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Reality check: Coordinated care is a daunting task

This week, FierceHealthcare reported on healthcare's "dirty little secret" about coordinated care: it's not very well coordinated and no one is responsible for it. The...

Horror and heroism: Watching Boston while 3,000 miles from home

I live only 20 minutes outside of Boston but on April 15 I was far from home on vacation in Ireland. FierceHealthcare and FierceHealthIT editors covered the Marathon bombings story while I was gone...

In emergencies, hospital preparedness goes beyond planning

With roughly 144 patients injured from the Boston Marathon bombings--and 62 victims still at Boston hospitals, including 12 people in critical condition--hospital disaster planning has been put to...

Controversial wellness campaign highlights how little the public knows (or cares) about healthcare

Think about how the healthcare marketer's job has changed in the wake of programs and government regulations such as the Meaningful Use incentive program, the Affordable Care Act, the shift from...

Taking nurses beyond the basics

Nurses across the United States are throwing their support behind state legislation that would allow nonphysician providers to practice independently of physicians, thereby helping fill voids left...

Give patients what they want: Trust, compassion

With patient satisfaction scores tied to Medicare reimbursements, hospitals are trying to find that elusive answer to what patients want. But it seems hospitals are ending up with more questions...

Beyond Disney and Tinkerbell: Moving the needle on stuck patient satisfaction scores

I've heard countless hospital executives say it: They worked their butts off to improve patient satisfaction scores at their organization and those efforts paid off. They moved the needle...

What it takes to make wise healthcare choices

Despite calls for more cost-efficient care, "choosing wisely" isn't as easy as it sounds. While providers play a pivotal role in reducing unnecessary healthcare expenditures, they...

Feedback: Key to strong healthcare leadership

Guest post by Scott Kashman, chief administrative officer of Cape Coral Hospital in Florida How many of us can really say we enjoy feedback? Many people say they want feedback yet rarely seek it out...

Where's the mental health discussion? Important issue unheard

Karen Cheung-Larivee Pundits are saying this week's State of the Union is one of President Obama's greatest speeches, particularly because of his emotional call to action in the...