In 2004, President Bush set a goal that by 2014, doctors would be using EMR systems with interoperable standards that would allow them to share lab results, images, computerized orders and prescription information with hospitals and other health facilities.
But now many EMR experts say not nearly enough progress has been made in the past four years to reach this goal.
Two British hospitals have introduced "talking" cardboard nurses to their reception areas as part of a project to battle infection. The life-size nurses have been placed at the front entrances of both hospitals to remind people of the importance of cleaning their hands before they enter the hospitals. The "nurses" work via an electronic motion sensor which is activated as people walk past, triggering a recorded message.
Some 20% of doctors say they will quit practicing medicine if universal healthcare insurance coverage is implemented, according to a survey by physician recruiting firm LocumTenens.com. Among nearly 1,400 doctors who answered the survey, 63% said they would 'continue practicing like they do today, 11% would change occupations, and 9% said they would retire.
Actor Dennis Quaid testified before Congress about a near-fatal drug mix-up in which his newborn twins received 1,000 times the correct dose of the blood thinner heparin. Quaid said the experience underscores the need to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable through lawsuits. Beginning with the Bush administration, the Food and Drug Administration has stepped into suits on the side of pharmaceutical companies, arguing that federal regulation of drugs pre-empts state suits.
Sixteen hospitals are leading a new effort to reduce birth injuries. The effort is being coordinated by Premier Inc., a healthcare alliance that promotes hospital safety and quality. The 16 hospitals have committed to following a set of guidelines that are proven to reduce harm during the birthing process.
Hospitals that discharge homeless patients on the streets of Los Angeles without their consent could be charged with misdemeanors and fined up to $25,000 under a proposed ordinance. The measure is intended to curb the practice of taking patients from a hospital by taxi or ambulance and leaving them on skid row downtown. Under the new law, a health facility would not be allowed to transport a patient to a location other than his or her residence without written consent. In the last few years, the city attorney's office has investigated more than 50 cases of patient dumping but has filed cases against only a few hospitals.
The Los Angeles Times has asked the two major candidates competing to succeed Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke about some key issues in the city's 2nd District. Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks and state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) offer their solutions to healthcare issues facing the county and the district, such as a growing budget deficit in the county's Health Services Department, large numbers of uninsured patients and the failure to reopen Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center.
Health plans linked to two Nashville, TN-area hospital operators have been awarded new three-year contracts by the state agency that administers Arizona's Medicaid program. Representatives from Iasis Healthcare LLC said the contract awarded to its prepaid Medicaid and Medicare plan, Health Choice of Arizona Inc. in Phoenix covers Medicaid members in three additional counties. Vanguard Health Systems Inc. said the new contract the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System awarded to its Phoenix Health Plan unit involves serving Medicaid members in six additional counties.
An administrative law judge has ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has not made the case to raise rates for individuals who buy their own health insurance. The ruling, if upheld by Michigan's Office of Financial and Insurance Services, could lead to smaller rate hikes than the 24% to 42% increases sought by Blue Cross for about 22,000 consumers. It also may have broader implications for businesses and the 4.6 million Michiganders with Blue Cross coverage, given the judge's comments that he found Blue Cross' $2.4 billion in reserves excessive.
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare will acquire Rush North Shore Medical Center in Skokie, IL, for $95 million. The merger will expand Evanston's brand to a fourth facility in Chicago's north suburbs. The deal, which still faces federal and state regulatory approvals, calls for Evanston Northwestern to buy the hospital and related assets for $85 million and allocate an additional $10 million to set up a community foundation that serves various health needs in Skokie and surrounding communities.
