’s son or daughter due to the waiting period from when the employee poster that must be posted conspicuous-
lent of a minimum wage violation with closing of the child’s school (elementary is hired. If the employee is out of work ly to your employees in your place of
the U.S. Department of Labor. or secondary) or childcare facility, or the due to reason 5, the employee is eligible business. Failure to do so may result in a
Your employees will receive paid leave child’s care provider is unavailable due to for an additional ten weeks of paid leave. hefty fine. If you do not have the poster,
if they are unable to work or telework, COVID-19 precautions. This paid leave is also paid at two-thirds you can find it at dol.gov by doing a
due to a need for leave under one of the 6. The employee is experiencing any their regular rate of pay and requires the google search for ‘DOL FFCRA Poster
following six reasons in addition to the other substantially similar condition spec- employee to have been employed for at WH1422.’ Simply print a copy on plain
employer having work available. This ified by Health and Human Services in least 30 days. paper and post it on your bulletin board
means if your business is closed, then the consultation with the Department of the While employers are mandated to offer and save yourself a potential fine.
employee would not be eligible for paid Treasury and the U.S. DOL. this paid leave to their employees, it will Compliance with this new law can be
leave and, instead, would be entitled to The first three reasons are for the come as no cost to the employer via an tricky, so be sure to consult with your
unemployment benefits. The six reasons employee’s own health, and the employee immediate payroll tax credit from your payroll service or human resource pro-
for paid leave are: is eligible to be paid at 100% their regular next 941 tax deposit. Also included in the fessional for guidance, so you can remain
1. The employee is subject to a COVID- rate of pay, while reasons four and five are tax credit is 100% of the wages paid penalty free.
19-related federal/state/local quarantine or for the employee acting as a caregiver and toward this leave, plus the related payroll
isolation order, including shelter-in-place is paid at two-thirds their regular rate of taxes and the cost of employer provided Romeo Chicco, CPA, is President/CEO of
or stay-at-home orders that cause the pay. Reason six has not been defined yet, health insurance. There is a limit, though. PayMaster. For more information, visit
employee to be unable to work. but when it is, it too will be paid at two- For the first three reasons, employees are www.paymaster.com.

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com August 2020 7