Archive for October, 2008

Hurricane Ike Relief: VSP in Galveston, TX

Posted on October 15th, 2008 by Rob L.

After getting into Galveston Island to provide relief services, our mobile clinics team and the Red Cross determined that only one of our clinics would be needed there. The other mobile clinic is currently having some much-needed repair work done and will then proceed with various events that were planned before Hurricane Ike hit.

On another note, many of the doctors we have been able to reach expect to be back in their offices by the end of October or early November. Our doctors and staff have seen over 500 patients aboard the mobile clinic since arriving in Texas and will remain stationed in Galveston through the end of this month.

-Rob

File under: Disaster Relief | Tagged: , , , ,
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Engaging Latino Consumers

Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Rob L.

One of the greatest things about VSP’s headquarters is its location; California and Sacramento are home to great cultural diversity. Like our community, VSP serves members, clients and doctors in all geographies, regions, cultures and economic situations. That’s why it is imperative that we understand and reflect the communities we serve. And this is increasingly important as we continue to expand globally.

A significant part of this effort is VSP’s Hispanic outreach. Recently our Hispanic Business Assessment Pilot in association with our Diversity Council achieved a number of milestones:

These include sponsorships of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 29th Annual Convention; the Fiestas Patrias Santa Ana, the largest Mexican Independence Day celebration in southern California; and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Latin Music Festival.

We also introduced new Spanish-language communication materials that help increase awareness about the unique health risks that Latinos face, and how eye exams play an important role in preventive care .

Our Spanish-speaking call center representatives provide enhanced service to callers from throughout the United States. We developed new Spanish-language collateral for brokers and clients to better communicate with VSP members and prospective members, and we launched our new robust Spanish-language Web site.

The Web site address is www.vsp.com/espanol and it’s been updated to offer a comprehensive Latino experience. It features all the functionality of our English-language site including our Eyecare Discovery Center, VSP in the Community, Find a VSP Doctor and benefit summaries. Furthermore it provides specialized information relevant to the Latino community. No other major eyecare benefits company has done anything like this.

As VSP moves forward we will continue to examine what it means to be a global organization. To me, it’s about being inclusive and considering the needs of everyone we serve. Latinos are at higher risk for health conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes, and it is our duty to help raise awareness about the importance of comprehensive eyecare in early detection and disease management. These efforts will help all of our members and prospective members have access to culturally-competent care.

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Not-for-profit healthcare and the importance of tax-exempt status

Posted on October 3rd, 2008 by Rob L.

I’d like to share my thoughts on how tax-exempt status helps not-for-profit healthcare companies deliver the best care to the community.

The core mission of a dedicated healthcare organization is to help patients receive the highest-quality care. And not-for-profit healthcare companies are uniquely structured to achieve this vision.

Since they have no owners, shareholders, or dividends to pay out, not-for-profits reinvest surplus revenue back into the delivery of care rather than removing resources from the system. This provides an important social benefit to the community and delivers the most healthcare for the dollar.

Historically the United States government recognized the value of this community benefit by granting tax-exempt status to not-for-profit healthcare companies. This exemption allowed those companies to invest more resources to expand access to high-quality care.

For more than 40 years, VSP had such an exemption; however the Internal Revenue Service withdrew it in 2003. The decision was puzzling because VSP did not change its business philosophy or commitment to the community. VSP asked the IRS to share the guidelines they use to define what constitutes a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization. They would not, and VSP sought a court ruling to have its tax-exemption restored.

The Sacramento Business Journal provides a solid overview of the issues in this case. There are broad potential implications for the future of not-for-profit healthcare, and VSP has asked the Supreme Court of the United States to consider this case.

Recently, national media outlets including the New York Times, Fox Business, the Wall Street Journal , and Fortune discussed the case, and I encourage you to consider their perspectives.

If VSP regains our tax exemption, we could devote additional resources now being paid as taxes into our programs that expand the community’s access to the best eyecare. We hope that the Supreme Court recognizes the importance of this case to the delivery of healthcare in the United States.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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VSP to Provide Relief to Ike Victims Through October

Posted on October 2nd, 2008 by Rob L.

Here’s a quick update from the front lines of the Hurricane Ike relief efforts:

Galveston Island, one of the areas most severely battered by Hurricane Ike, will soon open up to relief efforts. Currently, our mobile clinic is still serving those in the Houston area, but will join up with the second clinic in Galveston and begin seeing patients there around October 10th.

The population of Galveston is around 57,000 and officials expect 40,000 of them to return next week. The need is so great in the affected areas, that we expect the mobile clinics team to be deployed until at least the end of October and possibly longer.

VSP has been in touch with 3 of the 4 doctors in Galveston and unfortunately all of them have suffered significant damage, but are looking forward to joining us aboard both mobile clinics once they arrive.

To date, we have been over 300 patients and we have shipped 20 boxes of supplies for the team to take to Galveston.

- Rob

File under: Disaster Relief | Tagged: , , , ,
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