On April 9, 2020, Healthy Connections, Inc. became aware of a breach of personal health information. We notified affected individuals in as timely a manner as possible so they could take personal action, along with our organization’s efforts to reduce or eliminate potential harm. The incident involved protected health information and consisted of patient email addresses being revealed to other Healthy Connections, Inc., patients via a COVID-19 newsletter. The unsecured information included email addresses only. No medical information was breached. Healthy Connections, Inc. has provided additional training to staff to safeguard against further incidents.
Healthy Connections, Inc. sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience of the incident. Personal health information privacy is very important to us and we will continue to do everything we can to correct this situation and fortify our operational protections for our patients.
Contact us with questions or concerns in the following ways: Call our Privacy Officer at (888) 710-8220, Ext 155 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday; email hipaa@healthy-connections.org; or send via U.S. mail to Healthy Connections, Inc., PO BOX 1848, Mena, AR 71953.
Healthy Connections, Inc., is delivering on its promise to mass test the state of Arkansas, testing more than 1,000 people in the first two weeks of free Covid-19 testing.
Healthy Connections scheduled a series of pop-up testing sites and has tested anyone regardless of symptoms for free. Cities tested so far have included De Queen, Malvern, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Little Rock, Benton, Arkadelphia, and Gurdon. The testing tour continues next week with stops in Mena, De Queen for a second time, and Nashville. See the complete schedule at www.GetTestedFree.com.
“We were asked to increase COVID-19 testing for Arkansans and are proud to have been able to provide this much-needed service to people throughout Arkansas,” said Tony Calandro, CEO of Healthy Connections, Inc. “By taking these tests on the road, we have been able to reach areas where access to testing is not as readily available.”
The testing tour began on May 21 with a stop in De Queen. The most patients tested in a single day was 415 in Hot Springs Village on May 29.
These tests done at pop-up testing sites are in addition to the hundreds of tests performed by Healthy Connections in its clinics throughout west and central Arkansas.
The testing sites are set up as drive-through events. Patients don’t even get out of their vehicles. Patients report this new Covid-19 test is much easier and less painful than other tests previously given. No insurance information is collected and patients are through the testing area and on their way in just a few minutes.
Results from these tests are being received on average in five to seven days.
Do you want to partner with Healthy Connections to bring the testing bus to your business or your hometown? Call us at 888-710-8220.
Healthy Connections clinics are open, safe, healthy, and here for the communities they serve. The Healthy Connections community health network is a federally-qualified health center (FQHC). Healthy Connections and Evolve Behavioral Health both accept Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare, and most private health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without health insurance who qualify. Medicaid patients may be required to switch their primary care provider to Healthy Connections before they can be seen. Learn more about Healthy Connections at www.healthy-connections.org.
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections May Employees of the Month.
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WEST: Laura Pumphrey, APRN
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EAST: Janet Dean
As Employees of the Month, they are entitled to either a $50 gift card or one day off. Throughout May, Laura and Janet have exemplified our Healthy Connections three pillars of Excellence, Compassion, and Community.
Laura is an APRN at the Hot Springs Chippewa clinic, while Janet is the HR/Finance Assistant based in Mena.
Check out what Laura’s co-workers had to say about her:
- All of her patients just rave about her. She gives the best care possible and you can tell that she cares for the people she is seeing in the clinic. If she can make someone’s job at the clinic easier then she will try her best to help out.
- I love the compassion that she shows her patients. She has a huge heart for everyone. She is so easy going and is a fresh face every day.
And check out what Janet’s co-workers had to say about her.
- Janet operates with an outsized sense of duty regarding her fellow employees.
- Janet moves through a mountain of work every week to the benefit of her fellow employees.
Do you know who should be our next Healthy Connections Employees of the month? You can nominate them at www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Free drive-through testing this week in Little Rock, Benton, Arkadelphia, and Gurdon.
The Healthy Connections Free Covid-19 Testing Pop-up tour continues this week with stops in Pulaski and Clark counties.
The drive-through testing, which is available to anyone over 18-years-old, regardless of symptoms, will be in Little Rock on Tuesday, June 2; Arkadelphia on Thursday, June 4; and Gurdon on Friday, June 5. Testing will be offered each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with no appointment necessary.
Through the first four tour stops, hundreds of people have been tested, including more than 400 on May 29 in Hot Springs Village. Additional stops have already been scheduled throughout Arkansas. See the complete schedule at www.GetTestedFree.com.
This test is a nasal swab but it’s not the more painful version people were getting tested with weeks ago. Most patients report only mild discomfort with this Covid-19 test.
These pop-up testing sites are testing people 18-and-older with or without symptoms and those under-18 with symptoms. Patients can also be tested in any Healthy Connections clinic both for Covid-19 and Covid-19 antibodies. Call 888-710-8220 for clinic appointments at locations in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Mount Ida, Mena, and De Queen. Visit www.healthy-connections.org to find the location nearest to you.
Healthy Connections clinics are open, safe, healthy, and here for the communities they serve. The Healthy Connections community health network is a federally-qualified health center (FQHC). Healthy Connections and Evolve Behavioral Health both accept Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare, and most private health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without health insurance who qualify. Medicaid patients may be required to switch their primary care provider to Healthy Connections before they can be seen. Learn more about Healthy Connections at www.healthy-connections.org.
