25% of Massachusetts docs accepted gifts from pharma, med device; How Virginia Mason improved patient safety with lean manufacturing;

News From Around the Web

> Health Management Associates and Florida Blue have formed an accountable care delivery partnership, with the potential to build a clinically integrated network among participating providers, both Florida organizations announced Wednesday. Announcement

> One in four Massachusetts physicians received payment or a gift worth $50 or more from pharmaceutical or medical device companies from July 2009 through December 2011, according to a perspective piece in the New England Journal of Medicine. The 30 months' worth of data included 32,227 reported payments to 11,734 Massachusetts physicians, for a total of $76.7 million. Article

> Four research centers are expected to receive $40 million over five years to develop culturally tailored interventions aimed at lowering stroke risk among U.S. racial and ethnic minorities, the National Institutes of Health announced this week. Announcement

Healthcare Leadership News

> Virginia Mason Health System in Seattle used lean manufacturing techniques to improve patient safety, according to the vice president of Virginia Mason Medical Center. Blog Post

> In its move toward accountable care, SCL Health System in Denver focused on finding the right partner with accountable care expertise and values that aligned with the health system's mission, wrote the senior vice president of health networks at SCLHS. Blog Post

And Finally… Hospitals, don't be fooled by Pink Floyd impersonators. Article