Presbyterian Healthcare Services' James H. Hinton will succeed president and CEO Joel Allison in January.
James H. Hinton has been named president and chief executive officer of Baylor Scott & White Health, a 47-hospital system based in Dallas and Temple, Texas. He will succeed Joel Allison on January 16, 2017; Allison will retire.
Hinton has led Presbyterian Healthcare Services based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, since 1995. It is the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in New Mexico.
"I have always been impressed with Baylor Scott & White's reputation for high-quality care, for its dedication to its mission, its service to its communities, and its innovative strategies," said Hinton, in a press release. "I am honored to now be in a position to help continue to advance the organization and its move toward population health."
Baylor Scott & White conducted a national search for the successor to Allison.
The board indicated Hinton's success transforming Presbyterian into a "model integrated delivery system" played a big factor in helping Hinton stand out from a group of national candidates for the job. Indeed, Presbyterian Health Plan now has 470,000 lives, and Hinton was deeply involved in forming and growing Presbyterian Medical Group, which has more than 800 medical providers.
"During this time of incredible change in healthcare, Jim brings exceptional experience that will help move us into the future," said Jim L. Turner, chairman of the Baylor Scott & White Holdings board of trustees.
"He is one of the few health system leaders in the country who has successfully navigated an organization from a focus on volume to a focus on value; and beyond his impressive accomplishments, those he leads are quick to say he is best known for promoting a caring culture."
Allison will stay on for an unspecified amount of time after Hinton's January start date to help ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities, according to a Baylor Scott & White press release.
Allison joined Baylor Health Care System in 1993, was promoted to president and CEO in 2000, and became CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health following the 2013 merger with Scott & White Healthcare.
A new California law lifts a century-old ban on direct physician employment, and aims to end a 'doctor desert' among the smallest and most remote hospitals.
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will allow critical access hospitals in the state to employ physicians starting in 2017. Brown signed off on a number of patient protection bills in September.
Assembly Bill 2024 authored by assembly member Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) will allow the state's smallest and most remote hospitals to directly employ physicians rather than hire them as independent contractors.
Hospitals in the state are banned from directly employing physicians under a corporate medicine law designed to prevent hospital administrators from influencing the decisions of physicians.
"Nearly the entire North Coast is a doctor desert," said Wood. "We have to find ways to recruit providers in our rural communities. It is a daunting task for young physicians, who are often tens of thousands of dollars in debt, to move to a small town and build a practice from the ground up."
AB 2024 will apply only to critical access hospitals, small hospitals with 25 or fewer beds typically located in remote areas of the state, and will go into effect on January 1, 2017. AB 2024 calls for an eight-year pilot program due to sunset in 2024.
Bills similar to AB 2024 have been considered in the past but most of those bills applied to rural hospitals, which make up a much larger group than critical access hospitals.
"I think this bill succeeded where others failed because assembly member Wood narrowed it down to just critical access hospitals," said Peggy Wheeler, vice president of Rural Health and Governance for the California Hospital Association (CHA).
"With rural hospitals, you're talking about a much larger group of about 67 hospitals."
Wheeler said the CHA has been advocating for a bill similar to AB 2024 for more than a decade.
The bill reflects the changing needs and attitudes of young physicians as much as it addresses a physician recruitment and retention at critical access hospitals, said David Perrott, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer for the CHA.
"You can look at this as a hospital bill but it's also about physicians and what they want," said Perrott. "Most young physicians would prefer to be employed by a hospital rather than go into a private practice."
He cited a 2015 survey from research firm Merritt Hawkins that found 92% of final-year medical residents would prefer to be employed directly by a hospital and earn a salary rather than be an independent contractor.
According to a state analysis of AB 2024, the state ban on corporate medicine dates back to the early 20th century, when mining companies in California hired physicians to care for workers.
That situation created problems when physician loyalty to the mining companies conflicted with the needs of patients, leading the state to ban corporate medicine.
Brandywine Hospital says new equipment in its Women's Imaging Center can provide same-day 3D screening mammograms for patients who call by noon to schedule an appointment.
Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, PA, opened its new Women's Imaging Center last week—just weeks after its parent company, Community Health Systems, said it was conducting a financial study which could result in selling the hospital.
"I don't think [Community Health Systems' financial study] affects [our plans] at all," Jeff Hunt, chief executive officer at Brandywine, said at the imaging center opening. "We're continuing to serve the community."
And that's what Brandywine is hoping to do with the new imaging center—a $1 million investment by the hospital that aims to provide a more positive patient experience for women. The hospital says the Women's Imaging Center's new equipment can provide same-day 3D screening mammograms for patients who call by noon to schedule an appointment.
"We are excited to offer patients access to advanced screening and diagnostic services in one convenient location," Timothy Fox, MD, medical director of the imaging center, said in a statement.
"The center features advanced technology such as 3D digital mammography (tomosynthesis), allowing physicians to detect the smallest of tumors sooner, at the earliest stages of breast cancer when they are most curable."
The imaging center will provide breast ultrasound and minimally invasive breast biopsy procedures, as well as bone density screening. It also boasts a larger waiting area and changing room to create a better patient experience.
"We felt there were a lot of women out there not getting care," Fox said the open house last week. "This is a measure of the commitment of Brandywine Hospital to reach out to the community they serve."
The hospital said a multidisciplinary team specializing in treating breast disease will work together with the patient's PCP to manage each patient. A nurse navigator will also be available to guide patients diagnosed with breast abnormalities throughout their treatment.
Brandywine is promoting the imaging center on its website homepage. "Finally a women's imaging center near you, completely dedicated to your breast health," the copy states. "Find out how can you schedule your same-day mammogram today."
A link drives visitors to the imaging center's microsite, which provides information about breast health, physicians and staff, and the facility itself, including a "virtual tour."
The initiative, which is being funded by the Monsanto Fund, will provide training and resources to support healthy lifestyles in early care and education environments.
Nemours Children's Health System and the American Heart Association have teamed up to launch the Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education—a community program that aims to provide assistance for early child care and education settings in St. Louis in order to improve healthy eating and food access for children up to age five.
The initiative, which is being funded by the Monsanto Fund, will provide training and resources to support healthy lifestyles in early care and education environments.
"Nemours is thrilled to bring Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education to St. Louis, where strong work to address childhood obesity and food insecurity is already underway," Debbie Chang, senior vice president of policy and prevention for Nemours, said in a media release.
"Through Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education, Nemours and the American Heart Association will collaborate with others working locally and at the state level to increase the number of early care and education providers who receive customized support and resources on how to make best practices in healthy eating and physical activity a part of everyday life for the children and parents they serve. We are eager to launch the program, expanding the number of children in St. Louis living, learning, and playing in healthier environments."
The initiative is on-brand for Nemours, as the hospital's communication strategy has long focused on involving family members and other caregivers in children's healthcare.
"Family-centered [care] is a large part of how we define ourselves and our work as well as how we seek to communicate with patients and consumers," Gina Altieri, Nemours' vice president of corporate services, told HealthLeaders back in 2014, speaking about an advertising campaign. "We believe that people have to relate to you and like you before they will listen to what you have to say about yourself."
One of the resources that Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education participants will have access to is the Healthy Way to Grow microsite, which prompts users to learn about the program, check out a number of tools and resources. The site prominently features both Nemours and the AHA's branding on the masthead.
Consumers are missing out on potential subsidies because they are unaware of the financial assistance available to them, HHS says.
An estimated 2.5 million people would qualify for subsidies on the purchase of their healthcare insurance if they bought plans from the Obamacare marketplaces rather than the open market, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
HHS released the data in advance of the next open enrollment period.
California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, and Pennsylvania each have more than 100,000 individuals enrolled in off-marketplace individual market coverage even though their incomes may qualify them for marketplace tax credits, the report said.
Consumers may be eligible for subsidies if their incomes are between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, which for a family of four is about between $24,300 and $97,200.
"More than 9 million Americans already receive financial assistance through the Health Insurance Marketplace to help keep coverage affordable, but today's data show millions more Americans could benefit," HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement accompanying the data.
"We encourage everyone to check out their options on HealthCare.gov or their state Marketplace and see if they qualify for financial assistance. Marketplace consumers who qualify for financial assistance usually have the option to buy coverage with a premium of less than $75 per month."
In addition to making premiums less expensive, the subsidies can help protect against rate increases. If all premiums in an area go up, the large majority of marketplace consumers will not have to pay more because tax credits will increase in parallel, the HHS report explains.
An HHS analysis found that in a hypothetical scenario where all 2017 rates increased by 25%, tax credits would make it possible for 73% of current marketplace consumers would still be able to purchase coverage for less than $75 per month.
About 6.9 million individuals purchase health insurance in the off-marketplace individual market. Of those, about 1.9 million either have incomes that would qualify them for Medicaid or place them in the Medicaid coverage gap or are ineligible to purchase marketplace coverage due to immigration status, while the remainder could enroll in marketplace qualified health plans (QHPs).
HHS reports that more than 70% of all QHP-eligible individuals currently insured through the individual market have incomes that could qualify them for tax credits. That figure rises to 80% if the marketplace-eligible uninsured are included.
Those consumers are missing out on potential subsidies because they are unaware of the financial assistance available to them, HHS says. The agency points to a Commonwealth Fund survey which found that only 52% of uninsured adults were aware that financial assistance is available through the marketplaces.
A crackdown on a Seattle-area chain of pain treatment centers has disrupted care for thousands of Medicaid patients.
Patients of a network of now-closed pain treatment centers in Seattle have been seeking care in the regions' emergency rooms, according to data from the Washington state Department of Health.
The state has been tracking former clinic patients of Seattle Pain Centers and has determined that more than 1,500 have sought care in hospital emergency departments since the clinic was shut down this summer. The tracking system does not identify the reason for the emergency department visits.
In July, the Washington State Medical Commission suspended the license of Frank D. Li, MD, alleging that he "consistently provided treatment that was an extreme departure from the standard of care, exposing patients of Seattle Pain Centers to risks of harm for opioid addiction, diversion, and overdose."
Li ran eight clinics across the state. As of July, he had not been charged with a crime.
Noting that the "action may limit patients' access to care," the agency urged clinic patients to contact their health insurance company and primary care provider to continue with pain treatment.
According to The Seattle Times, area pain clinics have absorbed some of Li's 8,000 patients. University of Washington Medical Center reports treating 800 of former patients, Swedish Medical Center has seen 600 and Washington Center for Pain Management has seen 500. Hospitals in Everett, Olympia, and Lakewood report seeing former clinic patients in their emergency departments, according to the paper.
As prescriptions written in July run out, area hospitals and clinics may see another wave of patients seeking pain relief.
Hospitals Urged to Prepare for Pain Patients
In addition to tracking former patients, the state offers a website for both patients and providers on the closure of the clinics. It warns hospitals to "Be prepared for an increase in patients who may be experiencing withdrawal from opioids, benzodiazepines, or other controlled substances."
It also offers a dedicated email address for providers who have questions and can "give us information on the impact of this situation on clinical practice and resources."
In response to the opioid epidemic, the state passed a law in 2010 spelling out rules for pain management. In 2009, the state recorded 17 times more deaths and seven times more hospitalizations than in 1995.
The rules require patients who meet a dosing threshold to see a pain specialist and outline the criteria a doctor must satisfy to be considered a pain specialist.
Wrangling a bevy of virtual monsters may distract, educate, and assuage young patients' medical fears.
Throughout the summer, hospitals have been sharing how they've used Pokémon Go as a patient experience measure. Now, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital has taken that concept and improved upon it by creating a hospital-based game app to distract, educate, and assuage patients' fears.
The game—called UnMonsters—is set inside the Tampa, FL-hospital, and invites young patients to wrangle four silly monsters. Players can earn medical "power ups" along the way by answering simple health related questions, like "Do you know how many servings of dairy you should be eating in a single day?" and "What is a stethoscope used for?"
"Sometimes, the best way to conquer our fear is to view things in a different way," St. Joseph's Children's Hospital President Kimberly Guy said in a media release.
"We hope that UnMonsters will give kids and parents a new way of looking at going to the hospital, because when we understand the things that scare us, the monsters don't seem so bad after all."
St. Joseph marketers teamed with interactive design firm Haneke Design to create the app, which was crafted with input from hospital team members and tested with pediatric patients and families.
"To our knowledge, this is the first hospital-based game app in the country," said
Kim Marlatt the hospital's director of marketing. "The app features one-of-a-kind graphics that were custom made specifically for the UnMonsters game."
St. Joseph's is promoting the app via a new website that shows how the game works, gives the background of each monster, and tells the story of the hospital and their patients.
"The UnMonsters are loose, but don't let that scare you. You can round them up with a lasso for more points or hold & drag them one by one if you need to rearrange where they are," the web copy reads.
"Feel like you're getting overrun too fast? Pick up some power-ups to help you get rid of the bigger UnMonster waves. You get 4 different ones each time you play."
A Dignity Health hospital in California has deployed a security robot and is attempting to give the machine a human touch by involving the community in naming it.
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital's slogan may be "Hello Humankindness," but there's nothing human—or even alive—about the California hospital's newest security team member.
In September, the hospital introduced a white, egg-shaped robot to its security force in order to better monitor its emergency room parking lot. The robot has sensors and cameras to help it navigate, as well a security button that can be pressed to alert human officers.
"It's here for three reasons: safety, security, and surveillance," Ken Keller, Bakersfield's chief operating office, told local media.
Keller said that the robot will perform simple tasks, thus freeing up security guards' time. After a software upgrade, people will be able to give the robot commands in English and Spanish.
"It's here to augment our security officers and give them the ability to be more hands on with patients and families," he said.
Bakersfield is one of four Dignity Health hospitals to deploy a security robot for a test period.
While the robot may seem at odds with Bakersfield's "humankindness" brand, marketers are attempting to give the machine a human touch by getting the community involved in naming it.
On September 21, the Bakersfield Facebook account posted a 20-second video introducing the robot to its followers. "Cameras? Check. Sensors? Check. Name? Nope. We need your help – submit your clever name idea for Memorial Hospital's new security robot in the comments," the post said.
The video shows the robot rolling through the parking lot, greeting a passing car with a staticky "good afternoon."
The piece has been viewed nearly 2,000 times and received more than 70 comments, most of which were suggested names, including "Digity," "DH-Droid," and "Security Sam." One commenter suggested they name the robot Walter after a security guard who recently retired.
Marketers are also inviting patients, staff, and community members to submit their name ideas on their website.
Divestiture comes as the Franklin, TN-based company reportedly is up for sale and under financial duress, with stock prices tumbling 75% in the past year, and a $1.4 billion loss posted in the second quarter.
Community Health Systems, Inc. says it is selling four hospitals to Curae Health Inc., as part of a plan to reduce and refine its portfolio and pay down debt.
The announcement comes as the Franklin, TN-based company posted a $1.43 billion loss in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, and saw its stock prices tank by 75% over the past year.
Company shares sold for $42.24 on Oct. 7, 2015, but only fetched $11.24 on Sept. 29. Media outlets have reported that the for-profit Fortune 500 company is up for sale.
The hospitals in the deal are:
95-bed Merit Health Gilmore Memorial in Amory, MS
112-bed Merit Health Batesville in Batesville, MS
181-bed Merit Health Northwest Mississippi in Clarksdale, MS
126-bed Highlands Regional Medical Center in Sebring, FL
Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
"We are highly invested in the success of our affiliated hospitals, and we are considering how to best position them for the future," Wayne T. Smith, chairman and CEO of Community Health Systems, Inc., said in remarks accompanying the announcement.
Curae Health is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit health system that was formed to help address the needs of rural healthcare. The Clinton, TN-based system operates three hospitals in Alabama.
"These four hospitals provide quality care and are important in each of their communities," Smith said. "They will benefit from alignment with a smaller organization specializing in the operation of rural hospitals. Divestiture of these assets advances our strategy to focus on a portfolio of larger hospitals and regional healthcare systems."
CHS is one of the largest publicly traded hospital companies in the nation, and owns, leases, or operates 158 hospitals in 22 states with an aggregate of nearly 27,000 licensed beds.
Ascension Sells 2 Hospitals
St. Louis-based Ascension, the nation's largest non-profit and Catholic health system, is selling two hospitals to RCCH HealthCare Partners.
The sale of Lourdes Health in Pasco, WA, and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, ID, had been part of a previously announced acquisition agreement with RCCH's predecessor Capella Healthcare in 2015. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Both hospitals will retain their faith-based status.
"RCCH works with communities to build strong local healthcare systems that are known for quality patient care, and its values align closely with those of Ascension," said Robert J. Henkel, president and CEO, Ascension Healthcare, a division of Ascension.
"In addition, RCCH has a strong presence in the region, and we are confident that joining RCCH will give Lourdes and St. Joseph the ability to faithfully serve individuals in the Pasco and Lewiston communities well into the future."
Ascension's Healthcare Division operates more than 2,500 care sites, including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Brentwood, TN-based RCCH provides services in 17 regional markets in 12 states.
"We look forward to becoming part of the Pasco and Lewiston communities and living up to the trust that Ascension and these hospitals have placed in us," said Marty Rash, executive chairman of RCCH.
"Our goals will include working together with healthcare professionals and community leaders, led by local boards that are 100% made up of community leaders and physicians, to ensure the continued provision of high-quality, compassionate healthcare and to expand and enhance services provided locally."
In one year, Hospital Engagement Network programs that teach best practices and instill a culture of safety prevented at least 5,283 instances of patient harm in 77 hospitals across Florida.
A statewide safety collaborative among Florida hospitals prevented at least 5,283 instances of patient harm and saved $28.7 million in one year, the Florida Hospital Association said.
FHA's Hospital Engagement Network program is part of the national Partnership for Patients initiative that was created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve healthcare quality.
FHA created its HEN in partnership with the American Hospital Association's Health Research and Educational Trust with an aim toward providing hospitals access to national and local educational events and a range of best practices and resources.
Between September 2015 and September 2016, 77 Florida hospitals collaborated to improve care at the bedside, eliminate care disparities, create a culture of safety for patients and caregivers and promote appropriate use of antibiotics. Participating hospitals focused on reducing infections and falls, improving medication safety, increasing safety for mothers and babies and preventing hospital readmissions.
"Florida hospitals are learning from one another and national experts to avoid complications, improve care and reduce costs through the FHA HEN," FHA President Bruce Rueben said. "Today's results mean better care for our patients and better value for our communities."
Three Florida hospitals earned an Award of Excellence for their efforts to reduce patient harm by at least 40% and readmissions by at least 20% across all focus areas.
Those hospitals are:
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute – Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital, Miami
DeSoto Memorial Hospital, Arcadia
Regional General Hospital, Williston
Eight hospitals received the Significant Achievement Award for achieving 40% reduction in harm and 20% percent reduction in readmissions in at least 80% of focus areas.
Those hospitals are:
Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Orlando
Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital, Cocoa Beach
Hendry Regional Medical Center, Clewiston
Jackson Hospital, Marianna
Jay Hospital, Jay
Lakeside Medical Center, Belle Glade
Martin Medical Center, Stuart
NCH Baker Hospital, Naples
"Working together, we've been able to achieve greater and faster improvements than we could have on our own," said Mark Faulkner, FHA board chair and president/CEO of Baptist Health Care in Pensacola. "Quality care remains central to all we do, and we look forward to continuing to partner with hospitals statewide to ensure we're doing all we can to provide the best care for our patients."
From 2012-2014, the 77 hospitals cut the rate of patient harm in half, preventing more than 27,000 instances of harm and saving $170 million over three years.