IRS scandal fuels Republican fight against Obama's health reform
The fight to repeal President Obama's healthcare law ignited this week following the revelation that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.
Tavenner confirmed as head of CMS
The Senate yesterday confirmed Marilyn Tavenner as the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Doctors respond to Angelina Jolie's breast cancer media bombshell
Actress Angelina Jolie goes public with her decision to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy to significantly reduce her risk of inherited breast cancer, but oncologists say not all women need it and urge them to discuss genetic testing with their doctors.
Journal: Stronger doctor-patient partnerships improve healthcare
A BMJ editorial urges for stronger partnerships between physicians and patients.
With or without Medicaid expansion, healthcare access at risk
Safety-net facilities in opt-out states must find ways to offset the decision to go without federal Medicaid funding and additional insured patients who could pay their bills. For many safety nets, that could mean eliminating services for uninsured patients or hospital workers, Bloomberg reported.
Feds continue to crack down on healthcare fraud
The United States charged 89 people in eight cities yesterday with healthcare fraud that involved $223 million in fraudulent claims, but the U.S. Department of Justice warned budget cuts due to the sequestration may limit future anti-fraud efforts.
Docs should routinely ask adults about alcohol misuse
Doctors typically ask teens but not adults about mental health and risky behaviors during annual exams. A panel recommends physicians begin asking adults about alcohol misuse and offering counseling when necessary.
AHA: Care teams gain traction at hospitals
A new survey from the American Hospital Association finds that most hospitals are implementing team-based care--nearly 75 percent, with 62 percent training to do so.
New provider alliance to advance patient nutrition
With malnutrition increasing costs, length of stay and poor outcomes, more than 100,000 dietitians, nurses, hospitalists and other physicians and clinicians from across the nation have launched a new interdisciplinary partnership to improve patient outcomes through nutrition intervention in the hospital.
Catholic-secular hospital partnerships complicate access to care
More secular hospitals are joining forces with Catholic counterparts due to financial reasons, but the move is raising the likelihood that healthcare administrators can go where politicians cannot and restrict access to abortion.
Drug shortages continue, despite preventive legislation
Drug shortages continue to plague hospitals across the nation despite legislation last year that attempted to make it easier for the FDA to prevent them.
Reduce noise to improve OR communication, prevent errors
A new study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons finds background noise in the operating room, such as loud surgical tools, talkative team members or music, can significantly impair communication among the surgical team.
What hospitals can learn from college football
College football hall of famer Coach Lou Holtz offers healthcare execs tips to strengthen their leadership teams.
Hospitals can tighten their supply chains--with less supply
The supply chain can help hospitals optimize resources and be more efficient--as long as hospitals reduce their supplies.
Obama continues to defend healthcare law
President Obama said he is "110 percent committed" to his healthcare law, pushing its benefits and urging consumers on Friday to ignore critics who are distorting the truth about the legislation.
Council: Eliminate excess hospital beds to save $116M
With a shrinking population and declining inpatient use, a new report shows hospitals in Rhode Island will likely face an excess of about 200 staffed beds in 2017, the Associated Press reported.
Integrated care: The bridge between quality and efficiency
UVMC: Coordinate care, engage patients with ED case managers
The University of Virginia Medical Center (UVMC) gave case managers a more empowered role and found they improved their ED in three ways: care coordination, patient transitions and patient engagement.
U.S. News best hospital rankings shouldn't be the gold standard
U.S. News & World Report's best hospital list may mislead consumers about the hospitals' quality of care, according to a Comparion Medical Analytics study that points out what it thinks are flaws in the criteria
Health centers to help uninsured gain affordable coverage
The Health Resources and Services Administration is providing $150 million in funding to help health centers offer eligibility and enrollment assistance to uninsured patients and residents in their approved service areas, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced yesterday.
