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Two-day LEAN training course for healthcare professionals

The two-day course is a didactic and hands-on introduction to LEAN management philosophy and manufacturing-based work rules and tools designed to prepare physicians, administrators, and technical support staff for the realities and potential successes of practicing in a LEAN environment. The sessions are not only oriented to laboratory medicine but also adapted to the processes encountered in clinical services as well.

19 Aug 2010

Humana announces 2010 finalists for Houston charitable grant

Today, health-benefits company Humana announced the three finalists for its 2010 $100,000 Humana Communities Benefit - Houston charitable grant.

19 Aug 2010

Hospitals grapple with increasing ER visits; LA officials order changes to boost patient safety; Mass. nurse fired after reporting problem

"Hartford Hospital opened an expanded emergency department this month, with new rooms and triage areas meant to keep up with an increase in patient visits. Across town, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center is preparing to double its emergency department space as part of a new 10-story tower set to open next spring. UConn's John Dempsey Hospital expanded its emergency department earlier this year in response to rising patient volume, but there are still days when patients wait in the hallways because the rooms are full. Emergency department visits are increasing in Connecticut and across the country, and doctors say they are likely to become even busier as health reform rolls out."

19 Aug 2010

State insurance regulators approve guidelines for health plans' spending

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a guideline for what insurers can count as medical costs - as opposed to administrative expenses - under new health law rules, Politico reports. The health law requires large group insurance plans to spend at least 85 percent of premiums on medical expenses. Small group plans must spend 80 percent.

19 Aug 2010

Bridge for cross-cultural cancer education

Most cancers are easier to treat if detected early, so cancer educators emphasize the benefits of screening and prompt treatment. But for immigrants and other "medically underserved communities," simply handing out a brochure on early detection — even if it's been translated into the appropriate language — may not work.

19 Aug 2010

Hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors report of chronic health condition after procedure

Although hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) cures many blood diseases, two-thirds of long-term survivors report at least one chronic health condition after the procedure, according to a recent study published online in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.

19 Aug 2010

Policy restrictions for certain medications lead to decreased drug use and substantial savings for insurers

Policies that restrict reimbursement for certain medications can save money for health insurers without driving patients to seek other kinds of health care, a new review of studies suggests.

19 Aug 2010

Experts debate government's decision to ring fence NHS funding

Is the government's decision to ring fence NHS funding fair? Two experts debate the issue on bmj.com today.

19 Aug 2010

Small businesses wrestle with what health reform will mean for them

The Santa Cruz Sentinel/San Jose Mercury News: As a result of the federal health overhaul, businesses "with under 50 full-time equivalent employees will be under no obligation to offer health insurance, but those with over 50 must offer it or pay a fine. This will require counting employee hours; 30 hours is considered full time by the federal government. A tiny percentage of businesses across the nation have more than 50 employees but do not provide health insurance, about 0.2 percent, according to [the Small Business Majority, a trade group]."

19 Aug 2010

Thomson Reuters releases new Health Care Reform content in Checkpoint

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters recently released Health Care Reform content onto its industry-leading online platform, Checkpoint, which is now relied upon by over a half million professionals. The latest EBIA manual and PPC guide are comprehensive, authoritative, and frequently updated to help business and individual plan administrators and advisors avoid possible risks of non-compliance with health care reform.

19 Aug 2010

Health insurance costs rise sharply for unemployed as COBRA subsidy ends

Kaiser Health News staff writers Andrew Villegas and Phil Galewitz, writing in collaboration with USA Today, report on the status of health insurance assistance for the unemployed: "Jennifer Richards of Park Ridge, Ill., is angry that her family's monthly health insurance bill tripled in August to $1,250 after her husband lost his job and health benefits. But as bad as that is, what really upsets her is the inaction of Congress"

19 Aug 2010

Grants infuse health centers with more money to build, bolster services

The Washington Post: "Health centers across the country are lining up for a shot in the arm from the Obama administration: $250 million in federal grants to build clinics and bolster services at existing clinics for low-income patients such as public housing residents, the homeless, seasonal farmworkers and others who struggle to pay for care.

19 Aug 2010

What do we call nurses with doctorates? And other quality issues

The Philadelphia Inquirer/Kansas City Star: "Most nurse practitioners still have master's degrees, but nursing schools want the doctor of nursing practice degree to be the entry-level degree for advanced-practice nurses by 2015. Enrollment in those programs nationally jumped from 70 in 2002 to more than 5,000 last year." The titles of nurses and how they interact with academic degrees are causing some confusion among patients and resentment from doctors. "Most newly graduating physical therapists now have doctorates, too.

19 Aug 2010

Mass. regulators reach rate hike accord with one more insurer

Massachusetts regulators cut a deal Monday with insurer Health New England to limit premium increases for individual policyholders and small businesses to 8.2 percent, down from the hikes ranging from 11.5 to 21.3 percent the firm requested earlier this year, The Boston Globe reports. "With the Health New England agreement, the Patrick administration has now reached accords with five of the six Massachusetts insurance carriers that were denied double-digit increases on April 1.

19 Aug 2010

Laid-off workers lament conclusion of COBRA subsidy

Kaiser Health News, in a collaboration with USA Today: Recently laid-off workers, as well as people who received a subsidy for 15 months to help them afford to keep their former employer's health insurance, are lamenting the end of the popular program. "Deficit-conscious lawmakers have not renewed a subsidy that helped many jobless Americans afford health benefits.

19 Aug 2010

Reuters examines measles outbreaks in Africa

Reuters reports on how some health experts worry that growing complacency about the threat of measles in Africa is contributing to "some of the largest and most deadly outbreaks in years." Worldwide, "[a]bout 164,000 people died from measles in 2008, down 78 percent from 733,000 in 2000, according to the Measles Initiative," Reuters reports, adding that "UNICEF fears the combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment to measles could reverse the gains, resulting in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths globally between 2010 and 2013."

19 Aug 2010

Apex EDI introduces Preferred Solutions Partner Program

Apex EDI, one of the nation's leading e-claims reimbursement companies for dental and medical professionals, unveiled a Preferred Solutions Partner Program to offer turn-key EDI support for health care providers through strong relationships with practice management vendors, business partners, payers and more. The Preferred Solutions Partner Program will allow medical and dental resellers to offer an industry-leading clearinghouse claims processing solution to their clients.

19 Aug 2010

Broadband could be boon for rural clinics

A federal broadband initiative may have implications for the health system, too, NPR reports. "Millions of Americans who live in rural areas travel long distances to get health care. Or they may go without it. But high-speed Internet connections now make it possible to bring a doctor's expertise to patients in far-off places, if those places are connected. As part of its National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission has pledged $400 million a year to connect nearly 12,000 rural health care providers."

19 Aug 2010

State Department report documents U.S. efforts to expand developing countries' access to safe drinking water, sanitation

The State Department on Monday released its 5th annual Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act report (.pdf) to Congress detailing "U.S. efforts to expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improve water resources management and increase water productivity in developing countries," NAN/234NEXT.com reports (8/17).

19 Aug 2010

BBC reports on efforts to broaden access to childhood vaccines

The BBC reports on discussions about childhood immunization at the International Pediatric Association (IPA) meeting last week in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Vaccines are a key plank in meeting Millennium Development Goal 4 - to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015 - and many sessions at the congress were devoted to them," the news service writes.

18 Aug 2010