News From Around the Web
> Pope Francis paid an unexpected visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor Wednesday night, the group of nuns who are fighting a court battle against the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate, Forbes reports, a move the Vatican's press secretary says is meant to show the pontiff's support for the nuns. Article
> A study set to be published in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine finds that a company was able to reduce its healthcare costs and improve employee health and engagement by transitioning to a consumer-driven health plan. Announcement
> Provider executives in the Garden State are skeptical of the criteria Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey used in its decision to form the Omnia Health Alliance that includes only six of the state's 20 health systems, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Article
Healthcare News
> Before Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago could fully leverage advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to improve care delivery, hospital leaders first had to educate their medical teams about the role APNs could play in their efforts to better manage population health. Article
> Although many hospitals invest in hotel-like amenities to improve the patient experience, leaders would be better off spending more money on improving caregiver-patient communication, the number-one factor in preventable readmissions, according to research published in Management Science. Article
And finally… Finally, a reason to love the ref. Article