. Open Form. Since the first report of a cluster of cases of acute respiratory illness in China, the current coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) has spread globally exacting a huge toll on individuals, families, communities, and societies across the world, resulting in a World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of a pandemic 1, 2.The COVID-19 response has highlighted the need for a . To date, the state, through the Texas Division of Emergency Management, has paid Honu $2.4 million for its services, according to payment records posted online. Thornton and Anderson both told The News there is no conflict of interest because Dallas is not using NovaDX as the lab for its contract with the city. Through this initiative, 66 churches throughout the Metro Detroit area became COVID-19 vaccine . The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information at a federal level about COVID-19 and our current pandemic. Honu Management Group Aug 2020 - Present2 years 6 months Michigan, United States Epic Sr. Credentialed Trainer ASAP Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals May 2019 - Nov 20197 months Greater. A Google search led to a November news report from KING-TV in Seattle about a Washington State Department of Health investigation into at least two foot doctors regarding an alleged medical kickback scheme. Honu first pitched its services to the city of Dallas in April, officials said. Given the states prior issues with NovaDX, the city and county of Dallas asked Honu to work with a different lab. "Honu shadowed the National Guard at some testing events in early August," said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. For instance, Honu claimed it had experience providing testing for a Native American tribe in South Dakota. Previously Holly reported for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Ventura County (Calif.) Star and the Antioch (Calif.) Ledger Dispatch. Thornton recently met with two News reporters and showed them around the University of Dallas testing site, where staff and contractors tested up to 500 people a day. Select how you would like to enter information: Recommended when you're adding just a few individuals. You cannot use this service to report results from a. An agency spokesman did not return requests from The News on Tuesday seeking comment about the status of the contracts. The Texas Tribune has more. endstream endobj 217 0 obj <>/Metadata 8 0 R/Pages 214 0 R/StructTreeRoot 13 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 218 0 obj <. The city and county of Dallas end their $14 million contract with Honu Management Group, who ran COVID-19 testing sites. Closes 7:30 PM. Finally, the Honu Management Group, conducts COVID testing and provides weekly access to COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. Please allow up to 30 days for DSHS to review and reply to your request. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Honus CEO, Devin Thornton of Spokane Valley, also runs DA Medical Group out of the same small office suite in a medical building just outside Spokane. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has awarded nearly $60 million in contracts to promote COVID-19 vaccination among high risk populations. He said the pharmacy that DA Medical worked with was billing patients through another pharmacy and that arrangement was not disclosed to him. notifying individuals of their results.CS210403009 More information about this contract is available at https://archive.oa.mo.gov/ . Its unclear right now how much of the contract the city of Dallas had paid out. Holly works on the investigations team after many years covering education for The Dallas Morning News. OakBend Medical Group The initial criteria for the COVID-19 testing will require a Telehealth visit. The Allegan County Health Department will hold drive-through events for residents to get tested for COVID-19 every Wednesday 1-7 p.m beginning Wednesday, Sept. 22. The bid process, she explained, included questions about Honu's past performance and asked the company todisclose previousproblems that had reached a final conclusion. The decision less than two months after Honu began running drive-through testing for the city and county came after local officials began investigating the companys $14.6 million contract. Thats my thing.. At a meeting Tuesday, county commissioners raised concern with lack of oversight. One thing the city pointed out is, Hey, you know, no ones been arrested for anything, Hacker recalled. Dallas city officials said they followed proper vetting procedures. Now, Parkland Hospital will operate testing at the Eastfield College site, which Honu used to run. 2023 www.freep.com. He has previously defended his companys testing work and said his goal is to help patients while keeping health care costs low. The city and county of Dallas will end their joint agreement with a Washington-based company that was hired to run a publiccoronavirustesting site after the turnaround time for results was taking nearly twice as long as before, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkinssaid late Monday. By Wednesday, it was 3,052, and 3,246 on Thursday. The state of Michigan recently signed a $42 million contract with Honu, which is expected to begin testing there within a few weeks. The doctors then allegedly received a share of insurance reimbursements a kickback. Spokane Valley, WA We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in your browser. KING 5s investigation revealed a three-year probe by the Washington State Department of Health that accuses Thornton and others at DA Medical of orchestrating a kickback scheme to bilk insurance companies. According to city officials, Honu transported patient samples from its testing sites to a lab near Austin using FDA-approved procedures. 1023 0 obj <> endobj If the answer is yes, then state the date of initial filing, case name and court number, and jurisdiction. That hasnt happened yet.. The state of Michigan signed a $42 million contractin July with aCOVID-19 testing companythat is under scrutiny in Texas for returning test results too slowly, and is accused of providingunreliabletest results to a South Dakota native American tribe. Would you like to proceed to legacy Twitter? They collected 36 samples. A negative result does not exclude the possibility of COVID-19. Bidders could offer statewide or regional services based onState of Michigan Prosperity Regionsand six site or setting types were included in the RFP including: The following bidders have been awarded two-year contracts to provide the following services: The total value of the contracts will be based on actual usage/need based on site type and actual number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered. The city of Dallas has paid Honu $1 million, according to the citys public check register. In July, Washington state-based Honu began operating a county drive-through site at the University of Dallas in Irving. We will get residents fast,accurate results. Parkland Health & Hospital System will take over one of Dallas Countys largest public coronavirus testing sites as the current contractor faces growing scrutiny over delayed test results. 1042 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[1023 32]/Info 1022 0 R/Length 102/Prev 654034/Root 1024 0 R/Size 1055/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Leverage your professional network, and get hired. Texas is increasingly relying on Honu, which has worked with the state to test people in rural and urban areas for COVID-19. In May, the city asked Honu for additional references to show the company could handle a bigger job, Thornton said. There was tremendous increase in the number of cases of mucormycosis among patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the second wave of pandemic in South Asian countries. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering at the center can go to . Were going to hold them to the contract if they cant do it.. HONU sites will continue to rotate through multiple locations on Oahu for up to a maximum of 90-days at a time. Embedded Tech For Above Baseline IT Tech Support. The department is partnering with HONU Management . Anyone interested in donating or volunteering at the center. For questions about test results, call Honu at 866-809-8282. Thank you @Parkland @DCHHS @DallasOEM https://t.co/vNfH2ZLXJB. Clinicas Mi Doctor and MD Kids Pediatrics, two Houston MD Medical Group clinics, offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing by appointment. receive a COVID-19 rapid PCR test. Vaz, the city emergency director, said no such disclosure was made during the reference-checking process, and only came to light after The News asked about it. Honu began seeking publicly-funded testing contracts in the emerging world of COVID-19, stating the company could setup operations and deliver results faster than competitive bidders. Experts say that current death counts are bound to be an undercount because of insufficient testing at the beginning of the pandemic. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Testing will take place at the . The county also found that on average, it took residents 3.3 days to get their results from the University of Dallas. Dallas, Texas 75201. Public health officials have said that without a vaccine or another shutdown, testing and contact tracing are among the most important strategies local governments can adopt in order to stem the spread of the virus. Michigan's contract with Honu, which took effect July 1, stipulates that the company mustprovide COVID-19 specimen collection, testing and reporting for high-risk populations in Michigan through Jan. 31, 2021. Honu promised results within 72 hours. A new internal report by Dallas Countys health department obtained by The News found that wait times for results from local Honu sites have increased markedly. The city said Honu is meeting the obligations of the contract, including turning around test results quickly. ^,b20A0 maVQIxRGM@Zn $/UL Effective August 28th, @Parkland will take over the site @eastfield_dc currently run by Hanu. She noted that theres a clause in the contract that allows for termination - but that hasnt been necessary. A city spokeswoman said Honu was properly vetted as quickly as possible in what was a crisis. Fauci says if you dont get your results back within five days, it really becomes less valuable to contact trace, Jenkins said. Locations being considered for potential future HONU sites are Waimanalo, Waipahu, Wahiawa, Ewa, and Leeward Oahu. CS210403013 WellHealth Management State and Community-Based COVID-19 Testing QVL Purchasing has awarded twenty (20) contracts to labs for COVID-19 Testing. ALLEGAN COUNTY The Allegan County Health Department will be holding a series of free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing events in November. Both the city and county of Dallas have ended their contract with embattled Honu Management Group, which ran the largest public COVID-19 testing site, The Dallas Morning News reports. Thompson Technologies, statewide, homebound, community mobile sites; seasonal agriculture; and shelters and vulnerable populations - $15,000,000. 1:18. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins first announced the shift from Honu to Parkland in a late-night tweet Monday. When she did get her results 10 days later, they were rejected, meaning the test was unable to determine whether she had coronavirus. 12615 E. Mission Ave Ste #101, Spokane Valley, WA 99216. %%EOF Date and Time of Collection. . Get Results with . Dallas County health officials are looking into why 7% of people tested positive at the site in July, compared to 17% at testing locations run by Parkland Hospital. 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When youre in a crisis, this is a time when you go with only the most reliable companies and the companies you know are going to deliver.. For additional guidance please email COVID_PHL@dhec.sc.gov or call 803-896-0819. After waiting 10 days for an inconclusive test result, shes still not sure if she had the virus. In emergencies where cities are choosing vendors with little or no competition, its important to stringently vet the company and its executives, said Sean Moulton, a senior policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit. Honu Management Group, statewide, homebound; community mobile sites; neighborhood testing . Holly K. Hacker. Ive always run the company kind of as a charity, Thornton said. Some of the questions now being asked about Honu Management stem from a KING 5 Investigation that aired in November. There's a new coronavirus-testing company in town, and it isn't Honu Management Group. Less than two months after that story aired, Thornton and at least three other DA Medical Group employees formed a new company in January Honu and began soliciting and bidding on COVID-19 testing contracts across the country. Materials for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers, COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Guidance and Educational Resources, Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, https://dev.michigan.local/som/json?sc_device=json, State awards six contracts for COVID-19 vaccination to high-risk populations and settings across Michigan, Go to Materials for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers, Direct Care Workers: Communications Toolkit, Go to COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Guidance and Educational Resources, Go to Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, Go to COVID-19 Therapeutics Information Page, Shelters, transient communities, other vulnerable populations. Honus CEO said the company was truthful in the application. Washington state-based Honu Management Group also may have overstated the scope of its work when it negotiated its Dallas coronavirus testing contract, and claimed to have White House. County officials said they believe the slowdown was driven by two factors: a delay in transporting the specimens from Dallas to the lab near Austin and a backup at the lab. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. "All state contracts include clauses that allow for separation for cause or convenience," she said, "and MDHHS will carefully monitor Honus performance, including its timeliness, and take action if problems arise.". V9A}A|Rzk9X]Yd\ M#F4$A|fQ $K>1mVK)7t*47qE_)ayM 6+(Q ofsy!~%z_emdyrV5Bhz\ 7BxogcR?IXWV1lOI%1!q'VA!1wyBY_]~q@g{18~y_rzS|-$#[l7H ql%;DGoH,Zv. If you are a new sender, please provide your contact information and a fax number. COVID-19 has resulted in the increased use of distance learning around the world. No spam, ever. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? The clinic will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. COVID-19 testing is provided by Honu Management Group and is free to the public. The county also looked at nearly 1,600 results there. About 15% of people tested there had to wait seven or more days from the. . Holly works on the investigations team after many years covering education for The Dallas Morning News. On Monday, it was 2,604. As KING 5 reported in November, three Seattle-area foot doctors are accused of over-prescribing medications and equipment to patients whose insurance companies were billed for the treatments. But state DOH records allege that Thornton and DA Medical orchestrated the kickback scheme using a corrupt online pharmacy and by soliciting local doctors to write the prescriptions. Honu. In Dallas, Texas officials paused a $14 million testing contract with Honu Management, of Spokane Valley, after the company failed to meet its contract requirement to turn around test results within three days. This week . The county looked at more than 12,000 test results from Honu sites in the Dallas area over six weeks in July and August. Recovery Mobile Clinic, Regions 9 and 10, community mobile sites; and shelters and vulnerable populations - $1,400,000. stay healthy! With the advancement of information technology, traditional classroom teaching has gradually integrated the Internet and distance learning methods. Results . Testing is free and available to members of the community with or without COVID-19 symptoms. Powered by: Zotec. Parkland will send the samples to ARUP Laboratories, the same private lab it uses for its other testing sites, Parkland officials said Tuesday. People getting tested in Dallas are waiting longer to get their results, despite a 40 percent drop in people getting tested. Thornton said the application shouldnt have said that and it has been taken off all of Honus subsequent proposals. Washington state-based Honu Management is under scrutiny after failing to meet its COVID-19 testing contract within three days. No appointments are needed, and those seeking assistance with test results can email Covid19Help@honumg.com or call 1-844-778-2455. endstream endobj startxref Contractors will be required to schedule appointments and manage all logistics involved in providing mobile vaccinations. However, Jenkins said, the demand for tests has fallen and Parkland hopes to be able to adjust as needed later this year. Parkland Health & Hospital System will take over coordinating local testing, Jenkins announced on Twitter by sharing an article from The Dallas Morning News. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Parkland has played a role in public testing, usually working with other agencies, including the federal government. Hours. City officials declined to say whether knowing about the discrepancies in Honus proposal would have changed the decision to award it the contract. The tribe has not used any more of the test kits, Fast Horse said. After doing business as DA Medical Group for over a decade, the company rebranded as Honu in January. The company won the contract after the county stopped using the federal government for testing because it was taking too long to get results. But last week, Dallas County canceled its contract with Honu for COVID-19 testing because officials said test results were taking as long asseven days to come back. Site Type 6 will be bid out to the awarded contractors on an as needed basis upon determination by the state. You can also call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or email us atCOVID19@michigan.gov. The state resumed work with NovaDX and has reported no issues since, but has not yet released its investigation report to The News. This was in partnership with the National Guard, HONU Management Group, and the city of Detroit. If you have questions about the form, call DSHS at 512-776-7578. Honu also answered questions from the countys health department about their testing capabilities, she said. Its unclear whether the contract also addresses transport times from the testing site to the lab. Sutfin said the state will "carefully monitorHonus performance, including its timeliness, and take action if problems arise. People can request an appointment by calling or texting 888-776-5252, or visiting mdmedicalgroup.us. Recommended when you're adding many individuals. Or, for all other COVID-19 questions or concerns, call 88-217-3904, email covid@dhd10.org or visit www.dhd10.org/schedule.. DALLAS A Washington state-based company is drawing increasing scrutiny as it secures publicly-funded COVID-19 testing contracts across the county. Full COVID-19 vaccination is an essential job function of this role. At Eastfield, it took four or more days for 97% of the samples to be collected and analyzed, and then for results to be reported, county data show. Individuals wanting to be tested can contact any Georgia public health department to schedule an appointment at a SPOC location convenient to them. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Dallas taps Parkland Health to do coronavirus testing after concerns surface over delayed results, Connect with needs and opportunities from.