The Pennsylvania Legislature recessed on June 30 without reauthorizing the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council's funding, leaving the organization inactive. The Pottsville Republican & Herald opined on the subject, calling the organization a "valuable public enterprise." Editors added that more so than any other agency nationwide, the Council "has quantified the devastating impact of hospital-acquired infections in terms of patient health and cost to the system."
Many bacteria release chemical signals in search of their friends, and when the bugs congregate, chemicals build up. This then alerts the microbes that there are enough of them to kick off an infection. But Helen Blackwell, a University of Wisconsin, Madison, assistant professor of chemistry, thinks she's found a way to stop these bacterial social gatherings. By mimicking the chemicals that bacteria use to talk to each other, Blackwell is working on drugs to trick the microbes.
The new Disney Children’s Hospital at Florida Hospital will feature new interactive technology, advanced minimally invasive surgery, and a child-friendly design to soothe patients. Releasing new details about its design, Florida Hospital officials said that the pediatric emergency department will feature patient treatment rooms offering animation selections on the ceiling with soft lighting and music to calm children.
Nonprofit hospital systems like Roanoke, VA-based Carilion have seen their power over their regional communities increase as their incomes have surged. Critics say, however, that this is creating untaxed local healthcare monopolies that drive the costs of care higher. Nonprofits have also come under fire from patient advocates and members of Congress for stinting on charity care even as they amass large cash hoards, build new facilities, and award big paychecks to their executives.
Denver-based hospital system Centura Health will continue operating Ask-A-Nurse, its free call-in nurse service. In early July, Centura said it would close the service due to financial pressures. But Arlen Reynolds, Centura Health chief operating officer, said Centura was deluged with calls and e-mails from the community voicing disappointment about the move. Leaders met to reconsider the issue and decided to continue the service.
Pontiac, MI-based North Oakland Medical Centers Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection after running out of cash. The hospital is to be sold in October to a group of senior physicians, and is now seeking a loan to stay open until the sale. The hospital listed debt of as much as $100 million and assets of less than $50 million in a Chapter 11 petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit.
It's time for poor people who are childless to be covered by Medicaid, said Gene Gessow, the director of the Iowa Medicaid program. There are low-income Iowans ages 19 to 65 who can't afford insurance and would benefit from this government health insurance, Gessow said. The federal government should lift restrictions and give states the opportunity to cover nondisabled single people or couples who have no children, he added.
Panelists at a healthcare forum agreed that Pennsylvania's healthcare system has serious gaps, but they had little consensus about how to improve it. The discussion repeatedly turned to the question of how much it will cost to expand insurance coverage, and who would pay for it. The goal of the Health for Life community forum was to look for ways to advance healthcare reform in the state.
Healthy Howard Inc. recently announced the hiring of Erin Reiney to coordinate community resources for Howard County, MD's health access plan. The nonprofit organization will manage the Healthy Howard Plan, which will provide access to comprehensive health services to 2,000 uninsured county residents. Responsible for compiling a list of businesses that are willing to offer free or reduced-cost services to plan participants, Reiney said she is excited about building the program.
A drop in the number of people who lacked health insurance in 2007 reflects a push by states to cover more lower-income adults and children, but the gains might unravel during the economic slowdown, economists and health experts say. In 2007, 26 states expanded eligibility for Medicaid, but the troubled economy, coupled with the housing crisis and high gas prices, could force states to step back, the experts say.
