Hurricane Katrina
WSJ examines Red Cross's plasma business
The Red Cross is best known for its charitable projects, such as the relief efforts after September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. However, insiders know that the Red Cross is about more than just disaster relief. The Wall Street Journal looks at the money-making side of the non-profit's business. Plasma product sales bring the Red Cross about $2.1 billion, easily surpassing the charitable contributions it receives. The charity holds about half of the U.S. market. Some critics are …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: Columnist calls for universal care; Americans think ADHD drugs prescribed too often; and much more...
> It's hardly the same thing as the Wall Street Journal's editorial board taking a strong position, but columnist Dr. Benjamin Brewer's call for government run healthcare is raising eyebrows nonetheless. Article
> IBM Healthcare blog HealthNex is leading a community effort to develop a clinical informatics Wiki this week. Today's topic: Biobanking. …
... Read more...Mistrial in Alvarado Medical Center case
A judge in San Diego declared a mistrial in the federal kickback trial of Alvarado Medical Center after 11 months, marking the second time the case has been thrown out. Prosecutors had argued that the Tenet-owned hospital and former CEO Barry Weinbaum violated federal law by paying lucrative relocation bonuses to doctors in exchange for referrals. The case is seen as a potential turning point for the Dallas-based Tenet, which has endured a three year long slide after federal authorities …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: New Orleans hospital system has only 456 beds; Sales of home diagnostic kits surging; and much more...
> A congressional inquiry found that the healthcare system in New Orleans remains crippled seven months after Hurricane Katrina. The GAO released a study that finds only 456 staffed beds in the city. Article
> Sales of home diagnostic kits are surging, leading to criticism from some doctors. …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: Tenet CEO: 'We're not proud of what Tenet did'; Brailer seeks deputy; and much more...
> Medicare beneficiaries listed on the rolls of two prescription drug plans were notified on Monday that they would soon be dropped from one. Article
> In an interview with the Palm Beach Post, Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter admits there was "a cloud over the company for three years" but argues changes made under his leadership are working. …
... Read more...Tenet cleared of wrongdoing during Katrina
Louisiana's attorney general cleared ten hospitals in the New Orleans area of wrongdoing during Hurricane Katrina, saying there was no evidence that their negligence lead to the death of patients. Attorney General Charles Foti's probe into suspicious deaths will now focus on five hospitals in the area. According to Foti's office, 140 people died at hospitals and long-term care facilities during the storm.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Tenet Healthcare, the company that operates …
... Read more...Bush defends Part D success, concedes problems
In a speech in upstate New York, President Bush acknowledged that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has had a rocky start. Bush defended the program as a good deal for seniors in a half hour forum, saying "Any time Washington passes a new law, sometimes the transition period can be interesting." Analysts expect Democrats to try to use the benefit's problems as political leverage in November.
The New York Times compared the speech to earlier talks in which the …
... Read more...MEDecision goes after "claims-based" records
MEDecision will create 6.5 million "patient clinical summaries" for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. The Pennsylvania-based software company was involved in the effort to create emergency clinical records after Hurricane Katrina. MEDecision President John Capobianco explained to FierceHealthcare at HIMSS that while less than 20 percent of providers currently use EMRs, their technology can mine claims in real time to create basic records for emergency room care, or to support …
... Read more...New disaster plan released
The Bush administration released a much-anticipated report outlining steps it wants to take to improve the nation's disaster preparedness in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Near the top of the list is an expanded role for the department of Health and Human Services, which the White House wants to take the lead in providing medical assistance in future disasters. The report also recommends that FEMA maintain a larger stockpile of emergency supplies and medicines.
In response to the …
... Read more...Tenet euthanasia investigation continues
The investigation into possible cases of patient euthanasia at Tenet's Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans during the week following Hurricane Katrina is apparently still going strong. Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti is now focusing his inquiry on head and neck surgeon Dr. Ana Pou. Pou "is currently under investigation by the attorney general's office for the alleged euthanasia of patients during this horrific time," according to documents filed yesterday.
Yesterday, the …
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