Healthcare Administration
Case dropped against New Orleans nurses
The ordeal is over for two New Orleans nurses who were arrested last summer on second-degree murder charges after Hurricane Katrina. The nurses, Lori Budo and Cheri Landry, had been accused of killing four patients at Tenet's Memorial Medical Center with a "cocktail" of lethal drugs. But the district attorney has now dropped the case, largely because the two testified in a grand …
... Read more...Over-applying and misapplying HIPAA is common
Most professionals would agree that, when used judiciously, HIPAA regs can have some benefit. But it seems there's a great deal of confusion out there among clinical staffers as to what does and doesn't constitute a HIPAA violation, according to a new analysis. HIPAA language says providers may share medical information with others--unless the patient objects. But given their confusion, many health workers apply the rules in a "defensive, somewhat arbitrary and unreasonable way," says …
... Read more...Hospital palliative care saves money, calms patients
In the past, a dying or seriously ill patient had few options but to stay in the hospital or go to a hospice and give up the right to treatment. Increasingly, however, hospitals are offering palliative care services which help the patients understand their options and come to terms with their condition. According to one estimate, in fact, about one-third of U.S. hospitals now offer some form of palliative care. Many such services, such as the one at D.C.'s George Washington University …
... Read more...Officials make case for Los Angeles hospital closure
California regulators laid out their case this week for closing Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, arguing it continues to provide substandard care and is putting patients at risk. In a 32-page report, the California Department of Health Services cited findings from inspections between October 2004 and June 2007, that suggest the hospital hasn't made sure nurses are competent or …
... Read more...HealthSouth's Scrushy going to jail
It's the end of the line for high-profile healthcare exec Richard Scrushy, who was sentenced to almost seven years in prison yesterday for his conviction on federal bribery charges. Scrushy, who now runs a church out of a television studio, continues to deny wrongdoing.
Unlike peers involved in similar scandals at Enron, WorldCom and Tyco, Scrushy actually managed to …
... Read more...Outpatient rehab merger creates major U.S. player
The merger of two outpatient rehabilitation services providers has created one of nation's largest players in this market. As a merged company, Benchmark Medical and Physiotherapy Associates will generate combined revenue of $420 million and operate more than 800 clinics.
With the merger the new company, which will be called Physiotherapy Associates, will be second only to NovaCare Rehabilitation in size. NovaCare runs 1,100 outpatient rehabilitation centers across the U.S. …
... Read more...CDC report backs emergency department overcrowding charges
Emergency department visits hit a new high in 2005, with more than 115 million visits, says new research from the CDC. That's a jump of five million visits over the previous year, and a substantial 20 percent increase over 10 years.
Over the same time period, the number of hospital EDs decreased more than 9 percent from 4,176 to 3,795, the CDC says. More than half of these patients (62.8 percent) were referred to a physician or clinic for follow-up after their visit, suggesting …
... Read more...Study: Surgery training injuries often not reported
Most surgeons-in-training end up giving themselves accidental injuries, typically by sticking themselves with needles or sharp instruments, but a new study says few actually report their mishaps despite the threat of AIDS, hepatitis and other blood-borne illnesses.
The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, concludes rushed surgical residents are reluctant to report such injuries because it would take time, could slow career growth and might be …
... Read more...Study: Iowa emergency department visits shortest in U.S.
In an era of emergency department overcrowding, it's certainly worth noting: Iowa hospitals offer the shortest emergency department visits in the United States.
Patient satisfaction research firm Press Ganey Associates, says the national average for emergency department visits is three hours and 42 minutes. In Iowa, however, the average visit is two hours and 18 minutes, shorter than …
... Read more...LA files more patient dumping cases
Los Angeles city attorneys have filed another group of patient dumping cases as part of an ongoing investigation. This time, the office has targeted Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Feliz and Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, along with transportation service Empire …
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