Forsyth County, GA, is evolving into a regional healthcare hub, with an expanding campus of Northside Hospital in Cumming and access to an Emory hospital in nearby Johns Creek. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta also zeroed in on Forsyth County this summer as it plunked down $17 million for property in the county. Healthcare now appears to be the fastest-growing industry in this rural-turned-wealthy suburban county, and its growth has closely tracked the county's population boom.
Connecticut's nursing shortage could reach crisis proportions if more education programs and funds are not made available, according to healthcare advocates. The advocates attribute the problem, in part, to a shortage of instructors and the limited number of spots available in existing nursing programs statewide for people who want to enroll. Several nurses, instructors, and others in the field are now awaiting word on whether a proposed $185,000 federal grant will be approved for the Connecticut State University System's nursing programs to help offset the shortage.
With 47 million uninsured and a sagging economy, consumers around the nation are finding one good sign in the nation's healthcare system: a growing competition in the sale of individual policies. As more people are forced to shop for their own insurance, they'll discover more companies competing in the individual market than a few years ago. The result is an array of policies, and a broader spectrum of prices. The rivalry increases the chance of consumers finding something they can afford, but insurers are continuing to reject people with chronic medical problems and charge premiums that many others still can't afford.
Florida Memorial and Florida International universities have brokered a partnership officials say will boost the number of minority nurses. The agreement will offer students a dual-degree in biology and nursing. Under the agreement, three academic tracks will enable honor students from Florida Memorial to complete their nursing degrees at FIU, and two of those will let students receive the dual degree.
Although thousands of Cuban doctors have defected over the years and others are planning to do the same, more than 72,000 remain on the island and scattered all over the world, and more are in the pipeline. Despite the increasing risks of defection—since 2006 the United States has made it easier than ever for Cuban doctors to abandon their posts by offering them U.S. visas from consulates wherever they defect—Cuba seems to be relying more than ever on its vast health industry for income.
California healthcare regulators have fined four San Diego-area hospitals $25,000 each for preventable mistakes that led to the death of one patient. Five more reports of similar incidents at San Diego-area hospitals are under review and could lead to additional fines, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health. The reports are part of a statewide review of reported incidents. Forty California hospitals have been fined since July 2007.