A new high-tech imaging center is opening in Southdale Medical Center in Edina, MN. Called Suburban Imaging, the joint venture involves two large radiology groups, the state’s third-largest hospital and clinic group, Fairview Health Services; and 21 physician groups in the area. Its opening is likely to reignite a debate on whether Minnesota has too many diagnostic imaging facilities and encourages doctors to order unnecessary procedures and pushing up medical costs. It’s also likely to raise the question of whether doctors should refer patients to a facility in which they have a financial stake.
Prince George's County in Maryland is considering converting empty stores in old shopping centers, even entire malls, into medical facilities. County officials are reviewing a feasibility study that recommends creating "medical malls" in four underutilized shopping centers in neglected communities. Under the plan, the county would partner with private retail owners to renovate or build spaces where customers could, for example, shop for clothes in one end of the mall and get a mammogram or a physical in another. The partnership would be paid for with public and private dollars.
As pressure builds for Grady Memorial Hospital CEO Pam Stephenson to answer questions regarding her law degree, efforts are under way to oust her as chairwoman of the Atlanta hospital's authority board. Some state and local officials have criticized Stephenson for the multiple hats she's donned in Grady management, saying they represent conflicts of interest. The latest controversy over her law degree is adding momentum to efforts to remove her as the Grady authority chairwoman. The 10-member board will soon meet to elect its officers. While it remains unclear whether there are enough votes to oust her as chairwoman, some authority members say Stephenson's controversies have become a distraction from overseeing the business of Grady.
Hospital-acquired infections are claiming more American lives each year than AIDS, breast cancer, or automobile accidents. The right physical environment, including single-patient rooms; well-designed ventilation systems and air filters; easy-to-clean, nonporous surface materials; and plenty of sinks for washing hands; could reduce the spread of infection, architects say. They even have research supporting the concept, and now hospitals across the country are using this information to reduce infections from the ground up.
Due to a bureaucratic tangle, 1,000 cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering's new center in Basking Ridge, NJ, may be forced to find new doctors. The cancer center recently sent letters to patients covered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey telling them they will be charged out-of-network prices after Sept. 1. The patients can avoid the higher charges by switching their care to Sloan Kettering's Manhattan hospital, the letter said.
While most people have heard about the nationwide nursing shortage, the country is also experiencing a shortage of trained workers in the allied health professions such as respiratory care practitioners, medical transcriptionists, radiographers, and about 200 other occupations that make up about 60% of healthcare workers. According to a recent study, California and its burgeoning population lags behind the rest of the nation in the number of allied health professionals per capita.