Darden Restaurants Inc.'s second quarter was far from appetizing, as the owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster watched its net income plunge 37%. The Orlando, Fla., restaurant company saw the sour numbers coming. Earlier in December, citing a litany of factors including negative blow-back over its response to the new national healthcare law, ineffective promotions and Superstorm Sandy—for its decision to lower expectations for the quarter.
When I have a health problem, I talk to my doctor or nurse. But when our nation has a collective health problem, doctors aren't the only ones who know best. While I could write a year's worth of blogs about inspirational physicians or nurses who are transforming our health care system from the inside out, today I want to highlight some of the largely unsung heroes changing health care from the outside in: these are influential leaders who don?t wear stethoscopes or see patients, but have some important answers for us, from pilots and business leaders to game show titans and soccer moms.
Three more states won conditional approval Thursday to run their own insurance exchanges under President Obama's signature healthcare law. The Health and Human Services Department gave conditional approval to state-run exchanges in Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island. HHS has previously given conditional approval to eight states and Washington, D.C.
Owner Carl Schanstra was able to get Automation Systems LLC back on its feet by breaking into new markets, such as the auto industry. Sales are up 12% this year, and are likely to rise again next year, too. But for the 34-year-old, the expected growth in sales brings a new concern. He is worried that as Automation Systems continues to expand, it will be subject to a provision in the health-care overhaul that could damage its bottom line.
Wisconsin residents are paying very different prices for health insurance, depending on where they live. That's according to a new report from Citizen Action of Wisconsin, which compared health insurance costs, rate of inflation, and quality of care in the state?s major cities and regional areas. Executive Director Robert Kraig says the report found very large cost variations between regions of the state. It amounts to a 24 percent difference between Milwaukee and Racine, the highest cost areas, and Madison, the lowest cost metro area in the state. That comes out to about an $1,800 a year variation in the cost to cover a single person.
In a dual bid to improve patient care and customer service, the physician group currently serving Infirmary Health System's emergency departments has sold its practice to a Tennessee-based outsourcing firm. Per the arrangement that took effect Dec. 15, Mobile Emergency Group PC is now staffed and administered by Team Health Holdings based in Knoxville, Tenn. The physician group serves the emergency departments of both Mobile Infirmary Medical Center in Mobile and North Baldwin Infirmary in Bay Minette.