Hospital apologizes for baby found at off-site laundry service
A Minnesota hospital is investigating a gap in systems that allowed a stillborn baby to wind up at its off-site laundry service, the Associated Press reported.
C. diff room infection plummets with dedicated disinfecting teams
Enhanced disinfection methods employed daily by cleaning crews specifically educated in attacking Clostridium difficile dramatically reduce the presence of the notoriously resilient organisms in infected rooms, finds a study published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Survey: ACOs want help from pharma to reduce costs
To achieve high-quality, low-cost care, accountable care organizations need more help from pharmaceutical companies, concluded a survey from Oliver Wyman.
Hospitals profit from post-surgical complications
Hospitals that reduce post-surgical complications could be cutting into their profits, concludes a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
IPAB power increases in Obama's 2014 budget proposal
The portion of President Obama's fiscal 2014 budget request that could have the biggest effect on providers is the increased authority for the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), IMNG Medical News reported.
Hospital system removes CEO over communication breakdown
Gastonia, N.C.-based CaroMont Health is back in the headlines, as its board of directors has removed Randy Kelley from his post as CEO, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.
Community benefits represent 11.6% of nonprofit hospital spending
An average of 11.6 percent of nonprofit hospital expenses go to community benefits, a look at Schedule H tax forms by Ernst & Young shows, up from 11.3 percent in the previous year's tax returns.
Study: 'Life circumstances' blamed for frequent ER use by vets
Veterans use emergency rooms frequently not because of poor access to healthcare but because of "severely compromised life circumstances," according to a study published online by the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Boston Marathon bombings put hospital disaster planning to the test
Hospitals in Boston put their mass casualty response plans in action, following the double explosion near the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday that left three people dead and more than 100 injured. Many brought in extra staff or placed their facilities on temporary lock-down.
Hospitals lose to doc's offices in consumer satisfaction
Patients are more satisfied with their healthcare than in the past, a new survey shows, but they're happier visiting their doctor than getting hospital-based care.
Breaking News: At least 2 dead, 28 injured from explosions at Boston Marathon
Two bombs struck at the finish line of the Boston Marathon today at about 3 p.m., killing two people and injuring at least 28, according to various news reports.
Physician-led ACOs outnumber hospital counterparts
The ACOs approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services earlier this year pushed the number of physician-led groups to 202, compared with 189 for hospital-led groups, MedPage Today reported.
FTC files new motions to stop hospital merger in Georgia
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prevent further integration between Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and Phoebe North, or Palmyra Medical Center, in Albany, Ga.,
Hospital groups urge Congress to protect tax-exempt bond financing
The American Hospital Association and 11 other associations urged Congress to protect tax-exempt bond financing for public and private nonprofit hospitals, colleges and universities as part of the tax reform working group process.
New palliative care guidelines emphasize continuity, collaboration
Hospitals can follow updated clinical practice guidelines from the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care, which reflect changes under the Affordable Care Act and the opportunity for palliative care programs to participate in new payment and delivery models.
Hospitals defend observation-status policies as criticism grows
The president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society blamed Medicare's recovery auditor (RAC) program and government mandates for Medicare coverage for hospitals' growing reliance on holding patients for observation rather than admitting them.
Hospital groups push back on CMS medical staff rule
A coalition of hospital groups is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to back off from a proposal that would prevent multihospital systems from integrating their medical staff.
Acting CMS administrator urges incremental shifts from volume to value
Acting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner wants the industry to phase out fee-for-service models and make incremental reimbursement reforms, Medscape Today reported.
Payment reform requires public, private collaboration
Low-cost, high-quality care requires an all-hands-on-deck commitment across all industries, according to a coalition of national groups representing hospitals, insurers, employers and consumers.
Don't ignore ED visits after discharge in readmission data
While nearly a quarter of discharged hospital inpatients end up in the emergency department within 30 days, hospitals ignore the significance of those visits because fewer than half result in readmission, a new study concludes.
