Lifespan joins merger talks with Partners, Care New England
Merger talks between Boston-based Partners HealthCare and Rhode Island’s Care New England may expand to include another healthcare system. The two organizations announced they have approached Lifespan—the largest hospital system in Rhode Island—and will begin a “formal discussion” to explore how all three healthcare providers can work together. (FierceHealthFinance)
To drive healthcare industry disruption, first define value
The driving force behind the shift from volume-based to value-based care has been the unsustainable cost of the current U.S. healthcare system, says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic. He describes an approach toward disruptive innovation that relies upon partnerships that reduce the “blind spots” developed at traditional healthcare organizations. (FierceHealthcare)
Time to swap out the traditional IV bag solution?
New research calls into question whether saline IV bags are the best option for hospitalized patients. Using a different intravenous greatly reduced the risk of death or kidney damage, two large studies found. The difference could mean 50,000 to 70,000 fewer deaths and 100,000 fewer cases of kidney failure each year in the United States, researchers estimate. "We've been sounding the alarm for 20 years" about possible harms from saline, John Kellum, M.D., a critical care specialist at the University of Pittsburgh, told the Associated Press. "It's purely inertia" that prevents a change. (AP News)
Hospitals would close under Illinois funding bill
Illinois hospitals would get $360 million more in federal Medicaid funding, but two facilities serving impoverished communities would close, under a plan a House committee approved Tuesday. Some hospitals have complained that privately run managed-care programs often deny or delay claims, which hurts cash flow. That prompted Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat and committee chairman, to insert a provision to monitor managed-care operations and track denial claims. (U.S. News)
Cleveland Clinic book showcases its art collection
The Cleveland Clinic is commemorating the 10th anniversary of its Arts & Medicine Institute with a new book, “Power of Art: Cleveland Clinic Collection,” which illustrates the visual history of the organization’s art program through more than 90 images of contemporary art and architecture. Cleveland Clinic’s art collection includes more than 6,400 fine art objects that are installed throughout the health system’s facilities in Ohio, Florida, Las Vegas and Toronto. (Cleveland Clinic)