Modern Healthcare articles from November 2006

Modern Healthcare archives from November 2006

New Approaches in Healthcare; The Healthcare Quality Equation.(Straight Talk)(Discussion)
November 6, 2006... Though various health organizations may define and approach quality differently, the common denominator is the patient's perspective, experience and outcome. Quality issues should be an important part of health system executives' agenda....

KIDNEY FAILURE? Dialysis is the only medical service without automatic inflation updates from Medicare. Some people are trying to change that.(strong earnings growth from renal care or renal-care-related device sales)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Three days a week, 55-year-old Shirley Nealy waits for a van to transport her to the Lincoln Park Dialysis clinic in Chicago, where she spends four hours each visit receiving treatments for end-stage renal disease....

Last-minute battle; Election puts more uncertainty in fight against cuts.(The Week in Healthcare)(American College of Physicians)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano As expected, doctors were slapped with a 5% across-the-board cut in Medicare rates last week when the CMS officially announced 2007 reimbursements for about 900,000 physicians. And also as expected, the medical...

By The Numbers.(The Week In Healthcare)(National Labor Relations Board)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Unions won 72% of healthcare organizing elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board in the first eight months of 2006. During that time, New York, California and Illinois were among the busiest states for healthcare unions with...

You must remember this ... Seniors shouldn't be shocked! Shocked! to learn perils of Medicare managed care.(Viewpoint essay)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Neil McLaughlin Managing Editor Capt. Renault: What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca? Rick: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Renault: Waters? What waters? We're in the desert. Rick: I was...

Red Cross revamps; Charity to cut size of board, realign responsibilities.(Food and Drug Administration)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker Responding to years-long criticism of its dubious response to national disasters such as the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross said it will transform and modernize its...

A life of devotion; Sheryl Govedarica-a treasured colleague who gave her all to others.(Lauer's Letter)(Letter to the editor)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director It was one of those moments that you dread. My assistant called to give me the news that Sheryl Govedarica, a longtime colleague and dear friend, had died of a brain...

Late News; Virginia Mason settles fee suit.(2005 class-action lawsuit)
November 6, 2006... Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, will refund facility fees charged to patients who received care at Virginia Mason's hospital-based outpatient clinics, resolving a 2005 class-action lawsuit. The agreement, which must be approved by state...

Physicians in pain; Many docs have low morale: survey.(Physician Affairs)(national survey on physician morale)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano It's not easy being a doctor these days-and the tough sledding isn't likely to get any smoother based on the grim results of a national survey on physician morale. While physicians in the U.S. still enjoy lofty...

Joined at the hip; New partnership revives Okla. orthopedic hospital.(Bone and Joint clinics)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans In Oklahoma City, where few rules curb hospital construction, physician entrepreneurs have proven to be unflinching competitors in a crowded orthopedic market. Perhaps no one in the city is as acutely aware of...

Louisville medical building is being recycled into housing.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Norton eight-story Medical Towers North office building)
November 6, 2006... Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky., has found another form of community benefit: Giving away wooden doors, metal latches, cabinets, ceiling tiles, toilets, light switches, bolts, screws and bookcases-everything including the kitchen sink. ...

Misys' panel raises questions; Advisers could be subjected to IT conflicts of interest.(The Week In Healthcare)(members of the healthcare information technology )
November 6, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Misys Healthcare Systems, a Raleigh, N.C.-based healthcare technology company, has appointed some high-profile members of the healthcare information technology community to a new advisory board, raising questions...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
November 6, 2006... The lead of a story on the American Hospital Association's annual uncompensated-care report (Oct. 30, p. 8) may have suggested that the AHA included Medicare and Medicaid losses in its calculations. As the story noted, the AHA released the...

For their eyes only; HHS keeping privacy meetings under wraps.(The Week In Healthcare)(Health and Human Services)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn HHS is keeping some of its privacy efforts a little more private than some in the industry desire. As HHS officials work to develop national privacy policies for healthcare information technology, the agency is...

On the move....(News Makers)(Tenet Healthcare Corp. appoints Audrey Andrews)(Kenneth Samet joins MedStar Health)(Children's Hospital appoints James Shmerling)(Joe Dunn at California Medical Association)
November 6, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Tenet Healthcare Corp., Dallas, said its chief compliance officer, Steven Ortquist, will leave the company later this year and be replaced by Audrey Andrews, Tenet's vice president and assistant general counsel for...

Other Voices.(Opinions)
November 6, 2006... "A Democratic takeover of the House, the Senate or both would embolden congressional Democrats to pass any number of bills favoring their preferred agenda (assuming they keep their members in line). But they would do so knowing that Bush could...

Hillenbrand ponders split.(The Week In Healthcare)(Hillenbrand Industries Inc.)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone Hill-Rom, the industry-leading manufacturer of standard hospital beds, has been hit with decreasing revenue and now its parent company, Hillenbrand Industries, is considering splitting its two divisions-Hill-Rom and...

CMS extends deadline; But some say '09 still too soon for quality measures.(The Week in Healthcare)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias The CMS, in its final rule on outpatient services released last week, said it would give hospitals a two-year lead time before it launches a set of reportable outpatient quality measures. Even so, some reimbursement...

HEART-HEALTHY; Staff commitment, use of technology, attention to detail help facilities land on Solucient's list of 100 top cardiac hospitals.(Special Feature)
November 6, 2006... Byline: Jay Greene Gregory Dehmer, a physician who's director of cardiology at 517-bed Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas, attributes a committed team, cutting-edge technology and quality-improvement efforts with helping...

HealthCare Partners buys JSA Healthcare.(Physician Affairs)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... HealthCare Partners, Torrance, Calif., said it acquired JSA Healthcare Corp., St. Petersburg, Fla., for undisclosed terms. JSA's holdings include 27 primary-care clinics and eight pharmacies in the Orlando and Tampa Bay, Fla., areas...

By The Numbers.(The Week In Healthcare)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Nearly 60% of respondents to a Modern Healthcare online poll believe labor relations at hospitals will be hurt by a recent National Labor Relations Board ruling on what types of nurses are supervisors and, therefore, are ineligible for union...

Most residents not working more than 80 hours: survey.(Physician Affairs)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Only about 3% of physicians in residency programs said they worked more than 80 hours per week in the previous month during the 2005-06 academic year, according to a new survey by the Chicago-based Accreditation...

Teaming up on oncology; Southern companies create firm, eye national network.(Physician Affairs)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano A new company with plans to evolve into a national network of outpatient radiation-oncology centers was formed through a partnership with two leading providers of cancer-treatment services in the Southeast U.S.,...

Triad deals dead; HCA settles.(Triad Hospitals Inc.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro Triad Hospitals may not be bowing to pressure from a major shareholder to spend less on acquisitions, but the scuttling of two joint venture deals with not-for-profit hospitals may have the shareholder's desired...

Modern Healthcare's annual IT survey is in the field.(Opinions)
November 13, 2006... Modern Healthcare's 17th annual Information Technology Survey is now available. This invitation-only survey analyzes the opinions of senior healthcare executives to understand the benefits of implementing new IT systems and sharing data....

Parsing McKesson's plans; Per-Se software clients left wondering after deal.(purchase of Per-Se Technologies by McKesson Corp.)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn The planned purchase of Per-Se Technologies by McKesson Corp. could help efforts to develop electronic-prescribing systems, but also may raise questions among Per-Se's physician office software clients about where they...

Specialty-hospital backer Barton calls in favors for candidates.(Physician Hospitals of America, Joe Barton )
November 13, 2006... Healthcare associations are no strangers to the big-money world of politics, but the two may never have been closer than during the recent annual meeting of the Physician Hospitals of America-formerly known as the American Surgical Hospital...

Tumult at Kaiser; Head of big IT project exits amid controversy.(J. Clifford Dodd resigned from Kaiser Permanente)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks A controversy has engulfed a large information technology project at Kaiser Permanente, where the executive in charge of the project, J. Clifford Dodd, has resigned. Dodd, who was chief...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Letter to the editor)
November 13, 2006... "Voters... expect action on economic policy and other pocketbook issues. Democrats pledged to reverse the deficit spending embraced by congressional Republicans, encouraged by their chief enabler, Bush. (Sen. Robert) Menendez and other...

Getting tough on conflicts; `Confusion is the norm': Governance Institute.(conflict-of-interest )
November 13, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker The influential Governance Institute is aiming to jolt the governance practices of not-for-profit hospitals, causing a seismic change both in how boards of directors are selected and their level of transparency and...

Tobacco taxes snuffed out.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Mark Taylor Healthcare providers were on the losing end of two major state ballot initiatives voted on last week-failed tobacco taxes that carried the potential to pour an extra $1 billion into healthcare. But healthcare providers...

Now comes the hard part; Democrats have a healthcare plan (sort of), but Bush still stands in the way.(George W. Bush)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane Assistant Managing Editor Op-Ed Last week's Democratic rout of the GOP has Big Pharma and insurers quaking, and employers and employees hoping. The big question is: Will there be an expansive healthcare agenda or...

NEIGHBORING STATES OF MIND; Hospitals in Kansas, Missouri use different approaches to show regulators that they take their community obligations seriously.(Special Report)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro For Maynard Oliverius, it's all in the attitude. Whether discussing how his 318-bed Stormont-Vail HealthCare system in Topeka, Kan., deals with uninsured patients or the Kansas attorney general, Oliverius repeatedly...

Shake-up in Congress; Johnson, Grassley pass lead roles to Stark, Baucus.(Charles E. Grassley, Rick Santorum and Nancy Johnson to left Ways and Means Health Subcommittee )
November 13, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell In the aftermath of their midterm elections sweep, Democrats who once held positions of power in the healthcare arena will be reclaiming the chairmanships of influential healthcare panels in the House and Senate....

Ethicist inks deal with for-profit; Center for Bioethics will oversee ethics at doc Web site.(University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks A prominent watchdog of the healthcare industry recently inked an agreement with a for-profit venture targeting physicians. The University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics in Philadelphia will receive some...

Ramifications of the Provena ruling; Revocation of tax-exempt status is a warning shot for not-for-profit providers.(Provena Health )
November 13, 2006... Byline: William Foley The recent decision by the Illinois Department of Revenue to revoke the tax-exempt status of Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana will not only harm the mission of our hospital but may also have far-reaching...

Annual Construction and Design Survey ready to roll.(Opinions)
November 13, 2006... Modern Healthcare's 28th annual Construction and Design Survey is now available. To participate, please download the electronic version of the questionnaire at modernhealthcare.com/surveys. Completed surveys are due by Monday, Jan. 15, 2007....

A dose of collaboration; New JCAHO safety goal has hospitals scrambling.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone James Klauck, director of pharmacy at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital was well-prepared when surveyors from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations inquired about the...

Back on the center stage; Republicans' losses in Congress cause speculation among industry insiders on changes in lawmakers' healthcare agendas.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias and Jennifer Lubell The Democratic Party's move into power in the House and Senate last week may be significant more for what won't happen as a result than what will. The Democrats are now in a key position to stall,...

Late News; FDA wants device ID system.(device identification system)
November 13, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration said last week that it is pursuing the development of a unique device identification system despite concerns over costs. The FDA made the announcement in a report that outlines a plan to change the agency's...

Make some mistakes about it; Those who don't take chances stand no chance of success in business.(Editorial)
November 13, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director I like to tell this story because it demonstrates how important it is to give life 100% every day. When I first started my career in publishing, I worked for Look...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
November 20, 2006... A story on the midterm election results (Nov. 13, p. 6) incorrectly stated the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of 10-year savings from keeping planned cuts to Medicare physician payments in place. The correct figure is $200 billion.

By The Numbers.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 20, 2006... Use of pay-for-performance programs in the U.S. behind that of six other industrialized countries, based on a 2006 survey of 6,000 primary-care physicians by the Commonwealth Fund.

At a loss over Medicaid; Some docs say treating poor is too cost-prohibitive.(Physician Affairs)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Jay Greene Pediatrician Lisa Swanson doesn't accept Medicaid patients for one simple reason: Reimbursement rates don't cover her costs. "If I accepted even 10% Medicaid, I would have to close my office,'' says Swanson, a solo...

Focus on quality; Trust in hospitals wanes amid flurry of quality efforts.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias Even as the nation's flag bearers for hospital quality continued to tweak, shape and add to an already large list of measures and best practices last week, some patients claim they increasingly are losing trust in...

Patients push for price data; Lawsuits, regulations could cause consumers nationwide to start seeking more transparency from hospitals on outpatient fees.(DeLois Gibson, Virginia Mason Medical Center)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Cinda Becker DeLois Gibson never paid much attention to her hospital bills until the deductible of the health plan offered by the Seattle law firm where she works was raised to $1,500 from $200, and she became responsible for 20%...

Quality conundrum; Consumers will get more data, but questions remain about validity, usefulness.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services's Hospital Compare Web )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Next year, the CMS-hosted Hospital Compare Web site will include more quality measures-including data on patient satisfaction and mortality rates-and hospitals will pay a greater penalty for not reporting, but what...

On the move...(Robert Lipson of WellStar Health System died)(Jill Frew joined Cain Bros. & Co.)(Obituary)
November 20, 2006... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS The CEO and president of five-hospital WellStar Health System, Marietta, Ga., died Nov. 10 in a motorcycle accident. Robert Lipson, 60, was a physician who had led the system for five years. He was pronounced dead at...

AHA's take on benefits; Group has bigger version of CHA disclosure template.(American Hospital Association, Catholic Health Association)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans The hospital industry's split over the reporting of community benefits solidified last week, when the American Hospital Association adopted a stripped-down, modified copy of its rival's public disclosure template. ...

$1.3 million to former AMA CEO; Former executive sued group after being fired.(American Medical Association, E. Ratcliffe Anderson Jr.)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano The American Medical Association paid $1.3 million last year to a former chief executive officer who was fired more than five years ago after filing a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the Chicago-based doctors'...

Physicians under duress; A husband and wife team provides guidance to navigate emotional terrain.(The Resilient Physician: Effective Emotional Management for Doctors and Their Medical Organizations)(Book review)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director Physicians are human, too. Like everyone else, they worry about their families, their futures and keeping up with the Joneses. Their jobs involve a high level of...

O'Leary, the $2 million man; JCAHO Form 990 also says it took in $106 million.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations President Dennis O'Leary's retirement package)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The impending retirement of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations President Dennis O'Leary boosted his 2005 total payout by almost $1.2 million, according to a federal tax form filed last...

Merger fight in N.Y. not over.(HIP Health Plan, Group Health )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko New York's two largest not-for-profit health insurers consummated their marriage last week after an often-rocky, yearlong courtship. But their honeymoon may be short-lived as city officials and local physicians vowed...

Help for docs is duck soup; Chances of a reprieve this year dim, as AMA tactics backfire.(American Medical Association )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane Assistant Managing Editor Op-Ed Everyone in Washington seems to have their own agenda for the lame-duck session of Congress, which may last all of a dozen legislative days. A new secretary of defense is likely to be...

PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH; As costs of care continue to skyrocket, some healthcare employers want consumer-driven care for their patients and employees, too.(Special Report)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko Wayne Sensor remembers the moment he became an official advocate of consumer-driven healthcare. It was late 2004, and the chief executive officer of Omaha, Neb.-based Alegent Health was commiserating with a local...

P4P--the next generation; Providers need to be involved in designing new incentive payment programs.(pay-for-performance )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Richard Norling Now that pay-for-performance is becoming more likely to be implemented on a national level, hospital leaders and other stakeholders must begin a dialogue on how to design such a program so that it best serves...

L.A. accuses Kaiser; Patient-dumping charges are first in crackdown.(Los Angeles prosecutors filed cases against Kaiser Permanente )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Laura B. Benko In what is believed to be an unprecedented crackdown on patient dumping, Los Angeles prosecutors last week filed both civil and criminal charges against Kaiser Permanente for allegedly abandoning a homeless woman...

Ohio, USC cases postponed; Hospital control at stake in Cincinnati, L.A. lawsuits.(cases between Christ Hospital, Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and Tenet Healthcare Corp., University of Southern California )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro and Mark Taylor Two legal disputes over the control of hospitals in Ohio and California were dealt delays in recent weeks. A trial resulting from the attempt by 440-bed Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, to leave the...

Pa. system tries a novel take on payment for performance.(Geisinger Health System)(mail fraud charges against Philip Stoffan, Muskegon healthcare attorney )(Get Healthy Florida's new world record for most flu shots given in a single day)
November 20, 2006... Geisinger Health System is marketing a new initiative as "an innovative pay-for-performance program,'' but it might better be described as a no-pay-for-bad-performance program. At its core is a novel concept for healthcare: promising that...

Steady as she goes; HCA owners change, operations won't: Bovender.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Vince Galloro To Jack Bovender Jr., the only thing that changed when investors completed their $33 billion leveraged buyout of HCA was that the company's shares will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Otherwise,...

Looking for more docs.(University of California)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Two efforts to increase enrollment at medical schools were unveiled last week amid predictions that a shortage of doctors is looming. The University of California launched an ambitious plan to boost enrollment in...

Briefly; Foley out at Provena.(Provena Health chief executive officer William Foley resigned)(University Hospital at New Orleans reopened)(Medicaid Commission's vote on plan to integrate Medicare and Medicaid benefits)
November 20, 2006... Provena Health, Mokena, Ill., which has been fighting a property-tax case with implications for hospitals nationwide, said its president and CEO of five years, William Foley, resigned for "personal and professional reasons.'' Foley, 56, wasn't...

Ascension expands in joint deal; Deal to help religious orders consolidate their assets.(Ascension Health, Marian Health System to acquire Via Christi Health System)
November 20, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans The nation's largest Roman Catholic health system will finish 2006 on the verge of getting even bigger. Ascension Health, a St. Louis-based not-for-profit with 67 acute-care hospitals, said it will become...

Impasse in Detroit; Contract dispute threatens residency programs.(dispute between Wayne State University and Detroit Medical Center )
November 20, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano A yearlong contract dispute between Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center has threatened 68 separate residency programs that train more than 1,000 physicians, jeopardizing the students' education as...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... "It says all anyone needs to know about the way Republicans have controlled Congress that, once Democrats began to move toward majority status, the drug companies got the jitters. Those companies' protectors are losing power. Patients, not drug...

Last call for Trustee of the Year.(Opinions)
November 27, 2006... Modern Healthcare is still accepting nominations for the annual Trustee of the Year competition, due to us by Nov. 30. The awards, co-sponsored by executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, honor two outstanding trustees for their contributions to...

By The Numbers.(The Week In Healthcare)(Brief article)
November 27, 2006... Children's hospitals are flourishing with a clean bill of credit health overall, supported by a stable outlook and growing operating margins, according to a special report by Moody's Investors Service.

IMAGING RULES CHANGING FOCUS; The CMS' revisions to imaging reimbursements, self-referrals could give hospitals a leg up on their physician competitors in '07.(Special Report)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone Gerard Durney plans a New Year's toast to Medicare rule changes that, at first glance, appear to level the playing field for hospitals to compete with physician practices that have invested in imaging equipment. ...

Carilion's conversion targeted; Group fears revamp could monopolize market.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic's reorganization plan is meeting stiff opposition from area independent physicians. The newly formed Coalition for Responsible Healthcare, which represents roughly 200...

AHA asks IRS for help with IT; Letter requests clarification on anti-kickback rules.(American Hospital Association, Internal Revenue Service, information technology)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Matthew DoBias and Andis Robeznieks Amid a holdup with pending healthcare information technology legislation on Capitol Hill, the industry continues to push for ways to get more technology into physicians' hands. The American...

Checkup on Democrats; Industry optimistic healthcare will be a top priority.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell With the Democrats readying to take control of Congress, some state hospital leaders said they are feeling more confident that important healthcare issues such as reducing the number of uninsured and fixing...

45 Texas docs teaming with Southwest, Cirrus.(Southwest Health Group and Cirrus Health to open Woodlands Surgical Hospital)(Brief article)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond About 45 physicians are partnering with Southwest Health Group and Cirrus Health on new surgical and rehabilitation hospitals to open in Shenandoah, Texas, outside Houston. The $60 million project will include...

Rethinking specialty hospitals; Wyo., Texas reports say no permanent harm done.(Wyoming )
November 27, 2006... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Officials in Wyoming and Texas are the latest to tackle the hot-button issue of specialty hospitals; officials in both states are reviewing state-mandated reports with results that may favor the specialty hospital...

Judge to feds: Pick up the pace; Longtime device case called burden on hospitals.(The Week In Healthcare)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Joseph Mantone A federal appeals court has called out the government for taking its sweet time investigating a large whistle-blower case involving 132 teaching hospitals and the False Claims Act. Earlier this month, the Second...

For-profit hospital official finds new respect for that other party.(HCA Inc.)
November 27, 2006... HCA and its counterparts in the for-profit hospital industry have long been closely tied to the Republican party, but at least one key executive is reading the tea leaves of the midterm elections and foresees love for Democrats. Vic...

HOSPITALS' DIRTY SECRET; New reports on hospital patient safety and infections reveal pattern of deadly and expensive, yet preventable, medical errors.
November 27, 2006... Byline: Joseph Conn and Matthew DoBias Patient safety at the nation's hospitals took a hit again as three more studies connected poor practices at hospitals with costly and often lethal infections in hospitalized patients. Three groups...

Being generous is not a fault; Tale of a 'Secret Santa' and his random acts of charity is a lesson for everyone.(Lauer's Letter)(Larry Stewart)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director Now that we have given thanks, we enter the season of giving things more tangible. Yes, there are gifts to buy for loved ones, but there are thousands of worthy causes...

Healthcare snags Baldriges; National quality awards offer instant notoriety.(Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Michael Romano Ever since St. Louis-based SSM Health Care became the first hospital to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award four years ago, the prestigious national tribute has triggered plenty of interest in an industry...

Medicaid panel report in limbo; Commission members cite new Congress' agenda.
November 27, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Lubell An ambitious new proposal from an HHS-appointed panel to revamp the Medicaid program is unlikely to prompt much action from Congress now that Democrats will control both the House and the Senate. After hours of...

For comparison's sake; Wanted: An agency to put the evidence in evidence-based medicine.(Opinions)
November 27, 2006... Byline: Todd Sloane Assistant Managing Editor Op-Ed A large-scale clinical trial comparing angioplasty in combination with clot-busting and arrhythmia drugs with the use of the drugs alone in heart-attack patients who had delayed seeking...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief article)
November 27, 2006... "A report on Pennsylvania hospital patient infections was downloaded by more than 140,000 Internet users within days of its release.... The report detailed how 19,000 patients were sickened by infections while hospitalized across the state...

United she stands; SEIU's Henry, called 'a new breed of labor leader,' hopes to consolidate unions across industries.(Healthcare Profile)(Mary Kay Henry )
November 27, 2006... Byline: Melanie Evans Among labor's staunchest allies, chief executives typically rank near the bottom. With the conviction of an evangelist, Mary Kay Henry believes that can change. "My biggest job is to be a missionary for the union...

South.(Regional News)(Baptist Health South Florida to purchase only from those vendors that offer health benefits to employees)(Atoka Memorial Hospital secured funding for replacement hospital construction project )(Texas Children's Hospital to add 28 postpartum rooms and two nurseries)
November 27, 2006... CORAL GABLES, Fla.-Baptist Health South Florida's board adopted a purchasing philosophy Nov. 2 that gives preference, all things being equal, to vendors that offer health benefits to employees. Under the policy, the system has "a bias to do...

Briefly; Tenet agrees to settle with IRS.(Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University reached an agreement)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted Web site Medicare payment information )(Tenet Healthcare Corp., Internal Revenue Service )(Brief article)
November 27, 2006... Tenet Healthcare Corp., Dallas, said it will pay $80 million in taxes and interest to resolve most of its dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over tax returns for fiscal 1995 through 1997. The partial settlement relates to deductions made...