Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta will build a $90 million research center that could elevate metro Atlanta to the top tier of pediatric research and provide access to cutting-edge care in the city, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. More than half the 196,000-square-foot building will focus on the research of illnesses such as pediatric cancer, neonatal diseases, and cystic fibrosis, Emory officials said.
Federal officials have removed the management team overseeing a national database of dangerous or incompetent caregivers after questions were raised about its accuracy. The reassignments of the division director and four managers came in response to a story that found the repository was probably missing thousands of serious disciplinary cases against health providers, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A 21% cut in Medicare fees paid to doctors were due to kick in March 1 because Congress failed to pass a temporary extension as a result of objections by Sen. Jim Bunning to a bill that also contained job measures and other healthcare provisions. But the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has put a hold for 10 business days on physician Medicare claims, in effect giving Congress two more weeks to work things out before the payment cuts affect reimbursements to doctors, the Wall Street Journal Health Blog reports.
After leading the Medical Group Management Association for more than a decade, President and CEO William F. Jessee, MD, announced today that he will retire in the fall of 2011.
"I've been blessed to have the opportunity to spend the last 11 years working with a marvelous staff and dynamic boards of directors, during an incredibly exciting period for our nation's healthcare system," Jessee said in a media release.
The 21,500-member association for professional administrators and medical group practice leaders expects the successor search to take nine to 12 months when it is formally launched.
"MGMA was a successful association before Bill's arrival, but his leadership and vision have taken us to new heights," said Forrest D. Danner Jr., MGMA board chair and vice president and COO, Aspirus Clinics Inc., in Wausau, WI. "He elevated the visibility and credibility of MGMA and the profession of medical practice management and has become the face of MGMA."
Before joining Englewood, CO-based MGMA in 1999, Jessee was vice president for quality and managed care standards at the AMA. He also holds academic appointments as clinical professor of preventive medicine and biometrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences, and as adjunct professor of health policy and administration at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.
Established in 1926, MGMA's 21,500 members lead 13,700 organizations nationwide in which some 275,000 physicians provide more than 40% of the healthcare services delivered in the United States. MGMA's mission is to improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent. MGMA promotes the group practice model as the optimal framework for healthcare delivery, assisting group practices in providing efficient, safe, patient-focused, and affordable care.
Plastic Surgeon Christopher Nolan, MD, has been elected chief of staff at Mission Hospital. Nominated by his peers and voted into office by the active medical staff, Nolan will serve his current term which runs through December.
Shriners Hospitals for Children has appointed Keith Gardner to the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer. Gardner had been serving in the role in an interim capacity since January 2009 when Jim Full, the previous executive vice president, left the organization after three years. Gardner has worked for the organization in the corporate Shriners International headquarters office in Tampa for 21 years. Previously, he was vice president of finance.