HealthLeaders Media Community and Rural Hospital Weekly

HealthLeaders Media Community and Rural Hospital Weekly - February 24, 2010


Hospitals Renew Battle to Hire Doctors in California Cheryl Clark, Editor, Community Hospitals Throughout California, institutional hiring of doctors is limited to teaching and county hospitals and prisons, a policy that sets the state apart from all other states in the nation but four. The hiring situation is causing concern for rural areas in the state, which are already in dire need of physicians. Fear that patient access to care, and thus care itself, will suffer as a result is not unfounded. [Read More]
		February 24, 2010

Editor's Picks
Docs Worried as Payment Cut Deadline Nears All looks lost for repeal of the 21% cut of physician Medicare fees, scheduled to take place Monday. CMS can step in, but if it does, doctors' pay will be held up for another 15 days. AMA president says Congress is diddling while patient care sits under a guillotine. [Read More] New Joint Commission Standard Defines Medical Interpreters You know that all too often you can't understand your patients or their family members. But what happens when the translator or interpreter you contract with can't understand them either, or the caregiver can't understand the interpreter? New guidelines strive to tear down these barriers. [Read More] Nurses Associations Look for New Protections, Federal Laws to Protect Nurse Whistleblowers A Texas nurse was acquitted earlier this month of felony charges that she misused confidential patient information in reporting a physician to the Texas medical board. But could the messy case happen somewhere else? Nursing groups want to make sure that it never can. [Read More] Medical Practice Leaders Frustrated About Medicare's PQRI Data Requirements Is the PQRI system, which pays doctors 2% for reporting quality data about their practices, worth the effort? Some reports say it isn't, considering that it takes at least nine hours just to download the complicated reports. [Read More]

Leaders Forum
Length of Stay: The Management Headache That Will Not Go Away The current financial crisis notwithstanding, operating margins have continued to shrink and raising capital has become a daunting task. This increasing financial pressure comes at a time when EMR and other technology investments are needed to stay viable as a quality healthcare provider. Unless you have a lot of empty beds, improving patient throughput is key to successfully managing this pressure, say contributors William F. Ott, Jr., and Michael N. Abrams. [Read More]

This Week's Headlines
On eve of health meeting, big questions still linger New York Times ? February 24, 2010 Study finds doctors reducing work hours, potentially worsening shortage of primary care docs AP/Yahoo News ? February 24, 2010 iPhone app tells wait time in ER at the Hospital of Central Connecticut Hartford Courant ? February 23, 2010 Study: Half of infection deaths linked directly to hospital care Wall Street Journal Health Blog ? February 23, 2010
Webcasts/Audio Conferences
Physician Compensation Models in a Strained Economy (March 8) Beyond ROI: Prove the Success of Your Marketing Efforts (March 31) ED Overhaul: Reduce costs, improve quality, and increase satisfaction (On Demand)
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From HealthLeaders Magazine

Beyond Meaningful Use

Technology can help the healthcare industry achieve better outcomes and cost savings, but only if providers incorporate decision-support tools and a coordinated approach to delivering care. [Read More]

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Service Line Management

Imaging After the Recession

After freezing capital spending during the recession, hospitals are investing in imaging again. But reimbursement cuts and reform have changed the focus of the service line. [Read More]



	Audio Feature Nurse Anesthetists Necessary In Rural Areas: Richard Rawson, President and CEO of three small Adventist hospitals in rural areas of California's Central Valley, says retaining the ability of nurse anesthetists to practice without physician supervision is essential for his hospitals' financial viability. The alternative would be "devastating," he says. [Listen Now] [Sponsored by McKesson]


	Sponsor Community and Rural Hospital Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

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