Daily news & Analysis
For breaking news and analysis throughout the day, visit HealthLeadersMedia.com or add the RSS Feed of our Daily News & Analysis.
By: John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, January 27, 2010
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has immediately suspended state licensure requirements for traveling U.S. nurses, who have valid licenses in their home states or territories, and who want to work in Florida. The suspension is slated for 90 days. The governor said that the move was needed to cover a temporary nursing shortage that was created because many Florida nurses are in Haiti to help the earthquake recovery effort.
More Analysis »
By: Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, January 27, 2010
Tucked into the House and Senate healthcare reform bills are provisions that would give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to identify "excess hospital readmissions"—and then penalize hospitals that surpass that rate. Payments for discharges paid by Medicare could be reduced by up to 3% in the Senate bill or 5% in the House bill. For those hospitals where many of those readmissions are "unplanned and potentially the result of missteps in care either during the hospitalization or in the period immediately following the hospitalization," the Commonwealth Fund has put together a guide to help hospitals reduce their occurrence.
More Analysis »
By: Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, January 27, 2010
Nearly two-thirds of Americans who answered a phone survey last month said they do not trust the federal government–including the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency–to protect their health record privacy. A whopping 84% said they were not aware Uncle Sam may launch a national health record database. Respondents were more likely to say they trust healthcare providers, such as hospitals, clinics, and physicians, to keep their medical records private.
More Analysis »
By: Scott Wallask, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
There is a lot of focus on patient safety, emergency management, and other hot-button issues, but needle-related injuries still present significant regulatory risks for hospitals. For at least the 10th year in row, the latest OSHA statistics show that the agency's bloodborne pathogens standard was the most cited in general acute care hospitals in fiscal year 2009.
More Analysis »
By: Cynthia Johnson, January 27, 2010
The office of communications and public affairs at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore has taken an innovate approach to the familiar "Ask the Expert" tool that is considerably different from that of most hospitals. UMMC has a team of more than 80 experts on a wide range of topics ready to answer any health question that a site user or smartphone application user may have.
More Analysis »
By: John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
Two former hospital executives in Los Angeles have agreed to pay the State of California and the federal government $10 million to settle civil claims that they recruited and treated homeless people for unnecessary medical procedures and then billed the government, according to the Department of Justice.
More Analysis »
By: Joe Cantlupe, for HealthLeaders Media, January 27, 2010
Existing medical cost management systems in health plans are fragmented, and should be transformed into an integrated healthcare management system to deliver "consistent, sustainable" improvement in healthcare, a new report recommends. The Computer Sciences Corp. report, "Integrated Health Management for Health Plans," said an integrated healthcare management system, which involves myriad level of services in least restrictive settings, addresses the needs of patients and is cost-effective.
More Analysis »
By: John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
The American College of Radiology, The Joint Commission, and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission have been designated as accrediting organizations for medical imaging facilities, CMS said in a new Federal Registry notification.
More Analysis »
By: Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
Healthcare transformation is long overdue—especially as it relates to technology, according to a panel of technology executives who spoke at a Nashville Health Care Council luncheon last week.
More Analysis »
By: Rebecca Hendren, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
Studies have shown that Magnet Recognition Program® organizations have characteristics which generally translates to happier and more satisfied patients.
More Analysis »
|
