News From Around the Web
> While Hispanics have an overall 24 percent lower death rate than whites and lower rates for nine of 15 leading causes of death, they are at greater risk than whites to die from diabetes, cirrhosis and liver disease, and homicide, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Report
> Women who are treated in the emergency department for acute asthma are 60 percent more likely than men to then be hospitalized for the condition, according to a study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Study abstract
> The Senate this week approved a budget that would cut $5.3 trillion in spending and repeal the Affordable Care Act, according to the New York Times. Article
> A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for a far-reaching independent probe into mismanagement and budgeting issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Washington Post reports. Article
Practice Management News
> Concierge medicine, while growing modestly overall, is becoming more predominant in certain pockets of the country. But despite reports that the model produces high satisfaction for all involved, a high concentration of retainer-based practices represents challenges for patients and physicians. Article
> When the subject of embezzlement at physician practices comes up, often the focus is on elaborate schemes, misused credit or forgery. But while major cases tend to make headlines--such as the $1 million theft chronicled in a recent article from community newspaper Highlands Today--lax cash-handling policies are far more widespread and can put virtually any practice at risk. Article
And Finally… Twenty-one acts of kindness. Article