> St. Louis-based SSM Health Care has acquired multispecialty medical group Shawnee (Okla.) Medical Center Clinic, effective yesterday. The Shawnee Medical Center, which be renamed St. Anthony Physicians Shawnee once the merger is finalized. Announcement
> Inpatient medical procedures increased more for poor and minority populations after healthcare reform went into effect in Massachusetts, according to research in the journal Medical Care. This post-reform expansion is largely due to gains in insurance coverage for minority and lower-income patients, allowing them more access to outpatient care. Statement
> After considering a deal for four months, Auburn (N.Y.) Community Hospital and Rochester (N.Y.) General Health System have decided not to affiliate, The Rochester Business Journal reported Friday. The Auburn community voiced concerns that an affiliation with Rochester General Health System might jeopardize existing relationships with healthcare providers. Auburn Community Hospital will continue to seek a partnership with a healthcare system that is a better fit for its community needs, it said. Article
> About one in 12 patients end up back in a hospital bed within a month of being discharged, according to a Canadian report released Thursday. Hospital administrators hope to decrease the number of readmissions by encouraging clear communication between patients and physicians regarding medications, recovery time, side effects and the risks of post-surgical infection. Article
> Catholic hospitals on Friday rejected President Barack Obama's compromise for providing birth control coverage to female employees, MSNBC reported. Roman Catholic and conservative-leaning organizations considered President Obama's bid for compromise on birth control coverage by Catholic employers an attack on their religious freedom. Article
And Finally… Kids learn persistence from dads. Statement