Healthcare staffing

A recent report by the Centers for Health Workforce Studies finds that the number of minority doctors in New York state is still not in line with the state's proportion of minorities. "African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos and Native Americans make up 30 percent of the population but only 10 percent of the physician work force," notes The Business Review (Albany), while Asian Americans are over-represented in the physician work force. This is a problem because …

The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is demanding more bang for the buck for healthcare spending, as it picks a new administrator for its healthcare plan. While Blue Cross currently administers the pension fund's two self-funded PPOs, the contract expires at the end of 2007. CalPERS issued an RFP this week, requesting pitches to administer the contract starting in 2008.  This time around, CalPERS is asking candidates whether they will share information on …

According to the Dallas Morning News, CMS administrator Mark McClellan plans to announce his resignation as early as today. He has held the position since March of 2004. Citing anonymous sources, the paper reports that McClellan "had been considering moving on for some time and would probably pursue new opportunities in the private sector or in academia." McClellan declined to comment on the paper's report and a White House spokesperson said he couldn't confirm the Dallas …

A study published in this month's issue of the Annals of Surgery calls into question whether older surgeons should be allowed to continue practicing medicine. With aging comes decreased fine motor skills, worse eyesight and less stamina--all of which are key skills for surgeons. The study found that surgeons over 65 had higher patient death rates than younger surgeons, did not perform as well on recertification exams and were less likely to know about new treatments and techniques. …

Bad news for hospitals and unions is good news for nurse staffing agencies: Hospitals pay replacement nurses anywhere from $50 to $90 an hour when regular staff goes on strike, and they're willing to do so because it often costs less in the long run to pay replacement nurses during a strike than it does to negotiate a long-term, costly contract with regular employees. But a nationwide nurse shortage means that hospitals and staffing agencies are competing for the same nurses. Staffing …

A recent set of advances in non-profit CEO salaries has created a firestorm of controversy in Massachusetts. According to filings with the Massachusetts Attorney General, chief executives with not-for-profit hospitals saw significant pay and benefit increases in 2005. At many of the larger non-profits, CEOs made more than $1 million and overall compensation for the highest paid exec, Partners HealthCare CEO James Mongan, crossed the $2 million mark. The pay hikes have drawn scathing …

Despite the fact that some Hurricane Katrina-affected regions lost half of their population after the disaster, all types of healthcare providers are in short supply for those who remain. This has led to long wait times, particularly for emergency care. A survey conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reports that many Gulf Coast physicians think that their patients have been harmed by the long wait to receive treatment. Among their primary concerns: staffing …

Despite having the highest number of doctors per capita in the nation, Massachusetts is facing a shortage of primary care doctors, according to a report released by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Many physicians go into specialties, clinical work, academics and corporate positions rather than practicing primary medicine. Diminishing reimbursements, aging baby boomers and the high cost of medical school haven't helped the problem. "Demand for adult medicine is almost insatiable. We …

A report in Modern Healthcare paints a grim picture of the healthcare system in the Gulf region, post Hurricane Katrina. Since being devastated by the storm last year, $100 billion in government aid has been sent to the affected areas. But little of that money has found its way into the area's ruined health system. "Seven of the 15 hospitals that shut down in the flooding remain closed, and the feds won't pay to rebuild them. Overcrowded clinics in trailers and a converted …

New York State Department of Health has sent a cease-and-desist order to the pediatric cardiac unit of Stony Brook University Hospital. The order is the result of three patient deaths since May: A "one-year-old who died from a medication overdose, a seven-year-old who died after routine adenoid surgery and a premature 23-week baby with a heart defect who died after not receiving an operation," according to Modern Healthcare. Regulators say that Stony Brook lacks a full-time …