Rhode Island news and information

Faced with declines in population and inpatient stays, Rhode Island can expect to see a costly surplus of hospital beds—the equivalent of a full hospital—in four years, according to a state health care council.
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Steward Health Care System is blaming Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island for tanking its bid to buy Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, R.I.
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The Rhode Island attorney general's office and department of health have suspended their review of an application from a California hospital chain to purchase Landmark Medical Center, saying it is incomplete.
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The unhealthiest counties in the nation have the highest rates of preventable hospital stays, smoking and adult obesity, according to the 2013 County Health Rankings.
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PITTSBURGH—Insurer Highmark closed on a deal for its first hospital under a costly plan to diversify and compete with the region's well-financed and largest health system. Jefferson Regional Medical Center, in Jefferson Hills, Pa., will receive $100 million for capital projects under...
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Computer mistakes like the one that produced incorrect prescriptions for thousands of Rhode Island patients are probably far more common and dangerous than proponents of electronic medical records believe, says Drexel University's Scot Silverstein.
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A major healthcare workers' union filed suit Thursday seeking to bar the Rhode Island Health Department from carrying out new regulations requiring flu vaccination.
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Landmark Medical Center, Woonsocket, R.I., laid off 31 people on Tuesday. They included members of management, administrative and patient care staffs. Spokesman Bill Fischer said the cuts were needed "to protect the viability of the hospital in the long term."
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The pharmacy linked to the nation's deadly outbreak of meningitis is owned by two brothers-in-law who brought different but complementary skills to the venture: One's a pharmacist, the other a risk-taking businessman who made his mark recycling old computers, fishing rope and mattresses.
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PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Flu vaccines are now mandatory for Rhode Island healthcare workers who have direct contact with patients in healthcare facilities in the state. The policy, proposed by the Rhode Island Department of Public Health, gained approval despite objections from the American...
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