> The Rochester Marriott Mayo Clinic Area Hotel has unveiled its multi-million dollar renovations, the the Mayo Clinic-connected hotel announced yesterday. The redesign is reminiscent of Cleveland's Clinic's InterContinental Suites Hotel, which also moves beyond a hospital offering hotel-like amenities and instead provides a wellness-focused hotel. Press release
> Patient information has been compromised after 160 X-rays went missing from Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, Mass., reports The Daily News of Newburyport. The hospital notified the affected patients and says the X-rays possibly were stolen by two men arrested in September. The two were accused of stealing the films for their valuable silver. Article
> Amid shrinking reimbursement rates comes news that mammogram providers in Illinois that submit voluntary breast cancer data starting next year will get higher Medicaid payments, reports the Chicago Tribune. The data will be analyzed to determine whether procedures and practices meet quality standards. Article
> Adding to the controversy surrounding cardiac stents, a Maryland cardiologist was sentenced to eight years in prison for implanting more than 100 unwarranted stents into patients at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, according to the Delmarva Now. Dr. John R. McLean also must pay $579,070 in restitution to Medicare and other health insurance programs, as well as give up his $579,070 in proceeds. Article
> With a still slugglish economy (and growing healthcare costs), it's not much surprise that Americans are losing confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare. According to the latest Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index, healthcare consumer confidence significantly dipped from 98 in September to 96 in October. Article
And Finally... Thanksgiving will cost more this year. Article