|
THE BEAN:
|
|
The front desk team here at Jacksonville Nephrology does it all. Not only are they the first and last faces you see in the office, they are a well-oiled machine to make all of your visits and interactions smooth and efficient. They have a variety of responsibilities and a broad knowledge base that make them an invaluable asset as a part of your care team. You can often find our team multitasking with phone calls, chart notes, and handling interactions within the office. This part of the team is responsible for all aspects of the appointment process. This includes, but is not limited to, scheduling, retrieving lab and imaging results, processing new patient and outgoing referrals, and checking insurance and referral authorization status. Additionally, they are responsible for coordinating tasks associated with Dr. Munjal’s rounding outside of the clinic. Our front desk team handles most communications for the office including faxes, voicemails, emails, and other practices and providers. Beyond this, our front desk team is the first line of defense when protecting your health information. HIPAA’s Privacy Rule sets strict standards and guidelines for the uses of patients’ health information. They work hard to maintain those standards by requiring annual reviews of HIPAA compliant contacts and all contact information (including all phone numbers on file, and mailing and email addresses), screening callers for HIPAA authorization, and other standard privacy protocol. They also frequently sanitize the waiting area and ensure safe social distancing practices within the waiting room. Thank you to our front desk team for all that you do! We are so grateful for your hard-work and dedication.  Summer has arrived! Summer in Florida comes with relaxation and a plethora of fun activities and events. However, it also comes with many risks to be aware of and proactive in avoiding.
We hope you have a fun-filled summer! As always, stay safe! References 6 water safety tips to help save a life this summer. American Red Cross. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/6-water-safety-tips-to-help-save-a-life-this-summer.html Ask the expert: Does a high SPF protect my skin better? The Skin Cancer Foundation. (2022, March 26). Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-does-a-high-spf-protect-my-skin-better/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, September 1). Warning signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html Kanuckel, A. (2022, May 17). 10 insect-repelling plants that are known to keep the bugs away. Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-to-plant-to-keep-bugs-away-24734 US Department of Commerce, N. O. A. A. (2021, July 13). How to avoid getting caught in a rip current. National Weather Service. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent Hurricane season (June 1- Nov 30, 2022) is upon us. It’s important to be prepared if or when disaster strikes. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a sales tax relief package into law that extends the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday from 10 to 14 days (May 28- June 10, 2022). This package includes pet, household, and survival supplies. The price ranges for tax relief on these products are listed below. More information and advice for preparing for hurricane season can be found here: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/preparing-for-hurricane-season/ https://www.ready.gov/ https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.htm In addition to basic food and household supplies, it is important to have an emergency supply of prescription medications. We recommend that there is at least 2 to 3 weeks worth of all medications on hand in an emergency preparedness kit. A great way to store these are with pill bags or resealable plastic bags. The prescription name, dosage, frequency, and expiration date can be written on the front of the bag for ease of identification. Please contact your pharmacy for timely refills of your medications. For those who may want or need to evacuate or do not feel comfortable traveling to our office, we will be continuing to offer virtual visits. The virtual visit coverage under the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has been extended through July 15th, 2022 for Medicare patients. For commercial insurance, please contact your insurance carrier to inquire about virtual visit coverage under your plan’s contract. This is subject to change as more information is released. As always, stay safe! References: Florida Dept. of Revenue - Home. Florida Department of Revenue. (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep/Pages/default.aspx Home. FloridaDisaster.org. (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://www.floridadisaster.org/ Renewal of determination that a public health emergency exists. Renewal of Determination That A Public Health Emergency Exists. (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/PHE/Pages/COVID19-12Apr2022.aspx
 More of our team members have received their COVID-19 vaccine! They proudly display their proof like a badge of honor and we are proud of their voluntary effort to protect themselves, their families and those that we care for.
For more information on how to get vaccinated visit floridahealthcovid19.gov/. Stay safe.  Celebrating World Kidney Day around the globe.
This whole month is Kidney Awareness Month, but today is World Kidney Day! Today we set out to raise awareness of kidney disease and increase awareness about effective symptom management and patient empowerment. There is so much to know about the kidneys and what they do for us. Below are a series of quick facts and questions regarding your own kidney health. Empower yourself and those you are close to stay healthy and reduce risks. The 8 Golden Rules to Reduce Risk
Did you know that your kidneys:
Who is affected by the silent killer of kidney disease?
Are you at Risk?
We have enjoyed sharing with you these quick facts. Browse our website for information on how we contribute to caring for your kidneys and other reliable sources such as the National Kidney Foundation. Look for worldwide Kidney Day activities at World Kidney Day Organization. Stay empowered. The Patient Portal has come a long way over the last few years. What started off as a simple attempt at an online health sharing information presence, has turned into a convenient, easily accessible extension of our office. The features that are available on the Patient Portal range from obtaining lab results, ordering prescription refills and printing visit summaries to paying account balances, rescheduling appointments and now linking health trackers to easily share tracked information with Dr. Munjal. From your first contact with our office you will be provided access to our Patient Portal. Log in, update your password and you are ready to explore what the Portal has to offer. Once an appointment is scheduled you will have access to complete a Medical History Questionnaire in the Portal that will link directly back to our office, meaning one less form to print and bring to the appointment. While you are in the Portal you can update all your demographic information, including address changes and insurance updates. As an established patient, the Portal acts as an extension of our office and available 24/7! You can send us general messages, reschedule appointments, review and pay statement balances, prepay copayments, and update current medication list. Did you forget who Dr. Munjal was referring you to? No worries, you can log into the Portal and see who it was. Remember those labs results that Dr. Munjal discussed with you? After your appointment the results will be posted to your Portal for further review. Do not fret, we are still here for you to offer above and beyond service during office hours! If you haven't done so already, log into your Portal and check out the added features. Try adding your health tracker, like a blood pressure monitor and have the results shared directly with Dr. Munjal; no having to remember to bring in your blood pressure log! Approved, linkable devices are listed in the Portal under Trackers on the left-hand side. If you have any questions regarding your Portal experience, we are here to offer support. Call us at (904) 260-9898 for assistance or visit our Patient Portal tab on the website for more information.
Florida is making access to the Covid-19 vaccine easier. As of February 12th, Florida has 490 new pharmacy locations that will provide the Covid-19 vaccine to eligible Floridians. These pharmacy's include Publix, Walmart, Sam's Club and Winn Dixie. To learn more about these locations, please visit floridahealthcovid19.gov/.
As of today, Floridians that qualify for the Covid-19 vaccine are: + individuals 65 years and older + long term care facility residents and staff + health care personnel with direct patient contact + individuals deemed extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 If you meet the criteria above you can register to get in line for a vaccine at https://myvaccine.fl.gov/. Please note that you do need to be a Florida resident to qualify. Stay informed. The National Kidney Foundation of Florida is offering a virtual webinar "Your Kidneys and You". This is part of their National Kidney Awareness program for March. It is a free webinar and all you need to do is register to attend! If you would like to register you can visit their website or click on the links below. Thursday, March 4th, 2021 at 12pm (est) Thursday, March 18th, 2021 at 6pm (est)  Be on the lookout for further activities in March to celebrate National Kidney Awareness month!
Dr. Munjal, alongside most of the medical community believes that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine will outweigh the consequences of the virus itself. The National Kidney Foundation has provided great resources regarding the vaccine and COVID-19 facts. Visit their site and stay informed. Below is a brief overview of the vaccines that are currently available.  |
