Gregg Blesch October 12, 2009 The Justice Department trumpeted a recent $2.3 billion criminal plea and civil settlement with Pfizer as its largest healthcare case ever. At its core was the receptiveness of thousands of physicians to the company's overtures of tropical getaways and bogus consulting payments that drove the... ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks October 12, 2009 According to a story circulated at the Society of Hospital Medicine's sold-out annual conference this past May in Chicago, one healthcare executive attending was said to have voiced concern about all the recruiters and staffing agents working the booths. Apparently, he was afraid that if the staff... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 A report by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System ranked states on 35 performance indicators, and placed Vermont at the top of the list. Hawaii and Iowa tied for second place. Minnesota placed fourth. Mississippi was the state with the worst performance, followed by... ... FULL STORY
Jessica Zigmond October 12, 2009 As 37 states reported widespread flu activity for the week of Oct. 5—up from 27 the week before—an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly all of those cases have been identified as the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus, and a vaccine is still the best... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 Brookdale Senior Living, Brentwood, Tenn., said it agreed to acquire 21 senior-living communities in 11 states from McLean, Va.-based Sunrise Senior Living for $204 million. The deal's closing, which is expected on Nov. 16, is dependent on Sunrise obtaining consent from the company's lenders under... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 The CMS in a proposed rule is seeking to improve performance of its prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plans by strengthening standards to participate in the Medicare program. The proposed changes aim to clarify program requirements for more than 4,000 prescription drug and health plans... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 In separate notices, two state insurance departments announced fines against units of Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group for a range of violations. The Texas Insurance Department announced a mid-August order against United Healthcare Insurance Co. and United Healthcare of Texas, which fined... ... FULL STORY
Gregg Blesch October 12, 2009 The Justice Department trumpeted a recent $2.3 billion criminal plea and civil settlement with Pfizer as its largest healthcare case ever. At its core was the receptiveness of thousands of physicians to the company's overtures of tropical getaways and bogus consulting payments that drove the... ... FULL STORY
Jennifer Lubell October 12, 2009 Under pressure to rival the Senate Finance Committee's success in crafting healthcare legislation with a price tag deemed affordable, House lawmakers last week scrambled for ways to whittle down costs and help pay for their own bill's pricey coverage expansions. ... FULL STORY
Matthew DoBias October 12, 2009 A victory for the Senate Finance Committee and its hardworking chairman could spell defeat for hospitals under a healthcare reform package expected to clear a major hurdle this week. ... FULL STORY
Vince Galloro October 12, 2009 From London to Washington to Kansas City, Mo., HCA is facing legal actions that could have impacts measured in hundreds of millions of dollars. ... FULL STORY
Melanie Evans October 12, 2009 An upcoming initial public offering by a Chicago healthcare technology company has, as of yet, no estimated price for its shares. But for one of its owners, Ascension Health, the return on its investment hinges on more than the stock's value. ... FULL STORY
Joe Carlson October 12, 2009 Gail Wilensky, who led the Medicare and Medicaid bureaucracies under President George H.W. Bush and presided over a federal board advising the secretary of defense on healthcare issues under President George W. Bush, is staying busy in the private sector while the GOP is out of power in Washington. ... FULL STORY
Joseph Conn October 12, 2009 The American Health Information Management Association held its 81st annual convention in Grapevine, Texas, near Dallas last week. The group saluted its outgoing CEO Linda Kloss, heard David Blumenthal give a status report on federal healthcare information technology programs he leads and listened... ... FULL STORY
Jean DerGurahian October 12, 2009 Nearly a year ago, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality began implementing regulations for its patient-safety organization program—touted as a way for providers to share information and learn from problems. So far, however, the technology has not been finessed enough to really... ... FULL STORY
Andis Robeznieks October 12, 2009 According to a story circulated at the Society of Hospital Medicine's sold-out annual conference this past May in Chicago, one healthcare executive attending was said to have voiced concern about all the recruiters and staffing agents working the booths. Apparently, he was afraid that if the staff... ... FULL STORY
October 09, 2009 “Obama must not overreach. ... Public support for a maximalist reform agenda simply doesn't exist. The American people want change, yes, but not a spendthrift healthcare revolution. … As for congressional Republicans, we are not impressed with their bull-headed naysaying on healthcare. ... FULL STORY
William Jessee October 12, 2009 It's an exciting time to be in healthcare. Our nation is poised to take a great leap into the unknown. After watching our national expenditures for healthcare climb into the stratosphere—$2.3 trillion in 2007, or $7,600 per person—both houses of Congress, with urging from the White... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 I have been using voice-recognition software in pathology since 1997 with complete success (“Now we're talking,” Oct. 5, p. 24). Voice-recognition software is not 100% accurate, but if anyone has a medical transcriber who is 100% accurate, they are indeed fortunate. My own experience is... ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 A list of the nation's largest medical group practices, ranked by the total number of full-time-equivalent physicians. All groups listed are members of the Medical Group Management Association. Source: MGMA. Published Oct. 12, 2009. ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 “We will fight pretty doggedly attempts to tax benefits because we've paid for those benefits over the years—we've forgone wage increases, pension increases, days off and everything else to get those medical benefits.” ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, but it appears that even feared superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii can be easily defeated by a little handwashing. ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 As curator of the Art of Dr. Seuss, Bill Dreyer wants to see the late Theodore Geisel's characters come to life, and there's probably no better place for that to happen than at a children's hospital. ... FULL STORY
October 12, 2009 Hospitals and universities tend to offer the same prize to their big donors: name recognition. So it's no surprise that the College of William & Mary slapped the name of alumnus, donor and hospital executive Alan Miller on the new home of its Mason School of Business. Miller is the founder of... ... FULL STORY
