Modern Healthcare articles from June 2003

Modern Healthcare archives from June 2003

Barbakow's Tenet tenure.(a profile of a Tenet executive)(Biography)
June 2, 2003... 1969: Joins Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as an investment banker, rising to managing director, Los Angeles office. October 1988: Leaves Merrill Lynch & Co. to become chairman, president and chief executive officer of...

Rothstein leaves Cook County legacy.(News Makers)(Chief of $800 million Cook County (Ill.) Bureau of Health Services will retire)
June 2, 2003... After 13 years as chief of the $800 million Cook County (Ill.) Bureau of Health Services, Ruth Rothstein, 80, announced plans to retire Aug. 31. For much of her tenure, Rothstein fought to replace Chicago's Cook County Hospital, an...

In Memoriam.(News Makers)(M. Julia Hanser, past president and CEO of Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio, Cincinnati, died )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... * M. Julia Hanser, past president and CEO of Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio, Cincinnati, died May 22 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was 61. Hanser retired from Mercy, part of the Catholic Healthcare Partners alliance, in...

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 2, 2003... "HealthSouth has become Exhibit A on why government watchdogs need the latest weapons for digging out business cheating.... An important weapon in that fight has been the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which shields informants and also encourages...

Slow recovery; Patient dumping settlements plunge; experts remain mixed on factors.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor While declining numbers of "patient dumping'' settlements and diminished dollar recoveries may point to decreased enforcement, an official with HHS' inspector general's office said there's much more to the story. ...

Briefly: Hospital News.(The Week in Healthcare)(Waltham Hospital to close; Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers is moving offices)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Waltham Hospital to close * Waltham (Mass.) Hospital is expected to close July 29 after its board voted to begin closing proceedings. The decision last month follows a yearlong battle to preserve the 159-bed hospital, which was targeted...

Info-tech gets a jump-start.(The Week in Healthcare)(a non-profit organization shows a plan to jump-start the industry-wide of information technology by the health care industry)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker A not-for-profit research organization supported by 18 leading healthcare organizations last week unveiled a road map-and a public financing vehicle-for jump-starting the industrywide adoption of information...

Trickling down; Strong operational improvements at healthcare systems once again fail to show up on the bottom line, according to Modern Healthcare's annual survey.(Special Feature)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro and Patrick Reilly For the second year in a row, Modern Healthcare's Hospital Systems Survey shows that multihospital operators have shored up the performance of their hospitals only to see losses on investments and...

Pushing its proposal; Blue Shield of Calif. touts new wide-ranging plan.(The Week in Healthcare)(Blue Shield of California will spend nearly $1 million to promote its idea for universal healthcare)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko Amid growing debate over how best to cover the state's 6.6 million uninsured, Blue Shield of California has earmarked almost $1 million to promote the universal healthcare plan it has championed since late last year....

Docs join forces with FBI to boost terrorism fight.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)
June 2, 2003... Pittsburgh-area physicians representing several large hospitals and health systems are teaming up with an unusual new partner in their efforts to combat terrorism in the region: the FBI. The bureau's Pittsburgh office, which has jurisdiction...

Briefly: Insurers.(The Week in Healthcare)(health insurance industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Lawmaker blasts Blue Cross * Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) last week chastised the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association for trying to terminate its license with CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Owings Mills, Md., after Maryland moved...

Sailing with Magellan; Onex pledges $200 million to financially troubled provider.(The Week in Healthcare)(Magellan Health Services recevies an investment commitment from Onex)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Julie Piotrowski Moving one step further toward a clean bill of financial health, Magellan Health Services, Columbia, Md., said last week it has received a $200 million investment commitment from Toronto-based Onex, which will take...

SEIU: Hospitals' pricing biased.(The Week in Healthcare)(Service Employees International Union report)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly Drawing from recent nationwide campaigns to make healthcare more affordable for the uninsured, the Service Employees International Union charged in a report released last week that Chicago-area hospitals discriminate...

NCFE fallout continues; Banks, accounting firms, execs charged in lawsuit.(The Week in Healthcare)(a lawsuit claims that investors have lost $1.3+ billion in securities sold by National Century Financial Enterprises)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic Three major banks and two accounting firms are defending a lawsuit filed late last month by investors who claim to have lost more than $1.3 billion in asset-backed securities sold by National Century Financial...

Sharing is caring; Basic medical info must be standardized so docs can pass along care details.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 2, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey A contingent of clinicians and information professionals has mobilized around the simple but crucial task of computerizing the basic medical information a provider should hand off to the next facility or clinician...

Bittersweet; AMA reaps profits despite decreasing membership.(The Week in Healthcare)(American Medical Association reports an operating profit of around $11.7 million in 2002)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano Even as it continues to lose revenue from a free fall in membership, the American Medical Association has tapped into other lucrative business operations to post its third consecutive annual operating profit, the...

Not making the grade; Quality information is too difficult to understand.(The Week in Healthcare)(the health care industry needs to make its quality information more consumer friendly)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong Despite efforts to make more healthcare quality information available, much of it is consumer-unfriendly and its effects on the public and providers are decidedly mixed, said experts at the latest round of hearings by...

Strong tenets; For the acting CEO at No. 2 hospital chain, three R's could be relationships, risk-taking and responsibility.(Healthcare Profile)(a discussion of Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s Trevor Fetter)(Biography)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro When Trevor Fetter returned to Tenet Healthcare Corp. last November, one of the first things Fetter says he did was call Tom Scully, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Fetter, now Tenet's...

On the move...(News Makers)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Stanley Brezenoff will leave Maimonides Medical Center, New York, to become president and CEO of four-hospital Continuum Health Partners, New York, on July 7. Brezenoff's second in command at Maimonides, Pamela Brier, will succeed him. At...

It's all about integrity; A sales icon passes away, leaves us with his common-sense marketing legacy.(Publisher's Letter)(Mark McCormack)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Mark McCormack was an individual who had a big impact on my life. I had never heard of him until I came across a book entitled What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School. I thought the title was a little...

A new era; Hospitals cope with ailing investment portfolios.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Hospitals nationwide are grappling with the best way to account for their long-suffering investment portfolios. UPMC Health System in Pittsburgh last week faced the music and said it would take a whopping $161.5...

Battle over Baptist; Alabama system could cost bidders $500 million.(The Week in Healthcare)(Triad Hospitals or Health Management Associates are bidders for 10-hospital Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Ala.)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano Two for-profit hospital companies that focus on rural areas and small metropolitan markets have emerged as the likely bidders for 10-hospital Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Ala. Either company-Triad...

Not-for-profits are likely to adopt new fiscal rules; SEC's financial-reporting policy affects for-profits, but others wonder whether they could benefit, too.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Although the letter of the law applies only to publicly traded corporations, not-for-profit healthcare organizations may voluntarily begin to carry out the new Securities and Exchange Commission rules approved last...

Late News.(health care industry news briefs)
June 2, 2003... FTC settles price-fixing lawsuit The Federal Trade Commission settled price-fixing allegations with two San Diego County anesthesiology groups, alleging that they fixed fees and terms for on-call contracts with 414-bed Grossmont Hospital,...

The other shoe drops; Barbakow, already set to lose chairman's seat, out as Tenet's CEO; shareholders, analyst call for outsider as his replacement.(Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s Jeffrey Barbakow)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro A year ago, the news that Jeffrey Barbakow was stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of then-high-flying Tenet Healthcare Corp. would have been shocking. But there was no shock at last week's...

Briefly: Physicians.(The Week in Healthcare)(tentative approvement of landmark settlement between Aetna and groups representing U.S. doctors; other news items)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Aetna gets tentative OK * A federal judge in Miami last week tentatively approved a landmark settlement between Aetna and groups representing about 700,000 U.S. doctors, who have accused Aetna and other large insurers of systematically...

New sheriff in town; Thompson announces appointment of Corrigan.(Late News)(Dara Corrigan named temporary head of Health and Human Services' inspector general's office by Tommy Thompson)
June 2, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor Dara Corrigan, a veteran fraud fighter, was named temporary head of HHS' inspector general's office, replacing Inspector General Janet Rehnquist, who resigned effective June 1. "Dara has admirably served HHS and the...

Knowing when to stop; Loyalty shouldn't cloud your judgment about failing IT ventures.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 2, 2003... Byline: David Burda, Editor Loyalty is a laudable trait when it comes to family, friends, a political cause or a favorite sports team. But in the business world, there's a thin line between loyalty and foolishness. Loyalty to a new...

Briefly: Hospital News.(The Week in Healthcare)(health care industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Menninger finishes move * The Menninger Clinic completed its move to a new campus in Houston last week, transferring 29 patients and 15 clinicians by chartered jet from its longtime home in Topeka, Kan. About 80 Kansas-based employees...

Covering costs; Study: Universal coverage financially possible.(The Week in Healthcare)(a study examines how to best increase access to health care)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong A new study quantifying the cost of covering the nation's uninsured added fuel to the burgeoning debate about how best to increase healthcare access, but the likelihood of any real action on the matter remains slim. ...

A rewarding relationship; Hospitals and docs are seeing more of their pay tied to performance based on quality measures and other contractual objectives.(Special Report)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko Six months after tussling bitterly over reimbursement rates, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is slowly mending its relationship with Advocate Health Care under a novel, two-year contract that rewards the...

Partners in crime? Former Continuum exec, consultant face charges.(The Week in Healthcare)(Continuum Health Partners' former vice presient is charged with taking kickbacks from a consultant in exchange for work)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker The former vice president of reimbursement for four-hospital Continuum Health Partners in New York was charged with taking nearly $2 million in kickbacks from a hospital financial consultant in return for routing $11...

Building on IT investments; Vecchione, Velez demonstrate how smart info-tech strategies can pay off.(News)(George Vecchione and Pete Velez win the first CEO IT Achievement Award)
June 9, 2003... Byline: H. Stephen Lieber It's a great honor for HIMSS to join with Modern Healthcare as we recognize the recipients of the first CEO IT Achievement Award. The winners-George Vecchione, president and chief executive officer of Lifespan...

A period of adjustment; Transitional phase could ease payment changes.(Late News)(hospitals want more time to adjust to new regulations for Medicare outlier payments)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Hospitals want more time to adjust to regulations completed late last week governing Medicare outlier payments. The new regulations on those payments, which help compensate hospitals for patients who cost more to...

Harris County CEO, board patch things up-coldly.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(hospital industry news)
June 9, 2003... Relations between the board and management have been rocky at the public hospital system in Houston, where Harris County (Texas) Hospital District President and CEO John Guest abruptly tendered his resignation April 30, only to withdraw it a...

Regulation redux; As Maine flirts with rate-setting for hospitals, other states study some regulatory solutions for controlling healthcare costs.
June 9, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman and Tony Fong Hospitals in Maine dodged a bullet when provisions that would have regulated hospital prices were stripped out of a state healthcare reform bill. But the narrow and still-uncertain escape illustrates that...

Acknowledgment of CEO IT Achievement Award judges.(News)
June 9, 2003... Modern Healthcare and HIMSS would like to thank the following healthcare chief executive officers and chief information officers for serving as the judges of our first CEO IT Achievement Award competition. We appreciate their hard work, insight...

Acknowledgment of all CEO IT Achievement Award nominees.(News)
June 9, 2003... Modern Healthcare and HIMSS would like to thank the following healthcare executives who were nominated for this year's CEO IT Achievement Award. We applaud their commitment to using information technology to improve the delivery of healthcare...

Foresight and drive; George Vecchione's skillful leadership helped Lifespan build a successful and sophisticated clinical information system.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner Forty-three victims of Rhode Island's disastrous February nightclub fire were admitted to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, the flagship facility of Lifespan, the state's largest health system. Any hospital...

Some steps in the right direction; Healthcare leaders seem to be ready to embrace new way of doing business.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed As for-profit healthcare looks to heal the wounds from the latest debacles known as HealthSouth and Tenet, the first casualties to be triaged must be financial accountability and...

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 9, 2003... "I knocked over a cup of coffee the other day. My entire day was adversely affected, but I wasn't nearly as bad off as the 39 patients who died or who were at risk of death, or the 136 patients who were seriously injured as the result of...

N.Y. hospitals: Let's regulate; Many lament deregulation of mid-1990s.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker There are ways to instill fear in New York hospitals, but threatening price controls isn't one of them. Tell them state-funded pools for graduate medical education, charity care and bad debt are drying up, but...

Forfeiting funds; Court: Nonprofits may have to give up some proceeds.(The Week in Healthcare)(South Dakota's Supreme Court rules that a not-for-profit hospital system may have to forfeit some proceeds from a sale or transfer)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano In a ruling with potentially far-reaching repercussions, the South Dakota Supreme Court has determined that a not-for- profit hospital system may be forced to forfeit part of the proceeds from the sale or transfer of...

Wading in deeper; Florida's auditor takes a closer look at bond pools.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic Loan pools funded with tax-exempt bonds, a common vehicle for financing small-scale healthcare projects, are coming under more scrutiny. Florida Auditor General William Monroe is recommending additional...

Ready for a comeback; Picker Institute to move beyond patient surveys.(The Week in Healthcare)(the Picker Institute seeks to re-establish itself as an academic and research organization)
June 9, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey The Picker Institute, dormant since selling the patient-experience survey tool that defined it, is poised to re-establish itself as an academic and research organization under a new president, with $2 million in...

Techno gurus; Collaborativethink tank in San Francisco helps steer hospitals down the right path when making decisions on new technologies.(Medical Advances)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker The hospital industry could probably use a good shrink to deal with its highly conflicted attitude toward medical technology. On the one hand, everyone wants the newest and greatest. On the other hand, there's the...

Briefly: Legal News.(The Week in Healthcare )(health industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... ER docs win legal fight * Emergency room doctors in Minot, N.D., last week won a round in their legal fight with Trinity Health, Minot, over charges that the doctors breached their contracts by refusing to work in Trinity's ER after the...

WellPoint eyes merger, again.(The Week in Healthcare)(WellPoint Health Networks seeks a merger partner)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko With its doomed engagement to Maryland's largest health insurer barely behind it, WellPoint Health Networks already is looking to tie the knot with a smaller yet potentially more compatible partner. WellPoint,...

Technically speaking; New recognition program praises two IT leaders.(News)(George Vecchione and Pete Velez win the CEO IT Achievement Award)
June 9, 2003... Byline: David Burda, Editor Welcome to our special supplement profiling the inaugural recipients of our CEO IT Achievement Award: George Vecchione, president and chief executive officer of Lifespan healthcare system in Providence, R.I.;...

Risky business; Indictment of former CEO reminds industry of dangers of misleading investors.(The Week in Healthcare)(executive Charles M. McCall is indicted for fraudulently misleading investors)
June 9, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey The criminal indictment last week of Charles McCall, the former top executive of a once high-flying healthcare software company, was a reminder of the intense pressure to strike deals on expensive information systems...

Helping those in need; In a career devoted to bringing healthcare to the poor, Pete Velez has used info-tech to make a difficult mission a little bit easier.(News)(Biography)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Linda Wilson Pete Velez moved to East Harlem in New York from Puerto Rico when he was 7 years old. Though he's moved up the ladder of American-style success since then, he hasn't left New York's struggling newcomers behind. ...

Finding the money; Queens Health cobbles together grants, surpluses.(News)(a discussion of Queens Health Network's information technology project)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Linda Wilson Given the multimillion-dollar price tag associated with most information technology projects, many chief executive officers wonder where they'll get the money. This begs the question: How did Queens Health Network-a...

Late News.(health care industry news briefs)
June 9, 2003... HealthSouth to keep flagship HealthSouth Corp. said it would hold onto its flagship facility, 151-bed HealthSouth Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. The embattled rehabilitation giant, accused of massive accounting fraud, announced in a...

Acknowledgment of CEO IT Achievement Award advisory group.(News)
June 9, 2003... Modern Healthcare and HIMSS also would like to thank the following members of our advisory group, which developed the criteria and judging procedures for the CEO IT Achievement Award: * Donald Mon, assistant dean and chief information...

Making headway; Finance committee chiefs confident Senate will pass prescription drug plan.(The Week in Healthcare)(the Senate prepares to take up a proposal to overhaul Medicare)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Provider lobbyists and members of both parties are bracing for the big debate this week in the Senate, which is scheduled to take up a controversial but still evolving proposal to overhaul Medicare. Despite...

Advice for a new generation; What I would like to say to the high school graduates of 2003.(Publisher's Letter)(Column)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer A good friend recently asked me if I could give him some ideas for a commencement address he was to give at the high school in his hometown. He is a very successful executive and has attained a reputation not only...

There needs to be change; Because IT is so crucial, it deserves a CEO's best efforts and leadership.(News)(IT leads to better records, which allows healthcare professionals to better serve patients)(Editorial)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Publisher Recently a colleague asked me to write comments related to the CEO IT Achievement Award, which we are co-sponsoring with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. My colleague also...

Tenet hospital CEO indicted.(The Week in Healthcare)(Barry Weinbaum, CEO of Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s Alvarado Hospital Medical Center is charged with paying illegal kickbacks to physicians)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic The chief executive officer of Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in San Diego was charged last week with paying illegal kickbacks of more than $10 million to physicians who agreed to...

The vanishing doctor surplus; Fears of looming shortage gain currency in field.(Workforce Report 2003)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano For decades, medical groups and healthcare experts have warned about an impending overabundance of doctors. One 1994 estimate suggested that the doctor "surplus'' would swell to about 216,000 by 2000 and as much as...

Scanning for higher profits; The FDA's plan to require bar codes on commonly used medical products will do more than improve patient safety.
June 16, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Just when it looked like the globe was abundantly papered with bar codes, a host of technology companies are staking out hospitals, eagerly poised to start slapping the sticky labels on nurses, patients and every...

How do you spell doom? As reading and writing instruction languishes, so do students' hopes for future.(Publisher's Letter)(a National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges study finds that young students' writing skills are poor)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Earlier this spring there was an article in the Chicago Tribune about the fact that young students are not doing well when it comes to writing skills, "Report hits students' writing skills; Schools neglecting 2nd...

Gross out; Study at odds with hospitals' stand on gross charges.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro The contention of the hospital industry that gross charges, or list prices, don't mean much may be getting harder to defend. Most payers, the industry contends, reimburse at contracted levels that have little to...

The vanishing workforce; Our report shows why the industry needs to keep current employees happy.(Opinions-Editorials)(healthcare industry)(Editorial)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed Remember Y2K? Thanks to some well-coordinated and perhaps overly expensive industry action, it wound up being a blip on the computer screen. Well, don't look now, but here comes Y2011....

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 16, 2003... "Ted Kennedy has spent his career attempting to nationalize the American healthcare system. So maybe Republicans should take a hint when the Democrat from Massachusetts says he is delighted with the emerging GOP plans to `reform' Medicare. As...

Bring it on; New project pledges to turn hospitals on to digital.(The Week in Healthcare)(the Healthcare Collaborative Network is established to show how information technology can be used to provide better care)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong In an effort to bring hospitals into the digital age, a group of healthcare organizations and government agencies unveiled a national demonstration project this month to highlight how information technology can be used to...

Allied health pros hard to find; Staffs are inadequate to meet demands of technology.(Workforce Report 2003)(there is a shortage of allied health professionals, including hospital radiologists and pharmacists)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Those unsung providers of patient care-hospital radiologists and pharmacists-are taking a page from the book of those who are addressing the widely publicized nursing shortage. Although most patients hardly notice...

Late News.(health care industry news briefs)
June 16, 2003... HealthPartners wins legal fight HealthPartners, Bloomington, Minn., defeated Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch in a legal battle over Hatch's attempt to appoint a new board chairman and a second board member at the not-for-profit...

Senior citizens score win as drug benefit advances.(The Week in Healthcare)(a Senate panel approves a bill to add an outpatient drug benefit to Medicare)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman The nation's seniors won a significant battle last week when a Senate panel for the first time in its history approved a bill that would add an outpatient drug benefit to Medicare. For healthcare providers the potential...

Curtain falls; CareFirst settlement dims hope for Blues conversions.(The Week in Healthcare)(a settlement is reached to secure CareFirst's future, but it does not include a merger with WellPoint Health Networks)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko The decision that sealed the fate of Maryland's largest health insurer has cast new doubt on the future of other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans seeking similar for-profit conversions. After weeks of intense...

N.J. doc busted over tort protest that got out of hand.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)
June 16, 2003... As malpractice insurance premiums continue to rise, so has the blood pressure of some of America's doctors. But the anger really boiled over for Jack Lee, a pulmonary specialist in Englewood, N.J. While his colleagues were busy mounting...

Pointing fingers; Report says hospital prices drive healthcare costs.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong As a report released last week pointed a finger at hospitals as the leading driver of healthcare costs, health plans jumped on it as proof of their own earlier findings, while hospitals said their costs are still...

It takes a nation; Coalition trying everything to spur worker interest.(Workforce Report 2003)(the health care industry continues tro try and figure oput how to keep nurses from leaving the profession)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong For about 20 years, the College of Nursing and Health Science at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., has had an accelerated nursing program for people with college degrees looking for a career in healthcare. But...

New lease; AMA re-energized by initiative to reform tort law.(The Week in Healthcare)(the American Medical Association's delegates meet, as the organization seeks to stem a decrease in membership)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano The American Medical Association's 541-member House of Delegates gathers for its annual meeting in Chicago this week, reinvigorated by its national initiative to change tort laws but still struggling to deal with a...

Seeing double; Tenet's moves parallel Columbia/HCA recovery.(Late News)(Tenet Healthcare Corp. plans to consolidate 56 billing office into eight regional offices)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro Longtime observers of for-profit hospitals could be forgiven if Tenet Healthcare Corp. once again is reminding them of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. circa 1997. The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company said it...

Who will care for the elderly? Millions will be needed to keep post-acute care afloat.(Workforce Report 2003)(the long-term healthcare industry faces a major employment shortage)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Julie Piotrowski If there is a healthcare sector with the biggest potential demographic problem, it's long-term care. Not only are the workers aging, but they mainly care for senior citizens, whose numbers are about to explode. ...

Help wanted, desperately; In our first annual status report on the healthcare industry's workforce, we find an existing shortage of qualified staff is set to get much, much worse.(Workforce Report 2003)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly With the stress of a Medicare audit, new leadership strategies and problems with a subordinate's performance, Diane Ball felt overwhelmed in her position as registered nurse and nurse manager at Delnor-Community...

Get doctors' opinion; Study: Physicians need say in order-entry systems.(The Week in Healthcare)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko The carrot works better than the stick for community hospitals trying to get doctors to go from the notepad to the computer, according to a new report by the California HealthCare Foundation and First Consulting...

Ratio daze in California; State staffing law may exacerbate nursing shortfall.(Workforce Report 2003)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko High above the busy streets of Los Angeles, billboards depict a smartly dressed woman behind the wheel of a plush car, her hand clutching the gearshift confidently. Its slogan reads, "Our nurses really enjoy their...

WebMD to buy claims firm.(The Week in Healthcare)(WebMD Corp. agrees to acquire Advanced Business Fulfillment)
June 23, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey WebMD Corp., a company that once spun an elaborate vision of information integration across the healthcare industry, set its sights last week on buying into the nuts-and-bolts business of mailing insurance checks on...

Follow the leader; N.M. proposal would provide increased coverage.(The Week in Healthcare)(New Mexico is considering mandating universal health coverage)
June 23, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic Taking a cue from Maine, New Mexico became the latest state to flex its muscles in response to burgeoning healthcare costs. Gov. Bill Richardson's administration floated a proposal to mandate universal health...

Hillary's book signing is icing on the cake.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Hillary Rodham Clinton's appearance at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System turns into a book signing)
June 23, 2003... Thanks to an overly earnest caterer at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton had her cake and ate it, too. The author of the breaking-all-records work of nonfiction, Living History, made an...

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
June 23, 2003... The Medicare reform bill now moving toward action on the Senate floor tries to accommodate such conflicting interests that it inevitably has a patchwork quality about it. Both parties promised voters in the last election that they would do...

Bleak prospects; West Penn Allegheny struggles for financial footing.(Regional News)(West Penn Allegheny Health System reports a deficit of $33.1 million)
June 23, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Financially challenged since it was created nearly three years ago, Pittsburgh's West Penn Allegheny Health System took a turn for the worse in the third quarter of fiscal 2003. A deficit of $33.1 million-half of...

Health plan scrutiny; Ruling may restrict oversight by attorneys general.(Regional News)(a Minnesota court ruling may make it difficult for attorneys general to gain greater oversight of not-for-profit health plans)
June 23, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly The recent decision by a Minnesota judge barring greater oversight by the state attorney general of a not-for-profit health plan may make it tougher for attorneys general in other states to do the same, healthcare...