At a time when organ transplant programs are getting cited for procurement violations and getting shut down for not meeting federal quotas, more casualties may result from new regulations that set higher standards for survival rates.
Like a recurring dream about having to take a test they didn’t study for, some physicians view the idea of patients with electronic personal health records as their own personal nightmare.
The CMS said it has identified a number of errors in its proposed fiscal 2008 hospital inpatient prospective payment system, or IPPS, and as a result, has revised the relative weights of its DRGs. Because of the changes, the CMS said that the IPPS...
At a time when organ transplant programs are getting cited for procurement violations and getting shut down for not meeting federal quotas, more casualties may result from new regulations that set higher standards for survival rates.
Members of the Senate last week opened a second front in their battle with Medicare Advantage health plans. This time they attacked sales tactics alleged to be illegal and deceptive that contracted sales agents use to lure seniors away from...
A troubling vulnerability in the healthcare safety net was exposed last week by a study examining the changing landscape of hospital capacity in the nation’s cities and suburbs.
Healthcare’s reliance on government reimbursements and the changing nature of serving on a corporate board of directors explain why three healthcare companies have recently appointed former politicians to their boards, according to one executive...
Despite positive initial reaction to a decision by the Internal Revenue Service to join HHS and the CMS in clearing a path for hospitals to subsidize healthcare information technology for affiliated physicians, some are voicing concerns about the...
The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum took separate steps to improve their operations the same week that three hospital systems unveiled a cooperative effort to improve patient safety.
Just how dire is the nation’s chronic nursing shortage? It depends on whom you ask. Registered nurses see the situation as a greater threat to the quality and safety of patient care than do doctors, chief nursing officers and chief executive...
Officials for Cardinal Health said it’s too early to say how the company’s plans to buy medical technology company Viasys Healthcare for $1.5 billion will affect its customers, but the deal could mean changes in contracts with group purchasing...
The CMS’ intention to raise payments to Medicare Advantage managed-care plans came a few months too late for a physician-owned plan that recently shut down in Miami. But whether more money could have saved it is debatable as the closure offers an...
Like a recurring dream about having to take a test they didn’t study for, some physicians view the idea of patients with electronic personal health records as their own personal nightmare.
West Penn Allegheny Health System in Pittsburgh freed itself from the burdensome debt it has carried since its creation seven years ago by successfully selling $750 million in bonds last week.
PAOLI, Pa.—Paoli Hospital broke ground on a new $145 million patient-care pavilion that will nearly double the 147-bed hospital’s size to 248 licensed beds when it opens in the summer of 2009. The 281,000-square-foot, four-story pavilion will...
JENKINS, Ky.—Wellmont Health System, Kingsport, Tenn., said it has agreed to purchase Jenkins Community Hospital for undisclosed terms. Wellmont is conducting due diligence on the acquisition, which is expected to be completed once regulators...
TEMPLETON, Calif.—Tenet Healthcare Corp., Dallas, said a 30-bed, $60 million patient tower at Twin Cities Community Hospital should be ready to accept patients by July. The expansion will bring the hospital to 114 beds, Tenet said. The tower...
The American legal system’s response to medical injuries fails patients and medical providers. Malpractice lawsuits take a long time to compensate deserving patients for the losses they suffer. Jury verdicts vary widely and not always with respect...
Regarding your “50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare” (May 7, p. 24): Judging by the rankings over the past several years, I would encourage you to stop this meaningless endeavor. The No. 1 physician in 2005 (Ron Anderson) has slid to...
It had been a long time since I had spoken to Charlie, but from time to time I would remember some of the chats we had had. I always considered him a good friend.
Administrators at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco are doing their part to make those white earbuds even more ubiquitous, giving an iPod Shuffle to each and every one of their 8,300 employees. The gifts were part of Staff Appreciation Week this...
