Harry Jacobson, MD, who oversaw expansion of Vanderbilt University Medical Center over the past decade, will retire from that role and as the university's vice chancellor of health affairs on June 1. Jeffrey Balser, MD, dean of Vanderbilt's School of Medicine, will replace him, according to a statement.
In the past year, things have been hairier than usual at the Community-University Health Care Center in south Minneapolis.
The patients are showing up in growing numbers, according to clinic manager Amy Shellabarger, and by every measure they are showing up with greater needs. In 2006, 10% of CUHCC's patients were uninsured. In 2007 and 2008 the share was about 28%.
San Diego is about to step to the forefront of efforts to get wireless healthcare inventions out of the laboratory and into medicine cabinets. Drawing on the region's strong life sciences and wireless industries, and with a $45 million gift from a pair of philanthropists, San Diego will become home to the nation's first wireless healthcare research institute.
Workers laid off by California's smallest businesses have a shot at subsidized healthcare under a bill moving quickly through the Legislature. As part of February's stimulus package, some laid-off employees can get the government to temporarily cover 65% of the cost of continuing their health insurance under the federal COBRA law, which allows workers to keep their healthcare coverage but requires them to pay the premiums. California's AB 23 would extend the subsidy to those who worked for companies smaller than the COBRA minimum of 20 employees.
Developers are pushing ahead with construction of a North Dallas medical complex. Cirrus Group has gotten a $16.79 million construction loan for Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital, 65,000-square-foot facility that will accommodate 60 patients and be operated by Dallas-based Reliant Healthcare Partners. The company operates facilities in Austin, Houston, and Richardson, TX.
A new Illinois law that goes into effect April 1 will reduce what hospitals charge the uninsured and cap how much they can collect in payment. Under the law, hospital charges to the eligible uninsured can't exceed the cost of services plus 35%. It also caps at 25% of a patient's family income what hospitals can collect annually from the eligible uninsured.