Modern Healthcare articles from April 2006

Modern Healthcare archives from April 2006

Errors still evident.(Patient safety error)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Patient-safety errors continue to climb, according to a report scheduled to be released this week by the commercial healthcare data tracking service, HealthGrades. About 1.24 million Medicare patients from 2002 to 2004 received treatment that...

N.Y. may limit charity to poor.(New York)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker New York's Legislature was expected to pass a measure at deadline that would establish minimum requirements for hospital financial assistance policies, tying compliance to cash distributions from the state's...

Patients in motion; Network helps care for migrant workers.(Health aspects of migrant workers)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Ed Finkel Many Americans rely on a trusted internist and constellation of specialists for their healthcare; others, who lack adequate health insurance, rely on public clinics and, all too often, hospital emergency rooms for basic...

Cashing up, not out; Healthcare executives saw more compensation in 2004 despite the economy, according to Modern Healthcare's association salary report.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Healthcare's highest-paid association executives finished 2004 flush with cash. And for the remaining 30 or so executives surveyed for Modern Healthcare's latest association salary report, the year wasn't so bad...

In the spotlight.(Physicians awards)
April 3, 2006... * Jordan Cohen, a physician and president of the Washington-based Association of American Medical Colleges, will receive the American Hospital Association's Award of Honor for his "outstanding contributions to improving the health status of...

On the move...(Employment of health care)
April 3, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Gordon Ferguson has been promoted to president and CEO of Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., part of St. Thomas Health Services. Ferguson, 46, formerly COO, had been interim president and CEO since...

Tenet accountants settle; Former KPMG auditors do not admit wrongdoing.(Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler )(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro Three accountants who worked on Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s fiscal 2002 audit agreed to settle charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they submitted an audit without having completed many important...

Coming clean; Legislative proposals seek pricing clarity for uninsured.(Discounts for uninsured)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias The American Hospital Association is circulating legislative proposals on uninsured billing, but critics say the plans lack teeth and could even irritate Washington lawmakers. In a draft document distributed in...

New Orleans charity care soars; Huge decline in staffed beds adds to regional strain.(Storm damage)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, government auditors report that the number of hospital beds in New Orleans has dropped by about 80%, and the region's already-troubled healthcare system continues to look bleak....

Ten steps to reform; Getting escalating prices under control requires collaboration and goodwill.(Health coverage for patients)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Dan Wolterman It seems no one is happy with the state of our healthcare system. As providers, we are experiencing escalating costs while payments for our services go down. Employers are dealing with skyrocketing premiums to cover...

In memoriam.(Robert bromberg, attorney general)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Robert Bromberg, a Cincinnati attorney and former Internal Revenue Service official who pioneered the field of healthcare tax law, died of an apparent heart attack late last month while traveling with his wife, Barbara. Bromberg, 70, is...

Reimbursement with a catch.(Physicians compensation for their services)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Physicians in the Gulf Coast region may want to think twice before taking up a rare offer from HHS to get reimbursed for treating uninsured patients after Hurricane Katrina. Prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,...

The baby-boom building bust? Report shows that predictions of a senior health spending spree may not pan out.(Health care costs)(Editorial)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed You can't say we didn't tell you so. An interesting new report by the estimable folks at the Center for Studying Health System Change only confirms what this magazine first reported...

Henry Ford hires hotelier to make new hospital ritzy.(Hospital opening )
April 3, 2006... The concept of concierge healthcare may have taken a new twist in Michigan, where Henry Ford Health System's newest hospital will open in July 2008 with a luxury hotel veteran at its helm. Last week, the Detroit-based system named...

Other Voices.(Congress passing law)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... "Claiming... that having a single, standardized electronic system of health data in the country would help identify possible evidence of bioterrorism attacks, the administration is pushing Congress to pass a law forcing doctors and others who...

A winning attitude is half the battle; Successful people are enthusiastic, determined and willing to take risks.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director There is an old expression that goes something like this: "Winners never quit and quitters never win.'' It all comes down to a matter of attitude. Some individuals...

ER patients insured: study; Data reveal misperceptions about emergency rooms.(Emergency room)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias An onslaught of patients lacking health insurance may not be what's leading to congestion in hospital emergency rooms. A solid majority of adults who use the emergency department four or more times a year do so...

Infection data bring bad news; Pa. attempt to report data shows worse problems.(Pennsylvania report)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The clinical and financial havoc created by hospital-acquired infections appears even worse than first reported, according to the most recent update in Pennsylvania's groundbreaking effort to publicly expose the...

Officials probe Calif. Blues.(California blue cross)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko California regulators plan to investigate accusations that Blue Cross of California, Woodland Hills, has a system in place to retroactively cancel coverage for members after they need costly medical care. Both...

Hitting where it hurts; Congress considers incentives, penalties to spur quality.(Hospital acquired infections)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell If public reporting and quality improvement standards aren't enough to get hospitals to reduce their infection rates, some lawmakers on the Hill believe that financial incentives are the next step. Rep. Timothy...

Good Samaritan nears deal.(acquisition of Good samaritan)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... MultiCare Health System, Tacoma, Wash., entered into exclusive talks to acquire Good Samaritan Community Healthcare, Puyallup, Wash. The prospective partners, both not-for-profits, might sign a memorandum of understanding early this month after...

Construction with caution; Aging boomers might not justify expansion: study.(Hospital Buildings on expansion)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Baby boomers with chronic medical conditions are certain to fill hospital beds in the next decade or so, but the overall impact of the nation's aging population may not support the tens of billions of dollars being...

Specialty-hospital battle waged; Benefis leads legal charge against Mont. Hospital.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond The claim "no sale is ever final" holds true for the former Central Montana Surgical Hospital in Great Falls. The sale of the facility remains at the center of a specialty hospital battle, even after a court ruling...

Welcome ceremony.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Michael Marcotte From left, C. Thomas Smith, D. Kirk Oglesby Jr. and Vernon Loucks were inducted into the Health Care Hall of Fame last week. Standing with them are Thomas Dolan, president of the American College of Healthcare...

If you can't beat 'em ... As more not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals consider joint ventures, navigating hidden benefits and pitfalls is key to success.(management decision to sell for profit)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro When George Washington University Hospital executives made the decision to sell to a for-profit company, they were exercising their last option. The hospital was losing a lot of money in the mid-1990s, said John...

By The Numbers.(health care information technology survey)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Expanding coverage to the uninsured is hands-down the top priority for Congress to address, according to healthcare opinion leaders surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund. Increased use of information technology ranked second. The online survey was...

Business allies with the AHA.(American Hospital Association allies with U.S. Chamber of Commerce )
April 10, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans The American Hospital Association, whose members face mounting scrutiny from courts and Congress over billing, collection and charity care for low-income patients, stepped up a yearlong partnership with the U.S....

The second wave; Report unveils another national IT plan.(information technology network)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn A second industry battle plan for creating a national health information network was unveiled last week ahead of HHS' plans to do so later this year. The latest plan was offered up in an April 6 report by Connecting...

Universal solution? Mass. hospitals welcome bill to cover nearly all.(health care benefits)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone Massachusetts hospital industry executives were giddy over the prospect of the passage of a near universal healthcare bill that, along with mandating many of the state's uninsured to buy health coverage, would...

Another owner for GPO; McKesson is third buyer of National Oncology.(group purchasing organization)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone National Oncology Alliance, a San Rafael, Calif.-based group purchasing organization serving oncology physician practices, was sold for the third time in three years. Last week McKesson Corp., San Francisco,...

The heroes next door; Soldiers' call to service stands as shining example of sacrifice.(Editorial)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director About a year ago, I got a call from a friend, Karen, telling me her husband's National Guard unit had been activated and he would be going to Iraq in a few weeks. I...

Through the Teflon ceiling; A helping hand is needed if ranks of the influential are to become more diverse.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed Our recognition of the top minority healthcare executives probably is belated. It comes a year after we compiled the first list of the top women in healthcare and nearly four years after...

Actor plays against type at Capitol Hill health briefing.(celebrities behavior)
April 10, 2006... Jessica Simpson isn't the only celebrity appealing to lawmakers inside the Beltway these days. Last week, two-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton joined the American Public Health Association on Capitol Hill to help kick off National...

Second mistrial for Alvarado; No word if Tenet will face another trial on allegations.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro For Tenet Healthcare Corp. and its Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, it's deja vu all over again. For the rest of the industry, the message had already been delivered: Be more careful in documenting physician...

Initiatives join to expand P4P.(pay-for-performance)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano The eHealth Initiative, a coalition promoting the use of information technology in medical care, will take over management of Bridges to Excellence, an employer-led pay-for-performance initiative that has been...

Drug lawsuits building; Merck, Pfizer facing charges of misrepresentation.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko The pharmaceutical industry is facing a new set of challengers in court-private health insurers determined to recoup billions of dollars spent on drugs they claim they were essentially tricked into covering. ...

LifePoint rethinks HCA deal; Renegotiations are under way for five hospitals.(cases on health care industry mergers)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro LifePoint Hospitals seems to be having a case of buyer's remorse over its $330 million deal to acquire five hospitals from HCA. The companies said last week that they are renegotiating the terms of the deal, but...

Other Voices.(medical insurance bill)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... "The Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill that would require all residents to buy medical insurance and that would aim to make insurance affordable; the ambition is to extend coverage to more than 90% of the state's 550,000 uninsured...

"Learning lab' will test patient communications.(donations from American Academy of Family Physicians)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Thirty-six primary-care groups will begin testing a new patient-centered approach to care in June, with electronic health records and electronic communications as key tools. The American Academy of Family Physicians...

Fighting for privacy; Protect patients in rush to health IT: coalition.(rally on patients privacy rights)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias Advocacy groups across the political spectrum-from the Christian Coalition to the American Civil Liberties Union-joined together last week to rally opposition to health information-technology legislation they claim...

How we did it.(nominations for top health care executives)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... To select Modern Healthcare's first-ever listing of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare, the magazine issued a call for nominations on Jan. 2. The nomination deadline was Feb. 10 and was extended to Feb. 17. Readers submitted a total...

Steele chosen for CEO IT Award; Geisinger exec emerges from record pool of nominees.(The Week In Healthcare)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Modern Healthcare and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society are pleased to announce the recipient of the 2006 CEO IT Achievement Award. This year's winner is Glenn Steele Jr., president and chief executive officer of the...

Diversity in the executive suite; Modern Healthcare salutes the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare, who say their colleagues still face numerous obstacles.(health care executives management)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Nicole Voges As healthcare organizations across the country work to find new or better ways to serve a more racially and ethnically diverse patient base, the question is, are they making adjustments to the diversity of their own...

High priority, low progress; Safety gets more attention, but "incidents' climb.(patients safety)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Executives at large health systems are more committed than ever to patient safety, but others are quick to point out that this commitment is far from universal and, as a result, much of the recent patient-safety...

N.J. hospitals to fight tax-me, pay-me plan.(taxation on health care organizations)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The New Jersey Hospital Association is amassing its troops to do battle over a complex plan tucked away in Gov. Jon Corzine's 2007 budget proposal to tax hospitals to help balance the budget and fulfill the state's...

On the move...(Paul Dougherty moves from Triad Hospitals Inc)
April 10, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Paul Dougherty is resigning as CEO of Triad Hospitals' Deaconess Hospital, Oklahoma City, on April 14 to become CEO of Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City (Iowa). Dougherty, 59, has served as CEO at Deaconess for nine years....

Speeding up IT; Lawmakers frustrated by delays in creating network.(information technology)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias Sparring over the federal government's efforts to create a digital health network continued last week, with attendees at a House Ways and Means Committee's subcommittee hearing pushing for the government to alter its...

New PPS on the way; New prospective payment system expected this week.(prospective payment system)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell A much anticipated proposal on the inpatient prospective payment system for acute-care hospitals was expected to be released this week after failing to make an appearance last week. And people in the industry...

By The Numbers.(pricing transparency in health care industry)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Pricing transparency should play an important role in helping the healthcare industry moderate rising costs, according to a recent Modern Healthcare Web poll. The poll, held March 20 to April 3, had 123 respondents.

Redistributing the wealth; Proposed PPS revamp seen as "leveling playing field'.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The CMS giveth and the CMS taketh away. That summed up the proposed overhaul of Medicare's main payment system as the hospital industry last week began sifting through the 1,192-page report that its author, the...

The clock is ticking on IT; Bush plan seems bogged down in needless complexity.(information technology used in health care)(Editorial)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed Impatience is growing with the Bush administration's approach to developing a national healthcare information technology system. Members of Congress, IT vendors and healthcare interest...

How we did it.(Special Feature)
April 24, 2006... To compile the second annual ranking of the 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare, Modern Healthcare announced the recognition program in the Dec. 5, 2005 issue and simultaneously on modernphysician.com, the Web site of our sister...

Putting tobacco to good use; Kentucky hospital's venture aims to develop drugs.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano In one of the more inventive examples of diversification in healthcare, a hospital in Owensboro, Ky., has paid $6.4 million for a bioprocessing company that was in the business of developing drugs and vaccines from...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Correction notice)
April 24, 2006... Two quotations in a graphic accompanying the April 17 Special Report on male chief nursing officers ("The new CNO,'' p. 24) were transposed and incorrectly attributed. The quote attributed to Rick Martin, senior vice president and CNO, Hoag...

South.(Shelby Baptist Medical Center new facility for women)
April 24, 2006... ALABASTER, Ala.-Shelby Baptist Medical Center said this month it will open a new $4 million women's center this summer as part of a long-range expansion project that includes a new patient tower with approximately 72 beds. Officials with the...

CMS lifts veil on coverage; Critics charge process is full of cons, too few pros.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias The CMS last week quietly issued two final guidance documents that are expected to bring an insider's look at how the federal agency makes coverage decisions on certain medical devices and procedures. Taken...

On the move...(Cardinal Health appointments)(Texas Pacific Group appointments)(St. Joseph Hospital Company CEO Appointments)
April 24, 2006... VENDORS, CONSULTANTS Robert Walter, 60, resigned last week as CEO of Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio, and was replaced by Kerry Clark, 53, a Procter & Gamble Co. executive, who also will join Cardinal's board. In addition, Clark will take...

Mich. needs more docs, so ... Spectrum Health teams with MSU on new school.(Michigan State University College of Human Medicine)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Faced with mounting concerns about an imminent physician shortage, a big health system in Michigan has devised a solution to the problem: It's underwriting the construction of a new medical school to create a...

Va. merger no desperation play; Six-hospital Inova system would grow even bigger.(contracts)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Two not-for-profit hospital groups in Virginia have agreed to explore a merger that would expand upon and accelerate a number of projects under way in the region. Under the agreement between Inova Health System,...

Brailer ready to close this window; Health IT czar announces resignation; could a "political animal' be next in line?(Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn David Brailer, who announced his resignation as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology last week, often began his speeches by saying how great it was to be away from Washington...

UnitedHealth sets off waves; Proposed pay caps for execs come amid scrutiny.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Insurance industry bellwether UnitedHealth Group shook up the managed-care market last week when it kicked off earnings season with lower-than-expected growth projections and an unprecedented call by its top official...

"Oh my God, they're here'; Surprise JCAHO inspections have hospital execs learning that the best way to prepare is to treat every day as an inspection day.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
April 24, 2006... The show's over. That's the message healthcare consultant Kurt Patton has to deliver to his client hospitals these days. Patton, a former executive director of accreditation services at the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare...

West.(health policy of state government)
April 24, 2006... LAKE OSWEGO, Ore.-The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems teamed up with the state government and other organizations to launch a new public-private initiative designed to address healthcare work force shortages. The Oregon...

AMA: Near-monopolies abound; Study says insurer consolidation bad for docs, patients.(UnitedHealth Group acquisitions)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Four months after UnitedHealth Group completed its $9.2 million acquisition of PacifiCare Health Systems, creating the nation's second-largest health insurer, the AMA is once again calling on antitrust regulators to...

Northeast.(medical centers licensing agreements)
April 24, 2006... PROVIDENCE, R.I.-Roger Williams Medical Center earlier this month reached an agreement on terms for renewing its hospital license with the state health department. The department held hearings to determine the status of the license after the...

Would you be so kind? A true gentleman's passing offers lessons in civility.(Column)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director The only way to describe Enrique "Hank'' Orozco was that he was a gentleman. I met him a number of years ago when he came up to me and asked me where I had purchased my...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... "Several policy changes discussed in recent years could help many patients overcome their reluctance and the financial difficulties that now prevent them from receiving adequate care with the help of hospice. For a start, Medicare eligibility...

JCAHO leaders' former hospitals sought accreditation elsewhere.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
April 24, 2006... When the child of a local police chief or other public official gets arrested, word often spreads like wildfire through the community. But recently, when a hospital formerly run by a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations...

Data back competition; Hospitals not hurt by specialty rivals: MedPAC.(hosipitals finance management)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell General acute-care hospitals aren't getting slammed financially because of the emergence of specialty hospitals, but some are expanding other services to make up for lost Medicare revenue, the Medicare Payment...

Seeking a proper diagnosis? Pa. company's physician-adviser teams examine hospitals' business-plan problems.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Documentation was once a problem at the Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, La. The hospital system was getting the sickest of the sick in its region, "And we did not feel we were accurately documenting...

Midwest.(Children's Memorial Hospital plans to build hospital facility)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... CHICAGO-Children's Memorial Hospital said it plans to build a $750 million replacement hospital in downtown Chicago, near Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The 275-bed hospital is slated to...

Dramatic results; N.Y. initiative slashes central-line-related infections.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker A collaborative of New York metropolitan hospitals is calling an initiative to eliminate central-line-associated bloodstream infections from their intensive-care units a success with two-thirds of the participants...

Making a difference; Prominent physician-executives are wielding their influence across the industry.
April 24, 2006... Byline: Barry Silbaugh Look over Modern Healthcare's list of the most influential physician-executives and one thing is abundantly clear: Physician-executives are making an impact in a broad spectrum of healthcare organizations,...

The 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare 2006.(Biography)
April 24, 2006... Byline: Jay Greene William McGuire sees the healthcare system as overly complex-gaps exist within socio-economic groups; costs are too high; and quality improvements are needed. As chairman and chief executive officer of the nation's...

The 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare 2006: List.(health care industry)(List)
April 24, 2006... 1 William McGuire Chairman and CEO UnitedHealth Group Minnetonka, Minn. 2 Donald Berwick CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Cambridge, Mass. 3 William Winkenwerder Assistant secretary of defense...

By The Numbers.(Modern Healthcare Web poll)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Industry players, including the American Hospital Association, are working to create legislation regarding its care for uninsured hospital patients. A large majority of respondents to a Modern Healthcare Web poll were in favor of creating a...

Sarbanes-Oxley Act: What should not-for-profit health systems consider when evaluating full compliance with Section 404?(Discussion)
April 24, 2006... Sarbanes-Oxley-federal legislation to curb abuses in financial reporting by publicly traded companies-doesn't extend to not-for-profit hospitals, but many of them have complied with portions of the act. The majority of them, however, haven't...