Modern Healthcare articles from March 2006

Modern Healthcare archives from March 2006

Late News; Vladeck to lead troubled school.(University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey officials)(federal Medicaid)(cases of drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co)
March 6, 2006... Bruce Vladeck will start a six-month contract this week as interim president at the troubled University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey at an annualized salary of $525,000. Vladeck, 56, led the CMS' predecessor agency HCFA from 1993 to...

The fur is flying at Health Affairs over medical bankruptcy rate.(Health Affairs)
March 6, 2006... A debate over degrees of the obvious-a link between soaring healthcare costs and personal bankruptcies-has turned into a tag-team grudge match in the normally staid world of the policy journal Health Affairs. The academic schoolyard scrap...

For-profits' share climbs; 17% of hospitals are now investor-owned.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro The verdict may still be out on whether for-profit hospitals are any better or worse than not-for-profit hospitals as community providers, but without a doubt investor-owned hospitals continue to become a larger part...

Ban has fiscal repercussions.(specialty hospitals)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker Although the hospital industry continues to anxiously wait for decisive action on the future of specialty hospitals, in some ways, the damage to the largely physician-owned enterprises has already been done, according...

Med-mal rates are flat: study.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano and Laura B. Benko Medical malpractice insurance rates, which skyrocketed about five years ago and forced many physicians to relocate or limit high-risk services, have stabilized in the last half year or so, according...

Big in Rhode Island.(Electronic medical records)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn Electronic medical records are attracting attention and the potential for physician profits in Rhode Island. Thirteen hundred doctors in four competing Rhode Island physician organizations jointly negotiated the...

Dodging conflicts? AAAASF unit raises questions for accrediting group.(The Week In Healthcare)(American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond An organization that accredits ambulatory surgery facilities has created a for-profit subsidiary to sell compliance software to surgery centers that could help those centers in the parent group's accreditation...

Other Voices.(prices of Avastin)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... "The healthcare system's uneasy alliance with the free market and its unregulated drug prices is bound to be tested, and deservedly so, by the new pricing practices of Genentech and its promising cancer drug, Avastin.... As a colon cancer...

Combining doc data.(News)(national pilot program on quality measurement)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano A new national pilot program on quality measurement will attempt to provide a more comprehensive profile of which doctors are providing the best care-and how, exactly, they're doing it. The pilot-sponsored by the...

Giving of yourself; A look back at a "coach' who left us with a legacy of wisdom on how to live.(book review)(Book Review)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director Often I find myself re-reading a favorite book. I do so because I usually find things I missed the first time around. A good book is so rich in detail and insight that...

Payments may fall; CMS has come up with a list of some 100 procedures.(The Week In Healthcare)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(payment of physicians)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias The Medicare program's physician payments may become more likely to decrease over time as HHS officials ready a task force that would work with an American Medical Association panel to help manage what HHS says can...

Mergers boost prices: study; Consolidations in '90s cited for likely hurting quality.(The Week In Healthcare)(analysis of hospital merger and acquisition)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The transformative hospital merger and acquisition craze of the 1990s raised prices and likely compromised quality, while providing only modest cost benefits for the hospitals themselves, according to a report...

Improving on improvement; Number of quality signposts is narrowing, but patients still need better guidance.(Editorial)(National Patient Safety Awareness Week)(Editorial)
March 6, 2006... Byline: David Burda, Editor This week is National Patient Safety Awareness Week. Would you feel safe if you had to see your doctor or go to the hospital because of a medical situation? After the past few weeks, who would know? We seem...

On the move...(News Makers)
March 6, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Adventist Health System, Winter Park, Fla., named Donald Jernigan, 61, to replace Thomas Werner, 60, as president and CEO. Jernigan, who joined Adventist 23 years ago, has left his post as executive vice president and...

In Memoriam.(Fred Graham)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 6, 2006... Fred Graham, a longtime employee of the Medical Group Management Association who rose to senior vice president and COO before his retirement in 1996, died Feb. 1 after a 10-month battle with cancer. He was 61. Graham, born in Joplin, Mo.,...

Chicago CEO leaving in July.(Michael Riordan)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond The University of Chicago Hospitals' board says it will form a search committee to appoint a successor to CEO Michael Riordan, who will step down from his position on July 1. Riordan, 47, did not say what he...

Searching for a single voice; Various factors and groups affect the quality movement's quest to coalesce around a main strategy that will improve patient care.
March 6, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The effort to improve healthcare quality appears to be stagnating as the industry continues to sort out the details of how to organize the movement. In the past few months: two reports questioned the accuracy...

Looking to diversify; Ascension putting 30% of portfolio into alternatives.(Ascension Health)(plannings of the health care industries)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic health system, expects to make a seismic shift in its investments during the next two years that will pump $1.6 billion into so-called alternatives, such as hedge funds...

Choosing up sides; GHX buys Neoforma; MedAssets acquires SSH.(The Week In Healthcare)(Global Healthcare Exchange)(Shared Services Healthcare)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone Two of the most aggressive buyers in the supply chain industry-Global Healthcare Exchange and MedAssets Supply Chain Systems-are getting even bigger. At deadline GHX, the Westminster, Colo.-based e-commerce...

"We don't want you'; Squabbles over capital investment, support for expansion prompt N.C. hospital to drop for-profit HCA for not-for-profit Novant.(Special Report)(North Carolina)(hospital corporation of america)(Novant Health)(Column)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro When HCA came to Brunswick County, N.C., in 1984, it was riding to the rescue of a struggling county-owned hospital. Opened in 1977, Brunswick Community Hospital, located in the town of Supply, was...

By The Numbers.(survey results)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Eight of 10 doctors say physicians and hospitals that make mistakes should apologize for their errors, according to a survey by the American College of Physician Executives. A survey of patients found that 57% say they would be less likely to...

View from the country; Rural healthcare lobbyist pushes policymakers, legislators to understand effects of their proposals on nonurban providers.(Rural Health)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone Medicare's prospective payment system still troubles Tim Size. The hospital reimbursement system went into effect about three years after Size, in 1980, became the first executive director for the newly formed...

The efficiency equation; Determining how to measure healthcare performance and other first steps.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Arnold Milstein and Robert Burney The current level of waste in the American healthcare system is staggering. We have a "waste-line'' problem that can be likened to an individual with a 50-inch belt who needs to slim down to a more...

Life stories; Finding inspiration in everyday events is easy with the right perspective.(Editorial)(Column)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director As I travel around the country on business, I am often asked how I keep myself motivated. As many of you know, I have been at this awhile, long past the time when most...

Shoeshine man's big gifts win him hospital's gratitude.(Albert Lexie donates to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh )
March 13, 2006... Albert Lexie isn't your typical big bucks hospital donor. Though he now has a plaque on the wall at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh commemorating his $100,000 donation to the hospital's Free Care Fund, the man got to that level the hard way....

Other Voices.(computer systems in hospitals)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... "For an average $80,000 a year, hospitals can get access to a computer program (called Isabel) that can prevent wrong diagnoses. Using the system would almost certainly save them more money than the cost of the software. And, of course, it also...

No more data sales; JCAHO will offer free quality data as "public utility'.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(patient data)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks What it couldn't sell, it's now going to give away. In a major data-policy decision, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has decided to provide de-identified patient data from...

Hospitals cited for ER woes.(Arizona's Department of Health Services ruled Banner Baywood Medical Center's violation of state rules)(Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency adopts new diversion policy for emergency rooms)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Overcrowding continues to present problems for acute-care hospital emergency departments. A hospital in Arizona was ruled to be in violation of state rules after closing its emergency department during a flu outbreak...

Nurse-ratio fight goes national; Ill., Mass., now targeted for Calif. staffing standards.
March 13, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans The fight over mandated nurse staffing levels in hospitals is shifting from California's courts to Illinois and Massachusetts. California became the first and the only state to set minimum nurse-to-patient...

Doc turnover rate falls: study; Most believe trend will continue in next two years.(physician turnover)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano The average annual turnover rate for doctors in U.S. medical groups fell to 6.4% in 2005, well below the rate of about 9% the previous year, according to an annual physician-retention survey. The survey,...

On the move...(Eastern Maine Healthcare appoints Michelle Hood)(Munson Healthcare appoints K. Douglas Deck)(St. Christopher's Hospital for Children appoints Bernadette Mangan )
March 13, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Michelle Hood has been tapped to be president and CEO of seven-hospital Eastern Maine Healthcare System in Brewer. Hood, 49, will succeed Norm Ledwin, who retired last year. Hood, president and CEO of the Montana region...

HSAs are talk of the town.(health savings accounts tax incentives)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... The first Senate Finance Committee hearing on healthcare tax incentives in 12 years became a broad discussion about health savings accounts, with speakers ranging from optimistic to pessimistic about HSAs. Speaking at the hearing were: former...

Trinity ready to exit managed care; Big Catholic system is considering selling subsidiary as part of streamlining.(divestment of subsidiary of catholic health system)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Trinity Health, one of the nation's largest Catholic health systems, has become the latest in a growing string of hospital operators to put its managed-care subsidiary on the auction block. The 45-hospital, Novi,...

Hospital sued over split; Parent doesn't want Christ Hospital to leave the fold.(Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati sues Christ Hospital)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Mark Taylor The board of trustees of 440-bed Christ Hospital in Cincinnati is learning that breaking up is hard to do. In January, the 117-year-old hospital's board informed its parent corporation, the not-for-profit Health...

Improving QIOs; Control of regulatory role at center of debate.(Institute of Medicine calls for strengthening quality improvement organizations)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias The Institute of Medicine last week unveiled some of its own solutions for revamping quality improvement organizations, which are under fire from congressional leaders and under scrutiny by the CMS. To help...

Limited service maximum fuss; Specialty hospital issue has caught the attention of senators as a physician-owned Oregon facility fights for its Medicare status.(senators role on specialty hospitals)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond The specialty-hospital debate grew more contentious last week as two powerful U.S. senators called for more information on the oversight of such facilities and one hospital that has become a poster child in the...

Leave the herd behind; Avoid the groupthink on mergers that caused higher prices, lowered quality.(Editorial)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Neil Mclaughlin, Managing Editor Hospital executives who felt out of the mainstream in the 1990s, when mergers and acquisitions occurred around them every 30 seconds, can feel good about themselves again. They were right all...

BUILT-IN BENEFITS; Annual Construction & Design Survey shows spending remains strong; patient-safety focus, "sustainable design' among noteworthy trends.(health facilities construction)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Safety issues, patient satisfaction and "sustainable design'' are among the major factors that are likely to keep architects and general contractors busy for quite some time as the healthcare construction boom...

Who participated?(Special Feature)
March 13, 2006... A total of 167 respondents participated in Modern Healthcare's 27th annual Construction and Design Survey, down about 12% from 190 last year. This year's total includes 98 architecture firms, 22 development firms, 21 construction management...

Accountability addressed; AHA confers with Grassley on charity-care proposals.(American Hospital Association meets with Senator Chuck Grassley)(tax-exempt hospitals accountability)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Further guidance on charity care may be forthcoming from the American Hospital Association, which has discussed three specific proposals with Sen. Chuck Grassley's office. Last week, Grassley wrote the AHA seeking...

Senators want to erase cuts.(Senate Committee on the Budget, medicare budgets)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias In a preliminary win for hospitals and physicians, the Senate Budget Committee rejected the administration's $2.5 billion in proposed cuts to Medicare funding for the 2007 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, and instead...

Few details on DRG revamp; The CMS may reveal portions of new system in April.(Diagnostic Related Groups)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The CMS is moving forward with its long-discussed overhaul of Medicare's hospital inpatient prospective payment system, but it is carefully guarding the devilish details, some of which may be released next month. ...

Efforts to regulate GPOs continue; Senate hearing will discuss business practices, payments.(group purchasing organizations)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone With three bills pending in Congress that would curb some common business practices of healthcare group purchasing organizations, this week's scheduled Senate hearing on GPOs likely will focus on regulating the...

By The Numbers.(healthcare managers survey)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Healthcare's high-stress environment drives turnover at the top, according to a survey of more than 500 healthcare managers and executives across 93 healthcare organizations. The survey was conducted by Development Dimensions International.

Payment changes debated; LTCHs worry that payment levels will be too low.(The Week In Healthcare)(long term care hospitals )
March 20, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond The debate about proposed Medicare payment changes for long-term-care hospitals intensified last week at a House subcommittee hearing held just before the March 20 close of a CMS comment period on the proposals. ...

Beverly shifts management.(The Week In Healthcare)(new name is Golden Gate National Senior Care which made new appointments)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond A shakeup took place at nursing home operator Beverly Enterprises, which announced several top management changes last week. The moves came after the Fort Smith, Ark.-based company completed its $1.8 billion...

Lifting the lid off of pricing; With HHS moving to post what it pays for common procedures, the debate over healthcare pricing transparency is heating up.(United states health and human services)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias Last week, in policy and in practice, the idea that the general public should be able to see the actual costs of certain medical procedures became Topic A in Washington, with federal lawmakers, policy shapers and...

Flu planning crucial: experts.(The Week In Healthcare)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias Top White House advisers warned recently that pandemic influenza, potentially caused by the avian flu, would stretch state and local resources and cripple the workforce at community hospitals and other businesses....

South.(Regional News)(Christus St. Joseph Hospital been sold to Hospital Partners of America)(Pacer Health Corp signs letter of intent to lease)(Nemours buys land)
March 20, 2006... HOUSTON-Memorial Hermann Hospital System and TIRR Systems agreed in late February to consolidate the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, with 96 beds, and TIRR Rehabilitation Centers into Memorial Hermann, effective May 1. No cash will...

Mediocre care prevalent: study.(The Week In Healthcare)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond A study published last week indicating that American adults frequently do not receive recommended healthcare regardless of race, gender, income or insurance status shouldn't be taken as a sign that healthcare...

"Expand ... or disappear'.(Special Feature)(James Rogers from Community Memorial Hospital )(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Linda Wilson As a physician and hospital trustee, James Rogers, 47, has never wavered from his belief that hospitals are an integral component of medical care in rural communities. He stood behind his conviction even as...

"Little old hospital' no longer.(Special Feature)(Margaret Foley from Kaweah Delta Health Care District)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Linda Wilson Margaret Foley says she decided in preschool that she wanted to be a nurse, and at age 84, she's still actively involved in healthcare. "She has a natural sense of compassion for patients and a commitment to act...

A transparency guide; The things not-for-profits need to do to keep their tax exemptions.(Commentary)(tax exemptions for not-for-profit hospitals)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Bruce McPherson Over the past two years, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas has held several hearings on tax exemptions for not-for-profit hospitals, questioning whether the $66 billion federal exemption for...

Leaving a big footprint; Hospital shoeshine man shows you can do great things with little money.(Lauer's Letter)(Editorial)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director Years ago, almost every businessman knew all about the art of a shoeshine. The first thing any salesman (yes, almost all were men back then) did when getting off a...

Northeast.(Regional News)(Weill Medical College of Cornell University will construct its cilinical building)(New York City Health and Hospitals's finance )(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... NEW YORK-Weill Medical College of Cornell University completed a four-year, $750 million capital campaign in February. Much of the money will go toward the construction of the first clinical building in the 108-year history of the medical...

West.(Regional News)(Sutter Health)(Hawaii Air Ambulance )
March 20, 2006... LOS ANGELES-Hospitals in Southern California and their related services contributed $85.5 billion in purchases, wages and taxes to the region's $708 billion economy in 2004, or about 12.1% of the total, according to a study commissioned by the...

Trustees of the Year 2006: Intro.(achievement against world poverty)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Microsoft founder and Chairman Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, along with rock star Bono, have been recognized recently in the national media for their crusade against world poverty. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush have...

New life for Dead Zones; Devices, applications boost reliability, capability of wireless systems in healthcare settings.(Information Edge)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Through a combination of cleverness and repetition, the commercial catchphrase "Can you hear me now?'' has become part of the nation's pop-culture vocabulary, and those words have probably been uttered more than...

Salaries are staying flat for academic docs: survey.(Physician Affairs)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Salaries for physicians in academic medical practices stagnated in 2004, with compensation for specialty doctors stuck at about $195,000 and pay for primary-care physicians increasing just two-tenths of a percent, to...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(Arthur Gianelli joins Nassau Health Care Corp)(Les Donahue joins St. Thomas Hospital)(Jeffrey Folick joins Elder Health)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... * Nassau Health Care Corp., East Meadow, N.Y., has named Arthur Gianelli to oversee a financial restructuring of the troubled public hospital system. Gianelli, 37, who had been Nassau County's deputy executive for budget and finance, has 60...

On the move...(News Makers)(William Barrow joins Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center)(John Chamberlain joins Good Shepherd Medical Center)(Harold Paz joins College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center)
March 20, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS William Barrow has taken over as CEO and president of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, La., replacing Robert Peebles, who resigned. Barrow, 51, had been CEO and president of Opelousas (La.)...

A bottom-line debate; Opposition to doc-owned hospitals comes down to money.(Editorial)(Editorial)
March 20, 2006... Byline: David Burda, Editor Physician-owned specialty hospitals have few friends these days, but they can continue to count Modern Healthcare among them. Way back in July 2002, when the debate over such facilities began heating up, we...

Whatever needs to be done.(Special Feature)(Leila Maring of Regional Medical Center )(Narrative biography)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Linda Wilson As a hospital trustee, Leila Maring doesn't just focus on big, important issues. She cheerfully does whatever job needs to be done. Maring, 80, has been a trustee of 51-bed Grinnell (Iowa) Regional Medical Center...

Capitol Hill, like, totally stoked over Jessica's charity outing.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Jessica Simpson)
March 20, 2006... We here at Outliers like to think that we're still "hip'' and "with it,'' as the kids are fond of saying. Wait, the kids still say that, right? So when we heard that teen icon Jessica Simpson, star of screens both small and big and...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Fresno City College gets $850,000 in grants )(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... "Fresno City College, which boasts the second largest nursing school in the nation, was injected with a growth hormone recently by getting more than $850,000 in grants to expand the program. This funding will add 60 new spots for registered...

A knack for building consensus.(Special Feature)(Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services Inc.)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Linda Wilson Julian "Pinky'' Shapero-as a hospital board member for nearly four decades-knows a thing or two about consensus building. As board chairman, the 75-year-old Shapero deftly guided the 68-member board of directors of...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
March 20, 2006... Gilbane Building Co., Providence, R.I., was omitted from a chart ranking the top construction management companies in Modern Healthcare's annual Construction & Design Survey (March 13, p. 30). The firm ranks No. 8 on the list. Survey charts can...

Researchers: No doc shortage; Study irks those pushing higher med school enrollment.(Physician Affairs)(calls to boost medical school enrollments are off target )
March 20, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks There may not be a physician shortage as many believe, recent research argues. According to David Goodman, M.D., the problem is not the number of physicians but where they are and what they're doing that needs to...

Spreading the good news; Community-benefit workers gain higher profile.(The healthcare workers charged with bettering communities on behalf of their hospitals )
March 20, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker Community-benefit workers, relegated to the outposts and annexes of hospitals in years past, are at the forefront of one of healthcare's most important issues. The healthcare workers charged with bettering...

More HealthSouth woes.(Late News)(HealthSouth Corp's finance and its earnings)(Universal Health Services receives subpoena)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... HealthSouth Corp., Birmingham, Ala., said it will miss the deadline for its 2005 annual report by a few weeks, filing by March 31, and expects to report a pre-tax loss of about $434 million to $454 million. The company said the delay will occur...

Operating margins up.(Late News)(Not-for-profit hospitals )(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker Not-for-profit hospitals improved their performance significantly in all medians measuring financial health with the exception of debt-to-capitalization ratio, indicating surprisingly good results in 2005, according to...

AHA blasts staffing standards; JCAHO's proposed changes "lack clarity and precision'.(The Week In Healthcare)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(American Hospital Association)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans The American Hospital Association sharply criticized the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations over the JCAHO's efforts to revise standards for governing hospital doctors. In a terse,...

Don't panic; Price spike for hospital services may have been a fluke.(Late News)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Consumer hospital prices posted a record-setting spike in February, but economists and industry insiders said it's too early to sound the alarm. Last month's 1.3% increase in the seasonally adjusted consumer...

Sutter expands building plans.(The Week In Healthcare)(Sutter Health)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Surging demand for outpatient care and soaring construction costs added $1.7 billion to Sutter Health's already significant construction and renovation plans. But the not-for-profit Northern California system's plans...

GPO hearing inconclusive; Senators wait for response on bills to tighten regulation.(group purchasing organizations)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone The fourth Senate Judiciary Committee antitrust subcommittee hearing investigating the business practices of group purchasing organizations still isn't likely to result in legislation that beefs up regulation, but...

100K Lives falling short; IHI's patient-safety campaign expected to save 61,000.(The Week In Healthcare)(Institute for Healthcare Improvementsambitious 100K lives campaign )
March 20, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The Institute for Healthcare Improvement's ambitious 100K Lives campaign to save 100,000 people from suffering a preventable death is likely to fall far short of its goal, by about 39,000, according to Donald...

More charity-care scrutiny; Kansas joins states investigating billing practices.(Regional News)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Mark Taylor Not-for-profit hospitals may be hearing from state attorneys general on the charity-care issue more than they'd like. Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline is the latest state attorney general to go public with a...

Partnering in Montana; Not-for-profit insurers will share overhead costs.(Regional News)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana)(New West Health Services)
March 20, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana plans to affiliate with hospital-owned New West Health Services in a deal that would allow the state's only two not-for-profit health insurers to share overhead costs yet remain...

Trustees of the Year 2006: Nominations.(Special Feature)
March 20, 2006... More than 60 letters of nomination were received for this year's Trustee of the Year competition. Nominations were accepted from early November 2005 through late December 2005. For the first time, two honorable-mention trustees were chosen,...

Dissenting viewpoints; Healthcare IT developers wary of federal prototypes for national network.(The Week In Healthcare)
March 27, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn Months before the first reports are due from a government-sponsored effort to design prototypes of a national healthcare information network, a group of major healthcare software developers released its own vision of...

Contrasts in cardiac care; Wide disparities found in patient mortality.(The Week In Healthcare)
March 27, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Mortality rates of heart patients may soon be used to compare outcomes of care in hospitals as a result of a new research approach, but industry officials want to make sure the methods are thoroughly tested first....

Corrections & Clarifications.(Corrections)
March 27, 2006... Pepper Construction Group, Chicago, and Linbeck Group, Houston, were categorized incorrectly in Modern Healthcare's Construction & Design Survey (March 13, p. 30). The firms rank No. 14 and 15, respectively, on the list of top construction...

Drawn to healthcare; Jones calls building relationships with medical staff key.(Healthcare Profile)
March 27, 2006... Byline: Tracey Fuller Dan Jones Jr., recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives' 2006 Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for young healthcare executive of the year, says he always knew he had an affinity for the healthcare...

40 years of service; Pierce honored for career leading Canadian hospitals.(Healthcare Profile)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Byline: Tracey Fuller Garth Pierce was more than pleasantly surprised when he was recently named recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives' Lifetime Service Award. "I didn't even think my name would be mentioned for...