President Barack Obama's re-election was a strong indication, one hospital consultant said, that major health systems view the implementation of health reform as a net gain for the industry by expanding revenue for hospitals. Tens of millions of uninsured patients will be incorporated into the nation's health system, either joining expanded Medicaid programs or buyasing private insurance through state-level health exchanges. "Now we don't have to go through the exercise of unwinding reforms," said Keith Herle, a hospital consultant based in Alexandria, Va. "But if for some reason implementation becomes problematic," he said, "the political finger-pointing might pick back up."
Saint Alphonsus Health System and Treasure Valley Hospital (TVH) have taken legal action to stop St. Luke's Health System from acquiring the Saltzer Medical Group in Nampa, alleging the acquisition would lead to a monopoly. Saint Alphonsus and TVH say that the acquisition would violate antitrust laws, creating a monopoly that would raise health care prices, suppress competition and cause layoffs at other health facilities. It asks a federal judge to issue an injunction prohibiting the sale of Saltzer to St. Luke's, as well as monetary damages.
Three days after a judge ruled that West Penn Allegheny Health System must remain in a merger deal with Highmark Inc., top leaders of the two organizations discussed plans to get the $475 million transaction back on track. West Penn lost $112.5 million from operations in the year ended June 30, and its finances are worsening. Officials have predicted the system could be out of money in 3-6 months. Highmark wants to acquire the West Penn as the centerpiece of a new, $1 billion health system to compete against UPMC. In a joint statement issued on Monday, West Penn and Highmark said they have met with the health system's bondholders and more meetings are planned.
Bellevue Hospital Center will not fully reopen for months because of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, officials said Monday. While the City Council is expected to approve $500 million in capital funds to repair damages to public schools and hospitals on Tuesday, the amount of work needed at the hospital means it will open slowly, providing outpatient services starting Nov. 19. But full service, including emergency care and inpatient units, will not return until the first week in February, according to Hospital Corporation President Alan Aviles. He added that while damage was severe, no important patients information was lost.
Piedmont Healthcare and WellStar Health System will partner to save costs. The two hospital networks will create the Georgia Health Collaborative to share clinical care best practices and leverage economies of scale for better pricing on supplies and insurance reimbursement. The joint venture, sources say, could foreshadow a possible acquisition, but both Piedmont and WellStar executives waved off acquisition speculation. "We are not going to rule anything out down the road," Greg Hurst, interim president and chief operating officer at Piedmont Healthcare, said. "It's a rapidly transitioning healthcare environment."
Under a proposal that county commissioners could vote on Wednesday, previously available hospital records could become exempt from the state's public records law. Contracts with doctors and companies, the names of hospital employees - nearly everything outside the hospital's annual financial report - could be private. The same goes for hospital board meetings. Only one meeting a year, "to report on the affairs of the corporation," could be public. But if any part of that meeting delves into competitive data or a subject that could cause a competitive disadvantage to the hospital, then it could be closed off to the public. That would be a dramatic shift for the taxpayer-subsidized hospital, and it has some people nervous.