Medical Center at Lancaster (TX) will close after 25 years of operation. Hospital spokesman Joe Poulos said the hospital was probably headed for bankruptcy. In recent years, the hospital faced obstacles such as competition, high levels of unpaid patient bills and low payment rates from HMOs, Poulos said.
A chronic care commission appointed by Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell is set to unveil a plan to transform how care for chronic conditions is delivered in the state. The idea is to help patients manage their conditions before problems get out of control. Under the plan, family doctors and other clinicians will be trained and get financial support to redesign their practices. The doctors will also be encouraged to develop a more team-oriented system aimed at changing patient behaviors, such as providing basic education and calling people who miss appointments for key tests.
Aquinas College in Nashville, TN, plans to expand its nursing program, which includes new construction, after accepting two donations totaling $6 million. Angelle Rosata, chief human resource officer for Saint Thomas Health Services, said Tennessee is facing a nursing shortage and groups need to assist colleges to make sure they have the resources needed to expand their nursing program. Saint Thomas Health Services pledged $2 million to the Aquinas nursing program.
Spending on spine treatments in the United States totaled nearly $86 billion in 2005, a rise of 65 percent from 1997 after adjusting for inflation, according to a report. The data show that the percentage of people with serious spine problems has not declined, and it appears to have increased. The report suggests that the nation is losing its battle against back pain, and that many popular treatments may be ineffective or overused.
As of 2006 there were 22,146 American doctors in residency programs in the United States specializing in primary care, down from 23,801 in 1995, according to The General Accountability Office. The number of international medical graduates training in primary care, however, had grown from 13,025 in 1995 to 15,565 in 2006, according to the GAO's report on primary care.
Presbyterian Healthcare has appealed North Carolina regulators' decision to allow Carolinas Medical Center-Union to expand its emergency department in Monroe. CMC-Union is proposing a $21.5 million renovation and expansion of its ED that will include a 23,000-square-foot addition and the renovation of 8,800 square feet of existing space. The appeal will delay the project by four to six months and add to initial cost estimates, said CMC-Union representatives.