Hospital execs project shift to outpatient care, more HIT spending
Only about a third of hospital and practice executives think inpatient admissions will increase this year, a new survey shows, down 30 percent from a year ago. But more than two-thirds think outpatient volume will increase.
Coordinated care's 'dirty little secret'--it's not very well coordinated
There's a "dirty little secret" about coordinated care: No one is responsible for it. So says Lucian Leape, M.D., a Harvard health policy analyst and a nationally recognized patient safety leader, according to Kaiser Health News and the Washington Post.
'Person-centered' care at heart of new reform plan
A new "person-centered" healthcare framework incorporating Medicare, Medicaid and insurance reform could improve care and save more than $1 trillion over 20 years, according to a new report.
HHS to fund soldiers-to-nurses program
A new program will help military veterans with healthcare experience or training to build on their skills and abilities and earn bachelor's degrees in nursing, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this week.
Medicare pay bump sends hospital stocks upwards
70% of ER visits unnecessary for patients with employer-sponsored insurance
More than 70 percent of emergency department visits from patients with employer-sponsored insurance coverage are for nonemergency conditions or conditions preventable through outpatient care, according to a new report from Truven Health Analytics.
Drug safety group: Hospitals need interdisciplinary medication safety training
Hospitals that don't educate and cross-train pharmacists, nurses and doctors in medication safety undermine their patient safety efforts, according to an expert from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
Medicare proposes 0.8% pay bump for hospitals
Medicare issued a proposed rule Friday providing a 0.8 percent increase for acute care hospitals meeting quality guidelines, and cutting payments by 2 percentage points for those not passing quality muster.
Hospital pairs with local fire department for house calls
Bellin Hospital is partnering with the the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, in which firefighters check on discharged Bellin patients in their homes, reported the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Obama administration official: ACA on the right track, but education is key
Despite deadlines, costs and confusion, an Obama administration official from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and various health policy experts maintain that the Affordable Care Act has accomplished many things in its three years of existence.
Horror and heroism: Watching Boston while 3,000 miles from home
Heart failure costs will double by 2030, warns heart association
Heart failure could cost every American taxpayer $244 per year by 2030 as costs to treat the condition double, the American Heart Association warns in a policy statement published online today in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
Sustainability efforts save hospitals millions
Implementing sustainability efforts helped 370 hospitals lower costs and improve patient health, according to the first Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) report.
500 groups urge Congress to kill IPAB
Pressure continues building to kill Medicare's Independent Payment Advisory Board, with more than 500 organizations banding together to send a letter to Congress on Thursday urging its repeal.
CMS rejects delaying Pioneer ACOs' performance-based pay
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not accept a request from its Pioneer accountable care organizations to delay tying payments to quality outcomes, Law360 reported.
Passion and purpose: Taking healthcare to new levels
Minnesota hospitals bash new Blues payment policy
A new Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota payment policy will cost hospitals millions of dollars and push many small, rural hospitals "into deep, deep red ink," the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) charged.
Hospitals pledge financial aid to Boston bomb victims
Three Boston hospitals want to help ease the financial pain by withholding medical bills for Boston Marathon bombing patients, The Boston Globe reported.
HHS proposes bigger reward for fraud tipsters
Medicare is dramatically upping the ante on Medicare fraud, increasing the reward for tips leading to the recovery of fraudulently obtained benefits to $9.9 million--up from just $1,000 today.
Parkland on the mend? Scorecard mixed on improvements
Troubled Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas could finally be on the mend, with patient complaints and grievances steadily declining over the past six months as the hospital followed an exhaustive plan addressing patient safety, treatment, governance and cleanliness issues.
