Doctors and pharmacists say patients and caretakers are increasingly turning to tech-based drug-tracking tools, including interactive, consumer-friendly websites, to help keep medication regimens running smoothly and reduce errors. One such device is the Med-eMonitor, a device connected to a drug database through the patient's phone line and programmed remotely via the Internet. The monitor beeps and a large-print message pops up on the display screen as a voice announces when a pill is to be taken, reminds the patient when doses are missed, and alerts them to potentially dangerous medication interactions.
The University of California-Irvine has appointed Maureen Zehntner to head its medical center. Zehntner is a registered nurse who spent 12 years as one of the hospital's top administrators during a period in which it suffered a series of scandals. Her association with the medical program's troubled past that has led some to criticize the university for choosing Zehntner to lead the facility at a time when it is trying to wipe clean its stained reputation.
Under a provision in the mental health parity bill that the House has passed, overall doctors' ownership in existing hospitals would be restricted to 40% and the stake of any individual doctor would be limited to 2%. The provision also would prohibit doctors' ownership in new hospitals that serve Medicare and Medicaid patients. If that provision were in place today, Franklin, TN-based Surgical Development Partners wouldn't be doubling the size of a hospital in Houston that's owned 90 percent by doctors and 10 percent by the company, said Partners Chief Executive Eddie Alexander.
The debate about changing Michigan's rules guiding health insurance for individuals who aren't covered by employer or government plans may last much longer because the Legislature is considering at least three separate plans. Some of the debate about the differing proposals centers on whether to create a high-risk pool to cover individuals turned down by other insurers. The pool would require all insurers participating in the individual market to help cover losses when they reach a certain point.
Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, IL, has submitted a letter of intent to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board regarding a a $400 million expansion plan. Under the plan, the hospital would add an eight-story building with 192 rooms to the current facility. The purpose of the project is to provide patients with private rooms, said hospital officials.
The movement by employers and insurance companies to put employee wellness at the forefront of consumer health choices is getting a big boost by Blue Cross. Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp., which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans in Texas, New Mexico Oklahoma, and Illinois, has added the word "wellness" to the mission statements of its four health plans. The company has also embarked on a variety of wellness initiatives, including incorporating wellness programs in basic health benefit packages it sells.