Jennifer Lubell May 11, 2009 The scenario seems all too familiar. Medicare implements a new payment system designed to level the playing field among hospitals and reflect more accurate payments to inpatient claims. The hospital industry wrings its hands and claims it will lose money under that new system. Then, evidence of... ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks May 11, 2009 Power is often measured by the resources people have at their disposal—with money, number of employees or even political influence often at the top of the list. That theory, however, goes out the window with the person who was chosen the most powerful physician-executive this year by the readers of... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Covering all the business and policy machinations of the healthcare industry on a weekly, daily and hourly basis can be quite a challenge for our editorial staff. One important element that makes our job easier is having an engaged and enlightened readership. We keep each other informed and... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Hospitals recorded a slight uptick in total employment in April as the healthcare industry clung to its low but stable job-creation average of about 17,000 jobs per month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The seasonally adjusted preliminary figures show nearly all job growth in the overall... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 The Rev. Michael Place, who was head of government relations and training for nine-hospital Resurrection Health Care after his 2005 retirement from an influential job as head of the Catholic Health Association, was quietly let go from the Chicago-based health system in an executive restructuring. ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Some proposals to replace Medicare’s physician payment formula would cost billions of dollars over the next 10 years, according to a document from the Congressional Budget Office. The document, which provides new estimates on various proposals to change physician payment rates, reveals that the... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 HHS appointed members to two committees that will make recommendations to the national coordinator on developing a policy framework and standards for a national interoperable health information infrastructure. Three members were named to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee: David... ... FULL STORY
Jennifer Lubell May 11, 2009 The scenario seems all too familiar. Medicare implements a new payment system designed to level the playing field among hospitals and reflect more accurate payments to inpatient claims. The hospital industry wrings its hands and claims it will lose money under that new system. Then, evidence of... ... FULL STORY
Jean DerGurahian May 11, 2009 The draft of the fiscal 2010 inpatient prospective payment system does not include additions to the list of hospital-acquired conditions for which Medicare will not pay, a move that hospital officials praised as wise. ... FULL STORY
Gregg Blesch May 11, 2009 Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, has reported no new developments in a federal investigation disclosed to bondholders in late 2008 regarding relationships between the 787-bed hospital and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. ... FULL STORY
Joe Carlson May 11, 2009 Months after seeing new leadership installed at an affiliate hospital near Baltimore, Catholic Health Initiatives officials are standing behind the much-lauded 332-bed St. Joseph’s Medical Center as it endures a criminal investigation that has dislodged three top leaders. ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 An investigation into the referral patterns of a physician-owned rehabilitation hospital in Indiana has scuttled the parent company’s plans to buy a hospital from LifePoint Hospitals. ... FULL STORY
Melanie Evans May 11, 2009 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director continued to call for vigilance last week as health officials closely monitored the global flu outbreak. ... FULL STORY
Shawn Rhea May 11, 2009 Lawmakers will likely wait to see what the long-anticipated healthcare-reform legislation package will include before moving on several high-profile bills that, if passed, would significantly affect how medical-device and drug companies develop, market and manufacture their products, healthcare... ... FULL STORY
Rebecca Vesely May 11, 2009 Three health insurers will no longer offer Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service, or PFFS, plans starting next year, indicating that tighter federal regulations for these controversial plans, which go into effect in 2011, are causing insurers to rethink this line of business. ... FULL STORY
Joe Carlson May 11, 2009 Fresh from her Senate confirmation hearings, incoming HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius began her tenure in Washington with a rejoinder to community hospitals over their rising infection rates and a bit of funding to spur future improvements. ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks May 11, 2009 Now it’s time to get down to work,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said in a statement after the Senate—by unanimous consent—confirmed William Corr to be HHS’ deputy secretary on May 7. ... FULL STORY
Matthew DoBias May 11, 2009 In what amounts to a second chapter of the fiscal 2010 budget process, the White House last week unveiled plans to trim another $17 billion in spending, with only a small chunk expected to come from the healthcare side of the ledger. Meanwhile, some other programs will see as much as double-digit... ... FULL STORY
Melanie Evans May 11, 2009 A federal judge gave Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center permission to return to court with racketeering claims against a health plan and two physician organizations. ... FULL STORY
Joseph Conn May 11, 2009 For now, providers have two choices under a new healthcare data privacy and security law: data encryption or breach notification. But HHS also opened the door for future discussion about a possible third choice, using partial de-identification of patient data as a substitute for encryption. It is... ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks May 11, 2009 Power is often measured by the resources people have at their disposal—with money, number of employees or even political influence often at the top of the list. That theory, however, goes out the window with the person who was chosen the most powerful physician-executive this year by the readers of... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Covering all the business and policy machinations of the healthcare industry on a weekly, daily and hourly basis can be quite a challenge for our editorial staff. One important element that makes our job easier is having an engaged and enlightened readership. We keep each other informed and... ... FULL STORY
Christine Cassel and Jeffrey Harris May 11, 2009 The definition of medicine in the dictionary gives equal weight to the terms science and art. We chose to become internal medicine physicians to apply knowledge gained through research in the direct care of unique individuals with complex problems. ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 I read with interest “Eye of the beholder,” which is Part I of your series on improving healthcare productivity (April 27, p. 6). As a hospital nursing service administrator for the past 25 years, I have all but dedicated my career to figuring out how to provide the highest level of care possible... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 A list of the nation's largest healthcare associations, ranked by 2007 revenue. Source: Modern Healthcare reporting from IRS Form 990 filings. Published May 11, 2009. ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Scott Raynes seems to believe that sometimes the best move is the one that you don’t make. Raynes, 42, has decided to remain as president and CEO of NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield, Tenn. In March, Raynes had ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 The American Nurses Association named ,b>Marla Weston to succeed Linda Stierle as CEO of the national professional association for registered nurses. Weston, whose age was not provided, takes on the top role at the organization in June, after Stierle’s previously announced retirement on... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Susan Davis, president and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health Services, Bridgeport, Conn., took on the added role of regional manager with corporate parent Ascension Health. Davis, whose age was not provided, was named ministry market leader of Ascension’s New York and Connecticut regions. Davis... ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 Most people agree: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as Benjamin Franklin famously said.But what is a body scan for every American worth?That’s what Outliers wanted to know after hearing California ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 The 2009 Modern Healthcare/Modern Physician Most Powerful Physician Executive list includes seven healthcare association leaders, seven women, three government employees, three hospitalists and three American Medical Association board members. ... FULL STORY
May 11, 2009 The Federal Trade Commission warns the public to beware of Internet pitches that promise to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure the swine … er, H1N1 influenza A virus, so Outliers took a spin around the World Wide Web to see what products are available beyond the boring handwashing advice coming from... ... FULL STORY
