News From Around The Web
> Despite the restoration of some previous Medicaid funding cuts, Texas' rural hospitals are still in dire financial straits, and some facilities may yet close, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has reported. Article
> A law enforcement crackdown on prescription opioid trafficking has made it difficult for patients with chronic pain to obtain their medications, according to Kaiser Health News. Article
Provider News
> One reason that superbug outbreaks linked to medical scopes continue to rise is because many cases of the deadly infections go unreported, a USA Today investigation finds. Article
> The lack of communication and cooperation among hospitals are two reasons they continue to struggle against the rise in hospital-acquired infections, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts could increase as much as 10 percent over the next several years. Article
Healthcare IT News
> While health information exchange holds the potential to provide emergency room physicians with more complete records of patients, significant changes in practice and public policies are necessary to support a national HIE, according to recommendations made by a workgroup from the American College of Emergency Physicians. Article
And Finally... A bulletproof armadillo. Article