For more than 17 years, Prince Market Research has done surveys, polls and arranged focus groups for many clients, including hospital chain HCA when it tested the name of its Centennial Medical Center. Now, Prince has created Catalyst Healthcare Research to focus on the marketing needs of healthcare providers, suppliers and insurance plans.
Pennsylvania has announced it will no longer make Medicaid payments to hospitals for serious, preventable medical errors. The policy change is part of Gov. Ed Rendell's health care initiative, and is intended to make hospitals more vigilant about patient care and reduce costs. The change will be outlined to hospitals in a Department of Public Welfare bulletin.
The Bush administration has threatened to veto Senate legislation designed to improve healthcare on American Indian reservations. Bush objects to expanded labor provisions in the bill, which would boost screening and mental health programs at the Indian Health Service, increase tribal access to Medicare and Medicaid and prompt new construction and modernization of health clinics on reservations.
Providence Health & Services is building a $30 million surgery center in Washington County, OR. The new facility will house services including day surgery for orthopedics, gynecology and some general surgery. It's designed to serve Washington County's growing population by meeting high demand for such outpatient procedures.
Florida's nurse employers expect an existing nursing shortage to intensify, but a lack of faculty and clinical space is hampering the growth of the state's nursing schools, according to two surveys released by the Florida Center for Nursing. The center's report says the current staffing situation is characterized by high vacancy and turnover rates, unmet need for budgeted positions and expectations of significant staffing growth.
When a doctors' organization and Louisville, KY-based insurere Humana Inc. could not agree on a new contract, about 300 University of Louisville physicians left the insurer's network on Jan. 1. As a result, affected patients must either pay higher co-payments for visits to their University of Louisville doctor or switch doctors to get maximum benefits from their Humana plan.