Electronic prescribing—using computer technology to write and transmit prescriptions between physicians and pharmacies, as well as to view medication histories, costs and formularies—has the potential to revolutionize medicine by reducing errors and...
It's fair to say that a higher salary usually isn't the first thing most people think of when they hear the term “government job.” But in the past year or so, better-paying positions and attractive multiyear signing bonuses...
The Bush administration sent Congress a legislative package that pins his health reform agenda on a three-pronged approach of value-based purchasing, medical liability reform and higher Medicare prescription drug premiums for some seniors.
Electronic prescribing—using computer technology to write and transmit prescriptions between physicians and pharmacies, as well as to view medication histories, costs and formularies—has the potential to revolutionize medicine by reducing errors and...
Financial restraints and questions about the usefulness of the CMS’ new proposed federally overseen patient-safety organizations means patient-safety groups aren’t likely to scramble to apply for the designation, patient-safety advocates...
The number of medical graduates in primary-care residencies rose 6% during an 11-year stretch that closed in 2006. For experts who say the nation faces a shortage of such doctors, the figure is a seemingly hopeful sign. But a closer look reveals a...
With a multicultural workforce, hospitals are well-positioned to play a central role in eliminating healthcare disparities, but have yet to be represented on a committee overseeing a new partnership devoted to the issue.
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has picked up a battle that the American Medical Association has waged for nearly eight years without success: taking down Ingenix, the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary that most insurers rely on to crunch...
Kaiser Permanente is known for its closed, integrated delivery system, in which Kaiser health plan members visit Kaiser doctors and are admitted to Kaiser hospitals. Prime Healthcare Services is becoming known in California for buying hospitals,...
Officials for the disease-management industry last week challenged CMS claims that participants failed to meet savings criteria in a pilot that has been indefinitely suspended.
A key Senate panel continued to apply pressure to the Medicare Advantage program last week, lashing out at the CMS top brass for not doing enough to protect seniors from the aggressive and sometimes illegal tactics used by private health insurance...
It's fair to say that a higher salary usually isn't the first thing most people think of when they hear the term “government job.” But in the past year or so, better-paying positions and attractive multiyear signing bonuses...
ALBANY, N.Y.—New York state health officials said $250 million in grant funding will be available this spring to further the restructuring of New York's healthcare system to strengthen primary care, eliminate excess bed capacity and reduce...
SEATTLE—Swedish Medical Center said it completed an agreement to buy nearly 18 acres in Issaquah, Wash., to build a new hospital and health complex. The purchase price was not disclosed. Construction will begin in 2010, with an 80-bed...
LEBANON, Va.—Russell County Medical Center was sold by Community Health Systems, Franklin, Tenn., to Mountain Health States Alliance, a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn. The sale price was approximately $45...
Two Oklahoma hospitals have gone to court to take advantage of a recent court ruling that puts local jails on the hook for inmates' hospital bills—even for conditions that predate their incarceration.
MOUNT VERNON, Ill.—Good Samaritan Regional Health Center, a 130-bed facility in Mount Vernon, is planning a new building expected to cost $185 million and accommodate 146 beds four miles from its current location, according to a letter of...
Anyone who follows state legislatures or Congress will recognize the harsh punishment syndrome. This occurs when lawmakers try to solve a social problem through escalating penalties. If your city is plagued by people crossing the street where there...
As the nation's political leaders ponder how to keep the American job machine going in the years ahead, they might do well by studying the Sept. 26, 2006 issue of BusinessWeek. That issue's cover features a nurse flexing her biceps, along...
I say hip-hip-hooray for Denny Shelton and Legacy Hospital Partners (“After Triad, a chain is born,” Jan. 21, p. 6). His “legacy” in Carlsbad, N.M., is a complete turnaround of this 127-bed acute-care hospital from 1999...
What do the phrases “federal regulation” and “HIPAA compliance” bring to mind? If you work in healthcare—particularly in healthcare information technology—probably not much that's positive. That's too bad, because the Health Insurance Portability...
David Sayen was named regional administrator of CMS Region 9, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific territories. Sayen, 52, replaces acting Administrator Charlotte Yeh, who will return to her regular post...
With its bright, cheerful colors and clean lettering, the Web site Carol.com resembles an online women's clothing retailer, but the creators of this electronic marketplace have different customers in mind: patients.
