Fifteen million Americans are morbidly obese, or at least 100 pounds overweight, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Due to the obesity epidemic, hospitals are spending extra money for equipment to accommodate growing numbers of obese patients, and hospitals everywhere are finding the changes expensive. Pennsylvania-based Jefferson Hospital, for example, expects to spend more than $250,000 renting bariatric equipment in 2008.
Several Chicago pediatric physicians are urging Illinois to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatric specialists, warning that a failure to do so may lead to shortages of endocrinologists, cardiologists and other specialists. At issue is the amount of reimbursement pediatric specialists get from state and federal funds after treating a child insured under Medicaid or Illinois' All Kids program, which uses Medicaid funds. Currently, Illinois specialists are repaid just 33 cents for every dollar they spend on such patients, one of the lowest reimbursement rates in the country.
A inspection of Nevada outpatient surgery centers like the one believed to have spread hepatitis C to its patients has uncovered dangerous practices at four other clinics, according to the state health division. The state inspected all 50 Nevada outpatient surgery centers after it was discovered the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada spread the virus to at least six patients by reusing syringes and sharing vials of medication.
HCA Virginia has reached an agreement with Loudon County officials to seek a postponement of the court case surrounding a new medical center. HCA officials announced that they plan to resubmit a zoning request to build the 164-bed Broadlands Regional Medical Center, and the board voted to approve the trial delay. HCA filed its suit in Loudoun Circuit Court after the Board of Supervisors denied its zoning application in 2005.
When Carl Heltne, MD, president of Duluth Clinic and executive vice president of SMDC Health System took over as president of Duluth a few years ago, physician leadership wasn't a strong point in the 700+ physician organization. Physicians weren't engaged, had minimal interest in formal leadership opportunities, and there had been high turnover in most leadership positions for a couple of years.
Heltne and Arlene Anderson, MS, director of organizational learning & development for SMDC, spoke about the steps they took to develop physician leaders and turn around the organization's culture in an AMGA session, "Physician Leadership Development: How and Where to Start."
Heltne likened physician leaders to orchestra conductors; their goal is to get everyone working together in harmony. The first step was to address the values and culture of the organization by making sure everyone in the organization was working toward the same mission, had the same vision for the future, and had the same access to information.
Over the next three years the organization surveyed physician engagement, involved physicians in strategic planning and budget development, established leadership competencies and institutes, worked on new leader orientation, and implemented other organizational changes to foster physician leadership.
One of the keys to success was "putting meat" into the job description, he said. The organization made it clear that leadership positions weren't "add-on" jobs or empty titles and that the organization was willing to invest time and money into these positions.
The result: Physician engagement and patient satisfaction survey results have steadily improved, as has the organization's profit margin.
HealthLeaders Media Managing Editor Elyas Bakhtiari caught up with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to discuss Gingrich's thoughts on the state of U.S. healthcare.