How to avoid unnecessary MRIs; Vermont hospitals offer free produce to patients;

News From Around The Web

> MRIs are among the most overutilized of imaging services and many patients are concerned with the cost, but there are several ways for patients to try and avoid unnecessary MRIs, the Fiscal Times reports. Article

> Fletcher Allen Health Care and Central Vermont Medical Center have entered into an arrangement to procure fresh fruits and vegetables for some patients free of charge as part of an initiative to try and improve community health, Seven Days Vermont reports. Article

> The powerful California Nurses Association labor union and Kaiser Permanente could be headed to a strike, with both sides at loggerheads over jobs, pay and benefits, according to Kaiser Health News. Article

Provider News

> Medicare officials are piloting experimental programs across dozens of U.S. hospitals to find out whether dropping the requirement that limits nursing home coverage to seniors admitted to the hospital for at least three days can reduce costs and improve care. Article

Healthcare IT News

> Robust analytics infrastructure is one of the keys to success for accountable care organizations, according to a new study published in the journal Academic Medicine. Article

And Finally... 4-year-old banned from doughnut shop. Article