Two well-known, independent cardiac surgeons are joining the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and will no longer see patients at rivals Jefferson Regional Medical Center and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital's Forbes beginning in the fall. In a joint letter to other doctors, Venkat Machiraju, MD, and Dr. Claudio Lima, MD, said the transition would begin July 1 and the new affiliation would "improve the financial security of our practice, provide us relief from its administrative burdens, and most importantly, give us better on-call coverage as we participate in a larger practice." Their move from RAJ Cardiovascular Associates to UPMC is part of a trend of private doctors choosing the safety of a large health system over the vulnerability of running an independent medical practice.
A federal appeals court has for the third time refused to release former HealthSouth Corp. CEO Richard Scrushy from prison while his conviction is being appealed. The Court of Appeals ruled that it was denying Scrushy's request for an appeal bond because the former CEO had not proved he is not a flight risk. Scrushy and former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman were convicted in 2006 of bribery and other charges.
Adminstrators at the Oceanside, CA-based Tri-City Hospital were accused of compromising patient care by sending nurse's aides home to cut costs. Suellyn Ellerbe, chief operating officer and chief nurse executive, denied that patient care is being affected by sending nurse's aides home. In addition, CEO Arthur Gonzalez said surveys of patients and doctors show satisfaction with the level of nursing care at the hospital.
The Service Employees International Union has launched America for Health Care, an advocacy group designed to make healthcare the No. 1 issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. The group wants all candidates for the nation's highest office to offer reform plans that would address holes in insurance coverage and benefits. The 500,000-member America for Health Care is asking politicians to draw up plans accomplishing four elements: offering affordable, quality health insurance for all Americans, eliminating benefit gaps, finding and implementing cost efficiencies, and providing health plans similar to what federal employees receive in terms of plan and care choices.
Orlando Health and Florida Hospital, Central Florida's two largest hospital systems, have submitted competing bids to start a heart-transplant program in Orlando. No Florida metro area has more than one heart-transplant program, making it unlikely the state would approve both Orlando applications. But the large east Central Florida organ-transplant district that includes Orlando currently has no heart-transplant program, so it's unlikely the state would turn down both. State regulators will decide by Aug. 22 whether to accept both, neither, or just one of the proposals.
A petition drive to seek voter approval for universal healthcare in Michigan has ended as organizers admitted they were far shy of collecting the minimum number of signatures. Members of Health Care for Michigan said the petition drive would be replaced with a lobbying effort in the state Legislature and U.S. Congress. HCM Chairman John Freeman said the coalition of labor, religious and healthcare provider organizations collected about 130,000 signatures. The number was short of the 380,000 needed to qualify the proposed amendment to the state constituion for the November ballot.
Lee Memorial Health System President Jim Nathan is trying to reassure doctors he's not trying to buy them out. The remarks, made during a board of directors meeting, were in response to a Brett Hickman of PricewaterhouseCoopers suggesting Lee Memorial might want to consider employing community physicians as a means of streamlining care. Some doctors in the area worry it could mean doom for independent medical practices and patient choice.
Highmark Inc.'s contract with the Johnstown, PA-based Conemaugh Health System is set to expire, and those insured by Highmark Blue Shield already have received letters notifying them that their access to the system could be in jeopardy. But even if the two parties can't reach an agreement, most Highmark policyholders who use the Conemaugh system wouldn't see any immediate changes to their access or to the rates they pay. Both Highmark and Conemaugh say they hope to strike a deal on reimbursement rates between now and June 30, rendering moot the letters that have been sent out.
Florida has become the first state in the country to publicly disclose readmission rates of patients who return to hospitals because of errors, infections and other potentially preventable problems. The information was unveiled on the Web site FloridaHealthFinder.gov. State officials say the data can be invaluable for consumers trying to make better choices.
A pain treatment advocacy group has filed suit in federal court challenging restrictions Washington state officials have put on prescription pain medication. The nonprofit Pain Relief Network says that the guidelines for prescribing narcotics have influenced pain treatment across the country and have made doctors afraid to give opiate prescriptions. Representatives from the Network said the guidelines do not take into account the needs of individuals and make doctors afraid to give larger doses when necessary.
