Modern Healthcare articles from August 2007

Modern Healthcare archives from August 2007

Small state mulls big merger; R.I. will `tread lightly' on Lifespan-Care N.E. deal.(The Week in Healthcare)(Rhode Island healthcare systems )
August 6, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea A plan for a merger between two Rhode Island healthcare systems owning more than a third of the state's hospitals is getting a mixed reception from lawmakers, the healthcare community and residents. Announced July...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(appointments)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... * The American Hospital Association, Chicago, named eight healthcare executives to its board of trustees for three-year terms starting Jan. 1, 2008. The newly appointed members to the 28-person board are: Mark Adams, 54, a surgeon and chief of...

On the move...(News Makers)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Gary Blan, president and CEO of St. Clare's Health System, said he will retire on Jan. 1, 2008, when the sponsorship of the four-hospital system changes from Tulsa, Okla.-based Marian Health System to Catholic Health...

Rising in the Persian Gulf; Dubai and other United Arab Emirates states are using U.S. know-how to build a cutting-edge healthcare infrastructure.(Special Report)(Harvard Medical International)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Through the window of his apartment in the Grand Hyatt Dubai, Bruce Solomon can watch workers erecting the Burj Dubai skyscraper, which became the world's tallest building last month, even though it's well shy of its...

A HUNDRED THAT LEAD THE WAY.(By the Numbers)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... All hospitals work to constantly improve the way they deliver care in terms of quality, efficiency and financial viability. Some just do it much better. The annual ranking of the 100 Top Hospitals Performance Improvement Leaders, compiled by...

Judge ends Tenet outlier suit; Ruling parallels decision in St. Barnabas case.(Late News)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch A federal judge in Florida ended a lawsuit alleging Tenet Healthcare Corp. deprived thousands of hospitals of their fair share of Medicare outlier payments through a scheme to boost its own take by more than $1...

The good times keep rolling; Disclosure rules do nothing to slow the CEO compensation express.(Opinions Editorials)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane While ordinary workers struggle with mounting debt, piddling pay increases, vanishing pensions and dwindling health coverage, a new generation of tycoons has emerged, every bit as avaricious and shameless as the Gilded...

A LESS TAXING APPROACH; South Florida hospital district opts to take tax revenue off its books-but still have it.(Strictly Finance)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans Shortly after arriving as chief executive officer at South Florida's North Broward Hospital District in July 2006, Alan Levine balked as he pored over the books and discovered tax subsidies mixed in with operating...

Blue Shield sues Alvarado; Insurer: Hospital is billing at `exorbitant' rate.(The Week in Healthcare)(Blue Shield of California)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vesely Blue Shield of California has filed a lawsuit against Alvarado Hospital Medical Center alleging the San Diego facility is refusing to honor a contract signed by its previous owner, Tenet Healthcare Corp. ...

Community shuns Triad's ways; System plans to halt acquisitions for two years.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro Community Health Systems made even clearer last week what changes will be coming to Triad Hospitals in the wake of Community's $6.97 billion acquisition of Triad. Those changes will come as the investor-owned hospital...

LETTERS.(Opinions Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 6, 2007... Devicemakers and ethics Bravo for the government's action against Advanced Neuromodulation Systems for paying $5,000 kickbacks to doctors for every five new patients treated and for providing physicians with lavish gifts ("St. Jude medical...

SHAKING UP THE JOINT? When Mark Chassin takes over as president of the Joint Commission next year, sources say, don't expect business as usual.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Change is likely in store for the Joint Commission with Mark Chassin slated to take over as its new president, but how much he might alter the accreditation organization's course is yet to be seen. Chassin's...

Two SCHIPs set sail ... ... but it's rough seas ahead for both bills.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias Despite the apparent success of lawmakers in passing two different bills to renew the State Children's Health Insurance Program last week, there are indications that the politically charged program is still at risk....

Fixing veterans' care; Payment, disability systems seen as key.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond A presidential commission's recommendation to restructure the disability and compensation systems for wounded soldiers could greatly improve healthcare for the nation's veterans, experts said. In its final...

Delbanco to step down from Leapfrog post this fall.(Late News)(Suzanne Delbanco resigned from Leapfrog Group )(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... Suzanne Delbanco, 39, resigned as chief executive officer of the Leapfrog Group effective this fall, the organization announced. Delbanco founded Leapfrog in 2000 at age 32 to help providers and insurers improve care and rationalize costs, with...

QIO groups could lose power.(Late News)(Quality Improvement Organization)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias Two of the Senate's most outspoken critics of Medicare's Quality Improvement Organization program introduced legislation that would strip the program's QIO groups of their investigatory duties and instead give that...

Not-for-profit hospitals have stable outlook overall.(Late News)
August 6, 2007... Moody's Investors Service said the 2007 median financial measures for not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems continue to support a stable ratings outlook, but an overall softening in volumes and operating performance and some weaker...

You heard it here first; Gossip has no place in a professional workplace.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Charles S. Lauer There is nothing more insidious than people talking about you behind your back, especially when the rumor being spread about you is that you did something immoral or unethical. When you are in a leadership...

Inspired by Israel; Facing many similar challenges, this small country has found a way to cover all.(Opinions Commentary)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Ruth Brinkley Providing healthcare coverage for all Americans is a goal that has long been debated and discussed. Providers, payers, policymakers and consumers all agree that something must be done, yet few agree on exactly how we...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)(Pittsburgh Mercy Health System Inc.)
August 6, 2007... Shoe dispute roiled Pa. system: The hunt was on for safer Crocs Pittsburgh Mercy Health System has become healthcare's latest fashion victim, putting its stylishly clad foot in its mouth when it banned all shoes with open toes or holes from...

Who's got Spirit?(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... The nominations for Modern Healthcare's 15th annual Spirit of Excellence awards are now open. The awards, co-sponsored by Sodexho Health Care Services, honor organizations and individuals that go beyond what's expected in serving their patients...

Critics: Sierra sale a bad gamble; But insurer's CEO says it's definitely a safe bet.(The Week in Healthcare)(Sierra Health Services Inc. acquired by UnitedHealth Group Inc.)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vesely The proposed sale of Las Vegas-based Sierra Health Services to UnitedHealth Group is getting close scrutiny in Nevada, the first of three states that must approve the merger. Physicians, Nevada public officials...

Outsourcing survey's open.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... Modern Healthcare's 29th annual Outsourcing Survey is now open for participation. The 2007 Outsourcing Survey can be found at modernhealthcare.com/ surveys and is due by Sept. 5. Results of the survey will appear in our Oct. 1 issue. ...

The CMS' `misguided policy'; Proposed IPPS cuts could mean $20 billion less: AHA.(The Week in Healthcare)(inpatient prospective system)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Hospital industry officials found plenty not to like in the CMS' hospital inpatient prospective system final rule unveiled last week. The industry is opposed to an estimated five-year Medicare reimbursement cut of...

Doc-owned hospitals' new hurdle; Fight begins over exclusions, restrictions in SCHIP bill.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond After what must have seemed like a brief reprieve, physician-owned hospitals are again embattled with Congress, with the opening round finding a way into the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007....

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 6, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane "If a bill for universal healthcare were to be introduced in Congress in 2009, we can expect the same kind of fatal onslaught on it by insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, small and large businesses, doctors...

A HUNDRED THAT LEAD THE WAY.(By the Numbers)(Correction notice)
August 6, 2007... ***** Correction: Christiana Care Health System -- not Christiana Hospital, which is part of the system -- should have been listed among Thomson Healthcare's Performance Improvement Leaders (Aug. 6, p. 32). The system's location is...

West.(Regional News)(Health insurance industry)(The California Department of Insurance plans )(Cancer Treatment Centers of America )(Report)
August 13, 2007... LOS ANGELES-Affordability should be a key component of any meaningful healthcare reform because middle-class families are already struggling to meet basic healthcare expenses, said a report by the University of California at Los Angeles and the...

Consultant takes helm; Indiana system in midst of two-year comeback.(The Week in Healthcare)(Claude Watts Jr., appointed at Methodist Hospital of Indiana (Indianapolis, Indiana))
August 13, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans A new chief executive officer will finish out the two-year turnaround under way at Gary, Ind.-based Methodist Hospitals. But the incoming president and CEO will be a familiar face. Claude Watts Jr., a director...

Expanded coverage.(The Week in Healthcare)(Commonwealth Fund )(Report)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell States have been taking action to expand health coverage for uninsured young adults, the Commonwealth Fund reported last week. Sixteen states over the past few years have enacted laws mandating insurers to provide...

Tenet's conundrum; How can it increase volume without latest medical equipment, and vice versa?(The Week in Healthcare)(Tenet Healthcare Corp)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro Should Tenet Healthcare Corp. just call the whole thing off? After Dallas-based Tenet reported another quarter of disappointing earnings results last week, one analyst asked the company's executives if they are...

Finding victory in legal defeat; FTC says ENH can keep Highland Park (Ill.) Hospital, but industry wary of what anti-competitive decision might mean.(Evanston Northwestern Healthcare)(Highland Park Hospital )(The Federal Trade Commission)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Evanston (Ill.) Northwestern Healthcare bought a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune to say the system was "thrilled'' with news from Washington, which may have looked to some like an up-is-down spin job. The...

PREPARATION IN SHORT SUPPLY; As hospitals plan for emergencies such as a flu pandemic, one challenge is how they'll keep their supply shelves stocked.(Special Report)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Banner Health spokesman Bill Byron was among a large group of employees from the healthcare system's eight Phoenix-area hospitals to receive an early morning cattle call one day last month. According to the caller, there...

Midwest.(Regional News)(Northwest Suburban Community Hospital )(HealthSouth Corp)(Cigna HealthCare merged with Sagamore Health Network)
August 13, 2007... BELVIDERE, Ill.-Northwest Suburban Community Hospital has filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The July 31 filing was required under an agreement to sell the facility to SwedishAmerican Health System in...

Design award winners named; Nine facilities tapped by nine-person jury.(The Week in Healthcare)(Modern Healthcare )
August 13, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Modern Healthcare is pleased to announce the results of its 22nd annual Design Awards, which included four awards for excellence, three honorable mentions, and two citations chosen from 181 entries. The...

Starting out with a `bang'; Hospitals turn to rapid-fire rollouts of new IT systems.(Information Edge)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn As a healthcare information technology implementation strategy, the "big bang'' fizzled famously during the 2002 deployment of a computerized physician-order entry system at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles....

Best expands ratings services; Will assess credit of providers with health plans.(Late News)(A.M. Best Company Inc)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker Health plan rating agency A.M. Best Co. announced last week that it planned to expand its analytical coverage of the hospital industry, treading into territory already covered by the big three credit-rating agencies:...

One in, two out, one on hold; HHS, CMS see turnover; Weems left hanging.(The Week in Healthcare)(Department of Health and Human Services)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias HHS batted .500 during an otherwise slow week in Washington, with the agency losing one high-profile leader in Assistant Secretary for Health John Agwunobi only to gain another in recently appointed Deputy Secretary...

Magazine honored.(The Week in Healthcare)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Byline: David Burda, editor Modern Healthcare has been honored with 10 prestigious editorial awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. The ASBPE Awards of Excellence recognize the work and commitment of business...

Extra training needed for DRGs; Concerns arise on coding, payment issues for system.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Some hospitals could risk coding things incorrectly or even losing money if they do not receive the additional training and resources needed to phase in the federal government's new Medicare DRG system, sources...

Nice wins; Being good to others is the best business policy.(Charles S. Lauer)(The Power of Nice)(Book review)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Charles S. Lauer A new book called The Power of Nice is a winner. The book, by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, the chief executive officer and president, respectively, of the Kaplan Thaler Group advertising agency, describes...

DerGurahian joins the staff.(The Week in Healthcare)(Jean DerGurahian)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Please welcome reporter Jean DerGurahian to our editorial staff. DerGurahian, 29, covers quality of care and patient safety out of our Chicago office. She also covers regional healthcare business news in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and...

On the move...(NewsMakers)(briefs)
August 13, 2007... GPOs VHA, Irving, Texas, has tapped Byron Jobe to be CFO and senior vice president of the company. Jobe, 38, was CFO for Healthvision, a company providing Web-based clinical solutions and services to hospitals and other healthcare...

Questions of conflicts; MGMA, AHA execs sit on firm's advisory board.(The Week in Healthcare)(American Hospital Association)(Medical Group Management Association)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker Two prominent trade association executives, including one specializing in healthcare governance, say their positions on the advisory board of a German healthcare information technology company trying to gain a foothold...

Kennedy questions if HIPAA "portability' being enforced.(Late News)(Edward Kennedy )(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has asked HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt for data on how the CMS is enforcing a provision of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that requires insurance companies to provide basic coverage for...

CMS terminates contract with troubled King-Harbor.(Late News)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The CMS has terminated its contract with Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles, effective Aug. 15, citing "significant problems'' that continue to plague the troubled hospital. "Conditions at the facility have placed the health...

Letters.(Opinions Letters)
August 13, 2007... Surgeons general need to speak David Burda's editorial about the legislative response to former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona's congressional testimony was right on the button ("Carmona! Carmona! Carmona!'' July 23, p. 21). I am no...

Your mission, since you accepted; What the next Joint Commission chief needs to do to fix a broken organization.(Opinions Editorials)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(Column)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane Mark Chassin seems to be an excellent choice as the next president of the Joint Commission. As our Aug. 6 cover story revealed, he is a past critic of the organization, and has worked on quality issues for prestigious...

Directors win Granada case; Board let off hook a harbinger for other bankruptcies?(The Week in Healthcare)
August 13, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vesely A settlement in a closely watched lawsuit over who is accountable when not-for-profit hospitals fail could be good news for stewards of troubled facilities. Last week, a Los Angeles bankruptcy court judge...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)(Microsoft Xbox)
August 13, 2007... Now at the bedside: Computer games and a link to docs, home At Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, a new education and entertainment system can be described this way: play station meets the nurses' station. Late last year, the...

South.(Regional News)(expansion of Health Sciences Center )(accreditation of Greater Southeast Community Hospital)(investments of Federal Emergency Management Agency)
August 13, 2007... LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The University of Louisville will use a $2.5 billion capital investment to expand its Health Sciences Center in downtown Louisville over the next 20 years. The project will include 3.2 million square feet of new research...

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)
August 13, 2007... "Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani should have spent less time generating buzz for his eagerly anticipated healthcare speech and more time working out the details.... The centerpiece of his proposal would be a $15,000 tax...

PAYING DUES BY DOING LESS; Critics decry the ACHE's consolidation of credentials, saying the change in criteria fast-tracks fellows with less experience.
August 20, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans Cachet for healthcare executives is a little easier to come by these days, and the reason has nothing to do with rising pay or lavish perks. In January, one of the industry's top professional associations, the...

Minority execs form groups.(The Week in Healthcare)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans Minority executives have launched two splinter associations from the American College of Healthcare Executives that architects say complement, not compete, with the college. Organizers behind the 2-year-old...

Fear of change itself; A few positive developments only underscore healthcare's hidebound nature.(Opinions Editorials)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane Some parts of the healthcare industry are taking baby steps toward improvement. These modest changes would hardly be news in any other part of the U.S. economy, but in healthcare they're cause to break out the 100-point...

CMS: Your mistake, your problem; Eight hospital-acquired conditions won't be paid for.(The Week in Healthcare)(medicaid services )
August 20, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Hospital executives are scrambling to prepare for a Medicare rule change regarding hospital-acquired infections that has the potential to cut into their revenue. The CMS' final rule on hospital payments under...

Windber leaves Conemaugh; Pa. facility's decision a sign of hospital-system relations.(The Week in Healthcare)(Windberb Medical Center )(Conemaugh Health System)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans Windber (Pa.) Medical Center broke its decade-long affiliation with Conemaugh Health System, officials said last week, which is a gamble that the 57-bed hospital will remain competitive as its former partner grows...

AHA sees $11.1 million profit; Investments, member dues contribute to bottom line.(The Week in Healthcare)(American Hospital Association)(Financial report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans The American Hospital Association finished 2006 with an $11.1 million profit, despite a drop in revenue and income from a year ago thanks to tumbling investment returns. Richard Davidson ended his 15-year tenure...

Grassley, Roberts decry proposed SCHIP expansion.(Late News)(Senate Committee on Finance)(Chuck Grassley )( Mike Leavitt)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Two Republican Senate Finance Committee members have called on the White House to reject a proposal from state health officials that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program in New York to cover families with annual incomes as...

Corrections/Clarifications.
August 20, 2007... Christiana Care Health System -- not Christiana Hospital, which is part of the system -- should have been listed among Thomson Healthcare's Performance Improvement Leaders (Aug. 6, p. 32). The system's location is Wilmington, Del. Incorrect...

Letters.(Opinions Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 20, 2007... Item deemed misleading Your article, "Bill would halt Joint Commission's Medicare deeming authority'' (Late News, July 30, p. 4), is incorrect and misleading. The bill does not propose an end to the commission's federal deeming...

Hospitals want IRS to delay not-for-profit reporting rules.(Late News)(Internal Revenue Service )(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Forty-two hospitals have urged the Internal Revenue Service to delay by two years proposed rules that would expand public reporting of how not-for-profit hospitals subsidize medical care, research and other health services in exchange for...

San Francisco's solution; Plan to cover uninsured already facing lawsuit.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vesely San Francisco, which famously sanctioned gay marriage and banned plastic grocery bags, is taking on another hot-button issue: the uninsured. The city by the bay is attempting to become the first municipality in...

Appearances matter; How we `thin-slice' our surroundings, for good or ill.(Charles S. Lauer)(Letter to the editor)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Editor's note: Charles S. Lauer is on vacation. This column first ran on Sept. 5, 2005. Blink has recently been released in paperback. Some people have an innate ability to sort through what is and what isn't...

Deadline for Up & Comers.(The Week in Healthcare)
August 20, 2007... Past Up & Comers, time is running out to register for Modern Healthcare's upcoming 20th anniversary yearbook, which will answer the question: Where are they now? The deadline to register at modernhealthcare.telusys.com has been extended to...

Seeking synchronization; AHRMM meeting focuses on global supply tracking.(Special Feature)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea From vendors that touted electronic cabinets that keep track of drug and medical device inventory to handheld inventory-tracking devices to a government-sponsored pilot program that's endeavoring to launch a global...

Novant takes on imaging; System buying MedQuest as for-profit subsidiary.(The Week in Healthcare)(Novant Health Inc)(MQ Associates)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro Novant Health is buying a for-profit diagnostic imaging company that the system believes is a good strategic fit along both geographic and service lines. Not-for-profit Novant said it will purchase for-profit MQ...

Worst-case scenario; Many hospitals still unprepared for disaster: CDC.(The Week in Healthcare)(Report)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond With the approaching late-summer anniversaries of two of the worst disasters in U.S. history-Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks-the American healthcare system's readiness for public emergencies...

Big guys getting bigger: study; Small doc practices still lead, but numbers shrinking.(Physician Affairs)(Survey)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The smallest physician practices still make up the largest percentage of medical practices as a whole, but their share of the pie is shrinking, according to a study published last week. The percentage of...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)
August 20, 2007... Calif. reform effort takes a town hall meeting, aided by laptops Californians have spoken, and they want healthcare reform. That may seem obvious, but how they voiced their views was novel. Nearly 3,500 residents from across the state...

Give payers EHR data: report; Privacy, security advocates oppose `fraud fighting' plan.(The Week in Healthcare)(RTI International)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn The Bush administration has signed off on 14 recommendations in a federally funded report by RTI International on how to use electronic health-record systems to detect healthcare fraud and to gather evidence for fraud...

Leapfrog's next move; Delbanco leaving quality group in transition.(The Week in Healthcare)(Suzanne Delbanco resigned from Leapfrog Group )
August 20, 2007... Byline: Jean DerGurahian The resignation of Suzanne Delbanco as chief executive officer of the Leapfrog Group comes at a time of transition for the 7-year-old quality organization of large employers, health plans and providers. Calling...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(Health Management Associates Inc)(Triad Hospitals Inc)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Health Management Associates, Naples, Fla., announced the hiring of two former Triad Hospital executives. Triad, Plano, Texas, was acquired last month by Community Health Systems, Franklin, Tenn., for $6.97 billion in cash and assumed debt....

Northeast.(Regional News)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... NEW YORK-St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers in New York, which is poised to emerge from bankruptcy protection next month, has retained Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to design its new Greenwich Village hospital-a technologically advanced, green...

South.(Regional News)
August 20, 2007... MURRELLS INLET, S.C.-Waccamaw Community Hospital has sued HHS in U.S. District Court, Charleston, alleging that the agency improperly denied the hospital an urban wage rate for Medicare reimbursements. The denial cost Waccamaw about $1 million,...

Midwest.(Regional News)
August 20, 2007... CHICAGO-The University of Chicago Hospitals' long-planned new pavilion has edged forward with a letter of intent sent to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, the first step toward getting a certificate of need. The scale and price tag...

Caught in the middle; Racketeering lawsuit centers on role of hospitalists.(Payers and Purchasers)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker Perhaps it was inevitable, but a prominent company that is part of the fastest growing specialty in medicine finds itself in the middle of a coverage disagreement between a hospital and an insurer. The charge is...

On the move...(News Makers)(John Bigalke to be named U.S. health sciences and government leader)(Colleen Mitchell has being appointed by Evanston )(John Arnott was appointed CEO of Alpine Biomed Corp)
August 20, 2007... CONSULTING John Bigalke, currently a partner with Deloitte & Touche USA, has been named U.S. health sciences and government leader, a new role. Bigalke, 53, also will serve as Deloitte's U.S. health plans leader, which provides services to...

West.(Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center plans to offer more beds for patients)(MedCath Corp. to begin construction iin early 2008)
August 20, 2007... SEATTLE-Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center says it plans to more than double the number of beds on its main campus. The number of beds will rise from 250 to between 500 and 600, and the 900,000-square-foot main campus will grow to...

Texas Health looks to grow; System intends to acquire, build in north Texas.(Texas Health Resources to expand )(Community Health Systems to acquire Presbyterian Hospita)(Texas Health to do joint venture with physicians)
August 20, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro and Jessica Zigmond ARLINGTON, Texas-Not-for-profit Texas Health Resources made moves to further expand its presence in Denton County, north of Dallas. The system notified Community Health Systems, Franklin, Tenn.,...

HealthSouth's CEO buys $2 million in company shares.(Late News)
August 20, 2007... Jay Grinney, chief executive officer of rehabilitation provider HealthSouth Corp., Birmingham, Ala., acquired nearly 115,000 shares in the company's stock, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On Aug. 14, Grinney...

N.Y. attorney general warns Aetna, Cigna on doc rankings.(Late News)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Physician-ranking programs by Aetna and Cigna Healthcare may confuse or deceive consumers because of how they are designed, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has warned in letters to the two insurers. Cuomo requested full justification for...

Boston Scientific looking to sell cardiac, vascular subsidiaries.(Late News)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Boston Scientific Corp., Natick, Mass., is looking to unload its cardiac-surgery and vascular-surgery divisions as part of an ongoing plan to divest itself of nonstrategic assets, according to a news release issued by the company. The...

Homegrown leaders; How one health system made mentoring an integral part of its operations.(Opinions Commentary)
August 20, 2007... Byline: John Michael DeMarco Larry Garrison, my hospital system's chief operating officer, called me one morning with a request to help prepare those to whom we must "turn over the car keys some day.'' Like many senior executives,...