> Accountable care organizations are expected to be an $80 billion industry, according to Hygeia Consulting Group. Press release
> The nonprofit hospital chain, Prime Healthcare Services in Ontario, Calif., is under investigation for its billing practices, reports California Watch. Prime is seeking to buy the bankrupt Victor Valley Community Hospital. Article
> Underscoring the demands for care by the un- and underinsured, 89 percent of free clinics in the country have seen a rise in patient visits in the last three years, according to an AmeriCare report. Press release
> Major associations, including the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and the American Nurses Association, call for standardized emergency department quality metrics, including definitions for ED arrival time, triage time, and department time. Statement
> Despite guidelines, physicians overuse heart stents, with 50,000 procedures a year, reports Reuters. Meanwhile, Maryland Board of Physicians revoked the medical license of cardiologist Dr. Mark G. Midei of St. Joseph Medical Center for falsifying patient records to perform unnecessary, expensive stents, reports The Baltimore Sun.
And Finally... Had enough with kids? A restaurant issues a ban. Article