News From Around the Web
> The Bipartisan Policy Center, Heritage Provider Network and The Advisory Board Co. invite healthcare organizations to submit the most daunting data problems to implementing delivery system and payment reforms, as part of a new national contest, the groups announced yesterday. Statement (.pdf)
> Medicare sequestration cuts have prompted Detroit Medical Center to lay off 300 workers, according to the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, Reading (Pa.) Health System is laying off 210 workers and eliminating 181 jobs through attrition, thanks to shrinking Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, as well as health reform's EHR requirement, the Reading Eagle reported.
>With 69 bomb victims still at Boston hospitals on Wednesday, including 19 people in critical condition, the medical costs caused by the Boston Marathon bombings could total $9 million, according to a rough calculation, NBC News reported. That doesn't take into account the more than 100 people who were treated and released. Article
> Yesterday, the HHS Office of Inspector General revised the self-disclosure protocol for healthcare providers, extending the timeframe to submit findings from an internal investigation and damages calculation to 90 days from the date of submission. Announcement (.pdf)
Health IT News
> Six Republican senators have formally requested that U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius provide a written plan to address how the agency is implementing the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Article
> Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Health has partnered with its parent organization, Ascension Health Alliance, to form a joint venture that officially will launch a remote care management program next month with the goal of scaling the program on a national level. Article
And Finally… Hospital workers, geese share parking lot. Article