Modern Healthcare articles from September 2005

Modern Healthcare archives from September 2005

Long-term solution; Health plans see opportunities in long-term-care coverage, as baby boomers age and Medicaid cuts loom.(Special Report)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Laura B. Benko The aging population and shrinking public coffers are prompting some health plans to go where many have traditionally feared to tread-the precarious market for long-term-care insurance. Even after two decades on...

Hospital settles fraud charges.(Eisenhower Medical Center settles medicare fraud)(Healthcare Financial Advisors)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, Calif., became the fourth hospital to settle in an ongoing federal investigation into Medicare cost-reporting fraud. Eisenhower agreed to pay $8 million to resolve charges that...

Striving for equity; Americans With Disabilities Act still not fulfulling promises to the disabled.
September 5, 2005... Byline: Wayne Lerner and Henry Betts Fifteen years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act and touted it as "the world's first comprehensive declaration of the equality of people with...

Appearances can be deceiving; Book explains the importance of "thin-slicing' one's surroundings.(Blink, written by Malcolm Gladwell)(Column)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director Some people have an innate ability to sort through what is and isn't important. They immediately recognize important points and aren't preoccupied by all the other...

How to shed $11 billion; Questions linger, but some think Medicaid Commission's plan to cut $11 billion from Medicaid will mirror Congress' proposal.(Department of Health and Human Services proposal)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Tony Fong As the HHS' Medicaid Commission last week put forth its report on how to cut $11 billion from the Medicaid program over five years beginning in fiscal 2006, questions about the panel's credibility continued to linger,...

A dampening effect; Data seen as hurting case for universal coverage.(medically uninsured persons)(U.S. Census data)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Joseph Mantone A slowdown in the uninsured population growth rate seen in last week's U.S. Census data will likely weaken the argument for universal healthcare coverage, industry observers said. And the numbers are likely to draw...

Corrections & Clarifications.(Correction Notice)
September 5, 2005... * The cover story in the Aug. 8 issue (p. 6) mistakenly referred to the National Business Group on Health as the National Business Coalition on Health. * Financial figures released by MedQuist, the Mt. Laurel, N.J.-based medical...

JCAHO tries to allay fears; Deal to sell data to Blues affiliates riles hospitals.(contract of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations with Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Joseph Conn After criticism over a contract to sell data to payers affiliated with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations officers met via telephone with...

Cries for help; Hospitals overwhelmed by Katrina's aftermath.(hospital information systems collapsed due to Hurricane Katrina)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Cinda Becker and Joseph Mantone In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the nation's healthcare industry watched helplessly last week as reports poured in from New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast of a worsening disaster that was...

Compensation quandary; Feds probe reports of excessive pay at Iowa hospital.(seeking information about compensation paid to physicians)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor The HHS inspector general's office elevated what appears to be a competition issue involving two Waterloo, Iowa, hospitals and the area's largest physician-group practice last week. The office served subpoenas Aug. 29...

Other Voices.(medicaid)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... "Social Security is... dominating the spotlight. But it is Medicaid... that could be a lot tougher to fix.... A perfect storm is coming that will swell demand and costs.... Unfortunately, Congress is focusing only on saving money. In April,...

Midwest.(Clarian Health Partners. planning to expand)(Doctors Community Healthcare Corp. officials)(University of Illinois board legal settlement)
September 5, 2005... INDIANAPOLIS-Clarian Health Partners unveiled a $500 million, 10-year plan to expand its statewide presence in pediatric care. The plan includes a $200 million, 10-story addition to Clarian's 250-bed Riley Hospital for Children, one of five...

Joining forces; Per-Se, Wolters Kluwer to add NDCHealth units.(The Week In Healthcare)(Per-Se Technologies Inc. and Wolters Kluwer N.V. acquired NDCHealth Corp.)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Joseph Conn Hospitals and the physician specialists who work there could find synergies in the recently announced proposed acquisition of NDCHealth's business units by healthcare information technology provider Per-Se Technologies....

If you want to help hospitals hit by Katrina ...(The Week In Healthcare)(Hurricane Katrina of 2005)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: David Burda, editor Like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the natural disaster called Hurricane Katrina is testing the mettle of the nation's healthcare system. The hurricane and its fallout have devastated the healthcare system...

Conferences rescheduled.(health care industry)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Michael Romano Several medical and healthcare conferences scheduled for the popular destination of New Orleans have been canceled or relocated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation on the Gulf Coast. Officials have...

Darwin would cringe; Washington monkey business shows no hint of evolution or intelligent design.(medically uninsured persons)(health insurance aspects)(Editorial)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Neil McLaughlin, Managing Editor At a time when the nation seems to be reliving the Scopes monkey trial, I can say definitively that the theory of evolution is bogus. I'm not basing this conclusion on scripture, but rather news...

Medical errors and their victims-on the next 'Oprah'?(The Oprah Winfrey Show)(Texas Orthopaedic Association and Texas Medical Association sued Texas Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners)(top 10 employers for older workers)
September 5, 2005... If Oprah Winfrey can turn nondescript novels into instant chart-toppers with a mention or two on her internationally syndicated gabfest, she might also have a similar impact on the debate over limiting noneconomic damages in medical malpractice...

Thompson's "no frills' plan; Former HHS chief proposes reinsurance system.(Tommy Thompson)(ways to provide health insurance)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Vince Galloro Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson added to the buzz about the uninsured and Medicaid last week. Thompson told healthcare executives at a Nashville gathering that the way to provide health insurance for all...

Few medical groups score well on all quality measures.( study of chronic diseases by University of California)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Modern Physician A national study of about 700 medical groups shows that few perform well on all quality measures for care of chronic illnesses such as asthma, depression, diabetes and heart disease, according to researchers from...

Quick assistance; Surge of popularity puts rapid-response teams in 1,400 U.S. hospitals.(Physician Affairs)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Andis Robeznieks The number of Australian-themed Outback Steakhouse restaurants has grown to 898 from zero in 17 years. In healthcare, another inspiration from Down Under-hospital rapid-response teams-has shown even more explosive...

On the move ...(James Kaskie appointed by Kaleida Health)(Sandra Gadson appointed by National Medical Association)(Jim Rinaldi joined Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
September 5, 2005... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS James Kaskie has been named the successor to William McGuire as CEO of five-hospital Kaleida Health, Buffalo, N.Y. Kaskie, 53, will take over the post on Jan. 1. McGuire, 62, is retiring after leading a turnaround at the...

West.(Mills-Peninsula Health Services )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... BURLINGAME, Calif. - After five years of wrangling with local officials, Mills-Peninsula Health Services won approval to build a $488 million replacement hospital by 2013. Under a 50-year land-lease contract approved by the Peninsula Health...

Late News; Health plan payments may fall.(Ardent Health Services)
September 5, 2005... The CMS will reduce some payments to Medicare Advantage insurers by about $4 billion over the next five years, following a "technical correction'' in the health-risk data used to set 2006 payment rates in April. Medicare Advantage rates have...

Improving Patient Flow Dramatically Decreases Wait in Emergency and Inpatient Admitting.(Straight Talk)(Panel Discussion)
September 5, 2005... Byline: Modern Healthcare and PricewaterhouseCoopers Recognizing that backups in the emergency department are a result of broken processes throughout the hospital, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Ill. redesigned workflow in...

Investment returns drop; Not-for-profits garner 8% in '04, down from 14.(finance)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Barr Investment returns for not-for-profit healthcare organizations' operating funds dipped to 8.2% in 2004 from 14.1% in 2003, amid an uncertain investment environment, according to a survey by investment manager and...

"I will never forget the heroism'; Rene Goux tells of tense times waiting for rescue.(crisis management)(Column)
September 12, 2005... At first, it didn't seem as though it was going to be that serious. I was in the medical office building next to Memorial Medical Center when the hurricane hit at 4:30 in the morning. The whole building started shaking violently in the wind....

Cooperatives on the moo-ve.(Co-op Care of Southeastern Wisconsin)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Laura B. Benko The farmers in America's Dairyland could soon have a new way to combat the soaring healthcare costs that have forced many of them to kiss their cows goodbye. Later this month, enrollment is set to begin in...

It's all in the preparation; Warner Thomas says strategic planning is crucial.(Ochsner Clinic Foundation)
September 12, 2005... With the recent events surrounding Hurricane Katrina and its effects on New Orleans, the situation here at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation was somewhat different from others in the city because of our location in Jefferson Parish. I would...

Textbook executive; The skills and knowledge that all healthcare execs need to master can now be found in one big directory.(professional groups)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Melanie Evans Everything you need to know to be a successful healthcare executive can now be found in one tidy-albeit huge-directory. This encyclopedic list, organized and endorsed by six well-known professional groups, crams...

Late News; IRS proposes new regs.(Internal Revenue Service)
September 12, 2005... The Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations clarifying the requirements for tax-exempt status and the imposition of intermediate sanctions. In the 20-page notice of proposed rulemaking, the IRS for the first time links the...

It's neck and neck; Stenting procedure to clear blockages in carotid arteries gains ground as alternative to surgery, with fewer complications.(endarterectomy)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Cinda Becker Linda Packer was just minutes away from facing a relatively new and complex procedure on one of her carotid arteries-the superhighways leading to the brain that are located on both sides of the neck. But she was in an...

PBM kickback case settled.(pharmacy benefit-management, AdvancePCS Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor A subsidiary of the pharmacy benefit-management company Caremark Rx agreed to pay nearly $138 million to settle kickback allegations with the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia and HHS' inspector general's office, the...

Rx changes disputed; Fla. doc, pharmacist groups argue over proposed rule.(pharmaceuticals)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Florida physician and pharmacist associations have been fighting for months over a proposed state Board of Pharmacy rule change that would give pharmacists the authority to change patients' prescriptions to match...

Facing the crisis; Jim Montgomery tells of rescues via air and water.(Column)
September 12, 2005... After the storm swept through, our first inspections Aug. 29 revealed little damage at Tulane University Hospital and Clinic. We had a few broken windows and some roof damage, but the building held up well. But the biggest crisis and...

Op-Ed intro.(Commentary)
September 12, 2005... Byline: David Burda, editor In this week's issue, we've turned over our usual Op-Ed section to four prominent healthcare executives who led their institutions through the mayhem of Hurricane Katrina. Their firsthand accounts of the natural...

Flexing your budget; Experts urge hospitals, systems to trade in their traditional budgeting process for a more dynamic and versatile model.(financial management)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Barr From unexpected clinical equipment needs to mysterious shifts in care reimbursement revenue, the ways in which a hospital or health system budget can go awry are numerous. The uncertainty surrounding the many moving...

To pay or not to pay? CEOs reject single-payer insurance system: survey.(health insurance)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Melanie Evans No one said running a hospital in the volatile, heavily regulated U.S. healthcare market is simple, no matter how many lists emerge to ready healthcare executives for the job. Challenges facing chief executives...

New Catholic leadership; Sister Carol Keehan named president, CEO of CHA.(Catholic Health Association, chief executive officer)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Paul Barr Healthcare industry officials cheered the news that Sister Carol Keehan, former longtime president and chief executive officer of Providence Hospital, Washington, had been named president and CEO of the Catholic Health...

IT systems survive Katrina; Hospitals with EMRs able to retrieve patient data.(information technology, electronic medical records)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joseph Conn Hurricane Katrina tested many things, including public warning systems, levees, disaster plans and evacuation procedures, among other things. It also tested healthcare information systems in hospitals and...

GOP says cuts still a priority; But Democrats urge Medicaid restraint after Katrina.(Republican Party, Hurricane Katrina 2005)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Tony Fong Not even Hurricane Katrina is standing in the way of congressional Republicans intent on cutting $10 billion from Medicaid. Last week, Republican leaders pushed back a Sept. 16 deadline for the introduction of...

Doctor at UCLA scores with his pigskin picks.(Peter Wolfe, University of Southern California )
September 12, 2005... Peter Wolfe is a physician who works and teaches at UCLA, but he's developed a busy sideline as a well-respected football prognosticator in his free time. Indeed, he helped Pete Carroll, head coach of the rival University of Southern California...

"We had to evacuate soon'; Les Hirsch tells of his test under fire as a new CEO.(hurricane disaster planning of a hospital)(Column)
September 12, 2005... On Monday, Aug. 22, I began my first day as president and chief executive officer of Touro Infirmary. I was looking forward to the normal process of meeting employees, getting to know the medical staff and the management team, and just...

Eager to help; Healthcare volunteers charge into afflicted areas.(The Week In Healthcare)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Cinda Becker and Joseph Mantone Hurricane Katrina's destruction was answered last week by an army of healthcare industry volunteers who tromped through the red tape-strewn government bureaucracy to deliver people, supplies and...

Other Voices.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... "Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call to the nation: If (the Asian flu virus) flu struck today, there would be no time to ask questions: Where are the plans for quarantine? Where are the supplies of vaccine? Who and how will we operate critical...

Seattle hospital sued over fee-for-location strategy.(Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle, Washington))
September 19, 2005... Patients who visit Virginia Mason Medical Center's downtown Seattle clinic pay for its location-unfairly so, say two women suing the not-for-profit hospital and its network of clinics. Lori Mill got a bill from Virginia Mason for $1,133...

Donna Fox; 39, vice president of government affairs, Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance.(Donna Fox)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Tracey Fuller After spending the past 15 years in healthcare administration and working on health policy on Capitol Hill, Donna Fox continues to press for government funding for healthcare. As vice president of government...

Conspicuously absent; Hospital managers, CIOs left off of HHS' IT panel.(The Week In Healthcare)(American Health Information Community)(Department of Health & Human Services )
September 19, 2005... Byline: Matthew Only days after HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt released the names of the 16 commissioners who will sit on the American Health Information Community, some healthcare industry executives described the appointees as being too far...

In no big hurry; Physicians still slow to adopt EMR systems: survey.(electronic medical records)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Despite industry hype and government promotion of electronic medical record systems, survey results published last week indicate physicians have been slow to jump on the information technology bandwagon. And...

Ripple effect; Healthcare has economic role in Gulf.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph Mantone The healthcare sector played a large role in the economies of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, but whether or not healthcare can maintain that role and be a catalyst for economic recovery in those areas remains...

Survey finds "delighted' patients; J.D. Power study says most happy with hospital care, but some question results.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Michael Romano The hospital industry received glowing reviews in a new national customer-service survey that shows the vast majority of patients are either "delighted'' or "pleased'' by the overall experience. Indeed,...

The benefits squeeze; Surveys find more cost-shifting, cuts in coverage.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Tony Fong Three surveys unveiled last week indicate that the growth in employer healthcare costs is slowing, but only because companies are cutting benefits, making employees pay more or dropping coverage completely. In one...

Medical records must meet legal health-record criteria.(Physician Affairs)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Medical records, whether paper-based or electronic, must also meet the requirements of a legal health record, and the September issue of the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association offers...

From advocacy to emergency; Katrina puts Louisiana Hospital Association through daunting transformation.
September 19, 2005... Byline: John Matessino With the arrival of Hurricane Katrina in southeast Louisiana, the mission of the Louisiana Hospital Association took a 180% turn from its normal advocacy role to running an emergency operations center. More than...

Healthcare heroes shine in crisis; Many in industry reveal depth of caring for those hit by hurricane.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Charles S. Lauer, Vice President-Publishing/Editorial Director There were some serious problems with the evacuation of some hospital patients and nursing-home residents after Hurricane Katrina. We owe it to victims to find out what...

2005 Up & Comers; Twelve young leaders use new ideas and fresh energy to make things happen.(Special Feature)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... For many of us, as parents, fall means packing the car for college or packing lunches for school. We perceive the experience-and the excitement it holds-through the eyes of our children. And each time we're renewed. Renewal broadens our...

Alan Levine; 38, secretary, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Tallahassee.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Melanie Evans As secretary of Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, Alan Levine became the public champion of the state's fiercely debated bid to overhaul Medicaid. When critics attacked Gov. Jeb Bush's plan as too...

Marie Vienneau; 38, chief executive officer, Millinocket (Maine) Regional Hospital.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Linda Wilson Marie Vienneau's creativity, fearlessness and tenacity have helped keep the small, rural hospital she oversees in business. Barely six months after Vienneau was promoted to chief executive officer of Millinocket...

Rick Stevens; 37, executive director of support services, Caritas Health Services, Louisville, Ky.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Linda Wilson When Rick Stevens, 37, joined Caritas Health Services in January 2003, he was among a handful of managers hired to help a new chief executive officer turn around the hospital's financial performance. Stevens has...

Immune to marketing? Med students say gifts won't influence them: study.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Most third-year medical students are regularly exposed to pharmaceutical marketing activities, but they don't believe the marketing will influence their future prescribing habits, according to a study in the Sept....

Peter Jungblut; 39, vice president of medical affairs, Shore Memorial Hospital, Somers Point, N.J.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Alison Szot When administrators at 199-bed Shore Memorial Hospital, Somers Point, N.J., set out to recruit a vice president of medical affairs in 2003, they sought a physician leader who could excel at the role's traditional...

Judith Watson; 37, executive director in Greenburgh Health Center, White Plains, N.Y.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Alison Szot Judith Watson, 37, describes her ascent to executive director of Greenburgh Health Center as a "natural progression.'' When she joined the White Plains, N.Y., health center as a staff nurse 11 years ago, she...

Seal of approval; HHS nears decision on contractor to create certification process for EMR systems.(Information Edge)(Department of Health and Human Services)(electronic medical record )
September 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph Conn A government initiative launched last year to develop a system to certify the functions and capabilities of healthcare information technology systems is nearing a significant milestone this month. HHS' Office of the...

Laura Irvine; 33, president, Methodist Mansfield (Texas) Medical Center.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Harkness Passarelli As an undergraduate at Baylor University in 1993, Laura Irvine decided she wanted to intern at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas, for a management class. Because it was an unprecedented...

Katharine Vanden Broek; 28, policy specialist, St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise, Idaho.(Special Feature)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Harkness Passarelli After graduating from college in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in comparative literature, Katharine Vanden Broek worked in marketing for an engineered-lumber firm in Boise, Idaho. It was an interesting...

IT savings are sky high: study; Rand research is called too optimistic by some.(information technology)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph Conn Healthcare information technology dominates the current issue of the policy journal Health Affairs, with several articles suggesting increased use of IT could save billions or trillions of dollars per year. The...

The ties that bind; Proposed IRS regulations would put an organization's tax exemption at risk for the behavior of its executives and board.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor When a physician board member for Bronson Healthcare Group sought a contract with the two-hospital system in Kalamazoo, Mich., on a joint venture several years ago, James Falahee Jr. sighed in relief. The board member...

Uncertain future in Gulf; Damaged hospitals struggle with when, how to reopen.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Vince Galloro The closures experienced by hospitals along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi mean a loss of current business and the potential disruption of future business, if the experiences of hospitals struck by much...

South.(Regional News)(Scott & White plans to open hospital)(Methodist Health System will form joint venture with Texas Oncology)(Triad Hospitals will sell Central Arkansas Hospital)
September 19, 2005... TEMPLE, Texas-Scott & White unveiled plans early this month to build a 76-bed hospital in the Austin, Texas, suburb of Round Rock. The $81 million project will include a multispecialty clinic and diagnostic imaging center on a 68-acre site 15...

West.(Nevada Hospital Association )
September 19, 2005... RENO, Nev.-The Nevada Hospital Association said earlier this month that hospitals in the state would increase their contribution to $45 million annually from the $25 million they contribute today to help expand the capabilities of the...

Kathleen Benfield; 33, vice president, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, N.C.(Carolinas HealthCare System)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Vince Galloro Kathleen Benfield was drawn into healthcare the way a screenwriter would write it up. As a 12-year-old, Benfield was severely injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident and, she says, "Some wonderful surgeons saved my...

Quality matters; There is movement on improving healthcare, but CEOs need to get in the game.(Editorial)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Todd Sloane, Assistant Managing Editor/Op-Ed Amid all the complexity on display at a recent quality symposium at Harvard University, I was struck by two simple conclusions, one hopeful, the other decidedly not. The first is that...

Under the microscope.(Internal Revenue Service's proposed regulations to increase tax enforcement for hospitals)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor The Internal Revenue Service's proposed regulations announced earlier this month it would increase tax enforcement at a time when not-for-profit hospitals and other tax-exempt organizations face greater public scrutiny...

California rates HMOs.(Health Maintenance Organizations)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Laura Benko California's largest HMOs continue to show mediocre results in preventive care, even as overall quality of care and member satisfaction have improved, according to the state's fifth annual HMO report card released last...

Late News; Scrushy suit sent to mediation.
September 19, 2005... A judge sent the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against former HealthSouth Corp. Chief Executive Officer Richard Scrushy to mediation and ordered the mediation to begin by Nov. 4, unless the parties seek an extension. The SEC had...

Hospital wins antitrust appeal.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Mark Taylor A U.S. appeals court last week affirmed an earlier federal judge's opinion that a Pennsylvania hospital legally revoked the staff privileges of a physician in an antitrust case dating back more than a decade. A...

How they were chosen.(annual Up and Comers award program)(Brief Article)
September 19, 2005... Byline: David Burda, Editor This year marks Modern Healthcare's 19th annual Up & Comers award program, which recognizes rising young management stars in the healthcare industry. We issued a call for nominations in our May 9 issue and ran a...

Todd Caliva; 36, CEO, East Houston Regional Medical Center, Houston.(Houston Regional Medical Center)
September 19, 2005... Byline: Paul Barr Todd Caliva, chief executive officer of 131-bed East Houston Regional Medical Center, schedules 17 meetings a quarter with employees of the hospital, including sessions at 1 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The...

Cara Farrell; 39, director of managed-care contracting, Women's Health Connecticut, Avon.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Harkness Passarelli When it comes to the physicians she represents, Cara Farrell isn't afraid to fight for what she thinks they deserve. In her five years as director of managed-care contracting for Women's Health...

Reckoning for Katrina's dead.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Cinda Becker and Vince Galloro Accountability for some of the botched or nonexistent hospital and nursing-home evacuations in the terrifying aftermath of Hurricane Katrina came to the forefront last week as rescue efforts in the...

Michael Panicola; 34, vice president of ethics, SSM Health Care, St. Louis.
September 19, 2005... Byline: Tracey Fuller Michael Panicola made quite an impression when he joined SSM Health Care's ethics committee five years ago. "When Mike first came to the ethics committee while finishing his Ph.D., he looked 19 years old, and I...

Tansey Breast Center, New Orleans; Citation/built.(Ochsner Clinic Foundation)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Type of facility: Diagnostic center Client: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans Project Architects: Eskew Dumez and Ripple, New Orleans Construction manager: Landis Construction Co., New Orleans Completed: August 2001 ...

The Hansen Center, Batesville, Ind. Citation/built.(Margaret Mary Community Hospital, BSA LifeStructures)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Type of facility: Cancer treatment center Client: Margaret Mary Community Hospital, Batesville Project Architects: BSA LifeStructures, Indianapolis Construction manager: Bruns-Gutzwiller, Batesville Completed: February 2005 ...

Other Voices.(Starbucks' Howard Schultz )(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... "The business establishment values predictability and efficiency, and it generally presumes that government is the last place to turn for either of those qualities. So when Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz says, in the company of other...

Martha Stewart apprentices in healthcare for the elderly.(Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital)
September 26, 2005... If you get the feeling Martha Stewart has become ubiquitous since she skipped out of prison, here's further evidence. The lifestyle mogul is getting into healthcare, too. Earlier this month, Stewart celebrated her mother's 91st birthday on...