United Health Care opens first 'health care city'

UnitedHealthcare launched Health Care Lane, the first “Health Care City,” in Maryland and Virginia in September. Health Care Lane is a giant replica exhibit of a small town that enabled UnitedHealthcare customers and brokers to better understand health benefits at events in Bethesda and Hunt Valley, Md. and Reston, Va. The town is a real-life adaptation of www.healthcarelane.com , a virtual city that UnitedHealthcare launched last year.

As hundreds of guests traveled through the city, they visited the pharmacy, fitness center, wifi café, biometric screening kiosk and much more. Townspeople represented various parts of the health care system and demonstrated how customers can use their benefits more effectively to fit their families’ needs. The event timing was particularly useful as millions of area residents are making important decisions about their health insurance plans this fall. After starting in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. metro regions, Health Care Lane will be featured in various cities throughout the U.S.

Above (left to right): Seung Baick, Regional Marketing Director; Jim Cronin, Chief Executive Officer; and Steve Reidy, Vice President of Small Business Sales & Account Management; UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic.  From left to right: Ryan Gregoire Cope, Account Executive; Ernest Jenkins, Account Executive; and Ray Murphy, General Agent Sales Manager; UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic.  Irene Myers-Thompson, Regional Wellness Director, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic

 From left to right: Steve Reidy and Tammy O’Hare, Vice Presidents of Small Business Sales & Account Management; UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic

 Kristin Lesniewski, Field Account Manager, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic

Swine flu virus victims have no symptoms, report doctors in India

Doctors across hospitals and a state review meeting find H1N1 patients either showing symptoms of bacterial infection or no symptoms at all

Health officials have yet another reason to worry. Doctors across hospitals treating swine flu patients have reported that the symptoms of the flu have changed. Patients testing positive for the virus are either showing no symptoms at all and appear healthy or show symptoms that were not exhibited before causing much confusion.

Altered: Swine flu symptoms have changed, causing confusion among doctors.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Dr.C A Kante, officer in charge of swine flu cell said the new symptoms or rather the lack of it was discussed at a state level review meeting as well.

“This is actually a viral infection, but now the symptoms being displayed are of a bacterial infection. Instead of showing typical symptoms such as cold, cough and fever; people are getting loose motions and vomitting,” said Kante.

“Earlier, the virus was affecting the upper respiratory tract and central nervous system but now it has started affecting the gastro-intestinal tract. All hospitals and doctors have been asked to stay on alert,” Kante said.
“It is true the symptoms have indeed changed. We get positive reports for children who have absolutely no symptoms at all.

They appear perfectly normal on the outside but actually they have been suffering from the flu for quite sometime,” said Dr Aarti Kinikar, head of paediatric department, Sassoon Hospital.

Dr Sharad Agharkedkhar, president of Indian Medical Association, Pune said that all doctors need to be on alert as the symptoms could be mistaken for some other infection as well.

“If the symptoms are manifesting themselves in a completely different manner then it would get confusing for doctors to diagnose and it would not be fair to blame them. Firstly, there should be increase in preventive care as that is the key to stopping the virus. Also, doctors need to be really alert and should watch out for new symptoms too,” he said.