A new "ER Diversion" program aims to reduce waiting times in emergency rooms by redirecting patients who use ERs for non-emergency cases to one of five clinics in Nashville. The program is a collaboration between United Neighborhood Health Services and AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthcare. It is funded by a grant to TennCare by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Childbirth is the leading reason for hospitalization in the United States and one of the top reasons for outpatient visits, yet much maternity care consists of high-tech procedures that lack scientific evidence of benefit for most women, according to a report. U.S. hospital charges for maternal and newborn care jumped from $79 billion in 2005 to $86 billion in 2006, and reducing expensive techniques such as C-sections, as well as increasing low-cost approaches such as childbirth assistants, would improve mothers' and babies' health while cutting costs, the authors say.
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said that the union is not willing to accept more overtures by Detroit automakers to delay payments to a trust fund that will take over retiree healthcare costs in 2010. Such requests are a possibility as the U.S. auto industry grapples with weak sales and huge net losses. Gettelfinger said he doesn't want to risk the integrity of the voluntary employees beneficiary association, which was a key feature of a four-year contract signed last year by the UAW and Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.
Auburn, CA-based Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital plans to install a solar energy system in early 2009 that will supply about 50% of the hospital's power needs, hospital officials said. The 736-kilowatt system will include elevated solar panels in an employees parking lot and a ground-mounted tracking system on nearby property to follow the sun throughout the day. Hospital officials said the new system will provide savings on energy costs and more predictable rates than the volatile energy market.
With costs escalating, the healthcare industry may be headed for a crash that could mirror, or even dwarf, the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. At the same time, the industry is finally embracing technology to improve care, cut costs, and give patients a better and safer experience. That was the message from Neal Patterson, the chief executive of Cerner Corp., when speaking to 4,000 healthcare executives who gathered in Kansas City for the 23rd Cerner Health Conference.
A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that there is an expected health gap between rich and poor children. However, the report also points out a significant gap between the middle and upper classes—one that is seen across the country.