News From Around The Web
> Allina Health, one of the largest hospital networks in the Upper Midwest, announced that it will ban many sugary beverages and deep-fried foods from its cafeterias and vending machines by the end of this year, the system announced. A McDonald's franchise also operating at an Allina hospital will shutter by the end of next May. Announcement
> The Christie Administration has denied an initial appeal by a group of New Jersey hospitals hoping to block the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield's OMNIA provider network, although more appeals are likely, the Asbury Park Press reported. Article
> A new audit by Louisiana regulators has concluded that about $6 million in state-owned equipment is missing from hospitals, while another $15 million in equipment bought for the new University Medical Center in New Orleans wasn't properly inventoried, according to the Times-Picayune. Article
Provider News
> Efforts to reduce hospital-acquired conditions have led to 87,000 fewer patient deaths and nearly $20 billion in healthcare cost savings over a four-year period, according to a new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services. But the findings may not be as significant as they seem. Although federal officials lauded the findings from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, patient safety experts interviewed by Kaiser Health News said that while hospitals have made progress, the preliminary 2014 data isn't as impressive as it may initially appear. Indeed the findings were similar to an AHRQ report released last month that showed hospital complications were 17 percent lower in 2013 than 2010. But the 17 percent decline is the same statistic cited in the latest report that includes 2014 data. Article
Healthcare IT News
> To protect sensitive patient data, healthcare organizations must first understand its value, according to Kevin Stine, manager of the Information Technology Laboratory (Security Outreach and Integration) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.. Article
And finally... A day of parking costs $5,500. Article