Managed Care Weekly Digest

Information Technology - Bradley Memorial Hospital selects Eclipsys Outsourcing

Information Technology - East Jefferson General Hospital to adds clinical IT solutions

Information Technology - HealthPartners Clinics introduce online appointment scheduling

Information Technology - Healthaxis augments marketing and sales team with two new appointments

Information Technology - MEDecision delivers integrated medical management to BCBS of Massachusetts

Information Technology - Network to allow electronic exchange of prescription information

Information Technology - New Jersey center joins ranks of ProSolv CardioVascular users

Information Technology - Pilot program aims to prevent Medicaid fraud, abuse, waste

Information Technology - Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital selects Amelior ED patient care system

Information Technology - Web-based retail pharmacy network enrolls with RxScan to minimize errors

Information Technology - Wireless solutions help improve patient care

Injury Prevention - Alcohol-related emergency department visits more frequent than believed

Internet - Online hospital access draws critics

Kidney Disease - African Americans unaware of high kidney disease risk

Laboratory Services - Swedish Medical Center inks lab-services agreement with LabCorp

Legal Issues - Pennsylvania sues drug makers over pricing practices

Legal Issues - Suspended psychologist loses Ohio license

Legislative Issues - Any-willing-provider law back under wraps in Arkansas

Legislative Issues - Bill encourages retired physicians to volunteer services

Legislative Issues - Iowa Senate passes bill encouraging long-term care insurance

Legislative Issues - Kentucky seeking to lure more health insurers

Liver Cancer - Radiofrequency ablation liver treatment establishes reimbursement policies

Liver Disease - Hepatitis C virus carriers need access to quality, continuous care

Market Analysis - Americans might be getting better deal on pharmaceuticals than Europeans

Market Analysis - Twenty-two year analysis shows overall media coverage of HIV/AIDS decreasing

Medical Errors - New Mexico doctors face license loss

Medical Errors - Talking chips invented for prescription bottles

Medical Malpractice - Debate over limiting jury awards comes to Pennsylvania Senate

Medical Malpractice - Doctor suspended after allegedly showing up for surgery drunk

Medical Malpractice - Insurer to leave Wyoming

Medical Malpractice - Pennsylvania Senate approves bill to cap liability awards

Medical Malpractice - Pennsylvania doctor convicted in drugs-for-sex trial

Medical Malpractice - Prosecutors say dentist performed unnecessary surgery

Medicare - Florida doctor convicted of fraud

Medication - Doctors say take medication with milk when food is unavailable

Mental Health - Maine's court master says courts should no longer manage psychiatric facilities

Mental Health - Oregon settlement sends 69 patients home from mental hospital

Mergers & Acquisitions - Amedisys finalizes deal to purchase home care agencies from Tenet

Mergers & Acquisitions - Anthem-WellPoint merger wouldn't hurt consumers, regulators say

Mergers & Acquisitions - Attentus Healthcare reiterates interest in acquisition of SunLink

Mergers & Acquisitions - Holding company acquires Skyline Orthopedics, Inc.

Mergers & Acquisitions - Invacare acquires California seating-products maker

Mergers & Acquisitions - LabOne completes acquisition of Northwest Toxicology

Mergers & Acquisitions - Molina Healthcare to acquire Health Care Horizons in New Mexico

Mergers & Acquisitions - MultiPlan closes acquisition of BCE Emergis U.S. provider network operations

Mergers & Acquisitions - RehabCare Group, Inc., announces acquisitions

Mergers & Acquisitions - SHPS Holdings, Inc., and Landacorp, Inc., sign merger agreement

Military Health - Report says U.S. Defense Department failed to bill private insurers for millions

Myocardial Infarction - Beta blockers usage low despite insurance

Myocardial Infarction - Emory researchers find race and gender gaps in treatment of heart attack

Myocardial Infarction - State-required CME: No effect on heart attack care, boosts use of branded drugs

Myocardial Infarction - State-required continuing medical education does not affect heart attack care

Nursing Practices - Delnor-Community Hospital wins "magnet" designation from ANA

Obesity Therapy - Web-based assessment tool targets bariatric surgery program analysis

Osteoporosis - Vertebral fractures are under-reported in elderly patients

Palliative Care - Hawaii house tables measure on 'death with dignity' proposal

Partner Abuse - Nurses urged to increase safety-promoting behaviors of abused women

Patient Monitoring - FDA clears monitoring system

Patient Privacy - Group testifies against creating database of the disabled

Patient Privacy - New Mexico hospital criticized for patient information handling

Patient Safety - Care of patients who transition across healthcare settings needs improvement

Personnel - Baptist Health System chairman resigns

Personnel - Consumer health organization names new chairman of the board

Personnel - Daniel Wiens named executive VP of operations, MED3OOO Group, Inc.

Personnel - Healthcare company announces new member of board of directors

Personnel - Neonatologist to join Pediatrix as vice president, research and education

Personnel - New Center for Medicare Management administrator named

Personnel - New chief administrative officer named for South Pointe Hospital

Personnel - New leader named for Nebraska's Health and Human Services Department

Personnel - Northwestern Memorial names Patrick McCarthy as chief of cardiac surgery

Personnel - Obourn named senior VP at health insurance firm

Personnel - Pharmacy benefits management company names new vice president, customer care

Personnel - VitalWorks appoints new member to board of directors

Prescription Drug Benefits - United Methodist Church offers discounts on prescription medications

Preventive Medicine - Panel discusses new "before-onset care" paradigm

Professional Training - Insurer announces $3 million in nurse training scholarships

Public-Employee Health Insurance - Albuquerque city employees on military duty receive insurance warnings

Quality Assurance - Insurance complaints in Oregon for second year

Quality Assurance - STAT Care Inc. announces clinical software to reduce ER medical error risk

Quality Assurance - Stark differences in care revealed at top U.S. hospitals

Quality Assurance - Strategic alliance helps health plans monitor quality of network care

Radiology Resources - Cardiac imaging digital community launched

Regulatory Issues - 'Certificate of Need' laws lead to improved patient outcomes for some procedures

Reimbursement - AMA panel agrees to establish Category I CPT code for Essure

Respiratory Therapy - Rotech Healthcare announces new agreements with Gentiva Health Services

Spinal Surgery - Abington Memorial Hospital orthopedists testing new surgical materials

Staffing - MT Ultimate Healthcare signs with CABS Nursing Home

State Medicaid - Budget tug-of-war threatens Medicaid program funding in Georgia

State Medicaid - Florida KidCare bill signed, removing 90,000 kids from waiting list

State Medicaid - Governor looks to university medical center to help reform TennCare

Stroke - Association tools help hospitals improve stroke care

Weight Reduction - Group calls for comprehensive solutions to help reduce obesity