| HealthLeaders Media Corner Office - November 16, 2007 | MRSA, MRSA Me |
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MRSA, MRSA Me
Molly Rowe, Senior Editor-Leadership
So much has been written about the 100,000 people who die each year from hospital-acquired infections that by now we're almost numb to the statistic. Believe me, I know. This summer, it took three doctors, three months, and a lot of insistence to determine that my recurring and painful "spider bites" were actually MRSA. I learned first-hand that while the public rushes to learn about the latest health scares, hospitals themselves are inclined to ignore the hype. What most hospitals have missed until recently is that HAIs go well beyond patient safety; they cost hospitals money--and lots of it. [Read More] |
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Nov. 16, 2007 | |
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Editor's Picks
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Thousands of Medicaid providers fail to pay taxes, GAO finds
A new report by the GAO this week revealed that thousands of healthcare providers receive millions of dollars in Medicaid payments--even though they aren't paying their federal taxes. The GAO studied providers in seven states and found that 30,000 providers who received Medicare payments in 2006 owed more than $1 billion in unpaid federal taxes. The government currently has no system for withholding Medicaid payments from providers who owe unpaid taxes. [Read More]
A health plan for Wal-Mart: Less stinginess
Wal-Mart's little yellow dot is finally slashing a price that matters--the price of employee insurance coverage. The chain has been widely criticized for its stingy health plan, but newly available data shows that the nation's largest private employer is offering better coverage to more workers. Of course, in spite of these improvements, Wal-Mart still insures less than half of its 1.4 million US employees. [Read More]
Aetna strikes deal on rating docs
As New York goes, so does the nation, at least when it comes to health plans ranking doctors. Aetna Inc. has agreed to make changes nationwide to its much-disputed plan to implement doctor-ranking programs after New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo raised concerns with several insurers, including Aetna, UnitedHealth Group, and Cigna Corp. Cigna will also be implementing changes nationwide based on an agreement made with Cuomo's office last month. [Read More]
Happy Thanksgiving!
From all of us at HealthLeaders Media, Happy Thanksgiving. HealthLeaders Media Corner Office will take next week off, but will return with a new issue November 30.
HealthLeaders Media TV
 Going Global: How U.S. medical centers develop revenue and executive talent. Powered by TWL Knowledge Group, this video also presents the week's top news stories. Watch the video now. |
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This Week's Headlines
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With health costs rising, a tougher sell for hospitals
New York Times - November 12, 2007
Demand for physician executives boosts compensation
HealthLeaders News - November 12, 2007
Employer-provided insurance continues to decline
USA Today - November 13, 2007
When the patient is a Googler
Time.com - November 8, 2007
Major players catch a case of quick-clinic fever
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune - November 12, 2007
Medicare offers online tool to rate drug plans
Wall Street Journal (subscription required) - November 15, 2007
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View from the Top
When a Win in Court Becomes a Loss to the Bottom Line: Parties to disputes all want the same thing: a fair and affordable way to win. When litigation costs exceed the expected recovery, taking a dispute to court becomes economically irrational. Mike Bjellos says arbitration can help shave costs and time associated with a dispute. [Read More] | |
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Audio Feature
At Your Convenience: Mary Kate Scott, healthcare strategy consultant and author of the recently published Health Care in the Express Lane: Retail Clinics go Mainstream, an update report to her 2006 landmark report on the evolving retail clinic field, discusses the growing number of hospitals that are adding convenience care to their service offerings. [Listen Now]
Live From Top Leadership Teams: Barry Arbuckle, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Centers in Long Beach, CA, tells how his team came up with a solution for a short supply of trained registered nurses. Arbuckle was one of eight senior executives speaking on the financial strategy panel at the 2007 Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare conference. [Listen Now] | |
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