Jennifer Lubell August 24, 2009 Washington reigned supreme in this year's voting for the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare. With healthcare reform holding center stage in our nation's capital—and even across the country—it's not surprising that the top five named to Modern Healthcare's eighth annual list... ... FULL STORY
Jessica Zigmond August 24, 2009 Hospitals considering new construction are faced with a dilemma: The price to build might be just about right, but the timing could be all wrong. Earlier this year, the use of substandard building materials in construction-boom states such as Florida and Louisiana made national headlines, after... ... FULL STORY
David Burda August 24, 2009 Think about healthcare reform. Now, try to think healthcare reform without Barack Obama. You can't. It doesn't work. The two have been inextricably linked since the presidential campaign when Obama made healthcare reform the cornerstone of his domestic agenda. That's why we think our readers,... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 HHS issued an interim final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, regulating when and how patients must be notified if their healthcare information has been exposed in a security breach by hospitals, physician offices and other healthcare organizations. The new rule is part of heightened privacy and... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Community Health Network, Indianapolis, announced new presidents at two of its five hospitals. Effective Aug. 31, Anthony Lennen, 51, will be president of 108-bed Community Hospital South, and Robin Ledyard, 48, will be president of 233-bed Community Hospital East, both in Indianapolis. Lennen... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta agreed to back a liquidity guarantee by SunTrust Bank for $107.4 million in Duke University Health System bonds. The Durham, N.C.-based system, which owns two hospitals, leases one and manages a fourth, became one of the first systems to secure such a guarantee... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) questioned 15 health insurance companies on what they do with the money they get from consumers as premium payments—and whether this information is shared with policyholders and potential customers. In a letter to the insurers, Rockefeller requested specifics on... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 A team of three Republicans and three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee made progress in talks on bipartisan healthcare reform, Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) announced. Baucus, along with ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and members Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Kent Conrad... ... FULL STORY
Jennifer Lubell August 24, 2009 Washington reigned supreme in this year's voting for the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare. With healthcare reform holding center stage in our nation's capital—and even across the country—it's not surprising that the top five named to Modern Healthcare's eighth annual list... ... FULL STORY
Jennifer Lubell August 24, 2009 The top 10 … Unsurprisingly, the chief architects of healthcare reform dominated the top 10 spots on this year's 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare, among them President Barack Obama (No. 1); Senate Finance Committee leaders Max Baucus (D-Mont.) (No. 4)... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare in 2009: 1. Barack Obama, President of the United States, Washington2. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, HHS, Washington ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Modern Healthcare announced this year's 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare recognition program—our eighth annual—in the April 6 issue of the magazine. From April 6 through May 8, readers nominated candidates via... ... FULL STORY
Rebecca Vesely August 24, 2009 Six months after President Barack Obama signed a law to provide health coverage to 11 million children nationwide and encourage states to beef up their programs to enroll more kids, the legislation has shown mixed results. ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks August 24, 2009 The possible formation of a union between two of the most prominent healthcare systems in North and South Dakota may be the latest sign that merger mania is spreading through the U.S. healthcare system. ... FULL STORY
Joe Carlson August 24, 2009 Community First Foundation President and CEO Kenneth Eggeman has never agreed with the arbitrator’s decision in June that cost his Denver-based organization $311 million, but he has recognized the need to accept it and move on. ... FULL STORY
Joseph Conn August 24, 2009 Health information technology got a renewed push as a vehicle for healthcare reform last week from Vice President Joe Biden, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and HHS’ National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal. ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks August 24, 2009 This past spring, many flu patients avoided hospital emergency departments and visited clinics instead. For the upcoming flu season, the focus will be on treating people with the HIN1 virus in their homes and avoiding hospitalizations, according to Thomas Michaels, an infection-control specialist... ... FULL STORY
Joe Carlson August 24, 2009 The American Hospital Association saw its expenses grow and its revenue grow faster in 2008 as the trade group ramped up efforts to influence the healthcare reform debate. ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Modern Healthcare is conducting its second annual survey of major U.S. employers to determine how much they spend to provide healthcare benefits and services to their employees and dependents. Completed surveys are due Sept. 18 by 5 p.m. CT. Selected results will appear in the Nov. 9 issue... ... FULL STORY
Jennifer Lubell August 24, 2009 Hospitals and physicians say they’re in favor of the growing number of CMS demonstrations to improve quality—they just want to make sure they get reimbursed fairly if and when these demos are put into practice. ... FULL STORY
Jessica Zigmond August 24, 2009 Hospitals considering new construction are faced with a dilemma: The price to build might be just about right, but the timing could be all wrong. Earlier this year, the use of substandard building materials in construction-boom states such as Florida and Louisiana made national headlines, after... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 “The plans being considered in Congress don't yet do enough to control costs or clearly designate how universal coverage will be paid for without adding to the nation's deficit. Obama needs to endorse a specific initiative and sell the details. Americans are confused and easily misled about... ... FULL STORY
David Burda August 24, 2009 Think about healthcare reform. Now, try to think healthcare reform without Barack Obama. You can't. It doesn't work. The two have been inextricably linked since the presidential campaign when Obama made healthcare reform the cornerstone of his domestic agenda. That's why we think our readers,... ... FULL STORY
David Knowlton August 24, 2009 National healthcare reform is on life support. Perhaps never before has that cliche been applied more aptly. That is especially true when you think of the tens of millions of lives that will be affected if Washington fails once again to provide better access to quality healthcare to those in... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 I think I'm going to be sick! This is an embarrassment to our country (“Budget cuts force Calif. Healthy Families to disenroll children,” Aug. 17, p. 4). ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 As the Sisters of Charity Health System prepares to become the sole owner of St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland, the system's President and CEO Sister Judith Ann Karam will assume those roles over the hospital, and Joan Ross will step into the new role of COO at the hospital. ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Karen Rohan was appointed president of Magellan Health Services, an Avon, Conn.-based specialty managed-care company, effective Aug. 1. Rohan, 46, most recently was president of group disability, dental and vision care at Cigna Corp. Separately, Magellan’s ICORE Healthcare subsidy is... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 U.S. Oncology, the Woodlands, Texas, said R. Dale Ross will retire as executive chairman of the board on Sept. 1. Succeeding Ross as executive chairman will be Bruce Broussard, the company's president and CEO, who will retain those roles. Ages for both men were not available. ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 MedStar Health, Columbia, Md., promoted two longtime hospital executives to new regional roles within the eight-hospital, not-for-profit system. Joy Drass becomes executive vice president of operations for the Washington region, and Carl Schindelar was named executive vice president... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 “When you ask me that question, I'm going to revert to my ethnic heritage and ask you a question: On what planet do you spend most of your time? … You stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase healthcare to the Nazis. ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 “The simple truth is, two wrongs don't make a right. And the short-sighted healthcare deal PhRMA struck with the Obama administration at your urging provides confirmation of this time-tested maxim on an epic and tragic scale. The ‘bully' in this case is Big Government. At your... ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 Iconic pitchman Billy Mays helped sell countless products with his energetic and engaging style on direct-to-consumer TV commercials. ... FULL STORY
August 24, 2009 No offense to Integrated Healthcare Holdings, but it's hard to believe what Ken Westbrook gave up to join the investor-owned hospital company. ... FULL STORY
