Modern Healthcare articles from September 2004

Modern Healthcare archives from September 2004

Specialty certification called integral to quality.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician Specialty board certification for doctors has become an integral part of the quality movement in healthcare-even though it hasn't received the attention of well-publicized efforts by organizations such as the...

Nursing a shortage; Vacancies dip, but lack of instructors adds to woes.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Susanna Moon The healthcare industry has gained some ground on the workforce front, with nursing shortages easing in many states. But a dearth of teachers in the field could threaten what gains have been made, and experts are...

Midwest.(Regional News)(Winona Memorial Physicians Hospital)
September 6, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS-WMH Physicians Hospital, formerly known as Winona Memorial Hospital, said last week that it would close after creditors petitioned to force the hospital into involuntary bankruptcy on Aug. 23. A group of 20 physicians and other...

Noland sues HealthSouth.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Joseph Mantone Despite shuttering HealthSouth Metro West Hospital in Fairfield, Ala., last week, HealthSouth Corp.'s problems with the facility haven't ended. The Lloyd Noland Foundation filed a lawsuit in Jefferson County...

An IT Trojan horse ... Feds should stay out of 'evidence-based' medicine.(Opinions)(Information Technology)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Regina Herzlinger Want the federal government telling you how to treat your patients? If a coterie of bureaucrats and legislators has its way, it soon will. Undeterred by prior rejections of government- controlled healthcare...

Its' Greenspan who should recalibrate; Support for big tax cuts belies concern over future of Medicare, Social Security.(Opinions)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Todd Sloane Alan Greenspan has struck again, using a speech on the eve of the Republican National Convention to reiterate his prior warning that we can't afford adequate healthcare or retirement income for seniors because we need...

Inspection deception; Virginia man pleads guilty in hospital fraud case.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman Perry Beale, a Virginia man who faked credentials to inspect hospital radiology equipment, pleaded guilty last week to 38 counts of mail fraud and will be sentenced Dec. 3 in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Va. For...

Bundling resources; GPOs stand united, denounce regulation in letter.(The Week In Healthcare)(Group Purchasing Industry)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Cinda Becker The hospital group purchasing industry has united to unconditionally oppose any legislation aimed at regulating the industry. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee last week, the...

South.(Regional News)(Tennessee Health Services Development Agency board)
September 6, 2004... HOUSTON-The University of Texas Health Science Center will continue to use Memorial Hermann Hospital as its primary teaching and clinical site for the next 15 years, under an agreement renewed last week. As part of the deal between the...

Protesters at GOP convention focus on AIDS and uninsured.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(Grand Old Party)
September 6, 2004... While widespread protests last week at the Republican National Convention centered largely on the war in Iraq, many of the protesters expressed displeasure about the current state of healthcare. At one rally held outside the convention at...

Sealing the deal; Karmanos institute to build cancer center at DMC.(The Week In Healthcare)(Detroit Medical Center)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Vince Galloro Instead of being just a hired gun for the Detroit Medical Center, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is buying space in one of the DMC's hospitals and will build a cancer center on the main hospital campus. ...

On the move ...(News Makers)
September 6, 2004... ASSOCIATIONS Michael Caldwell is the new president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Washington. He succeeds J. Henry Hershey, director of the New River Health District, Christiansburg, Va. Caldwell is...

Estimating the cost of quality; QIOs' expanded role is welcome but needs funding.(The Week In Healthcare)(Quality Improvement Organizations)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman CMS Administrator Mark McClellan would like to see quality improvement organizations, or QIOs, do more to help providers perk up their performance. QIO officials say they're ready but will need significant new...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... "Congress set aside $1 billion in last year's Medicare (law) to help hospitals in border states with paying for emergency care for illegal immigrants.... This program will create more problems than it will solve. For starters, to ensure that...

One-hospital town; The only facilities in Johnstown, Pa., could merge.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Cinda Becker The only two hospitals in Johnstown, Pa., have taken a step toward merging. Conemaugh Health System, the parent company of 339-bed Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, has signed a letter of intent to begin...

Living with an allowance; Maine hospitals review new capital-spending limits.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman Maine hospital officials are unsure how new limits on their capital expenditures will affect future plans, and recent directives from the governor's office are likely to cloud the picture before they clear it up. ...

... or a necessary partner; Government, industry must work together on IT.(Opinions)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Herbert Pardes If you go to a hospital for the first time, should the doctors and nurses already know about your allergies, past surgeries and medical history? Most people would probably say yes, including President Bush and many...

Going, going, gone; Private group makes L.A. deal with Tenet.(The Week In Healthcare)(Centinela Freeman HealthSystem buys three healthcare facilities)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Laura B. Benko Tenet Healthcare Corp. continued its rapid down-sizing last week by agreeing to sell three Los Angeles-area hospitals to a new private investment group led by the facilities' managers. The prospective new owner,...

Testing the limits; Four systems vie to build first hospital in Minn. suburb.(The Week In Healthcare)(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Melanie Evans Four major Twin Cities health systems considering expansion in a fast-growing Minneapolis suburb may soon test Minnesota's newly modified moratorium on hospital growth. In late August, Park Nicollet Health...

Late News; Only strong survive: report.
September 6, 2004... Many small and midsize hospitals will need to spend money smarter and focus on their strengths in order to survive, according to the Financing the Future project, a joint effort of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and GE...

Staying the healthcare course; Bush speech reveals no dramatic health policy shift.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Tony Fong If you're happy with the current direction of healthcare, then President Bush should get your vote for president in November. If you want to chart a different course, Sen. John Kerry may be your man. That was the main...

Going up; Medicare premiums for office visits to leap 17.4%.(Late News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman HHS announced that Medicare premiums for physician office visits would increase to $78.20 per month in 2005, a 17.4% jump from this year's monthly premium of $66.60. The increase in premiums paid by Medicare Part B...

Bankruptcy nearly resolved.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Vince Galloro Wellmont Health System, Kingsport, Tenn., took a step toward resolving the bankruptcy of its laboratory subsidiary last month, but one part of the case might go on a lot longer than expected. Wellmont said it has...

Oh Canada.(Physician Affairs)(Canada healthcare system)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... In general, Americans are a satisfied lot when they compare the strengths, institutions and accomplishments of their native land to those of other countries--except when it comes to healthcare, and then Canada gets a higher rating, according to...

It's all in your attitude; Being positive makes all the difference, no matter what the endeavor.(Publisher's Letter)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Charles S. Lauer I recently heard someone relate a story that I have used many times to illustrate the importance of a positive attitude. It goes like this: A man pulls into a gas station on the outskirts of town. After he fills...

Campaign for sale; Tenn. system peddles ad ideas for trimming ER visits.(The Week In Healthcare)(Emergency rooms)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Michael Romano A national epidemic of overcrowded emergency rooms has prompted a Tennessee system to build a new marketing campaign around one simple message: If it's not an emergency, don't show up at the emergency department. ...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Corrections)
September 6, 2004... David Kessler, No. 48 on this year's ranking of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (Aug. 23, p. 42), is dean of the medical school at the University of California San Francisco. His listing gave an incorrect affiliation.

Gone shopping; More employers show interest in health savings accounts, helping to accelerate the consumer-driven healthcare movement.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Laura B. Benko When Standard Dynamics replaced traditional PPO coverage with a health savings account for its eight employees this year, one of the first things Dave Limberg did was log on to the Internet. Limberg, controller...

On the ropes; MIIX faces deadline to battle state takeover.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician Managers of MIIX Insurance Co. have until Sept. 28 to convince a New Jersey judge they should retain control of the troubled medical-malpractice insurer now that the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance...

UnitedHealth adds claims clearinghouse function.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician UnitedHealth Group said last week that it is getting into the claims clearinghouse game, saying it will improve business operations for physicians and other providers by "eliminating inefficient processes and...

Full-court press; Plaintiff lawyer Scruggs scored big in his litigation against Big Tobacco; now he's taking on hospitals.(Healthcare Profile)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Mark Taylor Ground Zero for the class-action litigation filed against more than 400 not-for-profit hospitals and health systems isn't an urban warehouse staffed 24/7 by teams of lawyers and investigators. It's an elegantly...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... * Richard Turan, the controversial former president and chief executive officer of Nassau Health Care Corp., East Meadow, N.Y., is suing his former employer for approximately $1.2 million in damages for breach of contract. Alternatively, he is...

A dose of higher costs; With drug manufacturers being hit with new fees from distributors, providers and GPOs face new pricing pressures.(group purchasing organizations)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Cinda Becker In July, William Larkin got a letter from a large generic-drug manufacturer based in Chicago alerting him that because of increased costs drug distributors are assessing drug manufacturers, those costs would be passed...

Behavioral modification; Researchers continue to study the reverberations of a for-profit's entry into a hospital market. The findings are definitively mixed.(Special Report)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Vince Galloro The predictions about a for-profit hospital operator's entry to a market are well-known by now. The for-profit hospital is expected to slash unprofitable services, raise prices, squeeze employment and scrimp on...

New faces, same mission.(The Week In Healthcare)(Modern Healthcare)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: David Burda, editor Modern Healthcare is pleased to announce three new reporters have joined the editorial staff of the magazine. Paul Barr is Modern Healthcare's new finance reporter. Barr replaces Mary Chris Jaklevic, who...

Emergency department utilization.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... The number of emergency department visits increased steadily from 1998 to 2002, the last year for which data was available, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians. After dipping slightly from 1996 to 1997, the number of...

The lesson of the good Samaritan; Unexpected acts of caring help make the world more livable for all of us.(Publisher's Letter)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Charles S. Lauer I am always impressed with random acts of kindness. They let us know that there are good people in the world who care about others. Good deeds also give me a sense of security; they tell me we live in a world where...

Clinton visit was a net plus for N.Y.-Presbyterian: Pardes.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(New York)
September 13, 2004... Hosting an ex-president as a patient at your hospital can be both a blessing and a curse. After all, aside from the years of abuse former President Bill Clinton's lifestyle heaped on his coronary arteries, Clinton brought all sorts of...

Care checkup; Project seeks to improve bedside manner.(The Week In Healthcare)(Institute for Healthcare Improvement)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: John Morrissey Calling for new ways of thinking about care at the bedside, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has enlisted 13 hospital sites and their medical-surgical nursing staffs to pilot ideas for making patients and...

Where bad news goes; Administration can hide Medicare premium hikes but can't run from truth.(Opinions)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Todd Slaone It's called "taking out the trash.'' When an institution has something particularly distasteful to report, it issues a furtive press release or holds an impromptu briefing on a day when it knows the public's attention...

Expensive debate; Tenet disputes report calling its hospitals most costly.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Paul Barr Tenet Healthcare Corp. dismissed a report released last week by the California Nurses Association that placed Tenet-owned hospitals high on the list of the most expensive hospitals in the country. The CNA, meanwhile,...

Cost of coverage; Premiums rise by an average of 11.2%: Kaiser study.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Laura B. Benko Although the worst of the current round of health insurance inflation appears to be over, employers and workers are still scrambling to adjust to the cumulative effect of years of heavy cost increases that have...

Special effects; Early findings say niche facilities have little impact.(News)(specialty hospitals)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman New information released last week could take some air out of the hospital industry's argument that so-called specialty hospitals should be permanently banned as an alternative source of care. The discussion over...

Who's to blame? Republicans, Democrats square off on coverage costs.(The Week In Healthcare)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Jeff Tieman Medicare premiums jumped squarely in the middle of electoral and congressional politics last week when Democrats and Republicans fought about who's to blame for rising costs and what should be done about it. The...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Former President Bill Clinton's illness)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... "(Former President Bill) Clinton's illness is all the more scary to observers because as president, he was given annual rigorous physicals that missed the problem. He actually seemed to be thinner and more physically fit than when he first ran...

Having faith in each other; Not-for-profit giant Ascension Health hooks up with United Surgical Partners for ASC joint venture.(ambulatory surgery centers)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Romano In a collaboration that some skeptics might have derided as a deal with the devil just a few years ago, Ascension Health, the nation's largest not-for-profit healthcare system, is teaming with a prominent for-profit...

Surveying the costs; Providers left to assess if JCAHO increases are worth it.(The Week In Healthcare)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: John Morrissey The issue of bang for the buck detonated again in the healthcare field last week as provider organizations absorbed news of double-digit fee increases for most accreditation surveys and weighed the hit against the...

In the spotlight.(News Makers)(HealthSouth Corporation hospital appoints John Workman)
September 13, 2004... * HealthSouth Corp., Birmingham, Ala., named John Workman as its CFO, replacing acting CFO Guy Sansone, who works with the turnaround firm Alvarez & Marsal. That company was hired by the rehabilitation chain in the wake of its $2.7 billion...

Becoming an interpretive center; HIMSS unit's mission: Make sense of health IT data.(The Week In Healthcare)(Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)(Information Technology)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: John Morrissey With its senior executive team in place, a new business venture of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is readying a series of information technology advisory services that it hopes will...

Late News; Hospital prices drop.(hospital casses)
September 13, 2004... Wholesale prices at acute-care hospitals fell 0.2% in August, the first drop since September 2003, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index. Wholesale prices in physician offices rose 0.1% in...

Dodging a bullett; Scruggs has four hospital class-action suits dismissed.(The Week In Healthcare)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Mark Taylor In a legal maneuver to avoid a potentially adverse ruling, plaintiff attorney Richard Scruggs has successfully moved to voluntarily dismiss four of the class-action lawsuits his legal team had filed against...

CMS vs. Congress; HHS refuses to act on GAO opinion regarding Scully.(The Week In Healthcare)(Government Accountability Office)(Tom Scully)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Mark Taylor It's unclear how last week's Government Accountability Office opinion seeking repayment of nearly $84,000 from former CMS Administrator Tom Scully's salary-and HHS' refusal to collect that money-will affect the fraying...

Commentaries welcome.(Opinions)
September 13, 2004... Modern Healthcare welcomes opinion articles written by outside contributors. Commentary authors can be anyone with expertise or insight into a healthcare topic. The pieces should be clear and concise-about 900 words. In most cases, we...

Eisenberg winners named.(The Week In Healthcare)(annual John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: John Morrissey A giant in the research realm and a small hospital in Pennsylvania were among those recognized for achievement and innovation in patient safety by two quality-improvement organizations last week. The National...

Surgery centers get set to greet the neighbors.(Physician Affairs)(Ambulatory Surgery Association)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician Physicians next month will be putting up their laparoscopes and setting out the punch and cookies at ambulatory surgery centers across the country to raise public awareness of ASCs and, perhaps, stave off...

No money? No problem; Despite deficit, House bill ups HHS discretionary funds.(Late News)(Department of Health and Human Services)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Tony Fong A report pegging the federal deficit at a record $422 billion had no effect on legislators as they passed a bill giving HHS a $1 billion increase in discretionary funds for next year. But some experts warned that the...

Inaction is not an option; But plans abound for policymakers to choose from in solving coverage crisis.(Opinions)(Column)
September 13, 2004... Byline: David Bernd It's refreshing that this election year presidential candidates are focusing on the need to find coverage for un-insured Americans. Perhaps these citizens are getting the candidates' attention because it's simply the...

On the move ...(News Makers)
September 13, 2004... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Michael O'Keefe has been promoted to president and CEO of Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg, Pa., replacing Michael Daniloff, 67, who retired Aug. 31 after 28 years in the post. O'Keefe, 51, has been with the...

Blogging it; Docs take to Web to offer their opinions, reach public.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician Kevin Pho, M.D., is an internist in a five-physician Harvard Pilgrim primary-care practice in Nashua, N.H. Allen Roberts, M.D., is an emergency room physician in Fort Worth, Texas. The two physicians share...

Rx group offers voluntary database of trial results.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician The pharmaceutical industry last week unveiled a Web-based database that aims to give doctors and patients access to completed clinical studies-both positive and negative-for all approved drugs. The database...

Cathy Easter; 37, vice president of operations, Methodist Hospital Houston.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Linda Wilson A plan to build a 300,000-square-foot home for outpatient services at Houston's Methodist Hospital is going better than expected-particularly considering the upheaval caused by Baylor College of Medicine's decision...

No more Mr. Nice Guys; Proposed restrictions force GPOs to pull out big guns.(The Week In Healthcare)(Group purchasing organizations)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Cinda Becker The contriteness with which group purchasing organizations have responded to a two-year Senate inquiry into their ethical and business practices may be about to change. Erstwhile competitors are joining forces for a...

Bradford Mathis; 34, director of community-benefit integration, St. Mary's Health Care, Grand Rapids, Mich.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Linda Wilson Using enthusiasm, persistence and an affable personality, Bradford Mathis strives to provide poor, inner-city residents with the same quality of healthcare available to affluent suburban residents. Mathis, 34,...

Christine Winn; 35, senior vice president of ambulatory services and operations, Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Cinda Becker Christine Winn may know her limits, but her limits stretch as far as a marathon. When Winn, 35, arrived at 334-bed Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital as senior vice president of ambulatory services and operations in 2002,...

Hedging their bets; Strong market performance.(healthcare )
September 20, 2004... Byline: Paul Barr A stock market recovery and unexpected stability in interest rates have given breathing room to resource-stressed chief financial officers at not-for-profit hospitals and health systems. Healthcare portfolios delivered...

Late News; GNYHA appeals wage index.(Greater New York Hospital Association)
September 20, 2004... The Greater New York Hospital Association filed an appeal with the CMS' Provider Reimbursement Review Board over a controversial new Medicare rule determining how hospitals are reimbursed for local labor costs. The appeal is a necessary step to...

Making its mark; PacifiCare buys American Medical, expands market.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Laura B. Benko PacifiCare Health Systems staked its claim in the burgeoning market for individual and small-group insurance last week by agreeing to acquire American Medical Security Group of Green Bay, Wis., for about $532...

Michael Lauf; 33, president and CEO, Miners Medical Center, Hastings, Pa.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Joseph Mantone At age 30, Michael Lauf was not only young to be taking over as president and chief executive officer at what was then called Miners Hospital in Hastings, Pa., but he also looked even younger than his years, says...

California healing; State survey shows waning patient satisfaction.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Laura B. Benko The latest results of a prominent survey of how Californians feel about their hospital care shows dwindling satisfaction among patients and a continued reticence among hospitals to publicly report their performance....

Priority dichotomy; Healthcare is central to Kerry's campaign, while Bush keeps focus on security.(Washington)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Tony Fong When the Republican National Convention ended earlier this month, the contrast could not have been more striking. While the Democrats put access to and quality of healthcare at center stage, Republicans pushed the issue...

Poor performance; AHA suffers year-end loss for second year in a row.(The Week In Healthcare)(American Hospital Association)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Melanie Evans The American Hospital Association's poorly performing long-term investments left the Chicago not-for-profit with a year-end loss in 2003. It's the third year in a row the AHA reported investment losses, but it's...

Switch, don't fight; GPOs would do well to work with federal officials before the hammer falls.(Opinions)(Group purchasing organizations)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Todd Slaone You can say it, print it or input it on a bar code: Group-purchasing organizations are going to have to return to the core business of helping hospitals save money on supplies. Congress or the courts may force this upon...

In Ivan's wake; All four Pensacola hospitals rely on generators.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Melanie Evans As powerful winds buffeted Sacred Heart Health System on Sept. 16, hundreds of refugees from Hurricane Ivan waited out the storm with loved ones, patients and employees at work or on call. Throughout the night,...

Stepping down; Wagner will retire in 2005 from Louisville system.(Late News)(Henry Wagner, Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Tony Fong Last year Henry Wagner told his board he would retire when he turned 62. He followed through on his decision, formally announcing he will retire next year as president and chief executive officer of eight-hospital Jewish...

Overcoming the odds; Buckley shows how attitude is key to finding success after a tough childhood.(Publisher's Letter)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Charles S. Lauer I am always on the lookout for stories about people who have overcome long odds and succeeded in their chosen fields. There are many such stories, especially in this great nation of ours where just about anybody...

Exemption denied; Surgical practice loses as court upholds CON program.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Modern Physician The Georgia Supreme Court ruled against an Albany, Ga., physician locked in a competition battle with 446-bed Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany, last week in a case that led to the class-action litigation...

Hold the presses: PR firm called unethical for dual role.(Outliers: Asides & Insides)(public relations)
September 20, 2004... It may not be on the level of a disorder, but some observers say Ketchum Public Relations is suffering from multiple personalities. The New York-based PR firm is simultaneously promoting the new Medicare law for HHS and working on behalf of...

On the move ...(News Makers)(appointments)
September 20, 2004... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS Kenneth Eshak has been named president and CEO of three-hospital Pittsburgh Mercy Health System. Eshak, 53, replaces Gregg Zollar, who resigned without explanation in October 2003. Mercy, a unit of Catholic Health East,...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... "On the suddenly hot subject of Medicare, the two major presidential candidates are competing over who can produce the most noxious combination of nasty charges against the other.... Don't tell anyone, but Kerry actually has proposed some...

Dionne Viator; 39, senior vice president and CFO, General Health System/Baton Rouge (La.) General Medical Center.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Ed Finkel Starting a new job by dissolving a financially hemorrhaging unit while negotiating with creditors and state regulators is no one's professional dream scenario. But Dionne Viator, senior vice president and chief...

Medicaid physician fees rise sharply but still trail Medicare in most states.(Physician Affairs)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Medicaid physician fees rose nationally by an average of 27.4% between 1998 and 2003, well above the 13.5% rate of inflation for the period as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Yet in only one state, Arizona, did the increases during those...

Brian Smith; 39, executive vice president, COO, St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, Ohio.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Michael Romano For Brian Smith, a dramatic U-turn early in his career couldn't have been more propitious. Indeed, the abrupt job switch turned out to be a very good move for both Smith and St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima,...

Trace Swartzfager; 39, vice president of behavioral health services, St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, Jackson, Miss.(Special Feature)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Ed Finkel Behavioral health services were not a central priority at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson, Miss., when Trace Swartzfager became vice president of the division in 1996. Located across the street from the...

How they were chosen.(Special Feature)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Byline: David Burda, editor This year marks Modern Healthcare's 18th annual Up & Comers award program, which recognizes rising management stars in the healthcare industry. We issued a call for nominations in our May 10 issue and ran a...