The incident has led BCBS North Carolina and Cambia Health Solutions to place their proposed merger on hold for the time being, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Louisiana and North Carolina.
- Louisiana: Police on Friday arrested a woman who treated more than 100 patients while she posed as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). The woman, Sandra Martin, age 59, recorded more than 1,000 hours of work under the false identity, according to Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator. According to Prator, Martin used the identity of another woman with the same name to convince nursing home staff that she was a LPN. In addition to providing care without proper authorization, Prator is also alleged to have written prescriptions (AP/WBRZ, 9/23).
- North Carolina: Patrick Conway, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, has resigned in the wake of an allegedly alcohol-related car accident in which Conway was charged with driving while impaired and misdemeanor child abuse. The insurer's COO, Gerald Petkau, will become interim CEO. The incident has led BCBS North Carolina and Cambia Health Solutions to place their proposed merger on hold for the time being (Wilde Mathews et. al., Wall Street Journal, 9/26; Wilde Mathews et. al., Wall Street Journal, 9/24).
- North Carolina: Duke Health has teamed up with American Well and Online Care Group to launch a mobile and desktop application that will allow patients to receive virtual urgent care 24/7. Patients do not have to be existing Duke Health patients to use the service. Through the app, called called Duke Health Anywhere, patients can consult with a medical professional during 10-minute virtual visits, which cost $49. Insurance is not accepted through the app (Drees, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/24).