financial bailout blog

Repeal and replace or repeal and do nothing?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:45 +0000

Remember how opponents of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) vowed to “repeal and replace” the measure? It was and is a great slogan (I’m a sucker for alliteration, assonance and consonance) but it’s no surprise that the sloganeers have been slow to follow through on the replace part –even as they retain enthusiasm for pushing repeal.

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As Romney takes Florida, Gingrich forges ahead with ‘Day One’ ACA repeal

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:45 +0000

The momentum is back in Mitt Romney’s camp today after trumping Newt Gingrich in yesterday’s Florida primaries – a victory that handed Romney all 50 Florida convention delegates.

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Cardiology is the trend: Hospital employee route or private practice?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:45 +0000

As a leader in specialty procedures, cardiology is a growing field that is in demand from patients, as well as from hospitals looking to acquire practices. While some cardiologists are interested in being employed by hospitals, about 67% others, according to a Price Water House Coopers 2011 Report, prefer the private practice route.

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Nursing shortage: Is it a case of crying ‘wolf?’

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:45 +0000

How many times have you read about the staggering shortage of nurses? It’s routine to see numbers in the hundreds of thousands tossed around – representing the seemingly insatiable demand for nurses from an aging population. I’ve always been suspicious of these estimates. First, it’s not how the economy works. We’re not really going to have 260,000 unfilled nursing positions in 2025.

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SOTU barely covers healthcare reform law: Social media reactions

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:50:35 +0000

After this week’s State of the Union address, the Politico website dug into why President Obama barely mentioned healthcare reform law. Obama’s law has garnered only 42 percent support by Americans, but has been among the most significant policy accomplishments for Obama since he took office.

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Hospital reduces costs with a simple, strategic change

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:50:35 +0000

Never underestimate the impact one change can have in a given healthcare setting. Take, for example, a change implemented at Maury Regional Medical Center. Staff became increasingly aware of the importance of getting certain patients up, mobile and walking and the positive results that can come from this.

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Reducing costs through better care collaboration

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:10 +0000

For the past several decades, the U.S. healthcare system has rewarded the provision of high-volume, specialized patient care—and, as a result, we have seen costs skyrocket and our collective health suffer.

By contrast, the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) healthcare delivery model is a collaborative, team-based approach with the primary care physician (PCP) at its nexus. With financial and clinical risk shared among providers and health plans, it has the potential to not only improve care, but also to contain costs.

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Newt Gingrich and ‘conservative’ hypocrisy on Medicare Part D

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:10 +0000

Newt Gingrich has positioned himself as the “true conservative” in the Republican Presidential primary. And he trumpeted his support for the Medicare Part D drug benefit program, which was spearheaded by Republican majorities in Congress and signed by Republican President George W. Bush. Sorry, but supporting Part D and being a conservative don’t go together.

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5 environmentally sustainable tips for health facilities

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:10 +0000

Hospitals spend $10 billion every year disposing of waste according to the American Hospital Association. As industries everywhere are “going green,” healthcare facilities are implementing green technology programs as well, and the applications can be overwhelming. Not only do sustainability initiatives help reduce hospitals’ carbon footprints, but also increase operational efficiency and promote the patient experience, and hospitals’ relationship with the surrounding community as well as with their employees.

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Stopping hospital readmissions: It can be done

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:10 +0000

A great deal of attention has been directed by hospitals and health systems to the evolution of the accountable care organization (ACO) initiative. With the selection of the Pioneer group of health systems by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to participate in the initial program, the opportunity for most hospitals and health systems to participate in this Medicare shared savings program will be some time in coming.

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