Modern Healthcare articles from July 2007

Modern Healthcare archives from July 2007

COMMAND PERFORMANCE; CMS ready to debut pay-for-performance plan, but regardless of whether it's a hit, quality comparisons could be a rising star.(United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker Slowly turning up the heat for several years now, the CMS has been preparing hospitals for the first course in a major transformation of the Medicare reimbursement system called value-based purchasing. It's nearly...

Basics training; Docs need to learn how to relate to patients.(Charles S. Lauer)(physician-patient relationship)(Viewpoint essay)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Life can be so simple and yet many people seem to need to complicate everything. Bureaucrats are famous for doing this and often take something very basic and turn it into a complicated, mind-boggling and...

Late news.(Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services recuirts rural hospitals to align incentives to the hospitals and physicians)(Ohio First District Court of Appeals rejects the request of health alliance to delay in paying in legal fees)(Hospital stops Medicare-funded heart transplant program)
July 9, 2007... CMS to recruit rural hospitals for gain-sharing demo project The CMS, after a stalled first attempt late last year, said it is recruiting rural hospitals for a gain-sharing demonstration project authorized under federal law. The project is...

Antitrust allegations; Two Ill. doc groups accused of collusion.(The Week in Healthcare)(lawsuit filed against Christie Clinic, Champaign, and Carle Clinic Association)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently hit two neighboring physicians groups in east-central Illinois with an antitrust lawsuit alleging they conspired to boycott new Medicaid patients, intending to squeeze...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)(presidents of American Medical Association find no favours in policy debates)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sets medicare program)(laws to promote renal care)
July 9, 2007... AMA chiefs past and present find no favors in policy debates Rank did not mean privilege when it came to exceeding the allotted speaking time during committee testimony at last month's meeting of the American Medical Association's House of...

Scrap the IT plan; Instead of threats to privacy, let's try simple, local medical record solutions.(Opinions Editorials)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane It should be clear by now that unless the federal government mandates a single healthcare information technology platform for all healthcare providers and heavily subsidizes its adoption, we won't meet President Bush's...

Clinics catching heat; Standards demanded for in-store clinics.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Concerns over the role of retail-based clinics in patient care has intensified, with a growing number of physicians and medical associations calling on state and federal officials to closely monitor and create standards...

Learning from Scrushy; Expect more scrutiny in CON process: lawyers.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond The sentencing of Richard Scrushy late last month for alleged bribery offered a reminder to healthcare executives that state certificate-of-need programs are likely to remain under close scrutiny by enforcement...

Getting the pricing right; Report aims to add impetus to billing overhaul.(Strictly Finance)(health care industry)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker The signature event at the Healthcare Financial Management Association's Annual National Institute in San Diego late last month was the release of a new report that urges hospital financial executives to lead the way...

Letters.(Opinions Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 9, 2007... Preventing MRSA The study by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology showing an alarming increase in the rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in hospital settings points up the...

Manor Care goes private; Skilled-nursing chain is selling for $6.3 billion.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro The most profitable name in nursing homes is going private. Manor Care, Toledo, Ohio, said last week that it has agreed to be acquired by the Carlyle Group in a leveraged buyout worth $6.3 billion in cash and...

FOLLOWING THE MONEY; Financial data systems-which have long taken second billing to clinical IT-gain attention as focus turns to quality, consumerism.(Special Report)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn In recent years, particularly since 2004, when President Bush created HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, most of the federal focus on healthcare IT has been on promoting the...

Pioneering lawyer dies.(The Week in Healthcare)(Sherwin Memel)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Sherwin Memel, a pioneer in the field of healthcare law, died June 29 at 77. "He's one of the people who realized that the healthcare industry needed its own specialty for lawyers because of the complexity of the...

Canceled deal leaves doubt; Prospective buyers will have questions for Caritas.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans After a planned acquisition by Ascension Health collapsed, Caritas Christi Health Care returns to the market with a question mark for future prospective buyers. Ascension Health, a 61-hospital system in St. Louis,...

Tenet cites St. Barnabas ruling; Fla. gaming lawsuit should be tossed as well: company.(The Week in Healthcare)(Florida)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch A federal judge in New Jersey has tossed out a lawsuit that argued thousands of hospitals deserve to be compensated by a system that allegedly gamed Medicare's outlier program. The decision is sending ripples to...

Modern Healthcare wins four Tabbies.(The Week in Healthcare)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Modern Healthcare has won four international awards for editorial and design excellence. The awards, from the Trade, Association and Business Publications International organization, recognize outstanding work by English-language business...

Payment protest; Docs press Congress to fix formula and end cuts.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell In the wake of yet another proposed fee cut for Medicare physicians, the physician lobby is banking on a legislative proposal that seeks to eliminate the threat of future payment reductions. Last week, the CMS...

Nurses off hook in deaths; Physician still in sights of New Orleans grand jury.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Last week's decision by a Louisiana district attorney to not pursue charges against two nurses accused of helping to kill four hospital patients after Hurricane Katrina isn't necessarily bad news for Anna Pou, the...

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)
July 9, 2007... "The sweeping changes contained in the universal healthcare plan adopted so abruptly by the state Senate would create losers as well as winners in Wisconsin's economy. For that reason, lawmakers should keep the plan out of the final state...

My cure for an ailing system; How I, as president, would achieve affordable, universal health coverage.(Opinions Commentary)(Health insurance industry)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Sen. Barack Obama The U.S. spends more than $2 trillion on medical care every year, and offers the best medical technology in the world. Americans have their choice of top doctors and hospitals, and our national investment in...

AMA fears NQF expansion.(Physician Affairs)(American Medical Association House)(National Quality Forum)(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The American Medical Association House of Delegates voted at its annual meeting to let the National Quality Forum know it was keeping an eye on what the forum is doing. AMA delegates voted to oppose any effort...

Growing a system; Ky. hospitals ripe for regional health system: CHI.(Regional News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans DENVER-Six Kentucky hospitals owned by one of the largest Catholic health systems are striking out on an ambitious expansion plan that its executives say hinges on aggressive local consolidation. Catholic Health...

Not worth the risk? Privacy advocates slam FDA's Web-based safety program for high-risk drugs.(Information Edge)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn The Food and Drug Administration is no stranger to taking heat in its role as the lead federal safety regulator of the pharmaceutical industry. The FDA has taken some flak as well from privacy experts over healthcare...

Private ambitions; Sisters of Mercy tries private-label route for savings.(The Week in Healthcare)(Sisters of Mercy Health System )
July 16, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Last year, the Sisters of Mercy Health System took on the challenge of getting medical staff from its 18 hospitals in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma committed to purchasing a more limited list of product...

Prevention in a free market; My plan: Let consumers run their own care, with incentives to stay healthy.(Opinions Commentary)(diagnosis of health disease)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Mike Huckabee We don't have a healthcare crisis in this country; we have a health crisis. About 75% of the $2 trillion we spend annually on healthcare is spent on chronic disease, most of which could be prevented by not...

Head to head over SCHIP; Two plans, two chambers-and perhaps one veto.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias Battle lines emerged last week over two wildly different legislative blueprints that aim to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Members from both chambers of Congress and the White...

Legal standoff in Detroit; Judge weighing Karmanos' move to Riverview site.(Regional News)(case against Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute by Detroit Medical Center)(breach of contract case)(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch DETROIT-St. John Health System is closing 285-bed St. John Detroit Riverview Hospital, but the planned sale of the site isn't likely to close anytime soon. A state court judge last week granted a temporary injunction...

Another turf war; AMA campaign against retail clinics conflicts with the evidence.(Opinions Editorials)(American Medical Association)(Editorial)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane The American Medical Association is calling for a federal investigation of what it terms a "clear, inherent conflict of interest'' in health clinics co-habiting with pharmacies and other retail stores. The AMA also...

Big deposit, no return? Losses possible in program for chronically ill: report.(The Week in Healthcare)(centres for midicare and medicaid services)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias The early returns from a CMS pilot program that aims to better coordinate and manage care for chronically ill patients fails to show significant financial savings, and the program has put the participating companies...

Standing on its own; University Hospital cuts ties with two systems.(Regional News)(The University Medical Center)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The University Medical Center, a not-for-profit corporation controlling the 330-bed University Hospital at the University of Louisville, has terminated a management partnership with competitors Jewish...

In the spotlight.(NewsMakers)(Dribjot Du)(Amerigroup Corp )(Deloitte Center hires William Winkenwerder Jr)
July 16, 2007... A former information technology manager for America's Health Insurance Plans faces deportation and prison time for steering nearly $1 million of the association's money to a front company in which he was the sole director, employee and...

The lessons of ownership; Docs find advantages in owning office buildings.(Physician Affairs)(medical office buildings )
July 16, 2007... Byline: Jay Greene Physicians are discovering that investing in their medical office buildings provides multiple advantages over traditional renting, such as lower operating costs, the potential for long-term equity growth, tax breaks,...

Northeast.(Regional News)
July 16, 2007... EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.-Bradley Hospital, a child psychiatric facility, has received state approval to build new facilities on its current campus. The $31 million project will include construction of a 45,000-square-foot hospital and renovation...

South.(Regional News)(Chester River Health System )(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... CHESTERTOWN, Md.-A Maryland judge has denied a temporary restraining order filed against Chester River Health System board members as part of a broader move meant to scuttle merger talks between the one-hospital system and the larger University...

Midwest.(Regional News)(Henry Ford Health System )(Memorial Hospital & Health System)(Provena Health)
July 16, 2007... CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.-Henry Ford Health System is now the sole owner of St. Joseph's Healthcare and has renamed the system Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals. Since 1990, Henry Ford has been an equal partner in the system with Trinity Health, Novi,...

On the move...(NewsMakers)
July 16, 2007... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS D. McWilliams Kessler was named president and CEO of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, effective July 16. He succeeds Joseph Corcoran, 64, who recently retired after serving as president and CEO for 13 years. Kessler,...

`Early in the go'; Avoiding duplication for fixing prices?(The Week in Healthcare)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Seven years ago, a federal judge in White Plains, N.Y., ruled that an agreement two Poughkeepsie hospitals proposed as an effort to avoid duplicating capital-intensive services was in fact a mechanism for illegally...

Fedele exits West Penn; `Differences' cited in CEO's resignation.(The Week in Healthcare)(Jerry Fedele, president of West Penn Allegheny Health System resigns)(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Jerry Fedele, president and chief executive officer of West Penn Allegheny Health System, Pittsburgh, tendered his resignation last week. Fedele's "resignation came about as a result of positive yet unresolved...

Bill would help insure disabled ... ... but union says it's time to help caregivers, too.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Several advocacy groups have pledged support for new legislation that would provide more choices to adults with disabilities, but a union official says workers deserve more training and pay as part of a broader...

Anaheim not Prime real estate; Attorney general denies hospital sale to Reddy's firm.(The Week in Healthcare)(Memorial Medical Center)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker Physician entrepreneur Prem Reddy's buying spree of troubled not-for-profit hospitals in Southern California stumbled last week when the California attorney general denied the proposed $55 million sale of 224-bed...

Schiff leaving Stroger.(The Week in Healthcare)(Gordon Schiff )(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Gordon Schiff is leaving his posts as director of clinical quality research and improvement at Chicago's 460-bed John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and professor of medicine at Rush Medical College to...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)(robotic surgery )
July 16, 2007... The robot as physician extender: Study finds a clinical advantage An article published in this month's Journal of the American College of Surgeons concludes that visits from a robot helped gastric bypass patients get well faster and go home...

Setting a new standard; Joint Commission clarifies divide between board, staff.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks A new Joint Commission standard, which took four years to develop, has gained acceptance from hospital industry groups after clarifying that a hospital's board of trustees has the final say on a hospital's decision...

Show us the money; P4P pilot sees better quality but insufficient savings.(The Week in Healthcare)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The 10 participants in a CMS physician group practice pay-for-performance demonstration project achieved impressive performance targets for diabetes care, but only two qualified for financial rewards resulting from...

Surgeon general's warning; Nomination 'scuffle in larger war' on science policy.(Late News)(James Holsinger Jr)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond James Holsinger Jr.'s nomination as the next U.S. surgeon general evolved into a debate of politics vs. science as legislators weighed testimony suggesting prior officeholders have been stifled by the political...

Briefly.(Late News)(The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati)(CMS)(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Health Alliance trims two execs to save in wake of breakup The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati eliminated the job of chief medical officer as part of an effort to cut spending by $40 million annually in the wake of an April court...

Corrections & clarifications.
July 16, 2007... A misinterpretation of the Healthcare Executive Search Firms Survey led to incorrect rankings within the top 10 firms of the 20 largest healthcare executive search firms "By the Numbers" list (July 2/9, p. 32). Corrected charts are available in...

HAVEN'T WE MET BEFORE? Don't call it a merger-a spate of new joint operating agreements may spark '90s deja vu, but it's different now, executives say.(St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers and Vassar Brothers Medical Center run in partnership)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Gregg Blesch Like a shark-attack victim screwing up the courage to splash in the surf again, the president of 319-bed St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., mused in the local paper in December 2006 that he...

Vesely joins Modern Healthcare.(The Week in Healthcare)(Rebecca Vesely )(Brief article)
July 16, 2007... Please welcome reporter Rebecca Vesely to our editorial staff. Vesely, 36, covers healthcare payers and purchasers out of our San Francisco office. She also covers regional healthcare business news in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon...

NCFE fallout continues; Happ is the eighth former executive to be indicted.(The Week in Healthcare)(National Century Financial Enterprises)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker With the addition of an eighth defendant, there was some movement last week in the long-simmering case against former executives of National Century Financial Enterprises, the healthcare financing giant whose collapse...

Bigger paydays; Oncologists see largest average increase in 2007.(Special Feature)(Survey)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Supply and demand mixing with quality-of-life issues drove the results of Modern Healthcare's annual survey of physician compensation, which shows oncologists, pathologists and psychiatrists receiving on average...

Data Trackers; Fourteen groups provide numbers for survey.(Special Feature)(Survey)
July 16, 2007... American Medical Group Association The Alexandria, Va.-based trade group's Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey was conducted in December 2006 in partnership with the Minneapolis-based accounting and consulting firm RSM...

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)
July 16, 2007... "Democrats in both houses are pushing for substantial increases in the State Children's Health Insurance Program.... Nationally 7.4 million children received insurance coverage in the past year, while an estimated 9 million eligible for the...

What really matters; Helping others is what will count in the end.(Charles S. Lauer)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Charles Lauer Joseph Vumbacco, the vice chairman and director of Health Management Associates, recently forwarded me a message from a friend of his who is dying of cancer. Vumbacco says his friend is "a good father, a devoted...

Device deals dominate; DJO, Biomet buyouts gain steam as Abbott's fizzles.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea The medical-device market has been hot with merger and acquisition action in recent weeks, with potential buyouts of orthopedic-product makers DJO and Biomet solidifying, and a long-anticipated purchase falling apart of...

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)
July 23, 2007... "Dr. James W. Holsinger Jr. wants to be the next surgeon general of the U.S. On paper, he's nearly perfect. His distinguished career spans nearly 40 years in Kentucky and Washington.... But his prurient 1991 paper for the Methodist Church on...

GPO Survey deadline extended.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 23, 2007... We've extended the deadline for our fourth annual Group Purchasing Organization Survey. To participate, please see modernhealthcare.com/surveys to download the surveys. Send your responses by 5 p.m. CDT on July 30. Results of the survey will be...

Invasion of privacy? Some IT vendors' contracts ignore HIPAA rules: Tang.(The Week in Healthcare)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joseph Conn In another sign that healthcare information technology may be eroding patient privacy, a nationally prominent physician IT expert said that some electronic health-record vendors have placed stipulations in their...

Late news.(infection-control prevention )(Provena Covenant Medical Center cases)(The Massachusetts Hospital Association )
July 23, 2007... House ready to introduce its $50 billion SCHIP legislation House leaders were set to introduce the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act, which includes $50 billion over five years for the federal State Children's Health Insurance...

Of singing and foot rubs; And other crazy things behind good hospital service.(Charles S. Lauer)(Book review)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Charles S. Lauer If you ever find yourself rolling your eyes at all the endless reports on process improvement or the meetings devoted to business restructuring-all of it in incomprehensible business speak-you might want to take...

A fiscal nor'easter? MedPAC index proposal could mean big losses for some hospitals, gains for others.(The Week in Healthcare)(economic aspects of health care industry)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Hospitals in the Northeast stand to lose a lot of money if a proposal by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to establish a new hospital wage index system is implemented, according to a report from an...

Integrated's fate; Judge will break tie on board over refinancing plans.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro A California state court judge has appointed a former state court judge to play the role of Solomon for Integrated Healthcare Holdings. In a recent ruling, Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court Judge Gregory Lewis...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)
July 23, 2007... N.Y. system finds a way to push up satisfaction scores: cash As can be gleaned from our special report this issue (p. 26), hospitals are jittery about having to report patient satisfaction data to the feds. North Shore-Long Island Jewish...

News makers.(health care industry official and employees)
July 23, 2007... GOVERNMENT Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed longtime healthcare administrator Barney Speight, 61, as executive director of the newly created seven-member Oregon Health Trust Board. The board is tasked with crafting a universal health...

THE PATIENT'S PERSPECTIVE; Hospitals must report patient-satisfaction data or face a financial hit; for many it's just business as usual, for others it poses some challenges.(Special Report)(The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems hospital survey)(Survey)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Barbara Kirchheimer Much discussion about pay-for-performance has focused on how hospitals measure up against one another clinically and how the dollars may be divvied up accordingly. So far there has been less emphasis on how...

House OKs HHS funding bill ... ... but 276-140 vote not enough to override a veto.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Matthew DoBias Federal lawmakers continued to tread water regarding the funding for HHS last week, despite some apparent progress. The House last week passed a funding bill that would give HHS $68.2 billion in discretionary...

Carmona! Carmona! Carmona! After four silent years, it's too late for tough talk from the former surgeon general.(Opinions Editorials)(Richard Carmona.)
July 23, 2007... Byline: David Burda One piece of federal legislation that we hope dies a quick death is the Surgeon General Integrity Restoration Act. There's nothing the healthcare industry needs less than another government agency charged with making...

NQF OKs patient surveys; More accurate assessments should come, experts say.(The Week in Healthcare)(The National Quality Forum)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The National Quality Forum last week endorsed seven surveys for assessing patient satisfaction and five surgical-care standards aimed at infection prevention, a move that experts said could lead to better hospital...

ASCs: We can't drive 65; Physicians group says CMS' new ASC compensation rate, two-thirds of what hospitals make, would be a 'death blow'.(Ambulatory surgery centers)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Ambulatory surgery centers are trying to figure out how they'll cope with a new Medicare payment system that threatens to drastically reduce their reimbursement rates. The CMS last week issued a series of...

Kaiser probed again; More patient dumping alleged in Los Angeles area.(The Week in Healthcare)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Rebecca Vesely A new accusation of patient dumping by a Kaiser Permanente hospital in the Los Angeles area could put the integrated provider at risk of new penalties for violating a landmark settlement reached over a highly...

Accused La. doctor finds support; Rally held for Pou, despite ongoing grand jury probe.(The Week in Healthcare)(cases on anna pou in order of murder case)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Supporters of physician Anna Pou marked the first anniversary of her arrest with a rally last week in New Orleans, while a grand jury continues to hear evidence in a criminal investigation that may soon determine...

Community center of attention; IRS, Finance poised to pounce on tax-exempt status.(The Week in Healthcare)(Internal Revenue Service)(Senate Finance Committee)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Cinda Becker The Internal Revenue Service and the Senate Finance Committee last week delivered a one-two punch that threatened the complacency of any not-for-profit hospital that might still believe that tax exemption is a...

Investors for LTACs; Regulatory concerns could be causing C-suite shifts.(Week in Healthcare)(Acute Long Term Hospital Association)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond When private equity firms turned their attention to long-term care nearly five years ago, little did they know "long term'' described not just a healthcare niche, but also the timeframe to receive a solid return on...

The top exchange rate; GHX dominates as multivendor purchasing portal.(Supply Chain)(Global Healthcare Exchange)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Shawn Rhea Seven years ago, the healthcare supply chain's electronic-exchange landscape resembled a virtual Wild West with lots of young-gun companies trying to stake their claims. Each was racing to build a cyberspace general...

One for all; My plan is the only true universal coverage initiative in this campaign.(Opinions Commentary)(services of health insurance industry)
July 23, 2007... Byline: John Edwards We have two healthcare systems in America. People who can afford insurance get the best care in the world. But most families are one bad break, such as a lost job or a serious illness, away from going right off a...

SEEKING MARKET DOMINION; In Northern Virginia, it's Inova vs. HCA as they compete for patients in one of the nation's fastest-growing areas.(Construction Digest)(HCA Healthcare Inc.)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Lubell It seems that whenever Inova Health System breaks ground on a new healthcare center in Virginia, HCA isn't far away, working on a project of its own. The two providers-HCA Virginia, with offices in Richmond and...

Playing the SCHIP; Bush veto threat has GOP quaking and Dems hoping, but what about the kids?(Opinions Editorials)(State Children's Health Insurance Program.)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Todd Sloane President Bush is vowing to throw political caution to the wind and veto the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which he believes is "a step down the path to government-run healthcare'' for all,...

Asides & insides.(Outliers)(Terry Sanders director of Fighting for Life)
July 30, 2007... Film goes behind the scenes in treatment of wounded soldiers Surviving 80-hour workweeks, living with the threat of funding cuts, working under less-than-ideal conditions and having to deliver bad news to patients are challenges most...

Many challenges await; There are no panaceas for fixing our healthcare system.(Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey)(Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry )(Viewpoint essay)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Donna Shalala Almost a decade ago, I co-chaired the Presidential Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. We concluded that the president should lead the nation in accepting a...

Corrections & clarifications.
July 30, 2007... A July 23 news brief (p. 4) misspelled HCA spokesman Ed Fishbough's name and gave an incorrect company affiliation. A list of companies that contributed data to a physician compensation special section, should have said that Cejka Search...

AHA picks Priselac as '09 chair.(The Week in Healthcare)(American Hospital Association.)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Melanie Evans The American Hospital Association last week tapped a Los Angeles hospital chief executive officer to be the trade group's chairman in 2009 and approved a draft of its healthcare reform agenda. The selection of...

Industry awaits Community moves.(The Week in Healthcare)(Community Health Systems merges with Triad Hospitals .)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Vince Galloro Community Health Systems completed its $6.8 billion acquisition of Triad Hospitals last week and is readying for asset sales and layoffs, but some huge questions remain. Perhaps the biggest, according to...

Lessons all around; Decision not to indict doc in Katrina case hailed.(The Week in Healthcare)(Anna Pou.)
July 30, 2007... Byline: Jessica Zigmond A grand jury's decision not to indict cancer surgeon Anna Pou was claimed as a victory by physicians, but still serves as a reminder to hospitals about the potentially fatal consequences when facilities are...

Late news.(United States. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.)(Care New England merges with lifesspan Inc.)(Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center )
July 30, 2007... CMS pulls Medicare Advantage contract from Florida company Citing quality-of-care issues, the CMS terminated its Medicare Advantage contract with America's Health Choice, Vero Beach, Fla. The 12,000 enrollees in the plan, all living in...