New Jersey took a step toward becoming one of the first states with universal healthcare after lawmakers approved a bill expanding a health insurance program for low-income families. Lawmakers included $8.9 million in a bill that would require all children in the state to have health insurance and expand FamilyCare, the state health insurance program, to include more poor parents.
Two well-known, independent cardiac surgeons are joining the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and will no longer see patients at rivals Jefferson Regional Medical Center and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital's Forbes beginning in the fall. In a joint letter to other doctors, Venkat Machiraju, MD, and Dr. Claudio Lima, MD, said the transition would begin July 1 and the new affiliation would "improve the financial security of our practice, provide us relief from its administrative burdens, and most importantly, give us better on-call coverage as we participate in a larger practice." Their move from RAJ Cardiovascular Associates to UPMC is part of a trend of private doctors choosing the safety of a large health system over the vulnerability of running an independent medical practice.
A federal appeals court has for the third time refused to release former HealthSouth Corp. CEO Richard Scrushy from prison while his conviction is being appealed. The Court of Appeals ruled that it was denying Scrushy's request for an appeal bond because the former CEO had not proved he is not a flight risk. Scrushy and former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman were convicted in 2006 of bribery and other charges.
Adminstrators at the Oceanside, CA-based Tri-City Hospital were accused of compromising patient care by sending nurse's aides home to cut costs. Suellyn Ellerbe, chief operating officer and chief nurse executive, denied that patient care is being affected by sending nurse's aides home. In addition, CEO Arthur Gonzalez said surveys of patients and doctors show satisfaction with the level of nursing care at the hospital.
The Service Employees International Union has launched America for Health Care, an advocacy group designed to make healthcare the No. 1 issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. The group wants all candidates for the nation's highest office to offer reform plans that would address holes in insurance coverage and benefits. The 500,000-member America for Health Care is asking politicians to draw up plans accomplishing four elements: offering affordable, quality health insurance for all Americans, eliminating benefit gaps, finding and implementing cost efficiencies, and providing health plans similar to what federal employees receive in terms of plan and care choices.
Orlando Health and Florida Hospital, Central Florida's two largest hospital systems, have submitted competing bids to start a heart-transplant program in Orlando. No Florida metro area has more than one heart-transplant program, making it unlikely the state would approve both Orlando applications. But the large east Central Florida organ-transplant district that includes Orlando currently has no heart-transplant program, so it's unlikely the state would turn down both. State regulators will decide by Aug. 22 whether to accept both, neither, or just one of the proposals.