Sanford Health has named David A. Pearce director of the Sanford Children's Health Research Center. The SCHRC's mission is to combine world-class scientific talent with state-of-the-art technology to conquer childhood diseases. A $20 million gift from South Dakota Philanthropist Denny Sanford in 2007 created the SCHRC, which includes a location at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, located in La Jolla, CA and a site in Sioux Falls. Pearce will lead the SCHRC in Sioux Falls starting this summer.
Coral Springs (FL) Medical Center has appointed Carrie Greenspan, MD, OB/GYN, as chief of staff. Greenspan's appointment marks a milestone for North Broward Hospital District, aka Broward Health: She will be the first female physician to serve as chief of one of its four hospitals. During her two-year term, Greenspan will take on the responsibilities of chairing the medical council meetings, handling quality issues with physicians, and working with CSMC's administration to improve hospital facilities and services.
Jean Meyer has been selected as the new president of Providence Park Hospital in Novi, WI. She will be responsible for the hospital's day-to-day operations and will assume her role immediately. Meyer, a nurse, has held various leadership positions. Before serving as senior vice president and CNO for St. John Health System, COO for the Providence Region and interim Providence Park administrator, she served as senior vice president, COO, and CNO for St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
Critics say a new Massachusetts initiative that will require colleges to track students' problems with their health insurance coverage are not enough and do not address complaints about inadequate coverage. The rules, which are set to take effect May 1, mean that colleges will report how many times insurers refuse to pay for care and the amount of profit health insurance companies make on student plans. By state law, college students must have health insurance, but most of the current policies do not meet the minimum standards set for other plans as part of the state's healthcare reform program.
New Jersey health officials are trying to unravel how 15 dialysis patients at an Atlantic City hospital have contracted hepatitis C since 2005. Hospital administrators at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus contacted the state after discovering five new hepatitis C cases during federally required annual hepatitis C testing of all dialysis patients. The testing, in late March and early April, showed the five patients had become positive for the disease since starting dialysis treatment at the hospital.
Thousands of veterans were told they should get blood tests for HIV and hepatitis because three hospitals might have treated them with unsterile equipment. Nearly 11,000 former sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines could have been exposed to infectious diseases because three VA hospitals in the Southeast did not properly clean endoscopic equipment between patients.