Hospital news: Low readmissions rates at 2 NYC hospitals; Parkland still facing crisis

Several stories from around the country look at issues facing local health care facilities.

Modern Healthcare/Crain's New York Business: NYC Hospitals Buck Readmissions Trend
Two New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. facilities are among the New York hospitals with the lowest rates of preventable readmissions. Hospitals face reductions in their Medicare rates starting in October, and 18 New York City hospitals will have the maximum penalty allowed under the federal health care reform law-;1% of their base Medicare reimbursement (8/28).

The Dallas Morning News: At Halfway Mark In Parkland Hospital's Overhaul, Crises Remain
Parkland Memorial Hospital has just passed the halfway  mark in its 18-month, do-or-die probation. And signs of the continuing patient safety crisis abound. Patient demand is rising at a particularly difficult time, officials say. ... The report credits Parkland with completing about 80 percent of required tasks. But finishing a project is not the same as creating "a sustainable practice," it cautions (Egerton and Moffeit, 8/28).

The Associated Press: Health Systems Align To Expand Mid-Michigan Care
The University of Michigan Health System and another system are planning to work together to expand access to care. The affiliation with MidMichigan Health is expected to align clinical services and doctors of both systems (8/28).

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Magee-Womens Hospital Will Review Security Protocol
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Monday it expects Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC to review the events surrounding the kidnapping Thursday of a newborn from its maternity ward and determine whether security should be changed in light of the incident. The health department said in a statement that it will "monitor the facility to ensure implementation of a corrective action plan if one is necessary" and noted that its role is to "ensure the facility has all the proper plans and protocols in place to ensure this type of event does not occur again" (8/28).