AMN Healthcare news

Honesty Lacking in Many Physicians Surveyed

February 9, 2012 - Although honesty may be the best policy, many physicians in a recent survey revealed they do not always disclose errors or conflicts of interest and more than 1 in 10 had told patients an untruth in the past year, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

Group Says Health Care Facilities Should Require Flu Vaccinations for Employees

February 3, 2012 - How many employees at your facility have received a flu vaccination yet? According to the recommendations issued this week by the National Business Group on Health, they all should have already gotten one.

HHS Launches Health IT Challenge to Improve Care Transitions for Hospital-discharge Patients

January 2, 2012 - The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has announced a Discharge Follow-Up Appointment care transitions challenge – the second as part of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Investing in Innovation (i2) Initiative. With the support of Health 2.0 and Partnership for Patients, ONC launched the Discharge Follow-Up Appointment challenge in support of ONC’s Investing in Innovation (i2) program.

Best Practices in Patient Safety Still Have Room for Improvement

January 31, 2012 - More than a decade since the Institute of Medicine called attention to the problem of patient safety, with its To Err is Human report indicating as many as 98,000 lives were lost annually as a result of medical errors in hospitals, the institute’s latest paper reports improvements have moved at a glacial pace.

AHRQ: Most Healthcare Dollars Still Spent on Small Part of Population

January 27, 2012 - Only 1 percent of the population accounted for 21.8 percent of total U.S. healthcare spending of $1.26 trillion in 2009, racking up an annual mean expenditure of $90,061, while the lower 50 percent of the population accounted for only 2.9 percent of expenditures, according to a new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report.

Study Examines Research on Overuse of Health Care Services

January 23, 2012 - The overuse of health care services in the United States appears to be an understudied problem with research literature limited to a few services and rates of overuse varying widely, according to an article published in the January 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This article is part of the journal’s Less is More series.

CDC Issues Clinical Reminder About Proper Use of Insulin Pens

January 13, 2012 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new clinical reminder about the use of insulin pens.

What Will 2012 Bring for the Healthcare Industry?

January 9, 2012 - A bastion of stability and generator of jobs, healthcare now has reached a critical crossroads--with increasing demand for services yet limited reimbursement to pay for that care--and is entering a volatile period. Industry experts predict a number of changes in 2012 and over the next few years.

A Preview of Top Healthcare Employment Issues in 2012

January 9, 2012 - Economic growth rates, baby boomer retirements, primary care shortages and clinical job prospects are just a few of the big healthcare employment issues under discussion as 2012 unfolds. What will change, and what will remain the same?

Preventing Healthcare Worker Fatigue and Adverse Events

January 5, 2012 - Recognizing the patient safety dangers associated with fatigue, The Joint Commission recently issued a Sentinel Event Alert urging greater attention to the issue and suggesting specific actions for healthcare organizations to mitigate the risks.

Comprehensive Agenda for Critical Care Research Developed

January 3, 2012 - According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, a new comprehensive agenda intended to guide critical care research has been created.

Perception of Inappropriate Care Frequent Among ICU Workers

December 27, 2011 - A survey of nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and Israel indicated that the perception of inappropriate care, such as excess intensity of care for a patient, was common, and that these perceptions were associated with inadequate decision sharing, communication and job autonomy, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.

HHS to Give States More Flexibility to Implement Health Reform

December 23, 2011 - The Department of Health and Human Services has just released a bulletin outlining proposed policies that will give states more flexibility and freedom to implement the Affordable Care Act.

Study: Readmission Rate Improvement May Necessitate Changes to Whole Delivery System

December 22, 2011 - High hospital readmission rates in different regions of the U.S. may have more to do with the overall high use of hospital services in those regions than with the severity of patients' particular conditions or problems in the quality of care during and after hospital discharges, according to a new study from researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

Thirty-two Organizations Chosen as Pioneer ACOs

December 19, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a list of 32 health care organizations that will be able to participate in the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Program. According to HHS, this initiative should allows them to provide better coordinated care for people with Medicare and could save up to $1.1 billion over five years.

New Sentinel Alert Links Fatigue to Patient Safety Problems

December 14, 2011 - The Joint Commission has issued a new Sentinel Alert that expounds upon the link between health care worker fatigue and adverse events. This Sentinel Event Alert: Health care worker fatigue and patient safety urges greater attention to preventing fatigue among health care workers and suggests specific actions for health care organizations to mitigate the risks.

HSC Study: 1 in 3 Adults Don’t Get Care After Discharge

December 12, 2011 - A new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) has found that one in three adult patients--aged 21 and older--discharged from a hospital to the community does not see a physician within 30 days of discharge. The Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) conducted the study for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).

Nurses’ Relative Immobility Requires New Workforce Strategies

December 6, 2011 - Pioneering research from respected nurse researchers shows that nurses tend to practice close to where they attended high school, making it one of the least mobile professions in the country.

Hospitals Try Different Approaches to Improving Care at Night

December 4, 2011 - Many patients come into the hospital after hours in critical condition, and others often “take a turn for the worse” during the overnight hours when hospitals are, typically, less well staffed with experienced nurses and physicians. But as health systems adapt to changing patient expectations and robust demands for patient safety, how they deal with night coverage is starting to change.

Study: E-prescribing Is Safe and Efficient, But Barriers Remain

December 4, 2011 - Physician practices and pharmacies generally view electronic prescribing as an important tool to improve patient safety and save time, but both groups face barriers to realizing the technology's full benefit, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study was recently published online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Super Committee's Stalemate Would Trigger Deep Cuts to Medicare

November 28, 2011 - The special Congressional super committee was launched with the goal of creating a plan to reduce the nation’s spending by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. When the news broke about the super committee’s failure to do so on Nov. 23, a number of health care organizations and associations reacted with concern.

Improving Patient Care by Improving Nurses' Work Environment

November 21, 2011 - A new study funded by a grant form the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that improving nurses' work environment has great potential to improve patient care, too.

Primary Care Providers Adopt EHRs Through Regional Extension Centers

November 18, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced today that more than 100,000 primary care providers are adopting certified Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to help improve their quality of care and ultimately lower health care costs.

Concerns Over Hospital Compare Data Surface

November 16, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recently added to and updated certain data about hospitals and health systems on its Hospital Compare website (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov), but the reception has been mixed.

NCQA Announces ACO Accreditation Program

November 15, 2011 - Recognizing a need to establish minimum standards for accountable care organizations (ACOs), the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) will roll out its new accreditation program on November 21, 2011.

AHRQ Funds Primary Care Transformation Model Programs

November 13, 2011 - Initiatives in four states recently received funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to support model programs that use health extension agents to transform the delivery of primary care.

New Report Focuses on Link Between Economy and Health

November 10, 2011 - Trust for America's Health (TFAH) released a new report, Healthier Americans for a Healthier Economy, featuring six case studies focused on the relationship between health and economic development. The report examines how health affects the ability of states, cities and towns to attract and retain employers, and how workplace and community wellness programs help improve productivity and reduce health spending.

EHR/EMR Training Tips for Clinicians

November 9, 2011 - As medical practices and hospitals successfully transition to electronic records, they are discovering the importance of adequate training and best methods for bringing everyone up to speed.

Joint Commission and SGS form an Alliance to offer Coordinated Accreditation and ISO Certification Option

November 8, 2011 - The Joint Commission and SGS Group are joining forces to offer hospitals and critical access hospitals in the United States the option of pursuing both accreditation and certification to various ISO and industry best practice standards beginning in early 2012.

AHRQ Awards $4.5 Million To Create Clinical Preventive Services Research Centers

November 2, 2011 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded three-year grants totaling $4.5 million to support research in three centers that will focus on improving clinical preventive services and practices such as screening, counseling and use of preventive medications for patients. The project will be led by three universities and includes a separate award for coordination and evaluation of the research.

First-Ever Meeting on Hospital-Based Specialties Taking Place Nov. 4

November 1, 2011 - Just fifteen years after hospitals began using the hospitalist model to treat patients, a new and diverse range of specialties have adopted the same approach to staffing care.

HHS Annouces New Incentives for Providers to Work Together Through Accountable Care Organizations

October 27, 2011 - People with Medicare will be able to benefit from a new program designed to encourage primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and other health care providers to coordinate their care under a final regulation issued recently by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Created by the Affordable Care Act, these final rules on Accountable Care Organizations add to the menu of options for providers looking to better coordinate care for patients and will make it easier for providers to deliver high quality care and use health care dollars more wisely.

Climbing the Ranks of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare

October 25, 2011 - Creating an environment where healthcare professionals feel appreciated and can collaborate, grow and thrive has helped hospitals move up on Modern Healthcare’s ranking of Best Places to Work in Healthcare.

Future Reimbursement Cuts Could Affect Healthcare Employment and Quality

October 24, 2011 - While technology holds promise to improve efficiencies and outcomes, healthcare remains a people business, with high-quality care dependent on having enough nurses and other staff available to pick up subtle changes in patients’ conditions, ensure best practices are followed through and provide the care patients need. Yet with unemployment hovering around 9 percent, state and federal lawmakers are considering further cuts to government reimbursements.

Hospitals and Faith-based Communities Partner to Improve Healthcare

October 23, 2011 - With rising healthcare costs and an alarming increase in chronic diseases, hospitals are finding that local congregations and faith-based organizations are the remedy for many of our nation’s healthcare ills.

Survey Finds 70% of Hospitals and Health Systems Will Increase Number of Employed Doctors

October 20, 2011 - A trade report this month sponsored by MedSynergies Inc. found 70% of responding national hospitals and health systems plan to employ more physicians in the next 12 to 36 months. The HealthLeaders Media Hospital-Physician Alignment survey also saw full employment trump the long-dominant “volunteer medical staff” as the top medical staff model, evidencing momentum in the move towards hospital-physician alignment.

New Transitions of Care Credential To Be Released January 2012

October 18, 2011 - The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc. (ABQAURP) have partnered together in a joint collaboration to create a Sub-specialty certification for transitions of care (TOC). The new Sub-specialty certification is a part of the specialized credentials available through ABQAURP’s Health Care Quality and Management Board Certification (HCQM). In recognizing the importance of transitions of care--a major provision within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act--this new credential is the first one to support professionals not only as a team, but also individually, who demonstrate competence and skills in providing the key elements of transitions of care.

Measure Applications Partnership Releases Initial Reports to HHS

October 13, 2011 - At the request of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Measures Application Partnership (MAP) recently released its first two reports, each pointing to specific opportunities for more coordinated approaches to making healthcare safer and enhancing clinician performance.

Nursing Workforce Supply Data Collection Webinar Scheduled for Oct. 11

October 10, 2011 - The Center to Champion Nursing in America is hosting a special webinar on Tuesday, October 11 that will focus on nursing workforce supply data collection. The webinar will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. ET.

New Joint Commission Report Examines Catheter-Associated UTIs

October 4, 2011 - An estimated 450,000 catheter-associated urinary tract infections occur annually in hospitals and represent the leading cause of health care-associated infection in hospitals. A new R3 Report from The Joint Commission provides hospitals with in-depth information about a 2012 National Patient Safety Goal related to preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitals.

New Nurse Staffing Formula Adds Up to Better Outcomes

October 4, 2011 - Nurse staffing is more complicated than just a series of ratios. While studies have shown that assigning different patients-per-nurse guidelines to various units can improve outcomes--and is required in some areas--most health care leaders would agree that other factors must be considered, as well. These variables can include the education and skill level of the nurses and the acuity level of the patients. But how does a staffing manager account for such things?

Clinicians Taking Health Literacy to the Next Level

October 3, 2011 - Safe patient care requires effective communication. People must process and understand their plan of care to make appropriate health decisions. Hospitals, physicians, nurses and other professionals are teaming up to write discharge instructions at an appropriate reading level, to consider the cultural barriers that may exist, and to involve families when the patients desire.

Everyone’s a Critic: Pediatric Patients Rate Their Care

September 30, 2011 - As anyone affiliated with a hospital can attest, patient satisfaction really does matter. Not only is a health care organization’s reputation at stake, but starting in 2012, Medicare will adjust some payments to hospitals on the basis of their patient satisfaction scores.

HHS Announces $224 Million for Evidence-based Home Visiting Programs for Parents and Children

September 27, 2011 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $224 million to help at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers to improve maternal and child health, child development, school readiness, economic self-sufficiency, and child abuse prevention. As part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, these grants are funded by the Affordable Care Act and are awarded to state agencies that applied for the grants in 49 states across the country.

Poorer Health, Higher Spending: Dealing with the Hospital Employee Health Crisis

September 25, 2011 - Employees of hospitals spend 10 percent more on medical services and pharmaceuticals and suffer from more chronic medical conditions than workers in other industries, according to a recent study from the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. In addition, the cost of health plans for hospitals is higher than for other key industries, according to HighRoads.

Accountable Care Organizations: A Progress Report

September 14, 2011 - When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, the provision of the law that generated the most heat was the individual mandate: the controversial requirement that individuals purchase health insurance or risk penalties.

The Keys to Getting Physicians Engaged in ACOs

September 14, 2011 - Many Americans would agree that with a healthcare system that accounts for 17.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and continues to grow approximately 6 percent annually, according to federal estimates, change is necessary. But ideas on how to reverse the growth trend remain controversial. Payers, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, are looking to accountable care organizations (ACOs), which will assume responsibility for total wellness and care of a specific population, while aiming to increase quality and reduce cost. However, many people remain skeptical, chief among them physicians who will be essential for an ACO’s success.

Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010

September 13, 2011 - The U.S. Census Bureau announced that in 2010, median household income declined, the poverty rate increased and the percentage without health insurance coverage was not statistically different from the previous year.

Improving Transitions to Reduce Hospital Readmissions

September 7, 2011 - Patients returning to the hospital in the days after an admission present a vexing problem for hospitals, partly because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is preparing to reduce reimbursements to hospitals with the highest readmission rates. Perhaps more importantly, however, facilities are becoming increasingly aware that readmissions indicate problems for patients, and that improving transitions from acute care to other settings holds the potential to enhance patient outcomes.

AHRQ Study Links HR Practices and Healthcare Quality

August 24, 2011 - Healthcare organizations that place a strong emphasis on best practices in human resources management are likely to also experience improvements in safety and quality.

Study Identifies Hidden Labor Costs Associated with Full-time RNs

August 24, 2011 - Overtime and nonproductive hours contribute to a high cost of employing full-time registered nurses, according to a survey of 120 hospital executives by KPMG, an audit, tax and advisory services firm.

Debt-ceiling Deal Has Healthcare Providers Worried

August 11, 2011 - While the deal Congress and Pres. Obama finally struck to avoid a federal default on its loans left Medicare and Medicaid without any immediate cuts, the compromise presents risks of lower reimbursement for healthcare providers.

ICD-10: It’s Coming and Raising Revenue Fears

August 3, 2011 - At first thought, updating diagnoses and procedure billing codes seems easy enough to implement, but as providers and payers begin delving into the details, they are finding the move to ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) complex and challenging.

‘Most Connected Hospitals’ Embrace EHRs

August 1, 2011 - Many of the young patients at Children’s Medical Center Dallas were born in the era of the electronic health record, or EHR. They’ve never had a paper medical chart—and they probably never will.

Most Wired: Deploying Technology to Improve Patient Care

July 25, 2011 - Many hospitals and health systems have discovered added efficiencies and improved patient care and safety through early adoption of health information technology, according to Hospitals & Health Networks’ 2011 Most Wired Survey.

Budget Negotiations, Healthcare Reform Affecting the Future of Graduate Medical Education

July 13, 2011 - If current conditions continue, some healthcare experts predict that our nation will be facing a shortage of 90,000 physicians by 2020. An aging baby boomer population, the fact that one in three physicians is over the age of 60, and the addition of more than 30 million previously uninsured Americans entering the healthcare system as a result of the Affordable Care Act create a significant need to train more physicians, both in primary care and in specialties.

Physician Shortages in Primary Care Continue

July 13, 2011 - A growing shortage of primary care physicians has affected the United States for many years, so when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in June that it planned to recruit a team of mystery shoppers to measure access to primary care in nine states, the healthcare community’s reaction was mixed.

Physicians Less Willing to Accept Insured Patients

July 8, 2011 - It appears that uninsured patients aren’t the only ones who might encounter problems accessing healthcare. Physicians accepted fewer patients with traditional fee-for-service health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid in 2008 as compared to 2005, according to a recent study from a team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

New Study Finds: The Best Hospitals are Run by Physicians

July 6, 2011 - Top-performing hospitals are typically ones headed by an M.D. instead of a manager. That is the finding from a new US study of what makes a good hospital.

Patient-centered Care Found to Decrease Utilization

July 1, 2011 - Adults receiving patient-centered primary care sought less care from specialists, received fewer imaging and diagnostic studies, and incurred fewer medical charges during a recent one-year study by researchers at the University of California Davis.

Affordable Care Act Cuts Health Care Red Tape, Saves $12 Billion

June 30, 2011 - Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took the first steps to implement an Affordable Care Act provision that cuts red tape in the health care system and saves an estimated $12 billion over the next ten years. These savings come from improved use of electronic standards that will help eliminate inefficient manual processes and reduce costs. This is the first in a series of steps that will help reduce inefficient business processes by standardizing and improving electronic health care transactions. This will not only save health care providers and health insurance companies money, but also allow physician offices to redirect time now spent on administrative tasks to patient care. Consumers will also benefit with more complete information about their out-of-pocket costs and deductibles.

Changes in Physician Employment Practices

June 21, 2011 - Once again, hospitals are purchasing physician practices, adding doctors to the payroll, in part as a response to healthcare reform, but also to lock in expertise with looming physician shortages and to ensure a steady stream of patients in high-growth service lines.

The New Wave of EHR Incentives

June 7, 2011 - As promised, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began issuing the first incentive payments under the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program in May 2011. The incentive program provides payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

Pharmacist Interventions to Address Medication Adherence

June 6, 2011 - It seems easy enough—the patient presents with a problem, and the physician or other provider assesses the situation, orders an appropriate medication and explains to the patient how to take it. Often, a nurse will check to ensure the patient understood the instructions and reinforce the physician’s directions before the patient leaves. Then the patient should fill the script and take the drug as ordered; yet, that’s frequently not what happens.

Hospitals Finding a Place for Midlevel Healthcare Providers

May 19, 2011 - With an aging population, limitations on medical residents’ hours and physician shortages, midlevel providers are delivering care not only in the outpatient setting but also in the hospital. And the trends can be seen in both temporary and permanent employment.

Smaller Proportion of Medicare Patients Hospitalized for Heart Problems

May 13, 2011 - Heart-related problems accounted for a smaller proportion of hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries within the past ten years than did other causes for hospitalization, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke 2011 Scientific Sessions.

A Check-up on Hospitals and Meaningful Use

May 11, 2011 - Is your hospital planning to implement an electronic health records (EHR) system so it can receive reimbursement payments from the government?

Hospitals’ Adverse Event Detection Systems Found Lacking

April 29, 2011 - Is it time for hospitals to change the way they monitor adverse events?

Changes and Trends in the CEO–CNO Relationship: Highlights from a Comparative Study

April 28, 2011 - When it comes to running a hospital, the way in which members of the leadership team interact with each other can have a significant impact on organizational culture, patient care issues and overall effectiveness. And as relationships and roles change over time, so, too, can the organization.

Increase in Non-overtime RN Staffing Reduces Readmission Rates

April 27, 2011 - Higher levels of registered nurse staffing positively influences the quality of discharge teaching and leads to fewer readmissions to the hospital, according to a new study from the Marquette University College of Nursing. The study also found that if nurses are working overtime, the number of readmissions actually goes up.

New President/CEO at Scott & White Healthcare

April 15, 2011 - Robert W. Pryor, M.D., MBA, FAAP, FCCM, FCCP, begins his new role today as president and CEO of Scott & White Healthcare. He succeeds Alfred B. Knight, M.D. who has assumed a leadership role as president of the Scott & White Healthcare Foundation (Scott & White's philanthropic arm).

Improving the Patient Experience: Crucial to Success

April 13, 2011 - Today, healthcare organizations know that they must not only deliver excellent care: they must also deliver a quality patient experience.

Nurses Driving Performance Improvement Initiatives

April 13, 2011 - In today’s competitive, quality-focused environment, nurses in healthcare organizations across the country are leading performance improvement projects to boost efficiency, deliver better care and enhance patient outcomes.

The New World of Physician–Patient Electronic Communication

April 1, 2011 - “Take two aspirin and e-mail me in the morning.” Does this sound familiar, yet different? It may be time for this new twist on an old expression.

Scott and White Healthcare Breaks Ground on New College Station Hospital

March 30, 2011 - Scott & White Healthcare today broke ground for a five-story, 143-bed acute care hospital. The new Scott & White Hospital-College Station will be located at the intersection of Texas Hwy 6 and Rock Prairie Road. The property was purchased from Weingarten Realty Investors and the College Station ISD.

Profiles in Patient Safety Excellence

March 23, 2011 - C.diff, hospital-acquired bloodstream infection, post-op sepsis and other preventable medical mistakes are significant problems for the healthcare system, and progress in combating these conditions has been inconsistent. Some hospitals have made rapid progress in reducing infection rates, while others have achieved varied levels of improvement.

The Pharmacist’s Role in Patient Care

March 23, 2011 - Long-time experts on how drugs work in the body and interact with each other and foods, pharmacists are increasingly valued as members of the healthcare team—in the hospital and in the community.

The ROI of Hospital Employee Wellness Programs

March 18, 2011 - Employee wellness programs are often a major boon for hospitals.

New Resource Helps Hospitals Get Up To Speed on Safety Culture

March 16, 2011 - Hospitals working to improve the safety culture of their organization have a new Web-based resource that provides practical information on the patient safety dimensions used in AHRQ’s Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS).

Patient Safety Excellence Award™- HealthGrades Identifies Nation’s Top Hospitals for Patient Safety

March 9, 2011 - A study released HealthGrades found that patients have a 46% lower risk of experiencing a patient safety incident at a top-rated hospital compared to a poorly-rated hospital. The findings are from the annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study, which analyzed 40 million Medicare patient records, from 2007 to 2009. HealthGrades utilized the patient safety indicators published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to identify preventable medical mistakes that occurred during patients’ hospitalizations. Research your local hospitals to find Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipients now.

Landmark Jefferson Study Shows Physician's Empathy Directly Associated with Positive Clinical Outcomes in Diabetic Patients

March 9, 2011 - It has been thought that the quality of the physician-patient relationship is integral to positive outcomes but until now, data to confirm such beliefs has been hard to find. Through a landmark study, a research team from Jefferson Medical College (JMC) of Thomas Jefferson University has been able to quantify a relationship between physicians’ empathy and their patients’ positive clinical outcomes, suggesting that a physician’s empathy is an important factor associated with clinical competence. The study is available in the March 2011 issue of Academic Medicine.

Hospital Strategies to Support Accountable Care

March 2, 2011 - Aiming to improve Medicare patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary costs, the Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, includes incentives, such as encouraging creation of accountable care organizations (ACOs), to enhance quality and increase value.

The New Era of Hospital–Physician Alignment

March 2, 2011 - The first wave of hospital–physician alignments occurred in the 1990s, and they didn’t go well. Faced with the prospect of managed care and capitation, many hospitals began buying primary care practices. When capitation failed to occur, hospitals were left with physicians on the payroll and without the steady flow of patients they envisioned.

Coordination Between Emergency and Primary Care Physicians

March 2, 2011 - An examination of emergency and primary care physicians’ ability—and willingness—to communicate found that haphazard communication and poor coordination can undermine effective care, accordingto a new study conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).

Staff Care Survey Shows Growing Use of Locum Tenens

March 2, 2011 - The use of temporary physicians is rising, underlining the ongoing shortage of doctors nationwide, a new survey suggests.

America’s 50 Best Hospitals Identified by HealthGrades

February 23, 2011 - HealthGrades America's 50 Best Hospitals for 2011 were identified in a report issued today by the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. These hospitals demonstrated superior and sustained clinical quality over an eleven year time period, based on an analysis of more than 140 million Medicare patient records.

Healthcare Salary Trends: Modest Increases for Most, with More Potential for Key Executives

February 18, 2011 - Most healthcare workers will likely receive modest salary increases this year, but those with the right degree and skill set to lead organizations in the changing healthcare environment should do well.

Hospitals Struggle to Cut Costs, Maintain Care

February 9, 2011 - Recent headlines in California echo issues that are facing many hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States. Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital in Salinas eliminated 165 positions, offering buyouts to union-represented employees as part of its plan to reduce spending according to the Monterey County Herald.

New Study Links Nurse Dissatisfaction with Lower Patient Satisfaction

February 9, 2011 - Intuitively the connection between nurse satisfaction and patient satisfaction makes sense, and a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing confirms it. Researchers found a 2 percent decrease in patients willing to recommend a hospital for every 10 percent increase in nurses reporting dissatisfaction with their jobs—a finding that signals problems with quality of care.

Federal Judge In Florida Rules Health Law Unconstitutional

February 1, 2011 - With this decision, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson issued the first opinion to strike down the entire health overhaul as various legal challenges to the sweeping measure continue to wind their way to the Supreme Court.

Nurses’ Long Work Hours, Scheduling Can Increase Patient Mortality

January 27, 2011 - Not only are long work hours and lack of time off tiring for nurses, such work schedules are associated with increases in patient mortality for pneumonia and some cardiac conditions, according to a new study.

Surveys: Significant Proportions of Hospitals and Doctors Already Plan to Adopt EHRs

January 20, 2011 - Four-fifths of the nation’s hospitals, and 41 percent of office-based physicians, currently intend to take advantage of federal incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology, according to survey data released today by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The survey information was released as the registration period opened for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Top Trends in Healthcare Delivery

January 19, 2011 - Teamwork and technology will stay on the forefront as healthcare delivery evolves to implement health reform; adjust to a more sophisticated, tech-savvy consumer; streamline costs; and focus on quality of care. Here are some of the major trends that industry experts point to in 2011:

Timeline for Health Reform Implementation: 2011 and Beyond

January 19, 2011 - As 2011 unfolds, more provisions of last year’s landmark health reform legislation are scheduled to go into effect.

Shortage of Specialists Willing to Take ED Call Challenges Hospitals

January 13, 2011 - With the current shortage of physician specialists expected to grow, hospitals face the daunting challenge of ensuring they can provide the emergency care necessary to serve their communities.

CMS Hopes New Purchasing Program Will Improve Hospital Care

January 11, 2011 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule that would establish a new hospital value-based purchasing program that would reward hospitals for providing high quality, safe care for patients. Under the program, hospitals that perform well on quality measures relating both to clinical process of care and to patient experience of care, or those making improvements in their performance on those measures, would receive higher payments under the program.

Report : 20th Century Medical Education and Training Will Not Work in the 21st Century

January 3, 2011 - In a major new report, 20 professional and academic leaders call for substantial reform in the training of doctors and other healthcare professionals to equip them for the 21st century. This Lancet Commission report is written by Professor Julio Frenk, Dean of Harvard School of Public Health, and Dr. Lincoln Chen, China Medical Board, and their colleagues, including Penn Nursing Dean Afaf I. Meleis.

New Affordable Care Act Rules Shed Light on High Health Insurance Rate Hikes

December 28, 2010 - New proposed Affordable Care Act regulations announced recently by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will bring new transparency and scrutiny to proposed health insurance rate increases, HHS officials said. These proposed rules allow HHS to work with states to require insurers to publicly disclose and justify unreasonable rate increases.

ICU Telemonitoring Improves Outcomes, Saves Money

December 23, 2010 - Remote monitoring of critically ill patients decreased mortality, shortened ICU stays and improved margins at both an academic and a community hospital, according to a recent study from the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). These findings led the study authors to conclude that the technology should be implemented statewide to save more than 350 lives and $122 million annually.

Affordable Care Act Provides New Resources for Medicare Outreach Efforts

December 21, 2010 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced new requirements for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) grants to increase beneficiaries’ awareness about certain provisions in the Affordable Care Act, including new Medicare prevention and wellness benefits, fraud initiatives, including how beneficiaries can help with fraud detection and reporting, and annual election period changes for 2011.

Congress Passes “Doc Fix,” Extending Current Medicare Rates Through 2011

December 20, 2010 - The 111th Congress passed and President Obama signed the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010, which has a little something for nearly everyone in the health field, most prominently stabilizing Medicare physician payments at the current rate through 2011, but delaying a long-term solution to the sustainable growth rate formula.

Adverse Events Continue to Plague Hospitals

December 14, 2010 - While safety has become a mantra in modern hospitals, errors continue to occur, with 1 in 7 Medicare beneficiaries experiencing a serious adverse event, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

Leapfrog Names Top Hospitals of the Year, Decade

December 13, 2010 - Sixty-five acute care facilities earned Leapfrog Group’s designation as a top hospital in 2010, and the coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage founded 10 years ago to work toward improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability, named two facilities—The University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle—as “Leapfrog Top Hospitals of the Decade.”

$8 million in Affordable Care Act Funds to Help Develop and Modernize Community Health Centers

November 23, 2010 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the awarding of nearly $8 million for existing Community Health Center Cooperative Agreements. These agreements will provide additional training and technical assistance on a national, regional and state basis to community-based organizations that support community health centers. Funding for the grants is made available by the Affordable Care Act.

National Quality Forum Endorses Voluntary Consensus Standards for Hospital Care

November 19, 2010 - NQF has endorsed three measures that address the outcomes for survival predictor measures.

Health and Human Services and Department of Justice Team Up to Crack Down on Health Care Fraud

November 12, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, and Attorney General Eric Holder visited Brooklyn, New York where they participated in the third regional health care fraud prevention summit. The summits bring together a wide array of federal, state and local partners, beneficiaries, providers and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system. The summits are part of a larger effort on behalf of the Obama Administration to root-out waste, fraud, and abuse within the U.S. health care system.

Hospital-affiliated Wellness Centers on the Rise

November 10, 2010 - What if hospitals were more than just treatment centers, providing ways to help people improve their overall health and avoid getting sick in the first place? That scenario is becoming more common as hospitals and health systems across the country are operating wellness or fitness centers open to the public and their employees in order to improve health in their communities.

Merging Experience and Technology to Tackle Undiagnosed and Rare Diseases

November 10, 2010 - Would your physicians know what to do if a pediatric patient presented at your facility with brain swelling, poor digestion, poor hearing and vision, and couldn't move his arms or legs?

Press Ganey Honors Nation's Best Health Care Organizations for Quality Improvement, Patient Satisfaction

November 8, 2010 - Press Ganey Associates, Inc. has announced its elite class of 2010 award-winning health care organizations, including recipients of the first-ever Success Story Awards for clinical achievement, as well as the prestigious Press Ganey Summit Award.

Harvard Medical School Launches Center for Primary Care

November 5, 2010 - Harvard Medical School announces the launch of a new Center for Primary Care, a center of excellence geared toward transforming primary care education, research and delivery systems.

HHS Announces the Availability of Up to $335 Million to Boost Access to Primary Health Care

November 5, 2010 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $335 million for existing community health centers across the country under the Expanded Services (ES) initiative. These funds are made possible by the Affordable Care Act and will increase access to preventive and primary health care, including dental health, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, and/or enabling services, at existing health center sites.

HHS Announces New Competitive “Early Innovator” Grants for States that Lead the Race to Develop IT Systems for State Exchanges

November 1, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced competitive funding opportunities for States to design and implement the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure needed to operate Health Insurance Exchanges. The Exchanges represent new competitive insurance marketplaces that will help Americans and small businesses purchase affordable private health insurance starting in 2014 and a strong IT infrastructure will be critical to their success. For the first time, funding will be directed to States that are willing and able to lead the race to develop IT systems. These systems can then be used as models by all States in their efforts to establish Exchanges.

NACHC Report Focuses on Training and Recruitment at Community Health Centers

October 28, 2010 - Though the primary care workforce may be shrinking as demand for care increases, Community Health Centers are participating in a variety of health professions training (HPT) programs to help counter the trend. A new NACHC report, “How Health Centers Train Tomorrow’s Physicians Today,” provides a snap shot of that effort, with four case studies of pioneering health centers: Family Health Center of Worcester in Worcester, Massachusetts; Heart of Texas Community Health Center in Waco, Texas; La Familia Medical Center in Sante Fe, New Mexico; and Community Health of Central Washington in Yakima, Washington.

Five Best Practices for Improving Hospitals’ Financial Health

October 22, 2010 - Hospitals, like businesses, must maintain a positive revenue stream, although their reasons for doing so may differ. And as they strive to improve the bottom line, they must not adversely affect quality of care.

Balancing Profits with Quality Healthcare: Can It Be Done?

October 22, 2010 - The healthcare system in the United States may be the reason that life expectancy gains of American citizens are lagging behind those of people in other countries, according to a study recently published online in Health Affairs.

Professional Liability Costs for Hospitals and Physicians Continue to Rise, Outpacing Inflation

October 18, 2010 - Hospitals and physicians should prepare for increasing liability costs, according to the 2010 Hospital Professional Liability and Physician Liability Benchmark Analysis created by Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management business of Aon Corporation (NYSE: AON), in conjunction with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management.

Annual Report Card Shows Improvements in Hospitals’ Quality of Care

October 18, 2010 - It seems that every institution from academia to industry is paying more attention to improvement measures these days, and healthcare facilities are no exception. So how are we doing when it comes to patient care? It appears that performance is improving in several areas.

HHS Announces a Major New Investment in Community Health Centers

October 11, 2010 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced awards of $727 million to 143 community health centers across the country to address pressing construction and renovation needs and expand access to quality health care. The funds are the first in a series of awards that will be made available to community health centers under the Affordable Care Act.

More Accountable Care Organizations on the Horizon

October 7, 2010 - Health reform not only promises to provide more citizens with access to care and insurance coverage, it also aims to offer incentives to enhance quality of care, in part through accountable care organizations (ACO) that agree to be responsible for the quality, cost and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries.

Vanderbilt’s Peter Buerhaus Selected to Chair National Health Care Workforce Commission

October 6, 2010 - Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N., has been named chair of the National Health Care Workforce Commission, a 15-member panel comprised of distinguished leaders from academia and the health care industry created under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

HHS Awards $320 Million to Expand Primary Care Workforce

October 4, 2010 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $320 million in grants under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to strengthen the health care workforce. Of those grants, $253 million will go to improve and expand the primary care workforce under the Prevention and Public Health Fund of the Affordable Care Act. Another $67 million in Health Profession Opportunity Grants will provide low-income individuals with education, training and supportive services that will help them prepare to enter and advance in careers in the healthcare sector.

The Dangerous Practice Of Boarding Admitted Patients In The ER, Proposed Solutions Are The Focus As Emergency Physicians Meet In Las Vegas

September 30, 2010 - The risks associated with boarding admitted patients in the emergency department – including patient mortality – as well as proposed solutions will be key themes of Scientific Assembly, the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Aging Nurses: Keeping Them Effective and Engaged

September 28, 2010 - America is aging and so are the clinicians who care for the ill and the injured. Hospitals across the country are changing benefit packages, schedules and the physical environment to keep these experienced caregivers part of the clinical team in their efforts to improve patient outcomes.

What Healthcare Administrators Need to Succeed

September 29, 2010 - There are many challenges facing hospital leaders today. Among them are the impending changes from healthcare reform, competition from other healthcare providers, a growing shortage of qualified clinicians, the ever-changing state of information technology, and the need to ensure a positive return on investment despite tighter-then-ever financial constraints.

Health Law's 8 New Changes To Insurance -- With 7 Caveats

Sep 24, 2010 - If you've tuned out the health care law you might want to tune back in.

Telehealth Successes in Patient Health Management

September 16, 2010 - The country’s aging population is living longer with chronic conditions, thus straining a healthcare system facing nurse and physician shortages. Many home care providers and health plans are turning to home electronic monitoring to achieve better patient outcomes.

CMS Releases National Health Spending Predictions

September 10, 2010 - National health expenditures will likely grow at a slightly higher annual rate than previously expected -- 6.3 percent vs. the prior projection of 6.1 percent over the next decade -- according to a report released September 9, 2010, from the Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in Baltimore.

Nurse Staffing Bills Could Change Decision-making Roles

September 9, 2010 - How many nurses does your facility plan for in each unit? The answer to that question may soon be decided by the nurses themselves, at least in part. A new bill before Congress would involve direct care nurses in making more of the staffing decisions in their hospitals if it becomes law.

Working Conditions Similar at Magnet and Non-Magnet Hospitals

September 3, 2010 - American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Magnet Recognition recognizes healthcare organizations providing nursing excellence, but that does not necessarily mean better working conditions for nurses, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore.

Study Finds Growing Need for Anesthesia Providers

August 30, 2010 - A recent study from the RAND Corporation, one of the country’s most trusted analytic organizations, finds a current shortage of 3,800 anesthesiologists and 1,282 nurse anesthetists. However, if current trends continue, a dramatic shortage of anesthesiologists and a significant surplus of nurse anesthetists are projected by 2020.

CDC Launches Drug Resistance Web site

August 27, 2010 - The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched an enhanced Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Resistance web portal: www.cdc.gov/drugresistance. The new website provides an entry point for all antimicrobial resistance activities for the agency.

Secretary Sebelius Announces $32 Million to Support Rural Health Priorities

August 26, 2010 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today more than $32 million in FY 2010 funds to increase access to health care for Americans living in rural areas. The funds reach across seven programs administered by the Office of Rural Health Policy in HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

People First: Help Your Clinical Staff Make Technology Implementations a Success

August 16, 2010 - From bedside blood testing and physician call routing to barcode medication systems and electronic medical records, technology is changing healthcare delivery — and it will continue to do so as providers and hospitals strive to improve quality and safety. But how can healthcare facilities ensure that all staff members use these high-tech devices and systems properly?

Meeting the Goals of ‘Meaningful Use’

August 13, 2010 - In what may sound like an oxymoron, the world’s most advanced healthcare system still relies to a large extent on paper recordkeeping, despite the acknowledged safety and cost benefits associated with electronic health records (EHR). The federal government aims to change that with as much as $27 billion in incentives available to providers to implement and meaningfully use health information technology that achieves specified objectives.

Accelerating Electronic Health Records Adoption and Meaningful Use

August 12, 2010 - The following joint statement, by the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Principal Deputy Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, was issued recently at a forum, “Accelerating Electronic Health Records Adoption and Meaningful Use.” The forum was sponsored by the Health Industry Forum at Brandeis University and Health Affairs:

AHA Elects New Trustees

August 9, 2010 - The American Hospital Association (AHA) has elected eight new members, including a nurse, to its Board of Trustees for terms beginning January 1, 2011. The Board of Trustees is the policy-making body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its direction and finances.

Disparities Still Exist for Patients, Says American College of Physicians

August 6, 2010 - Racial and ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system, the American College of Physicians (ACP) said in an updated paper released recently. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Updated 2010, an update to a policy paper that was originally released in 2003, outlines recommendations on how to close the gap between racial and ethnic minority patients and their white counterparts.

Medicine by the Numbers: How Patient Data Can Put 'Family' Back in Family Practice

August 6, 2010 - Arriving late, missing appointments, pushing to see another doctor – these all seem like things that patients do. Unfortunately, as the pool of family practice physicians continues to shrink and the volume of patients continues to grow, it’s physicians who are finding it harder to keep appointments and easier to bump patients to another day or another doctor.

Best Practices Behind the Nation’s ‘Best Hospitals’

July 30, 2010 - While there has been some debate about how much reputation impacts the rankings of the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals list, facilities still consider it an honor to be recognized. It doesn’t hurt the public’s perception, either. But the most important lessons for healthcare facilities may be the best practices that the top medical centers have adopted that helped them achieve this kind of recognition in the first place.

‘Most Wired’ Hospitals Plan for the Future and Meaningful Use

July 30, 2010 - How wired—or wireless—is your hospital?

HHS Awards $9 Million to Train Preventive Medicine Physicians

July 27, 2010 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced 15 awards totaling $9 million to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs at accredited schools of public health, schools of medicine, and hospitals. Of these funds, nearly $6.7 million is part of the $200 million appropriated to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address the nation’s health care workforce shortages.

AHA Supports CMS Telemedicine Proposed Changes and Requests Additions

July 26, 2010 - The American Hospital Association recently expressed support for proposed changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Conditions of Participation for the credentialing and privileging of telemedicine practitioners.

CPI Leads to Lower Costs and Better Patient Care

July 23, 2010 - Industry leaders recognize the country must address the ever-increasing cost of health care -- pegged at about 17 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product in 2009 -- and a few facilities have adopted continuous process improvement (CPI) initiatives to wring waste from their processes while boosting quality of care and patient outcomes.

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Names Dr. Scott Campbell as New Executive Director and CEO

July 20, 2010 - The Board of Directors of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), after an extensive search, has named Dr. Scott Campbell as its new executive director and chief executive officer.

Can an Apology Ease the Pain? When Hospitals Make Mistakes

July 16, 2010 - There is a large and growing body of research that shows that many injuries and deaths are attributable to avoidable medical errors with diagnostic error being the most frequently cited reason for malpractice lawsuits.

Patients Who E-mail Their Doctors are Healthier

July 15, 2010 - Secure patient-physician e-mail messaging improves the effectiveness of care for patients with diabetes and hypertension, according to new research by Kaiser Permanente. The study, published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that health information technology improves quality of care scores.

HHS Provides $390.5 million to Improve Hospital Preparedness and Emergency Response

July 12, 2010 - States, territories, and large metropolitan areas will receive grants totaling $390.5 million this month to help hospitals and other health care organizations strengthen the medical surge capability across the nation.

Reducing the ‘July Effect’: Helping New Physicians Avoid Errors

July 7, 2010 - You may have heard the joke about how no one wants to wind up in the hospital in July, the month when new interns and residents start their jobs. But is it really less safe to be a patient in July than at other times during the year as a result?

President Obama Announces Recess Appointments to Key Administration Positions

July 7, 2010 - President Obama announced today the recess appointment of three nominees to fill critical administration posts that have been left vacant.

CPOE Systems Fail to Detect Half of Simulated Medication Errors

July 7, 2010 - Technology creates opportunities to improve patient safety, but clinicians must not come to totally rely on it, as evidenced by a recent Leapfrog Group study that found computerized provider order entry systems failed to alert prescribers to more than half of the common medical errors entered.

Five Ethical Challenges in Healthcare

July 2, 2010 - Providing good patient care and avoiding harm are the cornerstones of ethical practice. Healthcare workers want to do the right thing, but it isn’t always clear how they should proceed. Every situation is somewhat different, and ethical dilemmas can arise even when a hospital has policies in place to address them.

Hospitals Feel Lingering Effects of Recession

July 2, 2010 - Although the U.S. economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, hospitals continue to be adversely impacted by the lingering effects of the economic recession, according to new data from the American Hospital Association (AHA). That’s why the AHA is urging Congress to extend important Medicaid funding to ensure that the nation’s most vulnerable patients continue to receive the health care that they need.

The Season of Hospital Employees’ Discontentment and Disconnection

June 22, 2010 - Hospitals must improve relationships with their employees if they expect to provide high-quality, patient-centered care, according to a new report from Press Ganey Associates.

Medicare Physician Payment Cuts Could Cost Millions More In Reprocessing

Jun 22, 2010 - Politico reports that the fight over a "doc fix" — fixing the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors — is "straining not just doctors but also House-Senate relations" and could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. "Having waited for weeks in hopes of a stay, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, is now enforcing a 21 percent cut in physician payments, and an estimated 50 million claims, held back since June 1, will be the first affected."

Responding to the Sentinel Event Alert on Hospital Violence

June 16, 2010 - Concerned about a significant increase in reports of assault, rape and homicide of patients and visitors in healthcare institutions, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert on June 3, 2010, calling attention to the problem and recommending 13 actions facilities should take to decrease the risk of violence within their walls.

Risk Management and Clinical Personnel: Collaboration is Key to Reducing Errors

June 16, 2010 - No one wants to make a mistake, especially not a high-stakes error that could harm another person and incur huge financial consequences, too.

Sebelius Announces New $250 Million Investment to Strengthen Primary Health Care Workforce

June 16, 2010 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a series of new investments worth $250 million to increase the number of health care providers and strengthen the primary care workforce. The new investments were made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Sebelius was joined for the announcement by U.S. Representative Lois Capps, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Dr. Mary Wakefield, and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard K. Koh.

Michigan Researchers: Recession May Be Compromising Hospital Quality

June 14, 2010 - During past recessions, the financial stability of hospitals seemed to be nearly indestructible. But researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and St. Joseph Mercy Health System say the current national economic crisis may be an exception.

MHA Recognizes USNS Comfort as Honorary Member

June 9, 2010 - The Baltimore-based United States Naval Ship Comfort was awarded honorary membership in the Maryland Hospital Association at the Association’s Annual Membership Meeting.

OpenNotes Study Launches With More Than 100 Physicians, 25,000 Patients

June 7, 2010 - With patients across the country voicing a growing desire for greater engagement in and control over their medical care, a new study involving patients in Boston, Pennsylvania and Seattle will examine the impact of adding a new layer of openness to a traditionally one-sided element of the doctor-patient relationship—the notes that doctors record during and after patients’ visits.

Legislative Update: Healthcare Issues Affected by the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010

June 3, 2010 - Changing U.S. laws often turns into a messy and convoluted process, with amendments and back-and-forth tussles between the two legislative chambers. The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 – addressing a number of topics from job creation and unemployment benefits to healthcare-specific issues – serves as a current example of the country’s struggle for long-term solutions to pressing problems.

How Hospitals are Juggling Insurance Payors and Costs

May 26, 2010 - Healthcare is a complex business and facilities are feeling the strain these days of tight reimbursement and challenging payor rules. Some of the largest players are in duress. St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan in New York recently closed, citing financial constraints. Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta has struggled for a while, although recently indicating they were now turning a profit, and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami remains at risk, with the facility saying it is “in the midst of a financial crisis.”

A Different Kind of House Call: Physicians Find a Way to Help During Nashville Floods

May 26, 2010 - Over the course of two days in early May, most of the state of Tennessee recorded record amounts of rainfall. In Nashville, nearly 16 inches of rain fell on May 1 and May 2. As the rain fell, the rivers and creeks rose and spilled over their banks, flooding countless homes and businesses. In some areas, entire neighborhoods were underwater, with only their rooftops peeking out over the muddy water. Even downtown Nashville was flooded.

Research Study Shows How Hospitals Can Reduce Energy Use

May 20, 2010 - A new study presented at the CleanMed conference in Baltimore last week shows how hospitals, which account for four percent of all energy consumed in the U.S., can achieve a 60 percent reduction in energy utility use by redesigning the way they use energy. A newly constructed, code-compliant hospital can expect to save around $730,000 a year, according to the report.

HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces $1 Billion in NIH Recovery Act Awards to Construct or Improve Biomedical Research Facilities

May 18, 2010 - U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced one billion dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been awarded to construct, repair and renovate scientific research laboratories and related facilities across the country. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) administered the grants, which are expected to create or sustain jobs nationwide and to help foster scientific advances that may lead to improved human health.

9 Percent of all Internists Originally Certified Between 1990 and 1995 are No Longer Working in General Internal Medicine

May 11, 2010 - A survey conducted by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) found that 9 percent of all internists originally certified between 1990 and 1995, including a significantly larger proportion of general internists (17 percent) than internal medicine subspecialists (4 percent), are no longer working in general internal medicine or one of its subspecialties about a decade after their original certification by ABIM.

Studies: When Doctors Take More Responsibility, Care Becomes Cheaper And Better

May 5, 2010 - Some health policy experts and clinicians have long maintained that, in the effort to reduce health care costs and improve patient outcomes, there's no place like (a medical) home.

The Path to Integrated Healthcare

May 5, 2010 - Old ways may die hard, but times are changing in healthcare as the emphasis on patient safety continues and the federal government encourages collaboration among physicians, nurses and other care providers with financial incentives and other initiatives.

Leaders Offer Practical Solutions for Improving Communication Between Doctors and Nurses

May 5, 2010 - Communication failure is the most frequently identified root cause of all types of medical errors, according to an Institute of Medicine report entitled Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses. When a hospital or other medical care team sets a goal to improve patient safety, improving communication must be a top priority in order to meet that goal.

Beacon Communities Lead the Charge to Improve Health Outcomes

May 5, 2010 - Healthcare professionals appreciate opportunities to learn from innovative colleagues and communities – to see what really works, to get “boots-on-the-ground” perspectives, to learn best practices, and to use the experience of other leaders to inform how to improve performance more broadly.

Could Canadian Healthcare Cuts Drive More Clinicians to the U.S.?

May 3, 2010 - Rising healthcare costs and falling budgets aren’t just issues being felt by hospitals, doctors and nurses in the United States. Canadian provinces, which provide medical care to all citizens through a national health insurance program, are struggling with similar economic constraints. And the situation is beginning to affect nurses especially.

National Hospital Week is May 9-15

April 28, 2010 - The American Hospital Association notes that the celebration of National Hospital Week began in 1921 when a magazine editor suggested that more information about hospitals might alleviate public fears about the "shrouded" institutions of the day. From that beginning, Hospital Week expanded to facilities across the nation. Today, National Hospital Week is the largest health care event that celebrates hospitals' history, technology and dedicated health care professionals.

Emergency Rooms Brace for Changes from H.R. 3590

April 22, 2010 - The passage of H.R. 3590 – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – was widely viewed as good news for millions of uninsured Americans.

Standards of Excellence, Dedication to Patients Identify Top Facilities

April 14, 2010 - Health care consumers are becoming increasingly educated about care choices available to them and, as a result, no longer leave their facility choices to chance. To help them make informed decisions when selecting a hospital, consumers often turn to lists of rankings based on independent evaluations, such as the Thomson Reuters list of 100 Top Hospitals, published in March 2010.

How New Reimbursement Rules for Adverse Events are Changing Patient Care

April 14, 2010 - Hospital-acquired conditions can be quite costly, especially since the federal reimbursement and reporting rules starting changing in October 2008, causing facilities to carry the main financial burden for their mistakes.

Health Courts: A Chance for Justice for All?

April 1, 2010 - With close to half of a million words covering more than 2,000 pages, it might have been easy to miss the 109 words buried on page 1,859 of the new health care reform bill. Just one paragraph deep, the section is entitled “Sense of the Senate Regarding Malpractice.”

Thomson Reuters Announces 100 Top Hospitals Award Winners

March 29, 2010 - Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance.

Reducing Medical Errors: Five Low-Cost, High-Impact Initiatives

March 24, 2010 - Ever since the Institute of Medicine estimated more than a decade ago that errors contributed to as many as 98,000 annual deaths, hospitals have been trying to figure out ways to make their facilities and the care they provide safer. At the same time, new guidelines and regulations have begun to change the way caregivers do their jobs.

Frequent Incidents, Severe Risks: Priorities for Keeping Healthcare Workers Safe

March 24, 2010 - “Healthcare workers are exposed to a broad spectrum of risk: chemical, physical, work organization, violence and stress,” stated Bruce Bernard, M.D., MPH, chief medical officer for the health hazards program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Additionally, as the population as a whole ages, healthcare workers are also older than they used to be. Ten years ago the average age of a nurse was 41, now it is more like 49 to 50. So workplace risks are heightened by the risks that come with aging.”

AMN Healthcare Partners with the Clinton Health Access Initiative to Recruit Volunteer Pharmacy Mentor for Haiti Post

March 23, 2010 - AMN Healthcare, the nation's leading provider of comprehensive healthcare staffing and management services, is partnering with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to recruit a volunteer pharmacy mentor to work in Port au Prince, Haiti.

Senate Postpones Cuts in Medicare Payments--Again

March 11, 2010 - On Wednesday, March 10, the U.S. Senate voted 62-36 to approve a $138 billion jobs bill that would temporarily avert a 21.2 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians, while extending federal Medicaid assistance and COBRA premium subsidies. The House approved its own $154 billion jobs bill in December 2009. One day before the Senate vote, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Sander Levin said the House might require a conference committee with the Senate to reconcile the chambers' bills.

New Lucian Leape Institute Report Finds that U.S. Medical Schools Fall Short in Teaching Docs How to Provide Safe Patient Care

March 11, 2010 - The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation released today a report that finds that U.S. "medical schools are not doing an adequate job of facilitating student understanding of basic knowledge and the development of skills required for the provision of safe patient care." The report comes approximately 10 years after the Institute of Medicine's landmark 1999 report "To Err Is Human," which found that 98,000 Americans die unnecessarily from preventable medical errors. "Despite concerted efforts by many conscientious health care organizations and health professionals to improve and implement safer practices, health care remains fundamentally unsafe," said Lucian L. Leape, MD, Chair of the Institute and a widely renowned leader in patient safety. "The result is that patient safety still remains one of the nation's most solvable public health challenges."

AHA Seeks Modification from IRS on Community Benefit Reporting

March 9, 2010 - On March 5, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to improve the new hospital community benefit reporting form – Schedule H to Form 990 – to better reflect the benefits nonprofit hospitals provide to their communities. The AHA cited new research that examines how the new form does not fully recognize the community benefit of nonprofit multi-hospital systems.

Numbers Of Uninsured On Rise in Nation's Public Hospitals

March 8, 2010 - Since the beginning of the economic recession, safety net health systems have treated more patients overall, including 23 percent more uninsured patients. These health systems have also provided 10 percent more uncompensated care to low-income populations. The increase in uncompensated care costs average more than $2.3 million per hospital with some hospitals incurring more than $16 million in additional costs, according to survey results released today by the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH).

Let’s Talk! The 2010 Campaign for Patient Safety

March 3, 2010 - While patient safety is top priority in the day-to-day routines of healthcare workers, Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) gives medical staff and patients alike an opportunity to refine skills, learn something new and celebrate achievements and advances in patient safety. Sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), hospitals and healthcare organizations across the United States are encouraged to participate in this annual event, March 7-13, 2010.

Key Solutions for Decreasing Hospital Readmissions

March 3, 2010 - Nearly one-fifth of Medicare patients, equaling 2.4 million older adults, are rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge from an acute-care facility. Ninety percent of those readmissions are for acute, potentially-preventable problems, and end up costing the health care system billions of dollars.

Patient Thefts Cost Hospitals $52 Million Annually

Feb. 19, 2010 - These tight economic times have put a lot of pressure on hospitals to cut costs. Key priorities include eliminating wasteful spending and improper use of assets, which saves money without negatively impacting patient care. One way to do this, it appears, is to stop patients from walking off with millions of dollars’ worth of supplies every year.

FDA Unveils Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging

Feb. 19, 2010 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from three types of medical imaging procedures: computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine studies, and fluoroscopy. These procedures are the greatest contributors to total radiation exposure within the U.S. population and use much higher radiation doses than other radiographic procedures, such as standard X-rays, dental X-rays, and mammography.

Hospitals Turning to Lean Six Sigma for Performance Improvement

Feb. 12, 2010 - In these tough economic times, more and more hospitals are turning to industry-proven Lean Six Sigma business management strategies to enhance their performance improvement efforts and reduce costs. A recent American Society for Quality (ASQ) study was the first to evaluate the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in 77 hospitals across the country and found that 53 percent of hospitals reported some level of lean deployment, while 42 percent reported some use of Six Sigma. Read More

A Meeting of the Minds on Scope of Practice

Feb. 2, 2010 - As the debate over clinicians’ scope of practice continues, it is increasingly clear that some type of “meeting of the minds” is needed between physicians and non-physicians for the good of the patient. Both want the same thing, but accomplishing what is best for the patient is often mired in the logistics of state law as to who should or should not provide care.

Healthcare Reform: Now What?

Jan. 28, 2010 - When Massachusetts voters elected Scott Brown to fill the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy’s Senate seat last week, it was big news. Not only would a Republican hold a seat that had been a Democratic stronghold for decades, but Brown’s election would remove the supermajority hold on the Senate that the Democrats had enjoyed since the 2008 election.

The Outlook for Healthcare’s Workforce

Jan. 20, 2010 - It goes without saying that you can't provide healthcare or run a hospital or clinic without staff. And yet, experts predict that shortages of healthcare personnel will continue and perhaps even worsen over the next few years.

PAHO: Haiti Relief Efforts Continue to Face Major Obstacles

Jan. 19, 2010 - Six days after the earthquake in Haiti, relief efforts are overcoming some initial communication and logistics problems, but "we are not satisfied with our ability to get health services to those who urgently need them," said the Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Dr. Jon Andrus. "We are aiming for an A+, but we are not there."

New Online Flu Forum Allows Facilities to Share Tactics

Jan. 14, 2010 - A new online discussion forum on the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu is encouraging healthcare facilities to freely exchange information about innovative solutions.

CDC: Four in 10 Office-based Physicians Use EHRs

Jan. 13, 2010 - Nearly 44% of office-based physicians used electronic health records in 2009, according to preliminary estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up from about 42% in 2008 and 35% in 2007.

Healthcare Stimulus Funds: Where Has All the Money Gone?

Jan. 8, 2010 - When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) last February, $787 billion was allocated to jumpstart the economy, create new jobs and improve accountability in government spending.

CMS and ONC Issue Regulations Proposing a Definition of Meaningful Use and Setting Standards for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program

Jan. 4, 2010 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourage public comment on two regulations issued today that lay a foundation for improving quality, efficiency and safety through meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The regulations will help implement the EHR incentive programs enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

IHI Leader Urges New Goals for Health Reform

Dec. 15, 2009 - Kicking off the 21st annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Orlando, Florida, Donald M. Berwick, M.D., MPP, president and CEO of the organization, urged policymakers to create a new system of care that's sustainable.

Understanding the Economic Impact of a Pandemic

Dec. 11, 2009 - Although studies of the economic consequences of a potential worldwide flu pandemic have already been conducted due to prior threats of avian flu (H5N1) and SARS, investigators and economists are now stepping up their research and projections in light of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

Leapfrog Goup Announces its 2009 Top Hospitals

Dec. 7, 2009 - While Congress debates whether health care reform would control health care costs, employer purchasers point to 45 hospitals that lead through example-delivering the best quality care in the nation while attaining the highest levels of efficiency. Thirty-four urban, eight children's and three rural hospitals have been named 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospitals, based on results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

Doctors Provide the Right Prescription for Quality Improvement

Dec. 2, 2009 - Escalating healthcare costs and chronic disease prevalence have brought quality improvement (QI) initiatives among healthcare providers to the forefront as never before. Hospitals are increasingly focusing on quality issues in order to stay competitive and provide optimal patient care. Although there are many approaches that can be used to address QI, several forward-thinking hospitals have found that physician engagement is a key factor in determining whether their efforts will succeed.

Clinicians Inspired to Launch Free Clinics for Uninsured

Dec. 2, 2009 - The thought of caring for more than 46 million uninsured Americans may seem overwhelming, but nurses, physicians and other clinicians across the country are tackling the problem head on, one patient at a time, by founding clinics and programs where the uninsured and underinsured can receive quality care.

Infection-Control Strategies at Leading Hospital Can be Adapted for Everyday Use

Nov. 30, 2009 - With cold and flu season upon us, it's more important than ever to employ good practices to control the spread of infections and avoid illness.

NIH Teams Up With The Lancet and Leading International Organizations to Address Public Health Impacts of Climate Change

Nov. 30, 2009 - Strategies to reduce greenhouse gases also benefit human health, according to studies published in the medical journal The Lancet. The Lancet series highlights case studies on four climate change topics -- household energy, transportation, electricity generation, and agricultural food production.

Clinical Research Training Offered by the NIH Clinical Center has Record Enrollment

Nov. 30, 2009 - Educational courses offered annually by the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center have record enrollments for the 2009-2010 term.

'Better Ways to Pay for Health Care' Recommended by National Health Care Quality Coalition

Nov. 24, 2009 - As Congress and the Obama Administration search for ways to reform health care, a new report demonstrates that rationing and price controls are not the only ways to control health care costs. Better Ways to Pay for Health Care: A Primer on Healthcare Payment Reform provides an easy-to-understand explanation of the problems with current health care payment systems, and describes alternative payment systems that will address these problems.

New Report Details Impact of Economic Downturn on Patients and Hospitals

Nov. 19, 2009 - With our nation's economic troubles, fewer patients are seeking hospital care while at the same time a growing proportion of patients need help paying for care, according to new report from the American Hospital Association (AHA). The report also noted that hospitals, which employ 5 million people nationwide, could be facing uncertain times as their financial health falters and ability to borrow funds for improving facilities and updating technology is squeezed.

PSR Releases Groundbreaking Report on the Human Health Effects of Coal

Nov. 19, 2009 - Physicians for Social Responisbility (PSR) released a report, Coal’s Assault on Human Health, that provides a new assessment of the human health effects of coal-burning power plants.

How New Standards For Tougher Error Rate Were Applied In This Years 2009 Improper Payments Report

Nov. 18, 2009 - For 2009, CMS improved how it reviews Medicare claims for inpatient hospital services and eliminated the use of past billing records as part of a complex medical review. As a result of this heightened scrutiny and more complete accounting of Medicare FFS claims, CMS is reporting a 2009 FFS error rate of 7.8 percent, or $24.1 billion, compared to 3.6 percent in 2008. In addition, for 2009:

Thomson Reuters Announces 100 Top Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care

Nov. 16, 2009 - Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the 100 U.S. hospitals that set the nation's benchmarks for inpatient cardiovascular care.

NIDA Launches New Substance Abuse Resources to Help Fill Gaps in Medical Education

Nov. 16, 2009 - The rigors of medical training sharpen a doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat a wide variety of human afflictions. However, drug abuse and addiction are often insufficiently covered in medical school curricula, despite the fact that drug use affects a wide range of health conditions and drug abuse and addiction are themselves major public health issues.

U.S. Healthcare Efficiency Index(TM) Launches Primary Data Collection to Measure Current State of Electronic Adoption and Potential Cost Savings

Nov. 13, 2009 - The Advisory Council for the U.S. Healthcare Efficiency Index(TM) (Index), founded by Emdeon (NYSE: EM) , today announced the launch of the National Data Collection Center for the primary research phase of the Index and the addition of new members.

Payment Reform, New Delivery Models to Affect Nursing Workforce

Nov. 12, 2009 - As health reform winds its way through Congress, much of the attention has focused on a public option for insurance coverage and end-of-life counseling, but other changes may present opportunities for nurses.

Health Insurers Pursue Growth Potential of Individual Market

Nov. 11, 2009 - Insurers are pursuing strategies to tap the growth potential of the individual health insurance market, including entering less-regulated markets and developing lower-cost, less-comprehensive products targeting younger, healthy consumers, according to a study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

Hospitals That Care for Poor Patients Face Digital Divide Without Federal Help

Nov. 6, 2009 - Hospitals that serve a disproportionately large share of poor patients are lagging behind other hospitals in adopting electronic health records (EHR), leading to a digital divide that could exacerbate health care disparities, researchers report today in the Web exclusive edition of the journal Health Affairs.

The Growth of Family-Centered Care

Nov. 4, 2009 - More and more facilities are discovering family-centered care appeals to health consumers and can improve outcomes.

Secrets of the Top 10 Health Systems for Quality, Efficiency

Nov. 4, 2009 - There are hundreds of excellent health systems in the United States, but a select few have demonstrated a superior ability to provide high quality health care in a highly efficient manner, according to recent research.

Are You Ready to Respond to a Public Health Crisis?

Nov. 2, 2009 - Most health care facilities have a disaster plan on file, and may even conduct practice drills from time to time. But is yours ready for a large-scale public health crisis?

HHS Awards $17 Million in a New National Initiative to Fight Health Care-Associated Infections

Oct. 28, 2009 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the award of $17 million to fund projects to fight costly and dangerous health care-associated infections, or HAIs.

Waste in the U.S. Healthcare System Pegged at $700 Billion in Report from Thomson Reuters

Oct. 26, 2009 - The U.S. healthcare system wastes between $600 billion and $850 billion annually, according to a white paper published by Thomson Reuters.

Health Bills In Congress Will Not Fix Doctor Shortage

Oct. 23, 2009 - Even as Congress moves to expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans, it's doing little to ensure there will be enough primary care doctors to meet the expected surge in demand for treatment, experts say.

The New Era of Professional Healthcare Interpreters

Oct. 23, 2009 - Medical explanations and care instructions can be difficult enough for patients who use English as their native language; for those with limited language proficiency, the chance for misunderstanding between caregiver and patient becomes much greater ― as does the chance for potentially serious errors.

HHS Recognizes Hospitals with Highest Organ Donation Rates

Oct. 15, 2009 - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently presented awards to 428 of the nation’s hospitals for their success in increasing the number of organs available for transplantation.

Social Media in Healthcare: The Brave New World

Oct. 14, 2009 - Twitter tweets, Facebook walls and YouTube videos – they’re not just for socializing anymore.

CDC: Flu Activity Unusually High for Early October

Oct. 14, 2009 - Thirty-seven states are reporting widespread flu activity, much more than usual for this time of year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported.

Addressing Physician Stress, Medical Errors and the Aftermath

Oct. 14, 2009 - Doctors typically don’t ask for sympathy or extra emotional support, but for their own sake and the sake of their patients, maybe they should.

New Online Tool Focuses On Improving Influenza Immunization Rates For Health Professionals

Oct. 13, 2009 - Recognizing that influenza infection in health care workers can lead to outbreaks with serious consequences for patients, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has launched an initiative for pharmacists to improve influenza immunization rates among healthcare workers.

Medical Devices: How Do You Know They Are Safe?

Oct. 9 , 2009 - Today’s medical devices are extremely diverse - ranging from simple tongue depressors, glucose monitoring devices and personal protective equipment to programmable pacemakers with micro-chip technology, in vitro diagnostic scopes, and x-ray machines. But regardless of their complexity or function, hospital administrators, clinicians and their patients must trust in the manufacturers to produce safe, effective products.

Study: Surgical Masks Nearly as Effective as N95 Respirators Against Flu

Oct. 8, 2009 - Surgical masks appear to be nearly as effective as N95 respirators at preventing flu in health care workers performing routine care, according to a study published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

New Report Finds Hospital Beds Could Run Out in 15 States if 35 Percent of Americans Get H1N1

Oct. 2, 2009 – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released a new report that finds 15 states could run out of available hospital beds during the peak of the outbreak, if 35 percent of Americans were to get sick from the H1N1 flu virus.

Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Could Increase More Than 35 Percent in Every State by 2019

Oct. 2, 2009 - As policymakers continue to debate comprehensive reform of the nation’s health care system, a new report commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) projects that if federal reform efforts are not enacted, the cost of failure would be substantial.

AHA Endorsement Paves the Way for Streamlined Patient Smart Cards

Oct. 1, 2009 - Your patients may be carrying their medical records on a credit card-sized device sooner than you think — especially if the American Hospital Administration has anything to say about it.

FDA: Institute of Medicine to Study Premarket Clearance Process for Medical Devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it has commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the premarket notification program used to review and clear certain medical devices marketed in the United States.

New Issue Brief Highlights Key Findings on SCHIP

Sept. 28, 2009 - In 1999, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) formed a unique public/private partnership to create the Child Health Insurance Research Initiative (CHIRI™).

Primary Care Workforce Takes Center Stage in Healthcare Reform

While debates about the country’s healthcare system continued across town, a number of key stakeholders in primary care convened at a recent workforce summit in the nation’s capital, presenting their ideas for healthcare reform in rural and urban America.

Patient Safety Goals: New Lists Highlight Widespread Problems

Health insurance reform has been on the forefront of everyone’s minds recently, but the core issue of patient safety is still paramount in the minds of many who are concerned about the future of healthcare in the United States.

H1N1: What Healthcare Workers Need to Know Now

It seems that H1N1, often called the swine flu, is constantly being mentioned in the news – so much so that it is easy to lose site of the big picture. What, then, are the most important things that healthcare workers need to know?

ANA Launches New Web Site to Broaden Support for Safe Patient Handling Goals

As part of its long-standing effort to increase awareness about the need to eliminate manual patient handling by registered nurses working in health care facilities, the American Nurses Association (ANA) launched a new Web site today to promote grassroots support.

Secretary Sebelius Releases $33 Million in ARRA Funds to Train Health Professionals

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards totaling $33 million to expand the training of health care professionals. The funds are part of the $500 million allotted to HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address workforce shortages under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare Takes Aim at Patient Safety Failures

Teaming up with top hospitals and health systems across the country to use new methods to find the causes of and put a stop to dangerous and potentially deadly breakdowns in patient care, The Joint Commission is launching the Center for Transforming Healthcare. The Center’s first initiative is tackling hand washing failures that contribute to health care-associated infections that kill nearly 100,000 Americans each year and cost U.S. hospitals $4 billion to $29 billion annually to combat.

New Survey Shows High Concern About Current Health System

The nation’s largest nursing, medical and older-adult advocacy organizations revealed the results of a new survey today, showing Americans remain concerned about the current health system and called for health care reform this year.

ANA President Among Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Powerful People In Health Care

Demonstrating the American Nurses Association’s growing leadership role in shaping discussions on healthcare reform, ANA is pleased to announce that President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, made this year’s list of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare.

New Evidence Shows Nurses’ Impact on Quality and Patient Satisfaction

With the country focused on improving health care, recent evidence indicates nurses play a pivotal role in improving quality and patient satisfaction. A number of the nation’s top researchers presented their findings as part of a June 2009 Center to Champion Nursing in America and Health Affairs forum in Washington, D.C.

Patient-Centered Care: The New Necessity

Hospitals must be doing something right. After all, satisfaction with inpatient care surged to 74 percent in 2009 from 60 percent last year, according to figures from the 2009 Deloitte Survey of Health Care Consumers: Key Findings, Strategic Implications.

Federal Funding Aims to Spur Greater EHR Implementation

The federal government hopes to spur adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and will invest nearly $1.2 billion in grants to help providers computerize their records. The funding is part of the government’s $787 billion economic stimulus package.

RWJF Selects 15 Hospitals to Participate in National Quality Improvement Collaboratives

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced the selection of 15 hospitals to participate in two new quality improvement programs as part of its ambitious Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative.

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Releases Report Assessing H1N1 Preparations

Presidential advisory group of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers today released a new report assessing the Obama Administration’s preparations for this fall’s expected resurgence of 2009-H1N1 flu and outlining key steps officials can take in the coming weeks and months to minimize the disease’s impact on the nation.

Moody’s: Hospitals Likely to Experience Slower Economic Recovery

Not-for-profit hospitals are not likely to recover from the recession until well after the broad economy recovers, according to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service.

Wisdom at Work: Success Strategies for Keeping Your Most Experienced Nurses

The graying of the American population is not only creating a greater demand for hospital care, it is also presenting healthcare organizations with an additional challenge: how to retain a workforce of veteran nurses.

Update: Medicare Picks N.J. to Test Innovative Incentive System

Twelve New Jersey hospitals and their participating physicians are taking part in the Physician Hospital Collaboration Demonstration, a Medicare project that will evaluate gainsharing as an innovative new incentive method that aims to reduce healthcare costs while improving quality of care.

Thomson Reuters Study Finds Impact of Recession Easing on U.S. Hospitals

The median profit margin of U.S. hospitals increased from 0.17 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009, according to an analysis of hospital finances published by Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters Research Identifies Top U.S. Health Systems

Thomson Reuters released an unprecedented study identifying the top 10 U.S. health systems based on their hospitals' clinical performance. They are:

Hospital Efficiency Efforts Reap Rewards

In this time of limited financial resources and clinician shortages, hospitals are striving to improve efficiency while continuing to provide the best possible patient care. Examples include the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) in Denver which set a goal to increase early discharges in its Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit and the Good Shepherd Medical Center (GSMC) in Longview, Texas, which worked to decrease throughput times in the ED. Both hospitals met their goals, using very different approaches.

Healthcare Reform Update: Price Tag Causes Delays

As Congressional members left Washington in early August for their summer recess, a major roadblock to passage of a healthcare reform bill remained in place: how to pay for the proposals.

New State-by-State Reports Show How Health Insurance Reform Will Benefit All Americans

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released Stable and Secure Health Care for America, a series of new state-by-state reports outlining how health insurance reform will improve health care for all Americans.

Secretary Sebelius Announces Senate Confirmation of Dr. Francis Collins as Director of the National Institutes of Health

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Dr. Francis Collins as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health.

Healthcare Reform Bill Takes Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Bipartisan concessions on the healthcare reform bill were reached during the last few days of July, although it appears that the bill will not pass through the Senate before their recess begins August 7.

CMS Announces Policy and Payment Rate Changes For Inpatient Stay In Acute Care and Long-term Care Hospitals In Fiscal 2010

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that acute care hospitals will receive an inflation update in their payment rates of 2.1 percent in fiscal year 2010.

450,000 Doctors Demand: ‘Heal Health Care Now’

America’s front-line family doctors want you to know what they think about the current dysfunctional health care system and the benefits that could be realized from a system built on primary care.

Healthcare Reform Takes Center Stage at AHA Summit

In their quest for improved quality of care, hospital leaders from across the country gathered in San Francisco for three days starting July 23, 2009 for the 17th annual Health Forum/American Hospital Association (AHA) Leadership Summit.

Secretary Sebelius Makes Recovery Act Funding Available to Expand Health Professions Training

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of $200 million to support grants, loans, loan repayment, and scholarships to expand the training of health care professionals. The funds are expected to train approximately 8,000 students and credentialed health professionals by the end of fiscal year 2010.

Researchers Analyze Verbal Medical Orders

A new AHRQ-funded study found that of roughly 973,000 orders that physicians at a large, Midwestern hospital gave nurses over a 12-month period, roughly 20 percent were verbal orders.

ARRA Grants Available for Rural Hospital Facilities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service will award $1.19 billion in loans and grants to build or improve hospitals and other essential facilities in low-income rural communities.

A Look at the Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems

While keeping tabs on budgets, some hospital information technology experts are recognizing that wired solutions can help increase revenue or reduce the bottom line. Read More

AHA Board Elects John Bluford Chair-Elect Designate

The American Hospital Association's (AHA) Board of Trustees has elected John W. Bluford, president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Mo. as its chair-elect designate. Bluford will assume the chairmanship in 2011, becoming the top elected official of the national organization that represents America's hospitals and health systems.

Nurses Survey: Patients Pay the Price for Insufficient Staff, High Workloads

Nurses believe that heavy workloads and insufficient staff are impacting patient care and health outcomes around the world, according to research presented today at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) 24th Quadrennial Congress.

Best Practices for Retaining Nurses

Providing a rewarding environment in which nurses can work, with opportunities to grow, and a chance to be heard and participate in practice decisions keeps experienced nurses at the bedside and, ultimately, improves patient care.

Young and Uninsured: A Portrait of Healthcare’s Future

With youth comes a certain sense of invincibility. Most young adults under 30 have yet to face chronic disease or disability. While many of them appreciate the safety net that health insurance provides, it is often priced higher than they can afford, meaning food and rent may take priority over the possible need for prescriptions and doctor visits.

President Obama Announces Nominee for Surgeon General

On July 13, 2009, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Regina M. Benjamin as surgeon general for the Department of Health and Human Services.

New Quality Data on Hospital Readmission Rates Available on Hospital Compare Web site

Released for the first time on the Web site Hospital Compare are hospital readmission rates for Medicare patients with heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia. This new quality information for healthcare consumers, clinicians and hospitals expands information offered by CMS and supported by the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA)—a broad working group of hospital groups, consumer representatives, physician and nursing organizations, employers and payers, oversight organizations and government agencies dedicated to improving healthcare quality and making useful and understandable information about hospital quality available to the public.

Flu Summit: U.S. Prepares for the Second Wave of H1N1

In an effort to thwart the spread of the novel H1N1 flu strain, the White House gathered leaders from Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education for the H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit. Held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, on July 9, 2009, the summit highlighted efforts at the federal, state and local levels to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

’Secret Shoppers’ Help Monitor Hygiene Programs, Reduce Infections

Taking a cue from the retail world, hospitals are using "secret shoppers" to improve infection control measures. These covert clinicians observe the hospital staff during the course of their day to see how effective a facility’s infection prevention methods are working—particularly their hand hygiene measures.

Open Source Software: A Potential Solution to EHR Challenges

With cost a constant concern for health care administrators, the adoption of new technology—including electronic health records (EHRs)—often takes a backseat to a facility’s immediate needs already accounted for in the budget. In fact, cost is perhaps the greatest barrier to a widespread adoption of EHRs in hospitals across the country.

New Buerhaus Report Shows Growth in Nursing Jobs, Cautions Shortage Isn’t Over

Can hospitals start to breathe easier about the nursing shortage? Not yet, according to the authors of a new workforce report published in Health Affairs

Infection Control Cutbacks Cost Patients and Hospitals

As economic woes continue to plague U.S. hospitals, one of the areas seeing the deepest cutbacks is infection prevention. Leading epidemiologists point out that these budget cuts could become detrimental to both patient care and the financial health of hospitals.

Texas Legislation Will Give Nurses Greater Staffing Influence

Texas nurses are about to become a more integral part of hospital staffing decisions, thanks to a recent state bill. As a collaborative effort between the Texas Nursing Association (TNA) and the Texas Hospital Association (THA), Senate Bill 476 (SB 476) would require that all Texas hospitals’ nurse staffing committees be comprised of at least 60 percent bedside nurses, among other guidelines.

Nursing Education Receives a ’Stimulus’ of Federal Funds

In the months that have followed the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, the nursing community has eagerly awaited funding promised to increase nursing education.

The Future of H1N1

While the frenzy media reports have died down, the virulence of H1N1 influenza has not. In less than a month, flu cases have gone from approximately 100 confirmed cases to over 5,000 cases across 48 states. Health officials have estimated that there may even be as many as 100,000 cases in the U.S.

Nursing Shortage Hits Home Health

Healthcare facilities across the U.S. have felt the pinch of the nursing shortage, which is only projected to grow worse in the coming years. Department of Labor statistics support the projection that in the next 10 to 15 years the shortage will reach a crisis level as the demand for nurses far exceeds the supply. While hospitals, clinics and physician offices will face difficulties as a result of the shortage, the sector that looks to be most seriously affected is that of home healthcare nursing.

Study Reveals the Cost of Rehospitalization

Too many Medicare patients are returning to the hospital not long after discharge according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and these unplanned readmissions are costing the country billions.

Campaign Helps Hospitals Find Strategies to Save

The hospitals that have made Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals list are known for more than exceptional care. These patient-friendly facilities have found that delivering high quality care is financially beneficial and can help them preserve open beds, jobs and their bottom line.

New Methods for RN Retention

Nursing turnover is costly for hospitals and newly licensed nurses tend to leave their employers more frequently than any others. Can anything be done? Fortunately, yes. A new national study has shed some light on why these RNs may choose to leave and what hospitals can do to keep them on the job.

HHS Report Outlines Need for Health Reform

Healthcare reform has long been a hot button issue on both sides of the political aisle. While there is agreement that reform is needed, legislators have yet to come to a consensus on how to instigate change. A new report issued from the White House in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reveals that escalating costs and poor quality of care may require politicians to settle their differences in order to save healthcare.

Nurse-led Quality Improvement Project Begins at Hospitals Nationwide

Improving quality of care and increasing the number of positive clinical outcomes have always been cornerstones of the nursing profession and something that nurses have strived towards. Now, in an effort to engage frontline staff and to enhance quality and safety, 16 hospitals have been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to participate in its Aligning Forces for Quality: Transforming Care at the Bedside Collaborative (TCAB Collaborative).

Underserved Communities Need a Wider Safety Net

The poor economy is threatening to unravel the nation’s "safety net" healthcare facilities as they attempt to meet increasing demand with shrinking budgets. Recent reports have shown these facilities are struggling to care for the rapidly growing patient loads due to the growing ranks of unemployed and uninsured.

Increased EMR Adoption Among U.S. Hospitals

The healthcare industry is taking a slow but steady leap into the digital age according to a new report from HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society). The group, which focuses exclusively on healthcare information technology, has announced its list of 42 hospitals that have reached Stage 6 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) adoption.

Hospitals at a Loss During the Recession

The current credit crisis that has wreaked havoc on the economy has also infected the U.S. healthcare system. A recent report from Thompson Reuters revealed that operating budgets are startlingly anemic for more than half of the nation’s hospitals.

Obama Splits Health Reform Leadership Role

President Obama announced on Monday, March 2, 2009, his nomination for the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

What the Stimulus Package Offers Healthcare

In an effort to promote economic growth in the midst of the recession, President Obama signed the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act into law on Feb. 17, 2009, in Denver, Colorado.

SCHIP Expansion Passes Congress

Approximately 4 million more children will receive healthcare as a result of the House of Representatives passing a $32.8 billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Daschle Withdraws as HHS Nominee

President Obama’s choice for Health and Human Services secretary, Tom Daschle, announced on Tuesday that he will be officially withdrawing his nomination for the position.

ED Overcrowding Puts Patients at Risk

On any given day, a hospital emergency department (ED) in the U.S. is overcrowded. Patients and their friends and family are packed together in the waiting room, hoping that they’ll be the next person called in to see the doctor. While the waiting may seem tedious, a new study shows that for some, it can prove deadly.

Sharp Hospital Creates Role of Chief Operating Officer

Sharp Grossmont Hospital, located in San Diego, Calif., has recently created the position of chief operating officer to oversee operations within the hospital’s patient, ancillary and clinical services. Taking on this important role is Maryann Cone, R.N. Cone has been a part of Sharp HealthCare since 1977 and served as chief nursing officer at Sharp Grossmont Hospital since 1996.

Economic Stimulus: A Healthcare Band-Aid?

As the national unemployment level reaches a staggering peak, House Democrats have announced a new stimulus package that is intended to relieve the economic woes of many Americans. Hoping to help the ailing hospitals and the growing number of uninsured, the new plan has a sizeable amount of funding earmarked to aid the healthcare system.

Study Highlights the Economic Value of Nurses

How do you measure the value of a nurse? While many patients and their families already consider them priceless, a new study has shown that nurses also have a significant financial impact on hospitals and the economy as a whole.

Finding the Cure for Hospital Credit Ills

Once thought of as “recession proof,” the healthcare industry is facing the same credit crisis felt by the rest of the nation. Credit lines are being denied, interest rates are skyrocketing and investments are faltering. Combined with the rise in unemployed and uninsured patients, hospitals are looking for ways to heal their ailing credit.

Hospitals Improve Safety and Quality of Care

Six years after The Joint Commission began promoting hospitals that follow evidence-based best practices in treating certain conditions and measuring their compliance, it found hospitals have steadily improved the quality of patient care, according to a recent report from the accrediting body.

Defining the Future: Hospital Recommendations from The Joint Commission

Despite the uncertainty of what 2009 will bring, one industry will always have a strong foundation: healthcare. There will always be a need for doctors, nurses, hospitals and medicine. Injury and sickness do not stop for a faltering economy, international rifts or changes in administration. Yet, despite the ongoing need for healthcare, some facilities are finding the future to be fiscally daunting.

Patient-centered Care Helps Hospitals Boost Patient Satisfaction

While it seems intuitive that nursing care should center on the patient, completing all the necessary clinical and administrative tasks sometimes takes precedence over listening to the patient and tailoring care to his or her priorities. Now many hospitals have launched initiatives to put the patient and family first in an effort to improve patient satisfaction scores.

Healthcare Reform and the New Administration

With the votes in, America’s desire to tackle some of the tough issues facing the nation, such as healthcare reform, became clear. A new president, many new members of Congress and several new Senators face an abundance of challenges, but also the opportunity to repair a faltering healthcare system to improve access to care, workforce issues and more.

Increased Nurse Staffing Leads to Greater Patient Satisfaction

American patients generally express satisfaction with their hospital stays, and those treated in facilities with a high ratio of nurses to patient days feel more positively about their experience than other patients, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Rising to the Top: AMN Healthcare Helps Women Break through the Glass Ceiling

Vying for a senior leadership role in any industry requires years of hard work and dedication. However, for women working at California’s top 400 companies, that may not be enough. Half of the state’s largest public companies do not have women in executive offices, according to a report recently released by the University of California, Davis, and another half do not have women serving on their board of directors.

Hospitals Face Recession Woes

The escalating credit crisis and it’s ripple effect on the economy in the past months has caused companies to fold, unemployment to rise and retail to falter. While no amount of economic hardship will reduce the medical needs of patients, the impact of the recession is beginning to be felt by U.S. hospitals. Once thought to be recession-proof institutions, hospitals are now looking for ways to tighten their belts without compromising care.

New ED System Speeds Patient Flow

Instead of struggling to accommodate more patients in the same old way, the emergency department (ED) at St. Lucie Medical Center in Florida decided to shake things up and revamp the entire arrival, evaluation and admitting process. Even with 2008 ED visits up by more than 10 percent over 2007, nurses at St. Lucie employed Lean Six Sigma techniques to streamline operations and speed patient flow—with great results.

Study Shows Top Hospitals Save Lives

Choosing where to be treated can be a difficult decision for patients. There are a lot of variables to consider—from what facility is closest to home to which health insurance plans they accept. A new study reveals that making the right decision on care may even mean the difference between life and death.

Is the Retail Clinic Sector Slowing Down?

After two years of explosive growth in retail health clinics, a few things appear to be changing. The rate of new openings has slowed, some clinics have closed and additional players are entering the scene.

Palliative Care Teams Save Money

Hospital palliative care teams can enhance end-of-life care, but now a new multicenter study indicates this interdisciplinary approach to treatment of seriously ill patients with advanced illnesses can save hospitals more than $300 a day.

Joint Commission Issues Anticoagulant Safety Alert

Citing a large number of recent high-profile errors associated with anticoagulant use, including multiple deaths, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert on Sept. 24, 2008, urging clinicians to pay greater attention to the risks related to use of these potentially life-saving drugs.

HHS Tackles Infection Control

Lurking in every hospital room is the potential for infection. From cross-contamination among patients to an overlooked ventilator, the threat of nosocomial infections is very real, and very expensive.

Hospitals Offer Big Incentives to Attract Nurses

Today's nurses are in great demand and short supply, which has forced hospitals to try innovative incentives to attract new nurses to their facilities and keep their professional caregivers at the bedside. From tuition reimbursements and longevity bonuses to flat screen TVs and mortgage down payments, nothing seems too far fetched to consider in the today's health care marketplace.

Where are the 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare?

What do the Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Pharmacy OneSource in Bellevue, Washington, and architectural firm Caruana & Associates in Long Beach, California, have in common? These diverse organizations have all been named to Modern Healthcare's list of the 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare.

Nation’s 100 Most Improved Hospitals Revealed

Hospitals that show continued improvements in patient care are being applauded for their efforts in Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: Performance Improvement Leaders. The fifth edition of the list recognizes hospitals from across the country that have proven their dedication to quickly and efficiently improving patient safety measures.

California Proposes Serious Penalties for Patient Privacy Breaches

Troubled by repeated breaches of patients' medical records by hospital personnel not involved in their care—including the records of some high-profile celebrities—California lawmakers are now aiming to tighten patient privacy laws, starting with two bills now pending in the state legislature.

ER Smart Card Speeds Triage Time

Patients move through triage at Wellington Regional Medical Center much more quickly these days, thanks to the ER Smart Card the Florida hospital has been distributing to its patients and residents in the community.

Patients Cut Preventative Care in a Poor Economy

When the economy slumps, it's not uncommon for American's to cut back on luxuries in order to save money. A new study suggests, however, that during the current economic downturn, one of the luxuries Americans are cutting back on is healthcare.

‘Most Wired’ Hospitals Find More Satisfied Patients

As hospitals delve deeper into the realm of information technology (IT), research continues to demonstrate the positive impact of electronic advancements on many aspects of health care. The latest link: increased patient satisfaction.

Healthcare Leadership Conference Focuses on Improving Quality, Safety and Performance

The American Hospital Association and Health Forum held the 16th annual Leadership Summit in San Diego, California, in July 2008, bringing together more than 1,500 senior leadership executives, trustees and clinical leaders looking to improve quality, safety and performance within their organizations.

AMN Healthcare Announces Joint Commission Re-certification

Setting the standards for quality care and positive outcomes, The Joint Commission only awards their coveted Gold Seal of Approval™ to the best companies and facilities in the healthcare field. Placing each of the prospective seal recipients through a rigorous review of their clinical standards, service delivery and information management, the reward for this arduous process is the ability to offer patients the comfort of knowing they are in the hands of the highest quality healthcare professionals.

Better Outcomes in Leapfrog Hospitals

Patients receiving care for a heart attack or pneumonia in hospitals performing well on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey are more likely to survive than patients in other hospitals, according to a new study from The Leapfrog Group, an organization comprised of employer healthcare purchasers dedicated to improving healthcare safety and value.

AMA Postpones Decision on Secret Shoppers

As the field of medicine becomes more consumer oriented, hospitals have been instituting new measures to improve patient care and their bottom line. One such measure is the use of "secret shoppers" or "mystery shoppers," a practice which some doctors see as unethical.

Online Shift Scheduling Boosts RN Morale

Gone are the days of pieces of paper tacked to a break room corkboard announcing open shifts; hours of stressed phone calls begging nurses to come in to fill shifts; and nurses wanting more work but unable to find an open shift that fits their schedule.

Finding International Solutions to the Nursing Shortage

In a year of political jargon and promises of a greater tomorrow, possible solutions for healthcare reform have been tossed around on a daily basis. While candidates offer flowery ideals of universal healthcare, tax exemptions and Medicare reform, no one has mentioned what is at the crux of the crumbling system: The shortage of healthcare professionals.

Aviation Training Methods Help Hospitals Decrease Medical Errors

What can medical personnel learn about their jobs from pilots and others in aviation? While there are not a lot of obvious similarities between flying a plane and performing a surgery, the contexts in which they happen can be quite similar: high stress environments which require quick, accurate decisions with life or death consequences and the ability to communicate those decisions effectively to everyone on the team.

Poll Finds Nurses Want Safer Staffing Levels

A recent poll by the American Nurses Association (ANA) found that about half of the 10,000 nurses surveyed are thinking about leaving their current jobs—because they're worried about inadequate nurse staffing levels. Read More

Hospitals Try New Night Shifts

In some hospitals, when the sun goes down, so does the quality of patient care. Over the past few years, several studies have focused on how quickly and efficiently patients have received life saving treatments during night shifts, often proving that the standard of care is as different as day and night. Read More

Hospital Patients Urged to Be Smart Shoppers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hoping to stimulate higher quality of care in hospitals by offering consumers the tools to comparison shop. HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has just launched the first ever print campaign aimed at educating the general public on the quality of their local hospitals. Read More

Telemedicine Cuts Cost on Pediatric ED Visits

A new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that using telemedicine in place of emergency department (ED) visits may be just as effective for some common pediatric ailments. By taking advantage of this technology hospitals could save both money and resources for already overtaxed EDs. Read More

Ailing Economy Helps Ease Nursing Shortage

When the Wall Street Journal recently published an article discussing a link between the current sagging economy and a weakening of the nursing shortage, experts nodded but they added a caveat: It's a just a blip. Don't get comfortable. Read More

Hospitals Under Siege by New ‘Super Bug’

The spread of "super bugs" has been at the forefront of health care news in recent years causing many to question the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial cleansers. On the heels of both hospital and community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) scares, comes a new strain of drug-resistant bacteria, Clostridium difficile. Read More

Pre-op Cleansing Reduces Surgical Site Infections

The simple step of cleansing the skin with chlorhexidine gluconate no-rinse cloths, before surgery, can decrease surgical infection rates. That was the finding of Prince Williams Hospital in Manassas, Virginia, where surgical infection rates decreased by 66 percent and the hospital saved nearly $350,000 in 10 months. Read More

Study Reveals the Costly Effects of Medical Errors

Potentially preventable medical errors may have an even higher price tag than previously thought. A new study conducted by HealthGrades, a national healthcare ratings organization, found that medical errors occurring between 2004 and 2006 resulted in approximately 238,337 potentially preventable deaths and cost Medicare an estimated $8.8 billion. Read More

New Research Predicts Continuing Nurse Shortage

Ten years have passed since the current nursing shortage began, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Now a new book by some of the leading researchers in the field predicts that the shortage is only going to get worse, unless some drastic changes are made. Read More

The Army Reserve: 100 Years in the Medical Community

In 1908, Congress decided they needed to create a branch of the military to aid in the medical needs of the army. They created the Medical Reserve Corps from a group of 160 physicians who would only serve the military when needed, but were willing to leave at a moment's notice to care for soldiers on the battlefield. Today, under the name of the Army Reserve, this group has expanded to include civilians from every trade who assist the military in times of trouble. Read More

Patient Satisfaction Data Now Included in “HospitalCompare” Web Site

Since its inception, the government Web site, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, has provided consumers with Process of Care measures that show how often hospitals provide the recommended care for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia or surgery, as well as Hospital Outcome of Care measures indicative of hospital mortality rates. Now, visitors to the Web site can see comprehensive data on patient satisfaction, based on a survey of hospital patients’ experience of care. Read More

Medical Device Reuse Saves Money and the Environment

As healthcare costs continue to rise and landfills overflow with medical waste, some hospitals are finding a way to solve two problems with one solution, by reprocessing some of their single-use labeled medical devices. While many have questioned the safety of this practice, a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that reused medical devices poses no increased risk to patients. Read More

Performance Equals Profits for 100 Top Hospitals

Positive patient outcomes have lead to fiscal gains for the hospitals on Thomson Healthcare's 15th annual 100 Top Hospitals list. Recognized as "national benchmarks for success," these hospitals deliver top quality care while maintaining financial stability. Read More

Hospital Strategies to Reduce Harm from High-Alert Medications

For over a decade, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has classified some of the most powerful drugs prescribed to hospital patients as "high-alert medications" because of their increased risk to cause serious harm if used or dosed incorrectly. Read More

Google Partners with Cleveland Clinic on Patient Record Site

The search engine Google has announced plans for a healthcare Web site, which will allow patients to share their medical records with various providers to ensure a more accurate exchange of relevant data. Read More

Study: One in 10 Patients Suffers a Preventable Medication Injury

Medication errors can be the cause of significant injury and even death. A new study found one in 10 patients admitted to six community hospitals in Massachusetts suffered a serious, preventable medication injury. The research, released by two nonprofit groups, estimates computerized physician order entry systems could reduce such errors by 70 percent. Read More

Healthcare Spending Projected to Surpass General Inflation

A new report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) predicts that federal healthcare spending will continue to grow steadily and eventually will outpace overall inflation, with a significant portion of the growth attributed to hospital costs. Read More

Sharp Memorial Hospital Achieves Magnet Status

Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California, became one of only 12 hospitals in the state to be awarded Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which is the credentialing arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Read More

Freestanding Emergency Departments on the Rise

Although not the first stand-alone emergency department (ED) in the United States to open and probably not the last, Mount Sinai Medical Center’s facilty in Aventura, Florida, is the latest to follow this new paradigm in the healthcare industry that resembles those used for diagnostic imaging and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC). Read More

Nevada Hospitals Are an Economic Force in the State

Nevada hospitals have a profound and positive affect on the state’s economy and their continued contribution appears strong, according to a new study from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Read More

Does Health Insurance Guarantee Patients the Care They Need?

The case of Nataline Sarkisyan has become the catalyst for politicians, nurses, the public and patients to protest against the U.S. health insurance industry’s coverage limits and definition of experimental procedures. Nataline was a 17-year-old California girl who battled leukemia for three years and tragically died on December 20, 2007, because CIGNA refused to approve a potentially life-saving liver transplant until too late. Read More

New York Budget Changes Aim at Lowering ED Visits

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer presented his new budget for 2008, which included provisions for reforms of the state’s healthcare system. The budget features items intended to alleviate overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) and potentially improve public health for the entire state. Read More

Leading Issues Facing Today’s Hospital CEOs

In its annual survey sent to over 1,000 randomly selected members, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) once again found that financial challenges ranked as the number one concern for hospital chief executive officers (CEO) in 2007. Read More

CMS Hires PricewaterhouseCoopers to Monitor HIPAA Violations

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently awarded a year-long contract to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct audits of HIPAA violators in areas of electronic security. The audits will specifically review security for electronic data as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the safety and privacy of patient medical records. Read More

New Security Group Creates 'Trust' in Electronic Medical Records

The concept of electronic record-keeping has been adopted by several industries throughout the world, yet many healthcare organizations and facilities are still hesitant to adopt them. While the government pushes facilities to adopt the National Health Information Network (NHIN), consumers are being encouraged by Web giants such as Microsoft and Google to develop their own electronic medical records to share with their doctors. Read More

Language Barriers Increase Risk for Adverse Events and Effects

It has been widely reported that the rising number of foreign-language speakers in the U.S. has created language barriers in hospitals, stretching their resources and putting patients’ safety at risk, but a new study provides further evidence that patients who speak, read, write or understand little or no English—that is, who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP), are at greater risk than English-speaking patients for experiencing adverse events that result in harm during a hospital stay. Read More

Health Reform Plan for California Passes First Vote

Universal health insurance has been a hot topic among presidential candidates as the 2008 election nears. Soon California, the most populous U.S. state, may have its own health care plan that will require all 36 million residents to have insurance. Read More

Nine California Hospitals Face Expensive Penalties

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has found nine California hospitals to be in noncompliance with procedural requirements, which may have led to patient harm. As a result, the hospitals were served with a bill of $25,000 per violation, a hefty price tag that the CDPH hopes will force the facilities to update their procedures for better patient care Read More

Survey Suggests HIPAA Regulations Slow Scientific Progress

Survey responses from 1,527 epidemiologists suggest that one of the major obstacles to scientific research is the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA. Recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the article Influence of the HIPPAA Privacy Rule on Health Research examines the responses to the survey and the impact the law may have on the future of public health. Read More

Adverse Drug Events Show Marked Increase

Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System (known as “MedWatch” reports) show that the annual number of reported serious (34,966) and fatal (5,519) adverse drug events (ADEs) more than doubled between 1998 and 2005, increasing to 89,842 and 15,107, respectively. Read More

California Tightening Nurse-to-Patient Ratios in 2008

In 2004, California became the first state to establish mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios across various specialties. On January 1, 2008, California will make history again when it tightens these ratios further in three areas that could make a significant impact on patient care delivery. Read More

Technology Needed to Improve Healthcare Work Environment

Due to workflow inefficiencies and other healthcare environment issues, nurses are spending only 30 percent of their time on direct patient care, according to Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer of nursing research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Read More

Security Breaches Still Problematic for EHRs

As more healthcare organizations including regional health information networks, hospitals, and private practices adopt electronic health record (EHR) systems, there is a growing concern among providers, patients and industry insiders about data sharing, privacy, security and identify theft. Read More

Internet Giants Jump Into Patient Records Fray

In this age of technology, life is rapidly becoming digital. From printing photographs to ordering take-out food, virtually everything can be done with the click of a mouse. One of the few exceptions to the digital revolution is healthcare. Tenaciously clinging to the old habits of paper charts held in giant filing cabinets, the medical community has yet to make the full transformation into the virtual world. Read More

AMN Healthcare Travelers All Safe in Southern California

AMN Healthcare has reached out to all of its travel nurses on assignment and/or living in Southern California and has determined that all are safe from the devastating wildfires that have wreaked havoc in the region over the past three days. Ten travel nurses were temporarily evacuated from their homes but all have been allowed to return to their residences, which were not damaged by the wildfires. Read More

Wildfires and Hospital Closures Put Pressure on San Diego Nurses

As dark clouds of smoke and ash hover over San Diego County, firefighters aren’t the only ones fighting to save lives. Healthcare workers from across the county are doing everything they can to protect their patients and help those injured by the wildfires that have run rampant through the county. Read More

Nurses and Staff Continue to Provide Care after Fire Evacuations in Southern California

Even after Lake Arrowhead residents fled and their rural hospital in the San Bernardino Mountains was evacuated because of wildfires, a small group of nurses and other staff have remained at the facility to provide emergency services to firefighters or others who may need assistance. Read More

AMN Study Shows Travel Nurses Help Facilities Achieve Magnet Designation

A new study conducted by AMN Healthcare demonstrates that travel nurses can be a successful component of the “Magnet journey,” in which healthcare facilities create a culture that fosters nursing excellence. The study reported a number of ways that travel nurses can contribute to healthcare facilities obtaining Magnet status through the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program™. Read More

Are State Health Systems Making the Grade?

A 2007 report by The Commonwealth Fund has found broad variations between state health systems and a lot of room for improvement. The report, Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance, measured five core dimensions of health system performance, including healthy lives, access, quality, efficiency and equity. Read More

Healthcare Opinion Leaders' Views on the Quality and Safety of US Healthcare

Perspectives about the quality of U.S. healthcare, from a panel of 214 of the nation's leading hospital systems, physician and health plan executives, policymakers and healthcare purchasers, are highlighted in the latest installment of the Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Opinion Leaders' Survey. Read More

Abbreviations May Save Minutes; Prohibiting Abbreviations May Save Lives

Just as a simple phrase, whispered by the first child playing the telephone game, can be completely misconstrued by the time the last player hears it, certain abbreviations used to convey medication orders may also be misinterpreted due to communication lapses. Unlike the game, the results are not amusing and may lead to serious medication errors. Read More

National Study Shows Temporary Nurses Deliver Quality Care

A new study conducted by some of the nation’s top healthcare researchers has shown that temporary nurses are just as qualified, if not more qualified, than permanent staff nurses and help hospitals deliver quality patient care. Read More

WANTED: CXO to Transform Patient and Hospital Employee Experience

Although most healthcare professionals are familiar with their hospital’s leadership, such as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO), they may soon see another C-level position added to the executive management team that may be unknown to them. Read More

Corps Makes Changes to Emergency Response Plans

In response to multiple oversight reports indicating an inadequate response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, this uniformed service has revamped its deployment strategies and stepped up training. Read More

Preventive Services Could Save 100,000 Lives Annually

With health care primarily focused on treating illness, Americans do not take advantage of preventive services, which results in loss of life, poorer health and inefficient use of medical dollars, but it also offers opportunities for nurses to change these outcomes. Read More

Joint Commission Accreditation is Key to Implementing Patient Safety Systems

According to a study published in the May/June 2007 issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management, Joint Commission accreditation is the primary predictor of patient safety system implementation by hospitals, followed by management type and urban or rural location. Read More

The Need for Protocols to Prevent Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis

During the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society’s annual conference in June at Salt Lake City, Utah, Sage Products Inc. conducted an opinion poll to determine if hospitals have specific protocols in place for the prevention of incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD). Of the 200 WOC nurses who responded, only 57 percent said they did. Read More

Johns Hopkins Hospital Tops in the Country

Nurses’ commitment to providing stellar patient care has helped Johns Hopkins Hospital earn the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals ranking, for the 17th consecutive year. Read More

More AMN News

Travel Nurses Gaining Acceptance Travel nurses, who typically work 13-week assignments at hospitals, say they are generally accepted by managers, other nurses, physicians and patients in the work place, a new survey indicates. Read More

Joint Commission Selects New Leader

Committed to its quest to drive excellence in health care, The Joint Commission Board of Commissioners has selected a new president with a robust quality and safety improvement record. Read More

Patients Have Better Outcomes in Most Wired Hospitals

Many hospitals turn to technology to assist in delivering quality care in a safe manner, and it seems to be paying off. Hospitals & Health Networks’ most recent survey found America’s 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems enjoyed better outcomes in four key measures. Read More

Workplace Key Factor in Nursing Shortage

While the United States has more nurses and physicians than ever before, upcoming retirements and a dysfunctional workplace could cause clinical shortages that could become more severe than the industry can bear, according to a new study from PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute. Read More

Survey Identifies Importance of Injectable Medication Safety

Among the Joint Commission’s 2007 National Patient Safety Goals is improving the safety of using medications. Recognizing the critical role nurses play in medication administration, including those given by syringe, the American Nurses Association (ANA) surveyed nurses on their processes and experiences with injectable medications. Read More

Massachusetts Universal Health Program Commences

In an effort to assure health coverage for all of its citizens, Massachusetts passed health-care reform legislation in 2006, and more than 130,000 people who did not have coverage before are now insured. Read More

Physicians Tell President, Congress; Medicare Payment Reform Must Be Part of Deficit Reduction Plans

June 27, 2011 - Today, 112 state and medical specialty societies joined the American Medical Association (AMA) in sending a letter to the president, vice president and congressional leaders urging reform of the broken Medicare physician payment formula as part of any deficit reduction plan. This formula, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), is set to trigger a drastic cut of nearly 30 percent on January 1 and threatens access to care for Medicare patients.