The National Committee for Quality Assurance said four health systems and two multispecialty physician groups will try for accreditation as accountable care organizations this year. FULL STORY »
By Joe Carlson | December 19, 2011
| Print Magazine
Hospital fire fact: If a small blaze broke out next to an MRI machine, would-be firefighters couldn't use a traditional metal extinguisher because powerful magnetism might yank it out of their hands. FULL STORY »
By Maureen McKinney | December 14, 2011
| Basic Web
The Joint Commission has issued a sentinel event alert warning hospitals of the dangers of long hours and fatigue among healthcare workers. FULL STORY »
Methodist Dallas Medical Center was notified by the CMS that the hospital has been found to be in compliance with Medicare's conditions of participation, according to a news release. FULL STORY »
By Joe Carlson | November 28, 2011
| Print Magazine
In 1989 and 1990, federal courts ordered two hospitals in Rockford, Ill., to stop merger talks after concluding that the combined organization would threaten competition and gain too much clout at the bargaining table with insurers. FULL STORY »
By Maureen McKinney | November 22, 2011
| Basic Web
George Mills has been named director of the Joint Commission's newly created department of engineering. Mills previously served as senior engineer for the Joint Commission's Standards Interpretation Group. FULL STORY »
Expanded and more aggressive accounting has cut the rate of improper payments in Medicare and Medicaid, according to the Obama administration, but providers worry they're bearing increasing costs from those initiatives. FULL STORY »
By Melanie Evans | November 21, 2011
| Print Magazine
The National Committee for Quality Assurance, like the CMS, is attempting to provide a practical framework to realize the hopes for accountable care organizations. FULL STORY »
By Joe Carlson and Gregg Blesch | November 21, 2011
| Print Magazine
The Federal Trade Commission on Friday announced it will once again challenge a proposed merger between competing hospitals in Rockford, Ill., citing fears that the consolidation could increase costs and lower quality of care. FULL STORY »
By Joe Carlson | November 07, 2011
| Print Magazine
When inspectors investigate serious adverse events at hospitals, they should keep a tight focus on patient-care quality issues, and disclosing the investigation results to administrators and accreditation agencies, a review from HHS' inspector general's office concluded. FULL STORY »
When inspectors investigate serious never events at hospitals, they need to do a better job focusing on overall patient-care quality issues and then disclosing to hospitals and accreditation agencies exactly what occurred, an audit from the HHS inspector general's office has found. FULL STORY »
By Modern Healthcare | October 10, 2011
| Print Magazine
Steward Health Care System, Boston, hired Joshua Putter as COO. Putter most recently was a president at Health Management Associates, where he managed 13 hospitals in Florida, according to a Steward news release. He replaces Robert Guyon, who is taking another leadership position in the system, a Steward spokeswoman said. Putter's age was not provided. … Dr. Steven Strongwater resigned as CEO of Stony Brook University Hospital, effective Nov. 15, as a result of a decision “made some time ago” by the university to reorganize its health sciences... FULL STORY »
By Vince Galloro | October 03, 2011
| Print Magazine
The two public hearings on the proposed sale of the Colorado Health Foundation's 40% interest in the HealthOne joint venture to majority partner HCA included new demands for Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to require more guarantees regarding low-income patients and keeping HealthOne's hospitals open. FULL STORY »
Drug pedigree laws in place in 29 states have done little to deter a largely unregulated gray market in which secondary distributors sell drugs in short supply to hospitals and health systems.Pharmacists and healthcare executives say that patient safety remains a concern, despite the requirements that secondary distributors become licensed, such as by a state pharmacy board, and that they track the sale, purchase and trade of a drug. FULL STORY »
Gov. Patrick Quinn has taken the Illinois Hospital Association's advice and asked the state's department of revenue to hold off on future rulings that would deny tax-exempt status to not-for-profit hospitals. FULL STORY »
By Ashok Selvam | September 19, 2011
| Print Magazine
The Joint Commission touted the value of the metrics underlying its annual list of top-performing hospitals, saying the measures continue to play an important role in motivating quality improvement, while some hospitals left off the list are questioning its relevance. FULL STORY »
