Hospitals across the country are devising uncertain battle plans for a payer-mandated war on healthcare-associated infections and the efforts could prove a financial boon amounting to billions of dollars for some medical-products companies. But...
Douglas Wood walked into St. Mary’s Hospital in rural Cottonwood, Idaho, in shackles and accompanied by a jailer. Wood was a prisoner because he was accused of shooting a sheriff’s deputy, but now was a patient because he complained of chest...
The Senate approved a broad, House-drafted spending bill that puts a stop to six out of seven recently issued Medicaid regulations. The bill, part of a war-funding package passed by the House and which the president is expected to sign, does not...
Hospitals across the country are devising uncertain battle plans for a payer-mandated war on healthcare-associated infections and the efforts could prove a financial boon amounting to billions of dollars for some medical-products companies. But...
When Congress reconvenes July 9, it is expected to quickly revisit Medicare legislation, but it will be eight days after a physician Medicare pay cut takes effect. And Republican senators will be peppered with accusations that they put the interests...
With more regulatory pressures ahead this fall to cut down on hospital-acquired infections, hospitals are struggling with the vagaries of an existing policy that requires them to code accurately for conditions that are present upon a patient’s...
Healthcare’s finance experts converged in the surreal city of Las Vegas last week, but could not escape two powerful, unpredictable forces with the potential to upend the industry: November’s election and a sour economy.
Perhaps Hospital Partners of America should consider moving its headquarters from Charlotte, N.C., to Texas. Pretty soon, that will be the only state in which the privately held company operates hospitals.
The same criminals who run medical fraud schemes on health insurers and government health programs often ply their trade on property/ casualty and workers’ compensation carriers. Last week, the full array of victims announced that they’ve combined...
A federal judge has dismissed a high-profile lawsuit contesting a $1.5 billion Medicaid managed-care contract awarded by the state of Hawaii, though the plaintiffs pledge to appeal the ruling.
Cell phones aren’t the only devices that might cause interference in hospitals—using radio-frequency identification technology in patient settings could also lead to unintended medical harm, industry leaders say.
St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., is under fire from state regulators and the CMS for patient care and governance problems that have led to the abrupt departure of its chief executive officer and suspension of its cardiovascular surgery...
The board of directors of America’s Health Insurance Plans said last week that it will advance a medical-home model that emphasizes comprehensive care tailored to individual needs, care coordination among providers, adoption of health information...
A small but growing number of U.S. healthcare systems are creating international partnerships that capitalize on America’s reputation as a healthcare-standards bearer.
U.S. academic medical centers have long been the worldwide citadel of pharmaceutical and medical-device research and development, attracting billions of dollars annually in private and public funding. Over the past five years, however, countries...
Douglas Wood walked into St. Mary’s Hospital in rural Cottonwood, Idaho, in shackles and accompanied by a jailer. Wood was a prisoner because he was accused of shooting a sheriff’s deputy, but now was a patient because he complained of chest...
QUEEN CREEK, Ariz.—Phoenix-based Banner Health has broken ground on its newest hospital facility: Banner Ironwood Medical Center near Queen Creek. The 24-bed hospital is scheduled to open in fall 2009 and will have a full-service emergency...
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Bloomington Hospital has entered a period of due diligence expected to lead the 258-bed hospital toward becoming part of Indianapolis-based Clarian Health in 2010. The Local Council of Women, Bloomington Hospital’s founding...
Even though it’s called Doctors’ Hospital, the 100,000-square-foot structure opening in Bridgeport, Texas, later this summer is not another example of physician ownership in a state that’s noted for it.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.—Mountain States Health Alliance has announced a long-term plan for its flagship 430-bed Johnson City Medical Center, the first phase of which will begin in its fiscal 2009, which starts July 1. The first phase, budgeted...
Louisville’s dominant not-for-profit hospital system and one of the Nashville area’s for-profit chains both want to add 60 acute-care beds in Bullitt County, Ky., south of Louisville. So far, the not-for-profit, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s...
Every time you start to dream about progress on slowing runaway healthcare spending, reality bursts the bubble. Industry stakeholders have the talking points on costs down pat, but when action is required, their attitude is that shared sacrifice is...
Nowhere is reliable, evidence-based care more important than in the obstetrics suite. Yet infants in the U.S. experience nearly three birth injuries for every 1,000 deliveries, many of which are preventable. Additionally, the U.S. ranks near the...
The nearly nationwide trend of publishing hospital charges has been a mostly wasted effort (“Transparency at what cost?” June 23, p. 32). The bottom line: Sick people will not make healthcare decisions based on price.
Imagine flying in a snowstorm with precious cargo that is worth literally millions of dollars. In addition, your instruments have failed and are providing no data from which you could navigate to safety—in essence, you are flying blind. By and...
Jeffrey Johnson, a senior vice president with Shore Health System in Easton, Md., was named president and CEO of Chester River Health System in Chestertown, Md. He is scheduled to start on July 1, the same day that Chester River is slated to...
Atlanta will be the site of a new National Health Museum, a bit of a surprise following earlier plans for a space in Washington. The museum will give “Georgians and visitors alike the opportunity to understand and experience the revolutions in...
