Earlier this month, commissioners questioned the companys long turnaround times and the accuracy of the test results. In Sanilac County, there were 2,762 total cases or 307 new. 0 The doctors then allegedly received a share of insurance reimbursements a kickback. The city of Dallas has paid Honu $1 million, according to the citys public check register. According to city officials, Honu transported patient samples from its testing sites to a lab near Austin using FDA-approved procedures. Mr. Beck is newly admitted to ABC House and consents to a COVID-19 test, his result is positive. Honu partnered with one in the Austin area. hb```,,B He also reports on social justice issues and inequities. Honu also has an agreement with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to provide testing at numerous sites around the state, including one at Mountain View College in Dallas. Holly K. Hacker. Date of Birth. For questions about test results, call 800-402-0000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (EST) Saturday. Im not saying that a company that fails on a contract should be avoided and basically blackballed from ever getting contracts again, but you have to be very careful, Moulton said. . Get the latest coronavirus and public health updates. A second reference told The News Honu overstated its work and another customer said they had a bad experience with the company. the Coronavirus crisis. The company, he said, is conducting COVID-19 tests for both the city and county of Dallas as well as other communities in Texas and Missouri, and, as of Friday, had conducted 80,000 tests at more than 70 sites. 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, said his company is highly qualified and that its references had no conflicts of interest. With demand surging back, it anticipates spring 2022 will bring . Peterson was asked if DOH should do more to warn other states about Honus link to DOHs ongoing investigation, since so much is at stake with coronavirus testing. Honu is expected to ramp up its testing capability, and be able toperform anywhere from 1,000-4,000 tests statewide per day inplaceslikenursing homes andlong-term care facilities, adult foster care homes as well as prisons, jails and homeless shelters, food processing facilities and housing formigrant workers. Dallas County started investigating the problem after FOX 4 reported last week that father and son, Cliff and Chris Cozby, waited more than a week to get results from the Honu site. The second site run by the Texas Military Department Mobile Testing Team will be at the Eastside Sports. 12615 E. Mission Ave Ste #101, Spokane Valley, WA 99216. Results . Our company has and will always operate with the utmost compliance to both federal and state regulations, he said. 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. Ive always run the company kind of as a charity, Thornton said. Honu also managed another COVID-19 test site in Dallas County that was sponsored by local officials and did not use NovaDX to process those results. After waiting 10 days for an inconclusive test result, shes still not sure if she had the virus. It made us ask more questions about just who is this company? Hacker said. We do not make unsubstantiated claims or exaggerations, Thornton said in an email. A statement from the mayors office Tuesday reads, We went ahead with the switch to a private vendor from the federal government because it would be father, so longer wait times are obviously not acceptable.. The latest Tweets from Honu MG (@HonuMg). We want them to be accurate and timely, Jenkins said. *+c"(wLu&XvqGPxw"jxuy~U[%8I&2:(L j@QHH5B0$/^( Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? getting your covid-19 test results from a neighborhood test site If you are tested at a neighborhood site, you will be contacted . Hacker says the city and county showed little concern when she first told city and county about Honu managements history in Washington state. When Honu Management Group pitched itself to run a major coronavirus testing site for the city and county of Dallas, the company listed impressive experience. We want to get those results. In May, the city asked Honu for additional references to show the company could handle a bigger job, Thornton said. Department of Health records show that the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is aware of the investigation into DA Medical Group. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. 750 North St.Paul St. hb```a``"(qaj{bE\01$)v%O19rV@w.q 33@ )[ It isn't clear how long these effects might last. The Washington State Department of Health acknowledges that the investigation linked to DA Medical is taking longer than usual, calling it a complex kickback case that involves several medical providers. Experts say that current death counts are bound to be an undercount because of insufficient testing at the beginning of the pandemic. Covid-19 Testing | Honu MG | United States Providing effective and efficient management services that assist healthcare facilities and organizations by providing cost-effective solutions to both patients and the healthcare system. Dallas suspended its contract with Honu after it heard more stories like Vanessas, and a study showed that Honu was taking an average of eight days to provide test results at one test site. The company was testing up to 500 people per day. We work in healthcare to make a difference, and we do it to provide a service the best we can to all people affected during these times.. The company took over public testing after the city and county stopped working with the federal government because it was taking too long to return results to residents. We currently have open cases against several podiatrists who worked with DA Medical Group, Peterson said. A not detected (negative) test result for this test means that SARS- CoV-2 RNA was not present in the specimen above the limit of detection. hVO0WqhTulCJ40;;K@5LF$:U HT^ He previously worked at The Denver Post covering the statehouse and two presidential campaigns. 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. 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. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? Honu was the only company that fit the bill out of about a dozen the city had approached, according to city officials. Honu, named for a Hawaiian green sea turtle, had a bumpy start in Texas. If yes, provide the date, the entity, and details about the situation. 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. %PDF-1.6 % In seeking a contractor, city officials bypassed the usual competitive bidding rules. If results will be delayed beyond four days, the Honu Help Center will contact you. Dallas city officials noted that DA Medical and Thornton have not been charged with any crimes. After relying on the company to run tests, Texas has now put Honu in charge of test sites in rural parts of the state, a job previously handled by the Texas National Guard, and in Dallas and El Paso. Washington state-based Honu Management is under scrutiny after failing to meet its COVID-19 testing contract within three days. ", "As this virus has continued to spread and adapt so have we as a company and community health service provider," Thornton wrote in an email message to the Free Press. The city cannot speak to hypotheticals, spokeswoman Catherine Cuellar said. Testing is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates and locations: For assistance regarding rural test results email help@txcovidtest.org or call 1 (833)213-0643. CareATC provided the staffing while Honu said it provided lab testing and protective gear. CS210403013 WellHealth Management State and Community-Based COVID-19 Testing QVL Purchasing has awarded twenty (20) contracts to labs for COVID-19 Testing. Date of Birth / / mm / dd / yyyy. The Dallas Morning News reported that Honu misrepresented or overstated its qualifications when it proposed managing COVID-19 drive-through testing and laboratory analysis for contracts in Dallas and Dallas County. Honu Management Group started administering tests at Eastfield College in Mesquite earlier this month. 0 The county also looked at nearly 1,600 results there. Individuals wanting to be tested can contact any Georgia public health department to schedule an appointment at a SPOC location convenient to them. Testing for a national. Nor did the city catch a potential conflict of interest: an El Paso construction company owner used Honu to test his workers and vouched for the companys services. Dallas County is ending its contract with the company that runs one of the largest COVID-19 testing sites in North Texas. What no one mentioned then: Anderson and his son own Nova Labs, also called NovaDX -- one of Honus lab partners where the workers samples were tested, records show. Its unclear whether the contract also addresses transport times from the testing site to the lab. Sioux Nation is not the name of any federally recognized tribe and more than a dozen have Sioux in the name, according to the Indian Health Service. The citys contract says Honu is obligated to provide test results within 48 to 72 hours of specimens arriving at the lab. 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. The state's contract stipulates that Honu can use either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or rapid point-of-care tests that have gottenemergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. State and local governments everywhere have been screaming throughout this whole pandemic, absent a comprehensive national testing program, this is whats happening, said Dallas Morning News reporter Holly Hacker, who first linked Honus management team to DA Medical Group and its spotty history. 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. Augusta, GA. 3/1/2023. ACCESS, Region 10, homebound; community mobile sites; shelters and vulnerable populations - $1,100,000. EN. 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. An agency spokesman did not return requests from The News on Tuesday seeking comment about the status of the contracts. The Washington state company edged out industry giant Quest Diagnostics and a local firm to land a $14.6 million contract with the city of Dallas to test thousands of people for COVID-19, city officials said. hbbd```b``d7X "c"Ac ;?H2x`sl 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. Devin Thornton,CEO and founder of Honu Management Group, said the company doesn't take its contract with Michigan lightlyand hasworked with the state for the lastmonth "to plan for a successful launch. Honu also would be "responsible for rapid response when outbreaks occur.". In July, Washington state-based Honu began operating a county drive-through site at the University of Dallas in Irving. In mid-June, Anderson vouched for Honu and told the city the company had tested more than 500 of his workers, according to notes from the citys phone call with Anderson. The city and county of Dallas also wanted a company that could quickly process a high volume of tests, after frustrations with the federally supported sites, which officials said were taking up to 10 days to return results. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has reported 787 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths on Tuesday, though 550 of them are backlogged cases from earlier this year. A state investigation found problems with certain tubes used to ship patient samples for testing at the lab, NovaDX, according to state health officials. Full COVID-19 vaccination is an essential job function of this role. Jenkins toldThe Dallas Morning News onMonday that an internal investigation by the Dallas County health department revealedsamples collected at the Honu-run site was taking up to four days to reach a lab near Austin, delaying results up to seven days. No appointments are needed, and those seeking assistance with test results can email Covid19Help@honumg.com or call 1-844-778-2455. A general rise in COVID-19 cases, as well as the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant in Livingston County, is prompting a drive-thru testing event this weekend. notifying individuals of their results.CS210403009 More information about this contract is available at https://archive.oa.mo.gov/ . Stay informed with a detailed weekly report on DFWs evolving healthcare industry. 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. As part of their contracts, these vendors are to relay test results to the individuals who were tested within 48-72 hours, and if there is a consistent delay in that turnaround time, the vendors are to quickly notify DHEC. Thornton also said Andersons lab ownership was clearly listed in the documents Honu submitted to the city and the county. Thats raising questions about why Washington state did not warn other states about the companys officers, who are linked to a long-running health care fraud investigation by the Washington State Department of Health. Example video title will go here for this video. "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. stay healthy! The county looked at more than 12,000 test results from Honu sites in the Dallas area over six weeks in July and August. 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, How Dallas missed potential red flags in picking a company to run a major COVID-19 testing site, Connect with needs and opportunities from. Dallas County, meanwhile, has not paid any portion of its contract, said Darryl Martin, the countys administrator. Beginning 3/22/2021, Honu Management Group will only provide Confirmatory PCR test support . The Texas Tribune has more. Hours. Has bidder ever been debarred, suspended, or disqualified from bidding or contracting with any entity, including the state of Michigan? We asked around if the residents have any complaints about their city, they said, "there is none!" Rocky Vaz, the citys director of emergency management, on Monday notified Honu Management Group that the city wanted the Washington state-based company to suspend testing Aug. 28. Clinicas Mi Doctor and MD Kids Pediatrics, two Houston MD Medical Group clinics, offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing by appointment. Allie Morris, Austin Bureau Correspondent . A new internal report by Dallas County's health department obtained by The News found that wait times for results from local Honu sites have increased markedly. A negative result does not exclude the possibility of COVID-19. Dallas County Commissioners used money from the federal CARES Act to pay Honu because it was taking too long for the federally-run site to get test results back. Finally, the Honu Management Group, conducts COVID testing and provides weekly access to COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. 1054 0 obj <>stream Fauci says if you dont get your results back within five days, it really becomes less valuable to contact trace, Jenkins said. "Honu scored the highest during a Joint Evaluation Committee evaluation of proposals from the five bidders and it was determined that they met the requirements," Sutfin said. For additional. For questions about test results, call Honu at 866-809-8282. I didnt hear anything from the facility until ten days later when I received my test results, said Vanessa Izquierdo, who recently visited a drive-through test site that Honu ran at the University of Dallas. Direct Patient lines are open: 8:30am to 7:00pm Monday through Friday 8:30am - Noon on Saturdays. Some of the questions now being asked about Honu Management stem from a KING 5 Investigation that aired in November. This invasive fungal infection primarily affects paranasal sinuses and can have orbito-facial and intracranial extension. Thompson Technologies, statewide, homebound, community mobile sites; seasonal agriculture; and shelters and vulnerable populations - $15,000,000. Report a free NHS COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test result Use this service to report the result from a free NHS rapid lateral flow test. The second omicron variant comes into focus. A Dallas Morning News investigation earlier this month found that the city missed potential warning flags in Honus application. It wasn't until six weeks into its contract with the state of Michigan, that Honu began testing people here. We continue to monitor Honus performance, Rubio said. Allie has covered Texas politics since 2017 and written about everything from tax policy to child protection. The latest information is available atMichigan.gov/CoronavirusandCDC.gov/Coronavirus. The effects also could lead to the development of new conditions, such as diabetes or a heart or nervous .