November 2017 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review

On the Cover

Orlando Trauma Surgeon on Mass Shootings: ‘All Hospitals Need to Be Prepared
Michael Cheatham, MD, the chief surgical quality officer of Orlando (Fla.) Regional Medical Center, shares his experience and the lessons he learned from treating patients in the aftermath of a mass shooting. Click here to continue >>

CFO/ Finance

California Hospital Files for Bankruptcy After Missing Payroll
Tulare (Calif.) Regional Medical Center, a 112-bed hospital managed by Tulare-based HealthCare Conglomerate Associates, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy Saturday. Click here to continue >>

Geisinger's Operating Income Tumbles 34%
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger recorded an operating surplus of $109.6 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, down 34.6 percent from an operating surplus of $167.5 million in the year prior, according to recently released bondholder documents. Click here to continue >>

Tennessee Hospital Closes After Falling 94% Short of GoFundMe Goal

Copper Basin Medical Center, a critical access hospital in Copperhill, Tenn., closed Sunday. Click here to continue >>

Ascension's Net Income More Than Triples to $1.8B

St. Louis-based Ascension saw operating income decline in fiscal year 2017, but the system ended the period with higher net income than the year prior due to strong investment gains. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/ascension-s-net-income-more-than-triples-to-1-8b.htmlClick here to continue >>

Tenet Shutters 4 Regional Management Offices to Cut Costs

5 States With the Highest Out-Of-Pocket Healthcare Spending

Colorado has the highest annual out-of-pocket healthcare spending per family, according to a recent report by the JPMorgan Chase Institute. Click here to continue >>

CMS Revokes Physician's Medicare Billing Privileges Over $670 in Questionable Charges

Bryan Merrick, MD, a physician at McKenzie (Tenn.) Medical Center who has been practicing medicine for more than three decades, says CMS is pulling his Medicare billing privileges due to clerical errors, according to The Jackson Sun. Click here to continue >>

Michael Jordan Donates $7M to Novant Health

Michael Jordan, basketball legend and majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, is donating $7 million to Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health to build two medical clinics.https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/michael-jordan-donates-7m-to-novant-health.html Click here to continue >>

What CMS' New Medicare Cards Mean for Providers: 7 Things to Know

CMS will begin mailing new Medicare ID cards to roughly 58 million beneficiaries next April to meet the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act deadline to remove Social Security numbers from all cards. Click here to continue >>

Edward-Elmhurst's Operating Income Plummets 90% in FY 2017

Edward-Elmhurst Health, a three-hospital system based in Naperville, Ill., saw revenues increase in fiscal year 2017 but ended the period with significantly less operating income than in the year prior. Click here to continue >>

$200M Donation to UC Irvine for Alternative Therapy Meets Criticism

Critics are citing concerns over the $200 million donation to University of California Irvine that will launch a new health program to promote integrative medicine, which combines alternative medicine, such as preventive medicine, therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, with conventional medicine, according to STAT. Click here to continue >>

Hedge Fund Takes Over Adeptus Health

Lewisville, Texas-based Adeptus Health, the largest operator of freestanding emergency rooms in the U.S., has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has been acquired by New York City-based hedge fund Deerfield Management. Click here to continue >>

Dignity Health Hospital to Cover All of Las Vegas Shooting Victims' Medical Bills

While some Las Vegas hospitals said they plan to use the influx of donations they have received to help pay for some of the medical costs incurred by victims of the Oct. 1 shooting, one area hospital claimed it would foot the entire bill for all injured victims, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Click here to continue >>

Proposed Changes to CJR Model Will Cost Medicare $90M Over Next 3 Years

CMS released a proposed rule in August to scale back the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model, a move that is estimated to cost Medicare $90 million over the next three years. Click here to continue >>

LifePoint Divests Georgia Hospital to Piedmont Healthcare

Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health has sold 138-bed Rockdale Medical Center in Conyers, Ga., to Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare. Click here to continue >>

Brigham and Women's Implements $41M Cost-Cutting Initiative: 6 Things to Know

Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, began a cost-cutting drive last year amid increased pressures to reduce costs, STAT reports. Click here to continue >>

Lifetime Health Costs for Las Vegas Shooting Victims at Least $600M

The mass shooting in Las Vegas will cost at least $600 million in lost quality of life, medical bills and follow-up care, estimates Ted Miller, MD, a violence incidence researcher at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, according to the U.S. News. Click here to continue >>

MGMA: 5 Attributes of a Profitable Medical Practice

Englewood, Colo.-based Medical Group Management Association released its "2017 MGMA DataDive Better Performers" study, which includes the five most important attributes of a profitable medical practice. Click here to continue >>

Long-Term Funding Uncertain for Teaching Health Centers in Underserved Areas: 5 Things to Know

Long-term funding is uncertain for teaching health centers aimed at providing primary care physicians in medically underserved areas, according to a California Healthline report. Click here to continue >>

Why Growing Worker Productivity Could be Bad for Hospitals' Medicare Rates

Hospitals could face increased financial pressure from adjusted Medicare reimbursement rates under the ACA, reports The Wall Street Journal. Here are five things to know. Click here to continue >>

Healthcare Spending Growth Drops Below 4% for First Time Since 2014

For the first time since quarter one of 2014, healthcare spending growth fell below 4 percent in the second quarter of 2017, according to an analysis out of the Altarum Institute. Click here to continue >>

High-Volume, Low-Cost Services Reflect Most Unnecessary Medical Spending

Healthcare services costing $538 or less were administered much more frequently than services exceeding that cost, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Click here to continue >>

Higher Coding Productivity Linked to a 25.4% Decrease in Accuracy

Central Learning, a web-based coding assessment and education app in Center Valley, Pa., found average inpatient coder accuracy is 61 percent. Click here to continue >>

Moody's: Proposed Cuts to Medicare 340B Payments Would Hurt Nonprofit Hospital Margins

CMS' proposed changes to 340B Drug Pricing Program payments would harm nonprofit hospital margins, according to Moody's Investors Service. Click here to continue >>

Physicians Call Anthem's New Imaging Reimbursement Guidelines 'Arbitrary and Unwise'

The American College of Radiology, a Reston, Va.-based professional medical society, argued Anthem's new imaging policy for hospital-based MRI and CT scans is "arbitrary and unwise," according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report. The American College of Radiology, a Reston, Va.-based professional medical society, argued Anthem's new imaging policy for hospital-based MRI and CT scans is "arbitrary and unwise," according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report. Click here to continue >>

UPMC Expands International Operations With 50% Stake in Rome Hospital

Pittsburgh-based UPMC has expanded its Italian operations by acquiring a 50 percent ownership stake in Salvator Mundi International Hospital, a 75-bed private hospital in Rome, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Click here to continue >>

Study Finds ACOs Still Focused on Early Stages of Care Redesign

ACOs are gearing up to take on more financial risk, but most still lag in their ability to manage population health, according to a survey of ACOs published in Health Affairs. Click here to continue >>

Few Consumers Seek Healthcare Pricing Information

Although healthcare experts predict consumers are starting to take more control of how they spend their healthcare dollars, a recent survey conducted by Bucknell Institute for Public Policy in Lewisburg, Pa., suggests few consumers even ask for pricing information. Click here to continue >>

CMS' Proposal to Cancel Bundled Payment Models Draws Support From AHA

The American Hospital Association generally supports CMS' proposal to cancel or scale back major bundled payment initiatives, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels wrote in a letter submitted to CMS on Tuesday. Click here to continue >>

Hartford HealthCare, Anthem Break Leaves Tens of Thousands Out-Of-Network

Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare is no longer in-network for Anthem members after failing to negotiate a new contract Sept. 30, according to a Hartford Courant report. Click here to continue >>

OIG: ACOs Reduced Spending by Nearly $1B, 'Show Promise'

The Medicare Shared Savings Program, one of Medicare's largest value-based care demonstrations, proved to be fairly successful over time in reducing spending and improving the quality of care, according to a report from HHS' Office of Inspector General. Click here to continue >>

KentuckyOne Health Transfers Ownership of Clinic for $0

Rather than permanently shutter one of its clinics, Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health transferred ownership of Westside Medical Center Primary Care Clinic to Family Health Centers, both in Louisville, at no charge, according to Louisville Business First. Click here to continue >>

Specialists Could See 16% Variability in Payments Under MIPS in 2018

Physician specialist Medicare Part B payment adjustments could fluctuate by up to 16 percent positively or negatively under the 2018 proposed rule for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, according to an analysis from Avalere, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. Click here to continue >>

Sponsored: How Memorial Hermann is Tackling Consumerism in the Digital Era

Hospitals and health systems are increasingly focusing on consumers as they make up a larger portion of organizations' payer mix and are a crucial revenue source. Click here to continue >>

Steward Health Care Becomes Private Hospital Operator of 36 Hospitals Following Iasis Acquisition

Boston-based Steward Health Care completed its acquisition of Iasis Healthcare, an 18-hospital system in Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 29. Click here to continue >>

CIO/Health IT

Wisconsin Health System Blames Cerner Software for $16M in Losses

Fond Du Lac, Wis.-based Agnesian Healthcare is suing Cerner, claiming issues with its revenue cycle management software caused the system to lose $16 million. Click here to continue >>

Allscripts Completes Acquisition of McKesson's Health IT Business

Allscripts closed its acquisition of McKesson's Enterprise Information Solutions business Oct. 2. Click here to continue >>

Analysis: Amazon Alexa's Biggest Healthcare Problem? It's Not HIPAA Compliant

As Amazon tries to work its way into healthcare, one key technology faces a big problem: its personal assistant, Alexa, is not yet HIPAA compliant, according to an analysis by CNBC digital health reporter Christina Farr. Click here to continue >>

An 'Epic' Win? 6 Highlights From Oral Arguments in Epic v. Lewis

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday on a set of cases involving individual employee arbitration. Click here to continue >>

8 Digital Health Startups With $100M+ Funding Thus Far in 2017

The third quarter of 2017 saw $1.2 billion invested in 83 digital health startups, with an average funding amount of $14.6 million, according to a Rock Health report. Click here to continue >>

43% of CMOs Implementing Precision Medicine Program: 4 Survey Insights

Forty-three percent of CMOs and oncology leaders are currently implementing a precision medicine program at their organization, according to a survey conducted by The Health Management Academy. Click here to continue >>

Study: EMR Password not Protected by Majority of Medical Staff

A majority of medical staff share their EMR passwords, according to a study published in Health Informatics Research. Click here to continue >>

Harvard, MIT Researchers to Develop 'Smart Tattoo' for Glucose Monitoring

A team of researchers from Boston-based Harvard Medical School and Cambridge-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing "smart tattoo ink" to monitor health conditions, the Harvard Gazette reports. Click here to continue >>

UC San Diego, IBM to Launch 'Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living' Center

UC San Diego entered into a multiyear project with IBM Research to establish the Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living Center on the university's campus, IBM announced Sept. 28. Click here to continue >>

Survey: 5 Healthcare Technologies Ranked by Patient Use, Interest

Almost one-third of patients have used text message appointment reminders in the past year, according to a survey out of Tempe, Ariz.-based University of Phoenix College of Health Professions. Click here to continue >>

Change Healthcare Introduces Blockchain for Providers, Payers

Change Healthcare, a Nashville, Tenn.-based health IT company, pledged to support blockchain transactions on its network by the end of the year. Click here to continue >>

75% of Healthcare Organizations Cite Digital Innovation as Part of Long-Term Strategy

The majority of hospital executives (75 percent) say they are investing in digital innovations as part of their organization's long-term strategy and to differentiate them competitively, according to a recent survey. Click here to continue >>

Average 6-Year-Old is Smarter Than Google's AI, Study Finds

Google's artificial intelligence system has an IQ of 47.28, according to recent research reported in CNBC. Click here to continue >>

GAO: 24 Agencies Have Weakness in Core IT Areas

The Government Availability Office found all 24 agencies covered by the Chief Financial Officers Act — which includes HHS, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology — have weaknesses in at least one core IT area, according to a Sept. 28 report. Click here to continue >>

St. Luke's University Health Network Goes Live on Epic: 4 Questions With Revenue Cycle VP Richard Madison

In January 2016, Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's University Health Network commenced its systemwide go-live on an Epic EMR for inpatient records. Click here to continue >>

Outcome Health to Lay Off Employees After Announcing Plans to Add 2k

Chicago-based Outcome Health, a health IT provider, plans to lay off a number of employees, just days after announcing it would hire an additional 2,000 workers over the next five years, reports the Chicago Tribune. Click here to continue >>

McAfee: Healthcare Accounts for 26% of North American Cybersecurity Incidents in Q2

Healthcare surpassed the public sector as the most-breached industry in North America, according to a McAfee Labs report. Click here to continue >>

Venture Capitalist: AI Needs a Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg

Multibillionaire technology investor Jim Breyer, co-founder and CEO of Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture capital firm Breyer Capital, believes one key pioneer will eventually emerge to guide artificial intelligence, reports CNBC. Click here to continue >>

Baltimore IT Director's $250k Salary Surpasses Police Chief, Mayor

With a $250,000 salary, Baltimore's new CIO and chief digital officer Frank Johnson is among the highest-paid city employee, reports The Baltimore Sun. Click here to continue >>

56% of Hospital CIOs, CMIOs Struggle With Data Governance, Survey Finds

Fifty-six percent of hospitals have incomplete or non-existent enterprisewide data governance processes in place, according to a survey by business intelligence solutions provider Dimensional Insight. Click here to continue >>

How Telemedicine Improves Rural Pregnancies: 5 Things to Know

Telemedicine technology is supporting positive health outcomes for rural women with high-risk pregnancies, according to The Wall Street Journal. Click here to continue >>

Google Research Expands Healthcare Team With UChicago Medicine Hire

Michael Howell, MD, joined Google Research as the division's chief clinical strategist earlier this month, a Google spokesperson confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review via email. Click here to continue >>

Survey: 55% of Healthcare IT Leaders say They Need More Visibility Into BYOD, Survey Finds

Seventy-six percent of healthcare respondents in IT departments agree their organizations need visibility to detect and mitigate human errors and misuse, according to a Netwrix report. Click here to continue >>

Telemedicine: A Force Multiplier in Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. is facing an opioid crisis — one so severe that on Aug. 10, President Donald Trump declared it a national emergency. Click here to continue >>

Survey: 3 Common Ransomware Infection Vectors

The plurality of corporate IT and security professionals — 42 percent — ranked ransomware as a moderate cyberthreat, according to a Crowd Research Partners report. Click here to continue >>

Minnesota Hospital Notifies Patients of Breach After Failing to 'BCC' a Mass Email

Waconia, Minn.-based Ridgeview Medical Center alerted patients Sept. 8 of a security breach that affected some of their personal information, a hospital spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review. Click here to continue >>

Legacy Systems Rank No. 1 Among Federal IT Execs' Top Cybersecurity Challenges

The most-cited challenge federal agencies face in cybersecurity are vulnerabilities from aging applications and technologies, according to a survey by Grant Thornton and the Professional Services Council. Click here to continue >>

Hospital Leaders Should Be Weary of Accidental Insider Mistakes, Better Prepare Employees

As cyberattacks become more frequent and complex, healthcare leaders must apply new approaches to train their employees on cybersecurity. Click here to continue >>

Startup Insider: 5 Questions With Edgility CEO Balaji Ramadoss on Situational Awareness

For the past year, Edgility has worked to bring mission control — a concept most readily associated with NASA launches and military operations — to the healthcare space. Click here to continue >>

US Adds 3.2k IT Jobs in September: 4 Things to Know

There were 3,200 new jobs added to the IT sector in September, according to a CompTIA analysis. Click here to continue >>

Global Telemedicine Market to Experience 16.5% Annual Growth Rate Through 2023

The global telemedicine market is anticipated to experience rapid growth over the next six years, according to a Market Research Future report. Click here to continue >>

54% of Americans Think Their Data Is Safe From Hackers: 4 Survey Insights

Even though a majority of Americans (82 percent) agree cyberattacks are more of a threat now than they were five years ago, 54 percent feel their data is safe from hackers, according to a ReportLinker survey. Click here to continue >>

Survey: Reimbursement Is No. 1 Barrier to Telehealth Expansion

The No. 1 barrier healthcare organizations cite as a hindrance to expanding their telehealth programs is reimbursement, according to a joint report out of KLAS Research and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. Click here to continue >>

Sponsored: Managing the Who, Where and When of Data — 3 Keys to Success in Value-Based Care

As healthcare organizations begin to apply analytics to care delivery, data has become a hospital's most valuable asset — and one of the most challenging to manage. Click here to continue >>

CEO/Strategy

CEO / STRATEGY

HHS Withdraws 3 Proposed Rules: 6 Things to Know

HHS withdrew three proposed rules Tuesday, including one that would have tested a new Medicare Part B drug payment model. Here are six things to know about the proposed rules. Click here to continue >>

Physician Shortage Drives New York Medical Group to Close 3 Centers, Cut 202 Jobs

Lifetime Health Medical Group, a medical practice with nine locations in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., will close three health centers and lay off 202 employees. Click here to continue >>

Louisiana Health System to Eliminate 232 Jobs

Shreveport, La.-based Willis-Knighton Health System will lay off 55 employees immediately and eventually cut another 177 jobs via retirement and attrition. Click here to continue >>

26 Pediatricians, Specialists Leave Mississippi Hospital in 1 Year

Approximately 22 pediatricians and four specialists have left Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center since July 2016, according to The Clarion-Ledger. Click here to continue >>

Missouri Hospital Lays Off 50, Plans to Close Inpatient Pediatrics Nursing Unit

Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, Mo., which is managed by St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare, laid off 50 employees Monday due to financial challenges caused by low patient volume and dwindling reimbursement. Click here to continue >>

Lahey Health to Cut Roughly 75 Jobs to Shore Up Finances

Burlington, Mass.-based Lahey Health will lay off roughly 75 people to help close a budget gap, according to The Boston Globe. Click here to continue >>

13 Universities Team Up to Enhance Professionalism in Medical Education

Thirteen medical schools teamed up to teach future healthcare providers about the importance of medical professionalism, DrexelNow reports. Click here to continue >>

Does KB Home's Reaction to CEO Rant Signal a New Age for Executive Accountability?

While CEOs of major companies have historically not been held accountable for public acts of bad behavior, with punishments mostly limited to slaps on the wrist, a new era for executive accountability may be emerging, according to The Washington Post. Click here to continue >>

Quorum Health Board of Directors Member Resigns: 5 Things to Know

Adam Feinstein, a member of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health Corp.'s board of directors, resigned, effective Sept. 28. Here are five things to know. Click here to continue >>

Leadership is a Profession, Not a Position

Though many people associate leadership with particular roles, it is actually a mindset independent of position, according Mike Harbour, the president and founder of Harbour Resources, a leadership consulting, training and talent management firm based in Little Rock, Ark. Click here to continue >>

Former Cleveland Clinic Executive Pleads Guilty in $2.7M Fraud Scheme

The former executive director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the development and commercialization arm of Cleveland Clinic, has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to defraud the hospital system out of more than $2.7 million, according to cleveland.com. Click here to continue >>

Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter Steps Down

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's longtime leader Trevor Fetter stepped down from his role as CEO and resigned as a director of the company on Monday. Click here to continue >>

How 1 Simple Framework Could Help Reduce Physician Burnout

Physician burnout is one of the most pressing issues facing the healthcare industry, but utilizing one simple framework could help providers evaluate and address its root causes, according to the Harvard Business Review. Click here to continue >>

PeaceHealth to Lay Off 95

Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth will lay off 95 employees as it outsources work to health information management firms in Georgia and Missouri, according to The Columbian. Click here to continue >>

MemorialCare Unveils New Branding

Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare unveiled a new brand this week that includes an updated logo and a new naming practice that will place the MemorialCare name ahead of all system entities. Click here to continue >>

St. Francis to Rebrand Following U of Kansas Health System, Ardent Takeover

St. Francis Health, a 378-bed hospital in Topeka, Kan., will rebrand once Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System and Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services assume ownership of the hospital, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. Click here to continue >>

Nearly 70% of Hospitals Are in Health Systems

As of the end of 2016, the U.S. housed 626 health systems, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality analysis. Click here to continue >>

Millennials Represent Boon to Nurse Workforce, Join Ranks at Twice the Rate of Baby Boomers

Millennials are becoming nurses at nearly double the rate of baby boomers, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Click here to continue >>

10 Cities That Added the Most Hospital Jobs in 10 Years

Hospitals across the country have fueled job creation and helped slash unemployment rates significantly in the past decade. Click here to continue >>

Do Leaders Need a Formal Degree, or Are Executive Certificates OK? 3 Thoughts

In today's business landscape, leaders are expected to be educated, but it's not always clear if the top performers in any given field require a formal degree or if continuing-education certificates fulfill necessary qualifications, according to the Harvard Business Review. Click here to continue >>

6 Major Healthcare Salary and Employment Trends to Know

Job demand and salary continue to increase within healthcare despite industry uncertainties, according to the Health eCareers 2017–2018 Salary Guide. Click here to continue >>

New Healthy Menu Item at Geisinger: The Feinburger, in Honor of CEO Dr. David Feinberg

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System introduced a menu item to coincide with National Cheeseburger Day Sept. 18 and named the dish in honor of the health system's top executive, according to The Daily Item. Click here to continue >>

Why This Company Is Integrating Talent Management Into Its C-Suite

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest brewing companies in the world and owes the success of its personnel to a focus on talent management within the C-suite, according to an op-ed in Chief Executive. Click here to continue >>

VA Secretary Fires Former Director of Washington DC's VA Hospital — Again

The U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin fired Brian Hawkins, the medical director of Washington D.C.VA Medical Center, again Wednesday, according to the Federal News Radio. Click here to continue >>

Viewpoint: 'The Very Best Hospitals in America Are Still Run by Physician Chief Executives'

The American healthcare system has a physician autonomy problem, according to Sandeep Jauhar, MD, PhD, a practicing cardiologist and opinion writer for The New York Times. Click here to continue >>

Allina Nurses Seek Federal Mediator 1 Year After Ending Strike

The Minnesota Nurses Association on Wednesday filed a complaint against Minneapolis-based Allina Health, alleging the system has not lived up to a provision in the contract that ended a 37-day nurse strike last year, according to the StarTribune. Click here to continue >>

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capital-and-risk/allina-nurses-seek-federal-mediator-1-year-after-ending-strike.html

Sponsored: MACRA: How Payers and Providers Can Close the Readiness Gap

Two years after the passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and six months into the first performance year of the law's Quality Payment Program, health plans, health systems and physician groups are still trying to get up to speed on program requirements, close gaps in readiness and identify strategies for success, according to Optum. Click here to continue >>

CMO/ Care Delivery

10 Most Overused Medical Tests, Treatments

Recent findings suggest physicians and healthcare practitioners continue to overuse and overprescribe various medical tests and treatments, according to an Oct. 2 study published in JAMA. Click here to continue >>

Study Finds Physician Satisfaction Not Associated With Better Quality Care

Although high levels of job satisfaction can improve burnout and retention rates, enjoying the practice of medicine does not appear to be correlated to better quality care or fewer medical errors, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Click here to continue >>

CVS Is Now Limiting Opioid Prescriptions

As part of several new measures to curb the rate of opioid addiction and overdoses, CVS Health is enacting seven-day opioid prescription limitations for acute conditions, the company announced Thursday. Click here to continue >>

Chicagoland's Ever-Growing DuPage Medical Group Launches Resident Recruitment Program

Downers Grove, Ill.-based DuPage Medical Group signed the first individual to its recruitment initiative, DMG Catalyst Program, Sept. 25. Downers Grove, Ill.-based DuPage Medical Group signed the first individual to its recruitment initiative, DMG Catalyst Program, Sept. 25. Click here to continue >>

Merritt Hawkins: 50% of Final-Year Medical Residents Received 100+ Job Solicitations During Training

Approximately 50 percent of medical residents received more than 100 job solicitations during their final year of training, according survey findings published by Merritt Hawkins. Click here to continue >>

28% of Physicians Can't Keep Up With Patient Schedules, Report Says

Roughly 28 percent of physicians said they fall behind on their appointment schedules daily, according to a recent report from Medscape. Click here to continue >>

This Wound Dressing Changes Color When Bacterial Infections Present

Researchers from the University of Victoria in Canada developed a smart bandage that can detect the first signs of a wound infection, according to research published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Click here to continue >>

New York Medicaid Expansion Worsened Racial Disparities in Surgical Cancer Care Access

After New York expanded Medicaid in 2001, racial disparities in residents' access to surgical cancer care widened in the state, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons Click here to continue >>

Integris Treatment Facility Aims to Combat Opioid Addiction

Oklahoma City-based Integris Health is planning to open Integris Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery in Edmond, Okla., which will provide treatment for addiction, mental illness and trauma. Click here to continue >>

Why Having a Baby May Prevent Women From Pursuing Surgical Residencies

Many female surgical residents are forgoing maternity leave following pregnancy — against the advice of their own physicians — in an effort to complete their residency programs within a relatively normal timeframe, Bloomberg reports. Click here to continue >>

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/why-having-a-baby-may-prevent-women-from-pursuing-surgical-residencies.html

Residency Program Probation Lifted for Summa Health

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lifted the probation against Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health that restricted the system from re-establishing its emergency medicine residency program, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Click here to continue >>

Study: Online Physician Ratings Not Indicative of Care Quality

Online physician ratings are a poor indicator of clinical performance, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Click here to continue >>

Viewpoint: Pressure to Reduce Readmissions Can Hinder Care Quality, Patient Safety

While CMS' Hospital Readmission Reduction Program successfully reduces readmissions, the program may also produce unintended care consequences that threaten patient safety, according to an op-ed published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Click here to continue >>

Arkansas VA Hospital Under Review for Not Updating Surgical Equipment Cleaning Processes

The Veterans Health System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, Ark., failed to follow manufacturer updates regarding proper cleaning procedures for equipment used in eye surgery, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Click here to continue >>

Hospital Food Can Carry MRSA, VRE

A new study, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, examined the role of hospital food in transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Click here to continue >>

CMS Postpones October Hospital Star Ratings Update: 5 Things to Know

CMS will not update Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on its Hospital Compare website in October, according to AHA News Now. Click here to continue >>

Hershey Medical Center Cited for Care Delays That Contributed to 2 Patient Deaths

State health officials recently issued five citations against Penn State Health's Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center over delayed care for three patients, two of which later died, according to a report from Lebanon Daily News. Click here to continue >>

Survey: 1 in 5 Americans Say They've Experienced a Medical Error

More than 20 percent of Americans say they have experienced a medical error, according to a recent survey. Click here to continue >>

Study: Medicare Places Few Prescribing Restrictions on Opioids

Medicare plans enact few limitations on prescription opioids, despite federal guidelines recommending restrictions on these drugs, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Click here to continue >>

Sepsis Initiatives May Hinder Antibiotic Stewardship, Boost C. Diff Rates

Sepsis screening and treatment protocols in healthcare settings may inadvertently cause increased antibiotic use and Clostridium difficile infection rates, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Click here to continue >>

7 Things to Know About the History and Science Behind Opioid Addiction

Recreational opiate use and opiate addiction has taken many forms throughout history, according to PBS Newshour. Click here to continue >>

Survey Finds Patients Want More Time With Physicians

While 9 in 10 patients believe the patient-physician relationship is the most essential component of high-quality healthcare, just 1 in 10 patients feel they get enough face time with their physicians, according to a survey commissioned by The Physicians Foundation. Click here to continue >>

70% of Physician Assistants Are Women, yet Gender Pay Gap Still Persists

A new study from the American Academy of Physician Assistants has found that for every dollar a male PA earns, his female counterpart earns 89 cents. Click here to continue >>

88% of Healthcare Professionals Experience Workplace Violence

The majority of healthcare professionals said they have been victims of verbal and physical violence at the hands of colleagues and patients, according to a recent Medscape poll. Click here to continue >>

Physicians: 20.6% of Medical Treatment is Unnecessary + 4 More Survey Findings

According to physicians, overtreatment is common and fear of malpractice lawsuits is overwhelmingly cited as the reason why, a study published in Plos One shows. Click here to continue >>

National Quality Forum's New Roadmap Aims to Minimize Healthcare Disparities

The National Quality Forum released a roadmap for healthcare stakeholders, which is designed to help them eliminate healthcare disparities. Click here to continue >>

Increasing Nurse's Workload by 1 Patient Ups Odds of Patient Death by 7%

Missed nursing care and higher nurse workloads increase the risk of patients dying following common hospital surgical procedures, according to a study published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies. Click here to continue >>

Malpractice Fears Are No. 1 Cause of Overtreatment, Physicians Say

Physicians overall feel overtreatment is common in healthcare, according to a study in PLOS One. Click here to continue >>

40% of Physicians Don't Seek Mental Healthcare for Fear of Losing Their License

A recent study by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic found that 40 percent of physicians would be reluctant to seek help for mental health issues because they fear it would affect the status of their medical license. Click here to continue >>

10 Consumer Engagement Strategies, as Ranked by Healthcare Providers

The majority of healthcare providers — 72 percent — cited investment in consumer engagement as a top priority, according to a Change Healthcare report. Click here to continue >>

10 Statistics on RN Compensation in 2016

The average full-time registered nurse earned $80,000 in 2016, according to a report from Medscape. Click here to continue >>

Sponsored: Addressing Opioid Abuse? Payer-Provider Collaboration is Key, Says This Cigna CMO

The opioid epidemic is a complex issue that will require a multipronged approach to address, according to Doug Nemecek, MD, MBA, CMO of behavioral health for Bloomfield, Conn.–based Cigna. Click here to continue >>