Hurricane Katrina

Major changes are expected at FEMA in the wake of last week's critical report from Congress on the government's handling of Hurricane Katrina. Department of Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff is expected to announce a set of proposals designed to improve the response to future disasters. The changes may include adding as many as 1,500 staff according to sources. Article

> Aetna shares bop as the company reports a 41 percent increase in fourth-quarter profits. Article

> In a column for Reason, Ronald Bailey argues that a case in which a hospital turned off the life support system of an uninsured patient against her will should have gained far more national attention than it did. …

> HealthImaging.com has a story about the long, hard but apparently ultimately worthwhile road to EMR adoption. Article

> The shift towards customer empowerment in healthcare is leading to new opportunities for software companies that make customer relationship management, according to one hopeful vendor. …

> Ominous news for Guidant as federal officials say they want more details on the company's recalls. Could the longest-running med tech soap opera be taking another twist? Article

> The Washington Post examines Web sites that allow users to select healthcare providers on the basis of their race, gender and orientation. …

> A third member of a Turkish family has died of bird flu in the town of Dogubeyazit, close to the Iranian border. The World Health Organization says a quarantine has been imposed on the town. These are the first bird flu deaths outside of Asia. Article

> Louisiana, which faces an uninsurance crisis after Hurricane Katrina, granted Affiliated Computer Services' a 20-month, $11 million contract extension to …

> In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to move Medicaid recipients to managed care is set to start in Broward County. Article

> State governments are joining the call for electronic health records, arguing that the lessons of Hurricane Katrina make such systems necessary investments. Article

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Tenet Healthcare said it is considering building a new hospital on the site of heavily-damaged Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. The company has hired an architect and is developing a proposal for a 200-bed facility. The plans were announced at a closed-door meeting attended by about 90 doctors. Memorial remains the focus of an investigation by the Louisiana attorney general's office into reports of possible mercy killings during the week following Hurricane Katrina. The Dallas-based …

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative that will fund two programs in Gulf states hit by Hurricane Katrina. HHS will work with the Southern Governor's Association and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to modernize the information technology infrastructure in areas impacted by the disaster. As part of the initiative, Louisiana will develop its own health information sharing and electronic health record system. Supporters of electronic medical …

> The Department of Health and Human Services said it will collect and monitor data on hospitals, clinics and doctors offices in the areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama struck by Hurricane Katrina. Article

> Dramatic evidence to support public smoking bans: A study that examined the effects of a ban in Pueblo, CO, restaurants and bars finds a sharp drop in heart attacks after …

Tenet reported much worse than expected third-quarter results, disappointing Wall Street once again. The Dallas-based hospital chain reported a loss of $408 million for the quarter. The company, which was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina in September, said it had a 1.4 percent decline in new admissions. Tenet also reported a drop in referrals, a trend that may reflect lower physician confidence in the provider. Analyst concerns include the ongoing SEC investigation into managed care …