Texas Health Resources Inc., the largest hospital system in North Texas, has formed a temp agency with an Arlington-based medical staffing company to both save money and fix its nursing shortage. The joint venture with Medfinders Inc., operating as Texas Health SingleSource Staffing, will oversee the staffing of all per-diem nurses for Texas Health's 14 hospitals across North Texas. By having an in-house agency, Texas Health is better able to fill its 5% nurse vacancy rate and avoid costly overtime by paying temporary nurses to cover shifts of full-time nurses, said system representatives.
A Chicago-based specialty hospital for brain, spine, and orthopedic surgeries may relocate to the northern suburbs under a deal under discussion with hospital operator NorthShore University Health System. The Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago confirmed it is in talks with NorthShore University Health System. Current plans under discussion would have procedures currently done at the existing facility moved to Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview and Skokie Hospital in Skokie.
A global shortage of medical isotopes is expected to get worse in two weeks as supplies run down after nuclear reactor closings. The Petten nuclear reactor in the Netherlands closed for scheduled maintenance. Together with a Canadian reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, that was shut down in May because of a leak, the idled reactors account for two-thirds of the world's supply of molybdenum-99. In response to the shutdown of the Canadian reactor, the Society of Nuclear Medicine reported in June that 91% of 375 surveyed members had been affected, with 60% of doctors postponing procedures and 31% canceling some.
The pharmaceutical industry has remained relatively unscathed so far in Washington?s effort to overhaul the nation's healthcare system. But despite the much publicized 10-year, $80 billion cost-saving promise the drug industry made to President Obama and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, some House leaders do not think the drug makers have given enough. President Obama seemed to agree during a nationally televised news conference focused on healthcare reform. He praised the pharmaceutical industry for making a hard commitment, but added "we might be able to get $100 billion out of them, or more."
An initiative by the Maryland Hospital Association will provide $15.5 million over the next five years to 17 nursing schools across the state to help increase the number of students in the programs and alleviate a predicted shortage of nurses. The plan will be financed through donations from healthcare providers, insurers, and individuals.
The Lewin Group is a consulting firm whose research has been widely cited by opponents of a public insurance option in the healthcare reform debate. Lewin produced one of the most widely cited statistics of the healthcare debate: Under a particular version of a public option, the number of people with private, employer-sponsored coverage would decline by more than 100 million.