Modern Healthcare Staff

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Maria Castellucci

Reporter/Chicago

Safety and Quality

[email protected]

312.397.5502

Maria Castellucci covers safety and quality topics, physician wellness issues and value-based payment models. She’s a graduate of Columbia College Chicago and has worked at Modern Healthcare since 2015. Castellucci was a finalist for the 2020 Jesse H. Neal Awards for her in-depth reporting of how much quality has progressed since the landmark Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human was published in 1999.

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Recent Stories
Renown Health CEO responds to Trump tweet questioning COVID-19 surge

"It's kind of funny for me that you would criticize planning and anticipating a public need like this," said Dr. Tony Slonim, CEO of Renown.
Dr. Trevor Huber with a patient
Providers try to address mounting delays in care as pandemic stretches on

Patients are putting off needed care during the pandemic, creating concerns about the long-term implications for patients.
Connecticut launches bundled-payment program for employee health plan

So far, 180 Connecticut providers have agreed to participate. The new program, along with other related efforts, could save the state $185 million through fiscal 2021.
CMMI announces participants of Primary Care First model

The Primary Care First Model will begin in January 2021 with 916 primary-care practices participating along with 37 payers.
Provider groups urge Congress to pare back MACRA requirements

The groups are asking Congress to freeze the 2020 thresholds for the next two years.
Delirium is a lesser known COVID-19 symptom for seniors

Nearly 40% of adults 65 and older with delirium and COVID-19 didn't present to the emergency department with symptoms typical of the virus such as fever and shortness of breath, according to research.
Latest Baylor Scott & White deal is for new med school campus

The new Baylor College of Medicine campus, slated to open in fall 2023, is part of Baylor Scott & White push to expand the physician workforce in Texas and build a pipeline of physicians practicing at its system.
CMS will sunset first Medicare consumer tools in December

CMS launched a redesigned website in September but kept the original Compare tools as part of a transition period.
Michigan Blues partners with wellness center company

The partnership with Premise Health will allow employers with Michigan Blues health plans to include Premise Health services to its benefits package.
Many surgical gowns from foreign, nontraditional suppliers fail U.S. standards

Some providers have responded to the shortage of gowns by purchasing from new vendors overseas. ECRI found half didn't meet standard protection levels.
Devicemakers, MedPAC oppose CMS' proposed coverage determination changes

Medical-device industry members took issue with CMS' proposal to use commercial insurance coverage to make Medicare coverage determinations.
Safety-net hospitals still hit with penalty in readmissions program

Hospitals with the highest proportion of dual-eligible patients were more likely this fiscal year to receive a penalty in CMS' readmissions program compared to hospitals with the smallest percentage of such patients.
Rachel Wyatt
Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare is working with hospitals to find root causes and solutions to pressure injuries, which have been rising in recent years. 
Baylor, Catalyst Health partner to drive down costs

The partnership has the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Catalyst Health Network working together to influence services and costs by employers and insurers in north Texas.
COVID-19 will likely worsen mortality gap between U.S. and peer nations

The death toll so far in the U.S. from COVID-19 is over 220,000, surpassing accidents, the third-leading cause of death in 2017.