By Shawn Rhea November 16, 2009 Environmental mandates may follow healthcare reform as the next big revolution that providers face, with some healthcare providers working to have a say in the matter. ... FULL STORY
By Gregg Blesch November 02, 2009 Darrel Lorch is a good-natured grouser, and that's how he starts when he recounts how it has been to help out with a new cooperative set up to allow small local farms to sell food to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis.—and eventually other hospitals, nursing homes and schools. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea August 31, 2009 When regional group purchasing organizations consolidated into a handful of national groups throughout the 1980s and '90s, the moves were largely based on a belief that healthcare providers leverage better pricing when large organizations band together to contract with suppliers. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea August 03, 2009 Lawmakers and several healthcare experts last week questioned why the American Medical Association and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education have resisted further restricting industry sponsorship of continuing medical education. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea July 27, 2009 It was hardly a new message when presenters at the 2009 Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management conference made it clear that controlling physician preference purchasing has become an even more urgent goal for supply-chain managers, given dismal operating margins and healthcare reform efforts that could require providers to make smarter, more efficient technology-use decisions. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea June 29, 2009 A global trade dispute over raw materials could affect the cost of producing surgical instruments, hospital beds, operating room tables and other healthcare equipment and supplies. ... FULL STORY
By Jessica Zigmond June 22, 2009 A major problem stemming from the recent shutdown of a Canadian nuclear reactor is more about economics than physics, as nuclear and medical experts asked Congress for funding to solve the current supply-and-demand dilemma surrounding medical radioisotopes. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea June 01, 2009 The race is on to become the first and last standing among developers hoping to create a massive medical-products mart that would draw buyers from across the country to do one-stop shopping. But the efforts, which are being mounted in Cleveland, Nashville and New York—and together are valued at $1.7 billion—don’t currently appear to be rousing significant interest from purchasers or vendors. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea April 20, 2009 The annual market for generic drugs in the U.S.—currently $63 billion and growing—provides significant savings for consumers and healthcare-services payers alike, but the boon may not be translating into substantial savings for hospitals, according to some pharmaceutical industry experts. ... FULL STORY
By Shawn Rhea March 09, 2009 President Barack Obama isn’t the only one with an energy agenda. More than ever, healthcare providers say they, too, are looking for ways to curtail rising utility costs. In 2007, hospitals shelled out more than $5 billion to cover the cost of energy, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Although 2008 statistics aren’t yet available, it’s a safe guess that rising natural gas and oil prices throughout last year spurred even higher energy expenses for many providers. And in states like Pennsylvania, where the final remnants of regulation are being phased out, energy prices soon will... ... FULL STORY
