Interview: Shane Donaldson

Shane Donaldson

CEO Pinnacle Home Care

The Mission of Pinnacle was born out of an obsession I had for the patient care experience while I was still practicing as a physical therapist in the early days of the organization. Our mission is: Changing Lives Through the Art of the Experience. Here at Pinnacle, we believe that although “what” we do is important, “how” we do it is equally if not more important. Creating an exceptional experience for a patient is an art that is only fully appreciated when you have the heart to serve. Beyond our patients, we recognize three other “stakeholders” for whom the experience is equally important: our staff, our referral partners and the communities we serve.

We were already working on a telehealth platform when the pandemic struck, so we were in the right place at the right time when it came to our deployment phase. We accelerated our rollout plans and began to implement videocall technology throughout our operations where possible. This platform proved to be incredibly beneficial as it allowed us to maintain close contact with our patients during the pandemic at a period of time where there was understandably heightened concern for any face-to-face contact.

One of the major recent changes has been a modification in the way we are compensated for our work. Until the end of 2019, we were responsible for the care of a patient for a 60-day payment period. We would receive approximately 40% of that payment up front, based on the patient’s anticipated needs, to cover our expenses. We would then receive the rest of the payment on conclusion of the treatment period.

In 2020, the upfront payment dropped to 20% and as of 2021, we no longer get paid anything up front. This creates significant cash flow issues for many organizations.

Tampa Bay’s healthcare system consists of world-class hospitals, research institutions, specialty centers, physicians and staff, all of which are paving the way in the advancement of medicine and health.

2020, then the largest for 2021 has certainly been the rollout of the vaccine. The state was able to make the vaccine available to all adults, several weeks ahead of Biden’s goal of doing so for the entire country.

That said, the vaccination drive has not been without its issues, such as local skepticism of vaccines generally.

The state is also taking pains to vaccinate communities that have been disproportionately burdened by the pandemic. Black residents have been underrepresented among those who have received the shot, and to counter this, the state government is partnering with community organizations, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to engage those underserved. The state has also allotted $200 million to help with minority outreach.

Another issue facing vaccination efforts has been the eligibility of seasonal workers and immigrants. Toward ensuring these groups get vaccinated the state has provided translators at vaccination sites and reduced the threshold for identification: a resident of

Florida normally has to produce a Florida state ID, but in the case of seasonal workers, two pieces of lesser identification, such as a work permit and a utility bill, will suffice.

Looking ahead As the COVID-19 pandemic slowly winds down in the United States, the health sector in the Tampa Bay region has a bright future. The pandemic itself has resulted in a shift of dynamics across the area at large. For one, the economy in Florida looks stronger than the rest of the country. This is in large part due to the reluctance of the governor to close the economy as well as other pro-business policies, such as a friendly tax structure.

More importantly, though, have been the relocations: people and companies who are moving to Florida, and Tampa Bay especially, to set up shop. The growing diversity of the economic base and the influx of population, means more traffic for medical businesses as well as a better talent pool to staff such businesses. Add to this the technological advances spurred by the pandemic, such as the rise of telehealth, and the coming years in Tampa are due to be exciting indeed for the healthcare sector.

The one area that Floridians should keep in mind as wealth and economic activity rise are the inequalities built into the Florida health system. The hope is that politicians and industry leaders do not lose sight of this as the recovery continues.

President – Bayfront Health St. Petersburg

The healthcare industry as a whole had been seeing an increased use of telehealth but COVID caused an explosion in demand that I believe will continue post-COVID as we move to a more positive phase. It has shown people the possibilities and given them the opportunity to try out the technology. From our experience, patients love the accessibility and efficiency. In a lot of cases, it creates a more efficient and effective method of providing care. The pandemic has reduced the unknown factor and potential intimidation of using telehealth. Previously, we saw hesitance among some in using telehealth systems but now there has been a tremendous positive response. We look forward to growth in this area and will be rolling out a new electronic medical records system that will aid Bayfront Health St. Petersburg in this direction.

Education at all levels faced an unprecedented challenge in early 2020 with the emergence of the pandemic. Since then, all institutions have pivoted to remote learning or some form of hybrid while also dealing with declining revenues. What the future ultimately looks like remains to be seen but the landscape has been permanently altered.