Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1187260
49 HEALTHCARE NEWS Walmart unveils plan to build healthcare workforce: 5 things to know By Ayla Ellison A s Walmart pushes deeper into health- care, the retail giant is rolling out education benefit programs to help its employees prepare for new jobs. Five things to know: 1. Beginning Sept. 24, Walmart's 1.5 million workers in the U.S. can apply for one of seven bachelor's degrees and two career diplomas in health-related fields through Live Better U, Walmart's education benefit program. Employ- ees pay only $1 a day for the duration of their college or career programs. 2. e seven bachelor's degrees, which include health science and healthcare management, are offered through Purdue University Global, Manchester-based Southern New Hampshire University, Bellevue (Neb.) University and Wilmington University in New Castle, Del. e career diploma programs for pharmacy techni- cians and opticians are offered through Penn Foster. 3. e new programs will help train employees to fill healthcare jobs across Walmart and Sam's Club, which include more than 5,000 retail pharmacies, 3,000 vision centers, 400 hear- ing centers and Walmart Health, a standalone health clinic in Dallas, Ga., that opened earlier this month. 4. Depending on the success of the standalone primary care clinic in Georgia, Walmart may open more Walmart Health clinics in the future. e retailer also plans to offer home health services and mobile units that offer specialty services, such as dermatology or women's health, according to Business Insider. 5. "Our presence in thousands of communities gives us a unique opportunity to provide access to affordable healthcare to millions of people, and we need trained associates in order to do so," omas Van Gilder, MD, CMO at Walmart, said in a press release. "As our health and well- ness strategy and offerings continue to evolve, Live Better U will play a critical role in prepar- ing our associates across the country for future work opportunities in the growing healthcare field." n Proposed merger would create 33-hospital network in Louisiana By Ayla Ellison T he board of trustees of Lafayette (La.) General Health and New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System signed a letter of intent to merge, the health systems announced Sept. 25. Under the agreement, Lafayette General will be the combined system's regional healthcare hub in Southwest Louisiana, and Ochsner will invest $365 million in capital and resources in the region over the next 10 years. The agreement builds on the clinical affiliation between the two health systems. By merging, the systems will expand access to care, advance digital inno- vation and enhance clinical services focused on the critical health needs of Southwest Louisiana, the health systems said. "As two of the leading health systems in our state, we have the responsi- bility to improve quality and safety, increase access and make healthcare more affordable," Ochsner Health System President and CEO Warner Thomas said in a news release. "It's no secret that we face a number of critical health issues in Louisiana — rising incidences of hypertension, obesity, chronic disease and growing demand for key services such as oncology care, stroke care, women's and pediatric services and more. Joining together, we can tackle these issues to improve healthcare much faster than we can by working alone." The health systems will now enter a period of due diligence. The deal is expected to close in spring 2020, pending regulatory approvals. If finalized, the combined system would include 33 hospitals, according to Modern Healthcare. n Feds charge physicians, healthcare execs in $675M billing fraud bust By Ayla Ellison O ne-hundred people, including healthcare executives, physicians and other licensed medical professionals, were charged for their alleged roles in Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes in four states, the Department of Justice announced Sept. 25. The bulk of the fraudulent billings — more than $515 million — resulted from various fraud schemes in Mississippi and Louisiana. More than 30 people were charged for their alleged involvement in those schemes. In Florida and Georgia, 67 people were charged with defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers of a combined $160 million. Those charged allegedly billed government or commercial insurers for healthcare services, prescriptions and durable medical equipment that were not medically necessary, according to the Justice Department. "Healthcare fraud steals valuable resources from those truly in need and tarnishes the hard-earned respect of honest healthcare providers who deliver legitimate healthcare for their fellow Americans every day," U.S. At- torney Brandon J. Fremin of the Middle District of Louisiana, said in a press release. "It is especially egregious when carried out by healthcare profes- sionals who are betraying the trust given them by the community." n