News From Around the Web:
> A computer glitch to new records software recently installed by Pennsylvania's Department of Vital Statistics led to the incorrect listing of fathers on 500 birth certificates, the Tribune-Democrat reports. Article
> Joe Kiani, CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based medical device company Masimo, has a goal to reduce preventable deaths of medical patients from 200,000 a year to zero by 2020, via a "health data superhighway," Laguna Beach Patch reports. Article
> The primary goals of electronic health record systems are to improve efficiency and reduce costs, but the technology also provides an opportunity to mine data for medical research, according to a recent New York Times piece. Article
Health Finance News
> The healthcare industry saw mergers and acquisitions jump 21 percent in 2012 from the prior year, according to a new report from New York-based finance firm Berkery Noyes. Article
> U.S. medical schools, teaching hospitals and affiliated medical systems made a gigantic impact on the nation's economy, providing $587 billion in economic benefits during 2011, according to a report from economics researcher Tripp Umbach. Article
> The boom in medical office construction may be overheated and lead to a bubble, reported Law360. Article
Health Provider News
> Flu season has hit early this year, and with a vengeance, triggering health emergencies in Boston and New York State, as reported by the Boston Globe and the New York Times, respectively. To keep your practice running as smoothly as possible throughout the heightened flu activity, keep the following three things top of mind: sick policies, vaccinations and communication. Article
> Many physicians purchase life insurance or receive it as part of their benefits package, but they often do not carry appropriate disability insurance to cover their income should they be unable to perform their job. In fact, "after an accident, disability occurs four times more frequently than death, and its financial impact on the family is often more severe than death," financial advisor Michal Zhuang, founder of MZ Capital in Washington, D.C., wrote in Physicians Practice. Article
And Finally... I thought smoothies were a bipartisan thing, but maybe not in Utah. Video