Healthcare experts have reported an alarming rise in cases of the potentially fatal illness that nearly claimed my mother’s life a little more than a year ago - Legionnaire’s Disease. "Legionaries' disease can happen in a variety of ways," said Stephen Ostroff, physician service representative for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. "It … [Read more...]
National Spike in Legionnaire’s Cases
Always Events: A New Initiative for Patient Care
Hospital Physicians and other healthcare providers will soon hear about "Always Events" - a new initiative aimed at significantly elevating the standard for the patient care in US healthcare facilities. This new standard is described in a recent white paper by the Picker Institute, and is likely to also involve outsourced physicians. The term … [Read more...]
Engaging Physicians in a Shared Quality Agenda
Hospital Physician engagement in quality and safety - a framework worth revisiting. Six primary elements essential for the engagement of physicians in quality and safety, are noted in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's white paper titled Engaging Physicians in a Shared Quality Agenda. In this previously published paper, the following are … [Read more...]
When Ambulatory Services Should Consider Outsourcing
For many Ambulatory Surgery Centers, providing adequate patient care is challenging enough, so when should they consider hiring an outsourcing company to handle billing matters and such? According to “Becker’s ASC Review” when Ambulatory Surgery Centers experience the following circumstances, they should consider exploring outsourced physician … [Read more...]
Florida’s “Pill Mill Bill” Cracks Down on Abuse
Florida’s physician services sector is getting serious about an issue that has been making newspaper headlines across the country – pill mill busts. The state’s “pill mill bill,” which passed in July, has been successful in stopping physicians from writing excessive prescriptions for potent (and potentially deadly) pain medications. According … [Read more...]