JWT INSIDE HEALTH CARE NEWSLETTER
Week of July 19, 2010
*Maryland
Md. adds patients' ratings to statewide hospital guide
The Maryland Health Care Commission on Thursday added a slew of new
data to its
online guide to help consumers compare the quality of care at hospitals
around
the state. The website, http://mhcc.maryland.gov/consumerinfo/hospitalguide/index.htm,
will
allow consumers to compare prices and services at 46 Maryland
hospitals. The
new data on the website show how patients rate the care they receive at
Maryland hospitals by various major clinical services, such as
maternity,
medical and surgical services. The website will also show the number of
hospital health care workers who received seasonal flu vaccines. The
patient
experience data on the website was taken from the Hospital Consumer
Assessment
of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, a national survey of
patients'
perspectives of hospital care. The survey
asked patients to rate their recent hospital stay on: communication
with their nurses and doctors; responsiveness of
hospital staff; cleanliness and quietness of the hospital environment;
pain
management; and, communication about medications and discharge
information. (Baltimore
Business
Journal, 07/16/10)
*Massachusetts
Taunton's Morton Hospital closing two programs, instituting hiring
freeze
A hiring freeze and program closings were announced Thursday by Morton
Hospital
and Medical Center as the community-based hospital struggles to deal
with
declining reimbursements from private insurers and Medicare and
Medicaid
programs. Morton Hospital plans to close its transitional care unit and
occupational health services program within the next 60 to 90 days,
according
to a press release from the hospital. About 43 employees will be
impacted. (Taunton
Daily
Gazette, 07/22/10)
*National
Feds to spend $144M to train health IT workers
Beginning this fall, more than 80 community colleges and universities in
the U.S.
will begin training health care IT workers under a government grant
program
created to help fill an estimated 50,000 jobs needed to assist doctors
and
hospitals as they roll out electronic medical records (EMR). The
estimated
50,000 trainees are in addition to people already being trained in
existing IT
programs in U.S. universities, according to Dr. Charles Friedman, chief
scientific officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology. The agency estimates it will spend $144 million
in
grant money to develop and implement curricula in colleges and
universities to
train the health care IT workers. (Computerworld, 07/16/10)
*National
Community cancer clinic closings on the rise
The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) announced that due to severe year
after
year cuts to Medicare reimbursement for cancer care, community
oncologists
around the U.S. are closing offices at a rate rapidly increasing since
January
2010. Reductions in staff, services and facilities are also on the
rise. Specifically,
39 community cancer clinics in 15 states across the U.S. have closed or
are in
the process of closing since this January 2010 date due to financial
pressures
from severe cuts in Medicare reimbursement for cancer care. If this
trend
continues, the number of closures could double by the end of this year.
Compounding
the problem, the nation is losing oncologists relative to the mandate
for
cancer care. By 2020, there will be a shortage of 4,080 oncologists,
causing
cancer patient demand to outstrip the supply. It is estimated that by
2020, one
in four cancer patients will be short an oncologist. Additionally, as
oncologists retire, fewer physicians are choosing to treat cancer.
National
Analysts reported that one in five (20%) oncologists would discourage a
medical
student/resident from pursuing a career in oncology, versus only 3% who
would
have done so in 2003, prior to the problems caused by year-over-year
Medicare
cuts. (Managed Care Weekly Digest,
07/26/10)
RECENTLY PUBLISHED
U.S. News releases 2010 Best Hospitals rankings
U.S. News Media Group has released the 2010-11
Best Hospitals rankings, marking the 21st year of the influential
annual
analysis. The rankings, including an Honor Roll of 14 hospitals with
high
scores in six or more specialties, are posted online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals
and will be featured in the August print issue of U.S.News
& World Report, which will go on sale July 27.
The latest rankings showcase 152 different
medical centers ranked in one or more of 16 specialties: cancer;
diabetes and
endocrinology; ear, nose, and throat; gastroenterology; geriatrics;
gynecology;
heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery;
ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; pulmonology; rehabilitation;
rheumatology, and urology. Full data is available online for 1,740 more
hospitals that met the eligibility requirements but did not score high
enough
to be ranked. A feature of the online 2010-11 Best Hospitals guide is a
video
exploration of rankings in three high-profile specialties — cancer,
heart and
heart surgery, and neurology and neurosurgery — and the Honor Roll.
"The
videos not only bring Best Hospitals to life, but also highlight
examples of
first-rate hospitals that provide high-quality care," said U.S.
News Editor Brian Kelly. (U.S.
News & World Report press
release, 07/15/10)
RECENT LAYOFFS
Morton Hospital, Taunton MA (43)
St. James Healthcare, Butte MT (40)
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