long term care

ALSO NOTED: City of San Francisco sues McKesson; CMS regs put three-year moratorium on LTC hospital construction; and much more

Fri, 23 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> The city of San Francisco has sued McKesson Corp., arguing that the company manipulated prices on brand-name drugs. Article

> CMS has announced a regulation that places a three-year moratorium on the construction of new long-term care hospitals. Article

> Geisinger Health System should open its $35 million facility in August, which includes 70 exam rooms, 16 procedure rooms and six imaging suites. Article

> The Blue Shield of California Foundation has given out $12.3 million in grants to California nonprofits, largely to organizations providing improve patient care or better access. Article

And Finally... But what about highway muleage? Article

CT hospitals fight drug-resistant organisms

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:59:55 -0500

Connecticut hospitals plan to launch an initiative shortly to prevent and control infections caused by multiple drug-resistant organisms (MDRO). The initiative, spearheaded by the Connecticut Hospital Association, will kick off the effort with a Feb. 1 symposium focused on effective hospital initiatives. It will launch an MDRO working collaborative of 30 acute- and long-term care hospitals which will share prevention and control strategies. Members of the group have also made a pledge to reduce infections, which includes a promise to share and report information as well as push staff toward 100 percent compliance with standard infection-control protocols such as hand-washing and proper antibiotic use.

To find out more about the initiative:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Study: Tracking, control of hospital infections still tough. Report
MA hospital-acquired infections cost millions. Report
Study: Simple steps can cut ICU infections. Report
SPOTLIGHT: Battling deadly biofilms. Report
VHA program fights hospital-acquired infections. Report
Infections hurt patients, providers. Report

SPOTLIGHT: Despite issues, investors still like healthcare

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:59:52 -0500

Sure, the healthcare industry faces some big challenges--particularly given the rising number of uninsured patients--but there's still plenty of money to be made in the healthcare business, according to a panel of investors who got together this week to consider the industry's prospects. The nursing home and long-term care sectors are particularly attractive, attendees said. Article

NY health system restructuring moving ahead

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:59:56 -0500

As FierceHealthcare readers know, the New York state health system underwent a historic shock last year, when state health planners named a list of hospitals and nursing homes which would be required to close or restructure. The announcement, though expected, still generated massive protests. Nonetheless, despite these protests, it appears that the restructuring is moving along nicely. According to the state health department, efforts to close nine hospitals, restructure 50 more hospitals and cut almost 3,000 nursing home beds are progressing, with three of the nine hospitals already having closed and several long-term care facilities having eliminated beds ahead of schedule. Of course, the $550 million in transitional aid the state has provided can't have hurt things any, but such progress is still a bit surprising given how controversial the restructuring plan was. Previously, some providers had demanded that the state boost its transitional funding to a much-cozier $2.5 billion, and others had sued the state to prevent forced closures.

To find out more about the transition:
- read this Associated Press piece

Related Articles:
NY gets $1.5 billion to close ailing hospitals. Article
NY plan harsher than expected. Report
New York health system sues to prevent hospital closure. Report

Congress to investigate investor-owned nursing homes

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

As we reported yesterday in FierceHealthcare, giant investment firm The Carlyle Group is taking steps to head off critics of its $6.3 billion acquisition of long-term care player Manor Care. Responding to pressure from unions representing Manor Care's workers, Carlyle sent letters to state regulators pledging that it would hire enough staff, train them well and make proper infrastructure investments in its homes. This gesture, however, apparently wasn't enough to impress some Congressmen, who have begun an inquiry into not only Carlyle, but business practices at investor-owned nursing homes generally. They're investigating widespread allegations that private equity firms cut staff to the bone while remaking corporate structures to avoid getting sued when patients are harmed.

Reps. John Dingell (D-MI) and Barney Frank (D-MA) are planning hearings on the topic, and most likely legislation as well. This follows action by Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), who have sent letters to five private investment firms asking for information on their ownership structure and management practices. Baucus and Grassley also asked CMS for information on its oversight of nursing homes.

The concern on the The Hill isn't unique. Earlier this month, officials in Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Washington asked regulators to investigate the Carlyle acquisition--and to withhold approval of the deal until they did so.

To learn more about this investigation:
- read this piece from The New York Times

Related Articles:
Manor Care buyer puts staffing promises in writing. Report
Manor Care goes private in $6.3 billion deal. Report
Genesis HealthCare to go private. Report

Manor Care buyer puts staffing promises in writing

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Bowing to pressure from the Service Employees International Union, investment firm The Carlyle Group has made some written promises regarding staffing, training and investment in its Manor Care subsidiary. Carlyle execs vowed yesterday that they would provide adequate staffing levels and training--as well as making appropriate infrastructure investments--to make sure patients get quality care at Manor Care facilities. They're sending a written promise to this effect to state regulators across the U.S. While some observers have slammed the statement as vague and unenforceable, others suggest that the mere existence of a written pledge represents meaningful progress.

Carlyle recently agreed to pay $6.3 billion to acquire Manor Care, one of the largest U.S. long-term care providers, which has 500 facilities under management. Since that time, however, it's faced very public challenges from the SEIU, which has been working to organize the company's 60,000 employees.

To learn more about Carlyle's promises:
- read this piece in The Washington Post

Related Articles:
Manor Care goes private in $6.3B deal. Report
Genesis HealthCare to go private. Report

MA hospitals begin reporting on falls

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:59:55 -0400

Massachusetts' 70 acute care hospitals have begun reporting patient fall rates by individual hospitals, making it one of the first states to disclose hospital-specific data of this kind. The reporting program is voluntary, but all of the state's acute care facilities agreed to participate--along with nine rehab and long-term-care hospitals. This may be, in part, because hospitals are bracing themselves for next year, when Medicare will stop paying hospitals to treat complications from falls.

The data, which was published on the Massachusetts Hospital Association Website, showed that 4,573 patient falls took place from October 2006 through March 2007, including 1,005 falls in which patients were injured.

To learn more about the disclosures:
- read this article from The Boston Globe

Related Articles:
Many MA hospitals waive charges for errors. Report
By 2008, Medicare won't pay for hospital errors. Report
Other payors may follow CMS's 'no pay' lead. Report
Business says 'no pay' for major mistakes. Report
Study: Wrong-site surgeries, close calls are common. Report

ALSO NOTED: Wisconsin may boost hospital Medicaid payments; CMS blocks release of violations details; and much more...

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> Wisconsin may be boosting Medicaid payments for the state's hospitals. Article

> CMS has decided to withhold an inspection report which details significant safety violations at the University of Iowa Hospitals. Article

> Research by IT analyst firm Gartner suggests that healthcare IT spending is likely to increase dramatically over the next few years. FierceHealthIT

> Sometimes, seeing clearly is dangerous. Or so says the FDA, which is prepping a warning for doctors who use drugs to help diagnose heart problems using ultrasound imaging. Report

> A new report has concluded that smart IT use can improve the quality of long-term care. FierceHealthIT

And Finally... Warning: Don't read this story unless you have a high tolerance for cuteness. Article

SPOTLIGHT: 'Hospital in a hospital' losing favor

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:01:32 -0400

'Hospital in a hospital' losing favor
Largely due to reimbursement changes, the days of opening "hospital within a hospital" long-term care units may be fading. Consider LifeCare, which operates 950 long-term-care beds in the U.S. LifeCare is shifting its emphasis to freestanding facilities, with only 30 percent of beds remaining within acute-care hospitals. Article

ALSO NOTED: DOJ examining UnitedHealth deal; Group wants long-term care crackdown; and much more...

Thu, 17 May 2007 20:01:30 -0400

> The U.S. Department of Justice continues to scrutinize UnitedHealth's planned buyout of Sierra Health Services. Article

> A trade association is charging that CMS doesn't do enough to prevent Medicare fraud by long-term-care providers. Article

> The Joint Commission has announced that its upcoming national conference will focus on reporting and managing infections in healthcare settings. Release

> Nurses have gone union at Philadelphia's Jeanes Hospital, joining the state's nursing and allied professions group. Article

And Finally... What if President Lincoln had been taken to a trauma center when he was shot? Article