Modern Healthcare articles from September 2003

Modern Healthcare archives from September 2003

Trying to hold on; Doctors Community CEO wants to keep hospitals.(The Week in Healthcare)(Doctors Community Healthcare Corp. CEO Paul Tuft announces a reorganization bid)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor The founder and chief executive officer of bankrupt Doctors Community Healthcare Corp. plans to submit a reorganization bid that could decide the fate of the troubled company's four remaining hospitals by early October....

Out with the old ... Outsourcing companies report growth as newer business lines gain ground.(Special Feature)(hospitals and other health care firms are still looking to outsource to save money)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Susanna Moon Administrators are still looking to outsourcing as a way to shave operating expenses and improve performance at their hospitals and other healthcare facilities, but growth opportunities for outsourcing firms appear to...

The price is right? Felsenthal is a living legend in the appraisal game.(Healthcare Profile)(an appreciation of David Felsenthal)(Biography)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor The spacious room in the swanky Chicago law office is crammed with lawyers, bankers, realtors and hospital executives dressed in expensive suits. They're gathered for a hospital auction, huddling in small groups,...

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
September 1, 2003... "The now seriously ailing Greater Southeast Community Hospital has a history with (District of Columbia) political leaders that should raise eyebrows of all concerned residents. As Greater Southeast was entering the throes of its management and...

At-risk providers hit again; Like NCFE before it, DVI files for bankruptcy, threatening access to capital for struggling and start-up healthcare providers.(DVI files for bankruptcy)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic As federal authorities issued their first fraud indictment of an executive at bankrupt National Century Financial Enterprises last month, another healthcare lender, DVI, was throwing in the towel. The Jamison,...

Jones to chair Abbott spinoff.(The Week in Healthcare)(David Jones is named chairman of the spinoff from Abbott Laboratories)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko David Jones, co-founder and chairman of managed-care giant Humana, is returning to his roots in the hospital industry. Jones, who turned 72 on Aug. 7, was named chairman of the new hospital products manufacturer...

Briefly: Hospitals.(The Week in Healthcare)(health care industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Ky. facility works to stay open Garrard County Memorial Hospital, Lancaster, Ky., planned to suspend operations by the end of last week, but at deadline officials were working to avoid a shutdown. An adjoining nursing home will continue to...

Ray of hope; Philadelphia network plans to buy Tenet hospital.(The Week in Healthcare)(Albert Einstein Healthcare Network agrees to acquire Elkins Park (Pennsylvania) Hospital from Tenet Healthcare Corp.)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker The financial fortunes of Philadelphia's Albert Einstein Healthcare Network brightened last week with the announcement that it planned to purchase 158-bed Elkins Park (Pa.) Hospital from the troubled Tenet Healthcare...

Wrapping up; CMS issues final EMTALA regulations.(Late News)(the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Outpatient clinics that are not on a hospital campus and that do not routinely provide emergency care will be exempt from the requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, under final...

Pleading poverty; Study: NYC hospitals still in trouble.(The Week in Healthcare)(a report finds that New York hospitals are still having problems)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Hospitals crying poverty is nothing new in New York, and a financial analysis released last week confirmed just that, finding almost no change in the troubled finances of many New York hospitals from 1999 to 2001. ...

Fraud patrol; N.Y. joins push to track down insurance swindlers.(The Week in Healthcare)(New York regulators crack down on bogus health insurers)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko New York regulators have become the latest to crack down on bogus health insurers that have proliferated in the past two years to prey on uninsured individuals and small businesses desperate to find affordable...

The fix is in; CMS plans to correct wage-index error.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman The CMS says it plans to correct a technical error in recently published payment regulations that if left unaddressed could cost hospitals as much as $250 million in lost Medicare payments next year. Most likely the...

Late News.(health care industry news briefs)
September 1, 2003... Patient dies after transfusion Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Va., admitted that a patient died as a result of receiving incorrectly matched blood. The unidentified patient underwent a surgical procedure on July 23 that required a...

Reinforcements; JCAHO to help CMS oversee risky procedure.(The Week in Healthcare)(the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations will help the CMS broaden the availability of an emphysema procedure)
September 1, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey The CMS has enlisted the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to help broaden the availability of a risky but beneficial surgical procedure for advanced emphysema while keeping a tight rein...

On Medicare, it's GOP vs. GOP as Grassley pulls out of talks.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)
September 1, 2003... Perhaps it was naive to think there's any part of Medicare reform that's noncontroversial. But operating under that assumption, healthcare policy aides on Capitol Hill hoped to tackle provisions in pending Medicare reform bills that would...

Tenet selling hospitals, considering candidates.(The Week in Healthcare)(Tenet HEalthcare Corp. announces two deals to sell six hospitals)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro Tenet Healthcare Corp. made some headway last week on one of the items on its crowded plate, as the chain announced two deals to sell six hospitals that have been on the block since March. Tenet said Health...

Roadblocks to selling; Corporations stumble when they don't train, mentor sales staff.(Publisher's Letter)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer He's one of the very best. He's a top sales executive with a major company that does many millions of dollars worth of business in healthcare. I met him a few years ago, and in any dealings I have had with him I've...

What's wrong with the old words? Nomenclature changes are dizzying, but even we are changing with times.(Opinions-Editorials)(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... Byline: David Burda, Editor Professionally, I like inconsistency. It's a concept that journalists use to sniff out a potential story. If something is inconsistent with something else--e.g., the past, other numbers, previous statements,...

Greener pastures; Stack leaves hospital position to lead company.(The Week in Healthcare)(R. Timothy Stack is resigning as CEO and president of Piedmont Medical Center to join MedQuist)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano High-profile hospital executive R. Timothy Stack is charting a new course in midcareer, abandoning the day-to-day business of healthcare to head the nation's biggest medical transcription company. Stack, 51,...

Market losses; ACHE faults weakened economy for losses.(The Week in Healthcare)(the American College of Healthcare Executives)
September 1, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly The American College of Healthcare Executives is the latest healthcare organization to blame a sagging investment economy for operating losses, as the Chicago-based organization reported a $1.8 million net loss in...

Pa. insurers head to court.(The Week in Healthcare)(Cigna agrees to settles its lawsuit, but Independence Blue Cross will see its suit reviewed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko Even as one Pennsylvania-based health insurer settled its legal woes, two others may be heading to the courts to defend themselves against allegations of illegally hoarding money-one from consumers, the other from...

2-yard line; Bush may need to break logjam over Rx benefit.(The Week in Healthcare)(Congress focuses on Medicare reform proposals that are becoming more complex)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Back last week from their August recess, members of Congress turned their attention again to Medicare reform proposals that continue to grow in political complexity. While the Bush administration expressed optimism...

Briefly: Hospitals.(The Week in Healthcare)(health care industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Not-for-profits profiting less Operating revenue for not-for-profit hospital providers improved in the first half of 2003, but overall profit margins decreased in general because of weaker nonoperating performance, Standard & Poor's said...

Trial and error; Medical courts, arbitration systems are among the ideas gaining attention as answers to the malpractice liability crisis.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano Despite success in isolated states, the medical establishment's attempt to impose a national limit on damages in malpractice lawsuits has faltered again this year in Congress, failing to muster even enough support...

Legal hang-ups; JCAHO offers self-assessment options to avoid lawsuits.(The Week in Healthcare)(th Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
September 8, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey With less than four months to go before the start of a new accreditation process, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has been forced to make significant changes because of concerns that...

MedCath moves; New CEO faces poor stock, earnings performance.(Late News)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro Neither man who served as chief executive officer of MedCath Corp. last week-one now on the way out, the other on the way in-would say who initiated the heart hospital operator's leadership shake-up, but the...

Wanted: caring leadership; After an acquisition, new owners have a duty to treat employees well.(Publisher's Letter)(a discussion of hospital acquisitions)(Editorial)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Running a hospital is almost like being a tightrope walker. One misstep with any of the many key constituencies and a career falls into the abyss. Someone recently cited a statistic to me about the longevity of...

Other Voices.(Opinions-Editorials)
September 8, 2003... "Americans suspect that the reason the re-importation of drugs from Canada is illegal has nothing to do with safety. How exactly would the drugs get more dangerous by crossing the border into Canada before coming back into the United States?...

If the doctor isn't kindly, there's always the robot.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Johns Hopkins Hospital tests the use of a robot to allow patients to interact with their own doctors)
September 8, 2003... Patients have groused for years about the cold, impersonal disposition of many physicians. So here comes Dr. Robot, a high-tech contraption that hopes to serve as sort of a surrogate physician when a flesh-and-blood doctor can't be physically...

Losing it; HHS seeks to cut Tenet hospital from federal programs.(The Week in Healthcare)(Tenet Healthcare Corp. announces deals to reduce its hospital portfolio)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Vince Galloro Tenet Healthcare Corp. made announcements last week about two developments that could shrink its hospital portfolio. One development was an achievement six months in the making, but the other was thrust upon it by...

Corrections & Clarifications.(The Week in Healthcare)(Correction Notice)
September 8, 2003... A story on Medquist (Sept. 1, p. 17) included incorrect sales figures for the company's second quarter ended June 30. The correct figure is $123.4 million.

Mixed reviews; Final EMTALA rules don't please everybody.(The Week in Healthcare)(a discussion of the final rules in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor While hospital and physician associations applauded the CMS' final regulations on the patient dumping law, consumer groups and some providers warned that the government's easing of the standards could reduce access to...

End of an era; AHIMA to establish electronic record standards.(The Week in Healthcare)(the American Health Information Management Association)
September 8, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey Rushing to take advantage of the growing momentum for electronic medical records, a trade group for health information management professionals has launched an initiative to discourage "outmoded'' work priorities...

Open season at the CMS; If there's a hospital regulation you don't like, just ask Mr. Scully.(Opinions-Editorials)(a discussion of CMS Administrator Tom Scully)(Editorial)
September 8, 2003... Byline: David Burda, Editor There may never be a better time than right now for the hospital lobby to win a financial or regulatory concession from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A recent profile in the Wall Street Journal portrayed...

Cost and complexity; Annual MGMA gathering to address issues weighing on medical practices.(Special Feature)(the Medical Group Management Association is planning a meeting in 10/03)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano More than 3,000 members of the Medical Group Management Association will converge next month in Philadelphia to focus their collective attention on such key issues as Medicare reform, federal reimbursement, operating...

Late News.(health care industry news briefs)
September 8, 2003... Patient-safety winners named The Leapfrog Group and two hospital organizations in Pennsylvania are among the recipients of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards, an annual recognition program for patient-safety achievement, advocacy,...

Preparing for a disaster; Healthcare providers try to ready themselves for biological, chemical attacks without the benefit of government funding.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong As the trauma center closest to ground zero, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan found itself on Sept. 11, 2001, waiting for patients that never came. What did arrive, though, was the realization that a new world order had...

Rolling back; Calif. limits malpractice insurer's rate hike.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano A California consumer group has successfully mounted the first state challenge to a malpractice insurance rate increase, reinforcing its assertion that tough oversight by state regulators-not caps on damages-is the...

On outcomes, the time has come; National database is needed to ensure the right care is given for each condition.(Opinions-Commentary)(there should be a national health outcomes database)(Column)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Joseph Kanter We in the U.S. are lucky to have the ways and means to provide quality healthcare. That makes it all the more unfortunate that this resource is being squandered. If the same thing were occurring with oil, everyone...

Injection vs. Oral; For many diabetics, development of oral insulin - whether via an inhaler or a capsule - could mean the end of daily needlesticks and the beginning of a simpler treatment regimen.(Medical Advances)
September 8, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker All the world's ills can't be cured with a pill, but there now is more than a glimmer of hope that a pill or at least medication taken through the mouth will be the shot in the arm needed to motivate millions of...

2003 Up & Comers; Modern Healthcare and Witt/Kieffer present this year's class of rising stars in healthcare management.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... We all know about the leadership gap in healthcare-a generation of retiring chief executives along with a dearth of young executives trained to fill their shoes. We also know the reasons behind the shrinking talent pool. The demands of leading...

How they were chosen.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: David Burda, editor This year marks Modern Healthcare's 17th annual Up & Comers award program, which recognizes rising management stars in the healthcare industry. We issued a call for nominations from the field in our May 5 issue...

On the move...(News Makers)(healthcare industry appointments, promotions, retirements, resignations)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Edward Case earlier this month resigned as president of three-hospital Presbyterian Healthcare, Charlotte, N.C., a division of Novant Health, saying he disagreed with system-level executives about Presbyterian's future direction. A Presbyterian...

Incremental progress; Conference committee supports reimbursement hike for critical-access facilities.(The Week in Healthcare)(critical-access hospitals gain a tentative victory with Medicare reformers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman Critical-access hospitals last week scored a tentative victory with Medicare reformers, but a climate of compromise has yet to emerge among lawmakers who plan to take up even thornier issues in the coming days. The...

AHA gets into gear for Afghan hospitals in need of supplies.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(the American Hospital Association seeks equipment to send to Afghanistan)
September 15, 2003... Iraq may dominate the news, but Afghanistan hasn't been forgotten, at least not by the American Hospital Association. The AHA has begun asking its members to donate used and excess medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics for use...

Jon Joffe; 33, director of employment and workforce relations, OhioHealth, Columbus.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Glenn Richards In a tight market, Jon Joffe still recruits record numbers of nurses for OhioHealth. Yet even with his recruiting successes, he's excited about a new approach for meeting the talent demand. Two years up and running,...

Rhonda Scott; 40, chief nursing officer, South Fulton Medical Center, East Point, Ga.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Glenn Richards When Rhonda Scott joined South Fulton Medical Center as chief nursing officer in December 2001, she found morale in the nursing department low, dependence on agency help high and some staff nurses ready to leave. ...

Timeless message; Debs Myers understood the importance of explaining issues to the press.(Publisher's Letter)(a discussion of the 50s and 60s-era public relations executive Deb Myers)(Column)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Debs Myers is still very much alive in my mind. I just can't forget what he gave to me: the memories, the rich advice, the laughs and an appreciation of what journalism is all about. For those of you too young...

United they stand; Hospitals work together to offer malpractice coverage.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko Hospitals in several states are banding together to provide much-needed medical malpractice coverage, even as they continue to retreat from their once-ambitious push into commercial health insurance. In an effort...

Chris Lane; 31, president, DeGraff Memorial Hospital, North Tonawanda, N.Y., and vice president, Kaleida Health, Buffalo, N.Y.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner Chris Lane is late for an interview. He's been hand-delivering lunch to his laboratory staff, as a morale booster to help them through a tedious and annoying computer system conversion. "It's amazing the work...

Tabitha Rice; 29, director of clinical business operations for nursing, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner When Tabitha Rice was deciding where to apply to college, she looked first for an Ivy League school-and then for one that had a children's hospital on site. "That narrowed things down pretty quick,'' she...

David Strong; 38, chief operating officer, Mercy Health Center, Oklahoma City.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Ed Finkel David Strong began his career in healthcare by cleaning operating room floors as a high school and college student, and those around him at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City say he's retained the humility inherent in...

Period of reconciliation; House, Senate seek common ground on spending bills.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong As the House and Senate begin to reconcile their spending bills for fiscal 2004, the provider community expressed cautious optimism that all will be well when the dust settles. Last week, the Senate passed its labor,...

Digging deeper; HealthSouth hit again; Medicare fraud probe looms.(Late News)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Michael Romano HealthSouth Corp., plagued by federal investigations and criminal indictments over the past six months, now faces an expanded congressional probe of possible Medicare fraud. The House Energy and Commerce...

Kevin Rehder; 39, pharmacy director and patient-safety officer, Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park, Ill.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Ed Finkel After nearly 13 years in the pharmacy and 20 years overall at Little Company of Mary Hospital in suburban Chicago, Kevin Rehder still keeps his proverbial ear to the ground-but he's also won crucial respect from the...

Frank Molinaro; 39, chief executive officer, Putnam General Hospital, Hurricane, W.Va.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Ed Finkel When Frank Molinaro took over as chief executive officer of Putnam General Hospital in May 2002, he knowingly inherited an unhealthy mess. Morale was low and local residents of Hurricane, W.Va., often traveled elsewhere...

Brian Dieter; 40, vice president and chief financial officer, Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames, Iowa.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Glenn Richards Versatility is a hallmark of Brian Dieter. The vice president and chief financial officer of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa, wears enough hats to fill a wide rack. The 220-bed municipal hospital in central...

Across the pond; N.Y.-Presbyterian to help develop U.K. hospitals.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker A consortium that includes a New York-based hospital developer and New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System last week received the nod from the United Kingdom's National Health Service to build two for-profit orthopedic...

Either way ... Employers push big copays for hospital care.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Tony Fong With private healthcare insurance premiums continuing to rise at a double-digit pace, one of the ways employers are looking to defray costs is by making workers pay more out of pocket for inpatient hospital care,...

Back to basics; Minn. Blues to abandon hospital ownership.(The Week in Healthcare)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the first Blues plan to develop a hospital from the ground up, has decided to retreat from hospital ownership by selling 74-bed Innovis Health, Fargo, N.D., to Catholic Health...

Military inspection; GAO reviews firms' losing bids for Tricare program.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman The General Accounting Office is reviewing the protests of two managed-care companies that lost out on their bids to administer healthcare benefits to U.S. military personnel under the Tricare program. One of the...

... you pay; Medicare HMOs seek more out-of-pocket payments.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Laura B. Benko Although fewer seniors are getting dumped by their Medicare HMOs next year, many can still expect to pay more out of pocket at the doctor's office, hospital and pharmacy. An American Association of Health Plans...

Trying to keep their own; Mentoring program aims to improve nurse retention.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Patrick Reilly The California Nurses Association, with the help of a $904,000 grant, announced plans last week to launch a nurse-mentoring program at four Catholic Healthcare West hospitals in the state. The announcement was made...

Cynthia Finter; 40, president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Northwest Region, Portland, Ore.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner Cynthia Finter was all set to be a doctor. She'd wanted it since childhood. She'd made the grades and done the groundwork, and was halfway through a six-year bachelor's-medical degree program at the University of...

Late News.(briefs)
September 15, 2003... Wholesale prices edge up Wholesale prices for general medical and surgical hospitals rose a modest 0.1% in August, while physician prices inched up 0.2%., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Producer Price Index. Hospital...

Community clinic trailblazer dies.(News Makers)(Denver physician Abraham Kauvar dies)(Obituary)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Todd Sloane Abraham Kauvar, a Denver physician who first proposed the idea of community health clinics and left his stamp on two medical disciplines, two public health systems and a major university, died recently at age 88 from...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(Michael Karpf )(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... * Michael Karpf will resign as associate vice chancellor of financially strained UCLA Healthcare and CEO of 599-bed UCLA Medical Center to become executive vice president of health affairs at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center,...

Other Voices.(health care for non-English speakers)(Editorial)
September 15, 2003... "It turns out that not speaking English, or speaking it poorly, is more than a mere inconvenience. It can also be dangerous to your health.... Last month (HHS' Office for Civil Rights) issued long awaited guidelines that reaffirm the right of...

A prescription for failure; If the president won't step in, Medicare negotiators should walk away.(Opinions-Editorials)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed Unless President Bush decides to try to straighten out the political donnybrook taking place on Capitol Hill, Congress should postpone its so-called Medicare prescription drug benefit,...

Under investigation; Hospitals may be liable for record sales.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Mark Taylor Houston hospitals and their employees who allegedly sold confidential patient information that ended up in the hands of personal injury lawyers may face civil and criminal liability under federal patient privacy laws,...

Getting back in the race; Retired healthcare executives are being lured back into the office as organizations look for experienced leaders to take the reins.
September 15, 2003... Byline: Mary Chris Jaklevic Young healthcare executives trying to move into top leadership positions are facing unexpected competition: retirees. Executives who quit 80-hour workweeks to spend more time in fairways and flower patches...

Lou Fierens; 39, vice president of supply chain management, Trinity Health, Novi, Mich.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Glenn Richards For Trinity Health, the grass really was greener on the other side of the fence. And Trinity's leaders knew it. That's why the nation's eighth-largest healthcare system, based in Novi, Mich., recruited a rising...

Mary 'Mikki' Clancy; 38, vice president and chief information officer, Premier Health Partners, Dayton, Ohio.(Special Feature: 2003 Up & Comers)
September 15, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner As one of four children, Mikki Clancy knew from an early age that if she wanted to go to college, she would have to find a way to pay for it herself. To that end, she channeled her baton-twirling skills into the...

Detailing performance; Report on K.C. area examines care differences.(The Week in Healthcare)(Kansas City-area hospitals)
September 22, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey A detailed report on the clinical performance of Kansas City-area hospitals last week showed that the region's heart-attack patients generally are getting recommended care, but patients coming to the hospital with...

Coverage conundrum; Those who pay will pay more in Maine.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman A new Maine law aimed at covering the state's uninsured may end up raising healthcare prices for the rest of the state's residents. MaineHealth, the largest healthcare provider in the state, is a five-hospital...

Review set for Mass. hospital.(Late News)(Children's Hospital [Boston, Massachusetts])
September 22, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey In the wake of medical mistakes that led to three patient deaths, the Massachusetts health department announced last week it would conduct a review of the state hospital license for Boston's Children's Hospital. ...

The second time around; Why trend of retired CEOs returning to lead systems makes perfect sense.(Publisher's Letter)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Charles S. Lauer After a recent round of golf, my foursome was sitting around the clubhouse talking shop. Three of us are from the sales side of healthcare; the other runs a big system. The provider-side executive earned his spurs...

On the move...(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... Paul Boehringer, 60, executive director and CEO of Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, will retire on Dec. 31 after 34 years at the university, where he began as a resident manager in graduate housing in 1969. He will be succeeded by...

Ex-radical Boudin will work for N.Y.'s St. Luke's-Roosevelt.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Kathy Boudin)
September 22, 2003... Kathy Boudin, the former Weather Underground radical released last week from prison, soon will start work at New York's St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center developing programs for HIV-positive women. She accepted the position on the day...

Balance past due; Hospitals use technology to get a handle on the thorny and complex issue of bad-debt collection.(Special Report)(Yale-New Haven [Connecticut] Hospital)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker Earlier this year the prestigious Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital woke up to the kind of public relations nightmare that could be summarily dropped on nearly any hospital in the country by just one delinquent patient...

Out of there; Up to eight partners terminated at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, sources say.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Cinda Becker As many as eight key partners in the wide-ranging U.S. healthcare practice of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young were terminated recently after traveling to corporate headquarters in Paris to propose a buyout of the division,...

Eye of the storm; Medicare tempest hits over hospitals' priorities.(The Week in Healthcare)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Jeff Tieman As Hurricane Isabel sent members of Congress home before their week was through, the storm over Medicare provider payments continued to rage on Capitol Hill and in the offices of hospital lobbyists. The major...

The access dichotomy; As states experiment, pressure mounts on employer-sponsored coverage.(Opinions-Editorials)
September 22, 2003... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed When it comes to access to healthcare, we seem to be on a two-track process, with one mighty locomotive barreling toward reduced coverage and an itty-bitty train straining to pull more...

A quality education.(The Week in Healthcare)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... Byline: John Morrissey Two government agencies will be sending public health officials and hospital quality officers to school to learn how to recognize and correct situations that cause medical mistakes. The Agency for Healthcare...