Hospital leaders in Des Moines, IA, say an unexplained surge of patients in January gave them valuable lessons on how to handle a sudden bird-flu outbreak or other healthcare crisis. At times, ERs became so full administrators were tempted to tell ambulance crews to take patients elsewhere but could not because of the surge. At times, nearly every hospital room in the city was taken, forcing hospitals' staff to become more sophisticated in how they handle such situations.
The Children's Medical Center of Dayton, OH, could lose $3 million in funding if Congress approves a new budget request that would eliminate $301 million of funding for a federal program that trains pediatricians and pediatric specialists at 60 independent children's teaching hospitals. Children's Medical Center representatives said the funding was critical to its ability to fund the training of future pediatricians and meet the healthcare needs in its region.
William Petasnick, the chief executive of Froedtert & Community Health, has been named 2008 chairman of the American Hospital Association. Petasnick says that the healthcare system needs to be changed and transformed to better meet the needs of communities and patients. The AMA wants to use the coming presidential election as an opportunity to begin the debate about the U.S. healthcare system, he adds.
Shawnee Mission (KS) Medical Center has announced that it intends to buy 42 acres in south Overland Park for a hospital of up to 400 beds. The project is at least two years from construction, and includes 240,000 square feet of medical office space. Financial details of the purchase were not disclosed by Shawnee Mission representatives.
As part of his budget proposal, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is expected to press for remaining provisions in his plan to improve access to affordable healthcare, cut costs and enhance quality. Lawmakers have shown little interest in his plan to help fund a healthcare overhaul with a tax on employers that do not offer health insurance to their workers. As a result, Rendell has backed a plan that would draw on more than $400 million accumulated in a state fund that helps doctors pay their malpractice insurance costs.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has hailed a new agreement between nurses and hospitals to provide better nurse staffing. The hospitals have agreed to post the number of budgeted staff throughout the hospital each day--and the number who are actually on the floor each shift. The actual staffing numbers, including any lagging behind the budgeted figure, would be sent to the state. Gregoire said the greater attention to nurse staffing will lead to better patient safety and lower overall medical costs.