The Institute for Healthcare Improvement reports that thousands of hospitals, both national and international, have joined its campaign against preventable complications that requires the adoption of "bundles." Bundling joins scientifically grounded elements that reduce the risk of serious complications, such as pneumonia or central-line infections, according to the IHI.
An analysis of publicly available data found that the costliest California hospitals charge insurance carriers five times as much as the least expensive ones. The study was commissioned by large health purchasers, and the sponsors said they were troubled by the wide variations in hospital prices and noted that the average charges of hospitals in the Sacramento region were 30 percent higher than the statewide average for the same mix of services.
Georgia should spend millions of dollars on a new medical campus in Athens and rapidly expanding the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta to address critical doctor shortages, according to an independent report released at the board of regents. The study also details plans for training more doctors in the state.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is testing the use of "smart rooms" equipped with computer screens that display patient's vital signs, medications and other personal information. The computer system also presents reminders to patients to ask for help in getting out of bed if they are at risk for falls.
Christoper Olivia, MD, has been tapped as the new CEO of West Penn Allegheny Health System. The 45-year-old hospital executive and practicing ophthalmologist is currently chief executive officer of the nonprofit Cooper Health System in southern New Jersey. West Penn Allegheny has been without a permanent CEO since July 2007, when Jerry Fedele left abruptly amid internal disagreements about a systemwide consolidation.
Tom Ozburn is excited about his new position as chief executive officer at Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and is looking forward to expanding the facility's reach. Southern Hills has established family care offices in Brentwood and Nolensville, and Ozburn said there would be a continued focus on reaching those markets because residents there are geographically closer to Southern Hills Medical Center than to any other hospital.
Community Health Systems in Franklin, TN, is seeking approval to acquire Washington-based Deaconess Medical Center, Valley Hospital and Medical Center and holdings of Empire Health Services. Two hospitals and four urgent-care clinics would be bought by Cpmmunity Health for $272 million if the application is approved.
The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board postponed its decision on the proposed merger of Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital and Touchette Regional Hospital. The board said it needed to further analyze financial information submitted by the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, which owns both of the hospitals. Some administrative functions of the two hospitals, including accounting, finance and payroll, have already been integrated.
The decision by Christopher T. Olivia, MD, to take the chief executive position at West Penn Allegheny Health System of Pittsburgh has delivered a setback to Boston's Caritas Christi Health Care System. Olivia was the top candidate to take over the troubled six-hospital Caritas Christi. In a statement, James J. Karam, chairman of Caritas Christi's board of governors, said the chain would select a chief executive "in the coming weeks."
In a recently released study, researchers found that depending on the organ needed, residents of rural areas were 10 to 20 percent less likely to get a transplant. The study reviewed approximately 175,000 patients who were on waiting lists for heart, kidney or liver transplants from 1999 to 2004.
