9/11 Responders in "Sicko" investigated

I think we have bigger fish to fry in this country and I'm sure if there's a fine to pay, Mr. Moore will gladly contribute to the cause, but for goodness sakes let's not lock them up and hopefully make sure they get the medical attention they need.  BD 

After suffering more than five years of health problems related to his volunteer work at Ground Zero, Maywood resident Bill Maher felt he had nothing to lose joining documentarian Michael Moore on a sneak trip to Cuba for medical treatment, captured on film in the new movie "Sicko."

Maher knew he was taking a risk journeying to the communist country with the controversial director, but he didn't think he was breaking any laws. He was surprised to learn on Thursday, however, that he faces criminal charges for violating travel restrictions.

He and two other 9/11 responders featured in the picture are under investigation by the Treasury Department, which is building a case against Moore.

"We were traveling for journalistic purposes," said Maher, 54. "I never even thought about any kind of legal restrictions."  "The reason they have a bug up their butt is about Michael," said Maher. "It's ridiculous. What about paying attention to the 9/11 responders who are dying, who can't get any help? If we wind up going to jail, it's going to send another message out. Instead of helping (sick Ground Zero volunteers), they're locking them up."

Breaking News From New Jersey: NJ.com

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'I don't like talking about it' says Ms Judy from Romper Room - another good reason for electronic records

Good article telling about a patient with cancer having to relive the entire ordeal with each physician she meets with.  BD 

She has never liked talking about the cancer in her body. Talking about it is a reminder of the ugly turns in her life.

But in the years since Judy Fulton's battle began, she has discovered that there's something a lot worse than talking about her medical history, and it is this:

Since her breast cancer diagnosis in 2002, Judy Fulton, 67, has had to tell her story to nearly a dozen different physicians. She says she favors electronic medical records because they take the burden off the patient and make the system work more efficiently.

That may not seem all that troublesome. Filling out forms at the beginning of each doctor's appointment is for many just a necessary nuisance.

But for patients with chronic and acute diseases like Fulton, where the number of doctors you see can grow into the double digits, accurately relating a medical history is more than a nuisance. It can mean the difference between life and death.

Fulton knew she had a long fight ahead of her. To make life a little easier, she decided to transfer from her doctor in Atlanta to one closer to home.

She requested that her medical records be transferred to Kennestone, but doctors couldn't. She would have to do it. She went to Kinko's and made five copies of everything in her file.

She hoped this would be enough for the doctors she'd have to see in coming months. It wasn't. Each time she saw a new doctor, she had to fill out another medical history, from diagnosis to treatments to medications and her reactions to them.

"You tell your story over and over and over," she said.

"Any technological advances will be a gift to any patient," she said. "This isn't about the care, it's about the process."

'I don't like talking about it' | ajc.com

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Another California hospital not making the Medicare grade - Enloe still caring for Medicare patients

 

Enloe Medical Center wants to reassure Medicare beneficiaries that they can still be treated at the Chico hospital.

After reading a story in the Enterprise-Record Thursday, some people jumped to the mistaken conclusion that Medicare beneficiaries could no longer get care at Enloe, said Laura Hennum, a spokesperson for the hospital.

That's absolutely wrong, she said. People on Medicare can still be treated at Enloe, and the hospital will be paid by the government for taking care of them, she said. Nothing at all has changed in that regard.

What's happened is that Medicare has warned Enloe that unless certain improvements are made, the hospital will be at risk of losing its certification to take care of Medicare patients and be paid for doing so. But that hasn't happened yet, and it's very unlikely it will happen, Hennum said.

Yancer said she has let personnel at Enloe know there will be significant consequences for not following the rules. People who feel the rules don't apply to them will find themselves no longer working for Enloe, she said.

Yancer expressed confidence Enloe would once again find itself in compliance and will meet all of Medicare's standards, although it may take some time.

http://www.chicoer.com/breakingnews/ci_6210804

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OC jury awards $11 million to man in medical malpractice case

 

SANTA ANA, Calif. (Map, News) - A 45-year-old man who suffered a stroke because doctors failed to treat an infection that spread to his brain was awarded $11.7 million in damages by a jury.

The jury on Friday awarded the judgment to Joey Crumes, who at the time he was treated in 2004 was working as a health technician at the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

When Crumes went to the emergency room at Mission Hospital, he told doctors that in 1993 he was operated on for cancer in the right sinus area. During that operation, doctors removed a tumor, as well as his right eye and a portion of his sinus cavity.

Spradlin said Lawson ordered a CT scan, but Crumes ultimately was sent home with a painkiller and orders to seek further treatment if his condition worsened.

Five days later, Crumes lapsed into a coma, and doctors discovered an infection that had spread to his brain.

OC jury awards $11 million to man in medical malpractice case - Examiner.com

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Blythe hospital facing shutdown

Update on the story, definitely a sad state of affairs for everyone involved and medical care suffers all the way around.  BD

Palo Verde Hospital lost $350,000 in May and is on track to lose $500,000 in June, said Richard Fallon, president of Advanced Hospital Management, the San Diego-based company that manages the hospital for the Palo Verde Health Care District.

Fallon blames the situation on Dr. Hossain Sahlolbei, the hospital's sole surgeon and its chief of staff. Sahlolbei's refusal to perform surgeries at the hospital since early May because of a contract dispute has caused hospital revenues to plunge, Fallon said.

Fallon said the issues relate to the role Sahlolbei would have in selecting a second surgeon to work in Blythe, and Sahlolbei's insistence on a contract of at least five years.

Sahlolbei, who has been at the hospital for more than eight years, has been on vacation in his home country of Iran since early June and was unavailable for comment.

Blythe hospital facing shutdown | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

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Wal-Mart to Host Health Event

 More retailer involvement in health education.  BD

Jun. 22--The Meridian Wal-Mart will host a health and safety event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday. The store will distribute free health materials. Dozens of healthcare and community organizations will be on hand to provide screenings and demonstrations, and to answer health questions.

Wal-Mart to Host Health Event - Health - RedOrbit

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Lines Drawn in Calif. Health Care Debate

 

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- If California lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger strike a health care reform deal this year, Thursday may go down as the beginning of the great debate.

Assembly and Senate Democratic leaders closed ranks, combining two competing health care bills into one that rejects Schwarzenegger's vision for requiring everyone in the state to obtain health insurance.

Lines Drawn in Calif. Health Care Debate: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

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New technique in the delivery room

Baby wants beer...BD

Video: Beer Ad

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Visit your Doctor on the Net

Nice video showing a visit to the doctor via use of the Internet.  Dr. Bill Crounse of Microsoft does a good job in showing how some of our visits in the future may work.  The interaction portion with showing the portion of the body is using Microsoft Paint and the video interaction is supplied by a simple web cam...nice show.  BD

Video: Visit Your Doctor on the Net

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Spoof on Microsoft Surface Technology

This is funny....BD

Video: Parody of Microsoft Surface

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Medical Error Is The Fifth-Leading Cause Of Death In The U.S.

Something that is within our power to improve upon.  BD

Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence has conducted a detailed and thorough analysis of the acute care clinical information systems (CIS) market and finds that a major driver in the US is the demand for improvement in patient safety.

Medical errors are the fifth-leading cause of deaths in the US, with up to 98,000 deaths annually. According to the new report entitled US Markets for Acute Care Clinical Information Systems, hospitals are adopting CIS to help them provide adequate, timely care and reduce the frequency of preventable errors.
"Medical errors in the healthcare system arise from miscommunication, physician order transcription errors, adverse drug events, or incomplete patient medical records," says David Plow, Senior Analyst at MRG. "Generally, medical errors are caused by overcrowded, understaffed clinical areas with complex workflow patterns, and incomplete or inefficient communication between clinical areas. Through the use of a CIS, professionals within each clinical area are able to access and use information pertinent to a patient's medical profile and history. As a result, CIS can effectively help prevent errors and enhance patient safety.

Medical Error Is The Fifth-Leading Cause Of Death In The U.S.

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Health Insurers Show 14 Percent Increase in Use of MIB Data

The MIB  has been around for many years and much of the information they provide is used to combat fraud, but on the other hand this information is used by subscribers to analyze applicants for all types of insurance.  The agency provides the information to it's members and how the information is used by the individual underwriters is up to the individual company.   With the increased use stated in this article, it appears the activity in generating information searches is on the rise.  BD

LAS VEGAS, June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Institute 2007, AHIP's Annual Meeting (June 20, 2007) -- MIB, the insurance industry's leading provider of information used to detect omissions and material misrepresentations on insurance applications today announced that inquiries to its MIB Checking Service from member health insurers jumped fourteen percent in the first six months of fiscal year 2007, as compared to the same period last year. Greater use of the MIB database by health plans and insurance companies reflects the addition of several new members as well as increased application activity within existing health members. Among those recently onboard with MIB are: Alliance Health and Life Insurance Company, American Republic Insurance and World Insurance, and Medical Mutual of Ohio.

"We're implementing our programs with MIB in June and July," says Meg Brown, chief underwriter for American Republic and World Insurance. "We already have an admirably low rescission rate, and we think MIB will allow us to improve performance even further. Frankly, as use of MIB becomes more widespread among health insurers, we want to be sure we have access to the same data our competitors have."

"Companies and health plans selling individual medical expense insurance are increasingly seeking new tools to give them a better understanding of their applicants' medical profiles up front," says Douglas M. Mertz, MIB Solutions' vice president. "MIB information is the fastest, most cost- effective way to help determine if medical statements on applications are accurate and complete." Policies issued under erroneous medical histories penalize everyone -- companies are impacted by unexpected claim costs and difficult rescissions and reformations, and the additional costs are borne by every policyholder in the form of inflated premiums. "MIB helps companies better identify material misrepresentations on their applications so insurers can make more informed decisions around the risks they underwrite," says Mertz.

Health Insurers Show 14 Percent Increase in Use of MIB Data: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

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Microsoft Surface Video - could this help with medical coding?

Time for another look at Surface.  I also couldn't help but think how this might be a real help for billing with electronic medical records too after watching the segment from T-Mobile.  Many physicians use EMRS and the big struggle is the coding portion with records.  Perhaps a visual in this area could benefit all.  Having the codes and descriptions literally at your fingertips could be a real plus.  BD

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Michael Moore Is Not Worried About 'Sicko' Leak

Thanks Michael, now I don't feel so guilty about watching it on Google..and can't wait to see part 2 at the movies.  As I wrote before I thought I was viewing another trailer for the movie and realized this was the real thing and couldn't stop myself as I got started, but that represents how compelling and informative the movie really is.  BD

Michael Moore Is Not Worried About 'Sicko' Leak

Filmmaker Michael Moore insists he doesn't care his new documentary Sicko has been leaked online - he's just glad people get to watch his movie.

Michael Moore Is Not Worried About 'Sicko' Leak - Starpulse News Blog

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HIPAA Loophole Allows Pharmacies To Sell Patient Data

This is a bit scary as the physicians need our consent, but it appears the pharmacies are not under the same rules so in essence the information can be shared with any pharmacy?  BD

A loophole in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act allows pharmacies to "auction off" patient information -- such as their prescriptions, medical conditions, Social Security numbers and health insurance records -- "to the highest bidder," Sen. Charles Schumer said on Monday, Long Island Newsday reports (Perez, Long Island Newsday, 6/19).
The HIPAA Federal Privacy Rule, implemented in 2003, allows health care providers to share patient medical records for the purposes of treatment and other "health care operations." Providers do not have to obtain written consent before they disclose medical records but are required to inform patients of their rights and make a "good-faith effort" to obtain written acknowledgment from patients that they have received the information. Providers must obtain consent from patients before they can disclose medical records in "nonroutine" cases.

However, Schumer said that the rule allows pharmacies to sell patient information to other pharmacies without their consent. Schumer has asked HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to revise the rule to require pharmacies to obtain consent from patients before they sell or transfer their information (Long Island Newsday, 6/19).

HIPAA Loophole Allows Pharmacies To Sell Patient Data, Schumer Says

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Touch-Sensitive Window Shopping

Done as a promo in England, but shows more touch screen and surface technology and perhaps soon we can see this go to work for radiology for one.  BD

Ralph Lauren is working to make window shopping a little more productive for you (and more profitable, of course). The company has installed a 78-inch touch-sensitive screen outside of its flagship London store, enabling passers-by to browse through the store's catalog, place orders (payment info is received via phone or e-mail later) and even get tennis tips. Yes, tennis tips.
This installation is a temporary one designed to coincide with the Wimbledon tournament and will be disabled in July once the world's best tennis players unlace their grass-stained sneakers and head for home.

Touch-Sensitive Window Shopping - Switched. Gadgets. Tech. Digital Stuff for the Rest of Us.

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Open Wide and Say "Shame"

Nice review from the New York Times.  BD 

It has become a journalistic cliché and therefore an inevitable part of the prerelease discussion of “Sicko” to refer to Michael Moore as a controversial, polarizing figure. While that description is not necessarily wrong, it strikes me as self-fulfilling (since the controversy usually originates in media reports on how controversial Mr. Moore is) and trivial. Any filmmaker, politically outspoken or not, whose work is worth discussing will be argued about. But in Mr. Moore’s case the arguments are more often about him than about the subjects of his movies.

He is insisting that such a system should exist, and also, rather ingeniously, daring his critics to explain why it shouldn’t.

Sicko - Movies - Review - New York Times

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Medicexchange - Radiology Imaging, Radiology News and more all in one place

 

Medicexchange does a nice job of bringing many areas of interest and assistance  together under one site in reference to medical imaging.  The main page focuses on radiology and medical imaging news along with links to the community and support forums. 

In addition, another section is devoted to trial software, available for download.  The software has a quick review section to give the basics on how the software is best used along with some additional installations hints.  The specialty areas are as follows: 

Breast Imaging Radiology
Abdominal-Pelvic Radiology
Thoracic Radiology
Cardiac Radiology
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Neuro Radiology

By registering and becoming a member, you can always be updated on the latest and updated news.  RSS Feeds are also available.  The page works very well to easily enable anyone to locate a vendor product.  I found new and innovative products on the site that I was not aware of, thus it is worth checking back to see what new developments have entered the market.  There is a simple and easy to use radiology software directory for quick reference as well as additional medical software listings.  The page has several software and dicom type images to view so you can get a pretty synopsis on how the software screens function and the quality of imaging associated. 

This is also a great spot for new vendors to introduce products or even for established vendors to showcase current and new offerings.  

In today's world it can be very tedious and time consuming to search the Internet for the information you need and this site takes a lot of the leg work out of the process when you need the information the most. 

Source:  Medicexchange | Radiology Imaging, Radiology News, Radiology Research Articles, Radiology Imaging Software - Medicexchange, Radiology Studies

(Sponsored Post)

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Health Care Merger Raises Concerns in Las Vegas

It is bad enough having to fight cancer, but add 2 insurance mergers to the picture and it can really get complicated, and this woman is in the HMO business.  BD

A potential medical merger is still raising questions with some Las Vegas Valley residents. United Health Group, a massive national brand, wants to merge with Nevada's Sierra Health Services. Some critics say valley health care could suffer.

Shelli Miller is fighting two battles. Her Medicare HMO benefits were cut after one of United Health's previous mergers and now she's fighting to keep that from happening in Las Vegas. But there's another battle, a battle raging inside her body.

For this fast talking Chicago native, that fight has only just begun. Shelli Miller's previous experience with a United Health Group merger makes her skeptical

Miller knows the HMO business backwards and forwards. A retired nurse and HMO consultant, she knows it's all about the bottom line. But her second battle continues. It's a battle with breast cancer.

"I went through close to 40 radiation treatments. I had surgery, partial mastectomy initially," she explained.

Now, 60 chemotherapy sessions later, the cancer is in remission and this new fight wages on.

Miller continued, "And I thought my biggest battle was fighting the cancer and instead, the biggest enemy became United Health care."

And Shelli Miller won't stop until the valley's healthcare gets a much-needed boost even if it means less time in therapy and a slower recovery.

The insurance commission will get first crack at approving the merger. They held a public hearing last week, and so far, a second public hearing hasn't been scheduled.

As for Shelli, the outlook is positive and she hopes to have no problems in the future.

LasVegasNOW.com | News for Las Vegas, Nevada - Health Care Merger Raises Concerns in Las Vegas

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Medical records mix-up led to denial of benefits

How important is accuracy and protection of medical records - denial of benefits could occur and this case went all the way to court.  BD

LITTLE ROCK - A decision by the state Workers' Compensation Commission to deny disability benefits to a Pine Bluff woman was based on a review of the wrong patient's medical record, the state Court of Appeals found Wednesday.
The appeals court reversed the commission's decision in the case of Diana Vaughan, who reported pain in her neck, right shoulder and right arm following her shift at a Pine Bluff bakery on Sept. 17, 1997.
Vaughan returned to work the next day but had to leave because of increased pain, according to court records.
In a unanimous decision, the commission ruled that Vaughan was not entitled to temporary total disability compensation later than June 15, 2005, because her healing period had ended by that date.
In its decision reversing the ruling, the state Court of Appeals said the commission's decision "quoted in full and then relied on" a medical record that was not Vaughan's.
The court noted that in a letter accompanying the medical record, Vaughan's attorney advises the defendants' attorney that he is enclosing information about a different client who also was treated by the same doctor.
The Workers' Compensation Commission mistakenly relied on that record - which states that the patient's healing period ended June 15, 2005 - as if it were Vaughan's, the Court of Appeals found.
"The commission's erroneous factual findings require our reversal of its decision, and we remand this case to the commission for its full examination of the relevant evidence presented," Judge Josephine Linker Hart wrote.

Arkansas News Bureau - Court: Medical records mix-up led to denial of benefits

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Popularity of medical insurance increases in the UK

This is an interesting turn of events with recent news and the initiative to move to a new health care system in the US.  BD

More people from the UK are opting for private medical insurance, a new study has found.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), 2006 was the first year in recent times when the number of people opting for private medical insurance (PMI) increased.

"It also takes pressure off the NHS, so by buying PMI, people are effectively reducing the burden on Britain's hard-pressed health service.
"It is encouraging that more individuals are choosing to buy PMI for themselves and their families."
Mr Starling also pointed out that more companies seemed to be buying medical insurance for their workers.
Recently, another spokesperson for the ABI said that people who were obese were likely to find their medical and life insurance premiums increase.

Popularity of medical insurance increases : Insurance News : MoneyHighStreet.com

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Doctor has medical license suspended

 

A Needham doctor, whose offices were raided by state and federal officials in May, had his medical license suspended Wednesday, June 20, after state officials deemed his practices a threat to the public.

The order of suspension said the doctor provided poor care to 30 patients, while several patients, who were prescribed drugs such as Oxycodone, Percocet, and methadone, died within days after visits.

The document listed 30 cases of poor care, with patients dying unexpectedly in eight instances. Among the eight deaths, at least five people died within three days after visiting Zolot, who does not live in Needham.

A spokesman for the Board of Registration said he could not elaborate on the contents of the document. The DEA, FBI, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts State Police, Needham Police, Boston Police and Norfolk County Anti-Crime Unit executed a search warrant Thursday, May 17, at Zolot’s office. No charges have been filed.

Zolot was featured in a Needham Times article last month, which described the doctor’s unusual pain relief techniques, such as injections of Sarapin, a pitcher plant extract, and Hyalagan, liquid cartilage from rooster combs.

Needham doctor has medical license suspended - Needham, MA - Needham Times

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Hospitals to provide more information on Medicare discharge appeals process

 

Beginning July 2, hospitals will be required to provide patients with more timely information about the Medicare discharge appeals process.
Hospitals will expand steps currently taken to ensure patients receive a document called the "Important Message from Medicare" closer to their discharge. This outlines the rights provided to patients under Medicare.

In the past, hospitals provided notice of this process on admission through the Important Message from Medicare. Under the new rules, hospitals must also provide the patient with a copy of the Important Message close to discharge and help Medicare beneficiaries understand their rights.
“Regardless of the appeal outcome, Medicare beneficiaries are protected from liability for costs of continued hospitalization during the appeals process,” Royer said.

News-Leader.com | Updates - News

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Family of woman who died on L.A. hospital floor to sue

You can't hardly blame the family at all here with the recorded tape showing all.  This is truly a sad day for the health industry when complacency drives workers to this point and the scary thing is that it could occur anywhere if all conditions were right.  It's truly a very sad learning experience for all.  BD

LOS ANGELES -- The family of a woman who died last month on the floor of an emergency room lobby is planning to take legal action against Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital and Los Angeles County.

A letter of intent warning of a wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit was sent Wednesday to the county-run hospital and a registered nurse on behalf of the children of Edith Isabel Rodriguez.

Another letter was sent to the county warning of the family's intention to file claims, said the family's attorney, Franklin Casco, Jr.

Article - News - Family of woman who died on L.A. hospital floor to sue

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Review: Sicko, Flawed But Brilliant - Politics on The Huffington Post

 

I thought it was a great film, flawed deeply, as Moore's films are but with an important message nonetheless.

But that said, Moore's on to something deep and true and powerful. The American health care system is a mess, on that we all agree. We are the only Western country that doesn't provide universal care and allows its citizens to descend into poverty if they face a life threatening illness. The horror stories in Sicko are all too real -- the woman who is denied reimbursement for an ambulance ride after a car accident because it wasn't "pre-approved," the insurance company that will pay for only one cochlear implant for a baby losing its hearing (until the father threatens to sick Moore on them). I wound myself a bit weepy when hearing the stories of Canadians and Brits who visit the hospital, get treated and walk out without ever seeing a bill and who are utterly bemused when Moore brilliantly asks them if their HMO signed off on their treatment or how they'll pay the bill. Moore asks the right question: Why can't we be free from this worry?

Matt Cooper: Sicko, Flawed But Brilliant - Politics on The Huffington Post

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California Hospitals - OK for Now

 

WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) -- A predicted crisis in California hospitals has not materialized, but the overall picture is still not rosy, a U.S. report says.

Previous studies had predicted that a growing gap between wealthy and struggling hospitals in the state would lead to widespread closures of under-performing hospitals.

But the general financial health of California hospitals has actually improved over the last five years, according to a new analysis by consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Although one-third of the state's hospitals continue to lose money, only 28 hospitals actually closed over the period, according to the report. That rate was on pace with the five years before the study.

United Press International - Health Business - Briefing

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Too young for health insurance? Maybe not

For a look at how an example of how some young adults view health insurance, take a look at a video from an earlier post.  BD

The 22- and 23-year-olds Etti Baranoff teaches look fit and healthy.

But Baranoff is a finance professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies risk and the insurance industry.

She tries to convince the young adults they are one catastrophic illness or accident away from needing thousands of dollars in health care.

One student, recently kicked off a parent's health insurance policy at age 23, broke his leg playing soccer.   Afterward, he tried to get short-term insurance.

It was too late. The leg was a pre-existing condition. When he could find a policy to cover him, the premiums soared to $400 a month.

The parting lesson?  "Don't go without," Baranoff said.

"If you're young and healthy, you can get unbelievably cheap coverage," she added.

Fredericksburg.com - Too young for health insurance?Maybe not

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Drug Delivery System: EMMA

One more product added to the electronic pill solution.  If you read through the archives on the site, there are a few others with recent FDA approval.  BD

The Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA™) is a tool for enhancing the practice of Evidence Based Medicine in a home setting.

The EMMA delivery unit is placed in the patient's home, and it communicates wirelessly to the patient's electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR™) to get the latest dosing schedule for the patient.

The EMMA delivery unit manages everything for the patient from there. This unique medical device holds up to 10 prescriptions, totaling 300 individual doses of medication. If a patient requires more than 10 prescriptions, auxiliary units may be daisy chained together to form a single unit.

 

Drug Delivery System: EMMA

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Robotics - a replacement for the family dog, I sure hope not!

Although I find this interesting, dogs are are source of tranquility for patients and have a lot to offer for the sense of well being, but having a robotic toy do the same?  Will the children we raise today prefer an electronic pet to a real dog and are we crossing the line here?  I think as the younger generation continues to evolve their careers in the medical business, sometimes item such as this tend to confuse matters in the fact that we lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with real human life and this is not just a toy or game, but rather real technology being used for better health care or to save a life.  BD

WHEN I FIRST MEET PLEO, the tiny dinosaur is curled up on a kitchen table, its long tail and big head pulled inward. It's snoring quietly, emitting a strangely soothing sound, almost like the amplified purring of a guinea pig. I'm tempted to reach out and touch it – but it looks so peaceful, I can't bring myself to disturb it. | Then I realize what I'm doing: I'm worrying about waking up a robot. | Caleb Chung seems to understand my reluctance. "It's OK," the toy's inventor says, motioning to the little green lizard. "You can touch him." But before I do, Pleo wakes up on its own, fluttering open its doelike eyes and lifting its head. There's a barely perceptible whizzing as its 14 internal motors spring into action and it struggles upright, stretching itself to get the kinks out. "You know, all your dogs do that," Chung says as Pleo begins to poke around the table. "They wake up in the morning and go 'ummmm' – just like that." The dino lets out a long, creaky honk.

Wired 15.01: It's Alive!

http://www.pleoworld.com/

Hat Tip:  Engadget

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German teen unplugs pensioner's 'noisy' life support machine

This is scary and how it happened is even more scary.  With all the new medical devices out there today, it might be best to ask questions first as this could have cost someone their life and it did provide the teen a nice visit to the police station. 

Police in Southern Germany are quizzing a 17-year-old car crash victim who turned off a fellow hospital patient's life-support machine because it was keeping him awake.

Frederik Moelner wound up in intensive care recovering from the accident, reports Ananova, but his attempts to have a bit of recuperative kip were stymied by the noisy life support machine keeping the 76-year-old in the neighboring bed breathing. 

Rather than take a sedative, the 17-year-old took matters into his own hands, pulling the plug on the offending piece of medical technology, thus ensuring shut-eye himself and, potentially, the big sleep for his unfortunate neighbor.

Luckily medical staff quickly realized what had happened, and reconnected the lucky pensioner. They then connected the sleep deprived 17-year-old with the local police.

German teen unplugs pensioner's 'noisy' life support machine | The Register

Hat Tip:  Engadget

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Gateway Computers to sell EMR subscription software with PCs

One more new approach to electronic medical records through the purchase of a PC.  This is a web based subscription service and not a local server/client solution, so the security of the medical records is as safe as the web server.  Again, something to really think about these days when placing medical information on a web server versus having the information stored locally.  We keep reading the stories about medical and identity information being compromised and the subscription costs are subject to increase at any given time as well.  Medical records software is a personal choice and I'm not sure it can be mass marketed and be placed on a PC like other software at the point of sale.  BD

    MedicWare EMR centralizes patient medical records and streamlines the diagnosis and treatment processes, improving overall office efficiencies. The centralization of patient information helps eliminate errors such as misread prescriptions or missed drug allergies, and provides doctors with easy access to patient records while they are out of the office.
    Physicians and staff personnel can efficiently and cost-effectively manage appointments, insurance plan information, office visits and examinations, medical histories, lab results, medications and prescriptions.
    Interfacing with most practice management and reference laboratory systems, MedicWare is fully CMS and HIPAA compliant, helping medical practices stay current and compliant with industry standards and regulations.

Source:  Tablet PC Talk News

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Vagisil Screening Kit

Another new do it yourself home product....for basic use and recommends a visit to your physician with other symptoms.  BD

This number is your vaginal pH. A pH of 4.5 with the symptoms of itching, burning, unusual odor or discharge may be a yeast infection. A pH of 5.0 -7.5 may indicate you have a different kind of vaginal infection. The chart below can be helpful. It is not for diagnosis since infections vary in the way they manifest, but it may be helpful when discussing your symptoms and pH with your doctor.

Much like other parts of the body, a woman’s vagina has a pH. A healthy vagina is slightly acidic, with a pH usually in the range of 3.5 to 4.5. A normal vaginal pH measures 4.5 with this kit. The acidity of the vagina helps control bacteria and prevents the infection-causing types of bacteria that like a high pH from overgrowing. When vaginal pH is above its normal range, it may indicate a bacterial infection.
There usually are symptoms with an infection. The Vagisil Screening Kit is intended for use by women who have itching, burning, unpleasant odor or unusual discharge. It does not identify specific causes or types of infections. Only your doctor can do that.

Vagisil Screening Kit 2 - How It Works

Hat Tip:  MedGadget

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Verizon to Offer Mobile Payments with Obopay - let the cell phone take care of the co-pay

Many are already familiar with PayPal and this is another up and coming potential payment solution.  Soon patients may simply be able to waive their cell phone to make payments for medical services on check out after a visit at the doctor's office.  Something to think about and good reason to entertain at least some technology in the office today.  BD 

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, said on June 20 that it will let customers use their cell phones to send each other money using a service from privately held Obopay.

The service will be available in the coming weeks, said Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group.

Verizon to Offer Mobile Payments with Obopay

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Nurses, Doctors Announce "Scrubs For SiCKO" Campaign

 

Planning to spark a fundamental change in national healthcare politics, an unprecedented national coalition of nurses and doctors organizations today announced plans to rally around the openings of Michael Moore's "SiCKO" June 29 to press the campaign for single-payer healthcare, guaranteeing comprehensive, quality healthcare with an expanded and improved Medicare for all.
Calling it the "Scrubs for SiCKO" campaign, organizers will recruit registered nurses and doctors to every theater in the nation where "SiCKO" opens to ensure that caregivers - in SiCKO scrubs-are in the audience.
The caregivers will distribute information and urge moviegoers to join the drive for a fundamental overhaul of the nation's dysfunctional healthcare system - as is so brilliantly described in "Sicko." They will urge the audience to help pass single-payer/Medicare-for-all-type legislation such as HR 676 now pending in Congress and several states, and make it a central focus of the presidential campaign.
Nurses and doctors are serving as co-hosts of "SiCKO" premieres across the nation.

Nurses, Doctors Announce "Scrubs For SiCKO" Campaign In Conjunction With Debut Of Michael Moore's Film To Spark Genuine Healthcare Debate

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Man bursts into flames after being shot by a taser gun

How safe are these units?  BD

Officers used the gun after the man had poured gasoline over himself. Police are investigating the firey death of a man who burst into flames after dousing himself in petrol and then being shot with a taser gun.

Juan Flores Lopez, 47, died on Tuesday at a hospital in Texas.

Man bursts into flames after being shot by a taser gun | the Daily Mail

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Study: Give Doctors Info on Most Widely Covered Medicare Drugs

I wholeheartedly agree with this.  We are doing our part in linking to the $4.00 generic medications from this site without having to search each retailers site and recommend Epocrates and provide their free web based information link here as well.  This will also come back in pay for performance areas as well for the physicians when patients skip medications and the over all health of the patient demographics is measured.  BD

While millions of elderly Americans are skipping medications because they can’t afford them, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association offers a solution: Tell doctors upfront which drugs are most widely covered by Medicare so that patients can get their medications faster and more cheaply.

R. Adams Dudley, MD, MBA, of UCSF, is senior author of the study, which offers a unique analysis of drug coverage under Medicare Part D formularies, lists of drugs that are paid for or covered under a drug plan. Because formularies vary so widely among Medicare Part D plans and because many states have 50 or more such plans, it is difficult for clinicians to know which drugs are covered for their patients.

UCSF Today - JAMA Study: Give Doctors Info on Most Widely Covered Medicare Drugs

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Medicare starts online Electronic Medical Records program

And yet one more entry into the online medical records business...probably the biggest entry of all....and the saga continues...I still feel that having a physical presence with you containing medical records still outweighs the benefits of being online overall, although any records can be better than no records in case of an emergency.  BD

WASHINGTON, June 20 (UPI) -- Some U.S. Medicare beneficiaries will have access to electronic health records as part of a new pilot project, the agency said Wednesday.

The program will give participating seniors a personal health record they can access online that contains information about medical conditions, hospitalizations, doctor visits and medications as part of an overall push for Medicare-wide adoption of electronic health records.

Records will be automatically updated using Medicare data, and beneficiaries will be able to add their own information and choose whether to share the record with healthcare providers, the agency said.

To choose the best personal health record format, Medicare is partnering with four private plans that already offer the records: HIP USA, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

United Press International - Health Business - Briefing

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Michael Moore and "Sicko" go to Congress

 

Lawmakers who want to establish a publicly financed national health care system hope a new Michael Moore documentary called "Sicko," which highlights current health care delivery problems, will win converts to their cause.

Moore appeared at a jam-packed Capitol Hill press conference this afternoon to tout his movie and urge support for the United States National Health Insurance Act, authored by Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers. Its 74 co-sponsors include Democrats Dennis Kucinich and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland, Betty Sutton of Copley Township, Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Tim Ryan of Niles.

Health care bill gains Moore support on Capitol Hill - OPENERS

Related Story:  http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/06/18/daily35.html

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IHHI Hospital owner could get new management

 

Under the terms of IHHI's earlier agreement with its lender, Medical Capital Corp. of Anaheim, removal of Mogel or Anderson could have put IHHI into default on its borrowings.

In the new agreement, Medical Capital has agreed that removal of Mogel or Anderson on or after July 1 wouldn't constitute a default.

The company that owns about 12 percent of the hospital beds in Orange County soon could get new management.

Integrated Healthcare Holdings Inc., which owns four hospitals in the central part of the county, has reached an agreement with its lender that paves the way for a change at the top of the embattled company.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, IHHI said its lender agreed to allow the company to remove its top two executives while it attempts to refinance more than $80 million in debt.

IHHI acquired the four hospitals in 2005 from Tenet Healthcare Corpfor about $70 million. The hospitals are Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, Western Medical Center-Anaheim, Chapman Medical Center in Orange and Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana.

Medical Capital also withdrew an offer – on the table since February – to refinance IHHI's debt at lower interest rates, saying IHHI delayed too long in accepting the offer.

Article - News - Hospital owner could get new management

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Movie company to get tough over Sicko leaks

The entire move was also posted on Google.  I did some searching this morning and both are now gone and I have not checked the "torrent" site.  If you read this blog, you know that I have posted the trailers on You Tube that are what has been released thus far and when I was searching for new information I did go to the new posting at the time and started watching and was not aware at first that this was the entire movie posted and thought it was another trailer.  It was in 2 parts on Google and long and short of all of this was I got hooked and could not stop watching.  I did exercise some control here and did not venture on to part 2 in trying to do the right thing and will go to the theatres to see the entire movie on the big screen as it is supposed to be seen.  Whether or not you are a fan of Michael Moore or not, the movie looks to be done very well and documents what he set out to do.  It doesn't cover everything wrong with the system, but rather takes on one very vital portion of the issues, insurance and just taking care of the people of the US and letting the doctors be doctors to help us with better lifestyles and saving us in our times of need.  We have included a couple more videos from "The View" below.  BD

Filmmaker Michael Moore watches his documentary SiCKO during a special screening for the California Nurses Association (CNA) in Sacramento. Photo / Reuters

NEW YORK - YouTube has removed clips of Michael Moore's US health-care expose Sicko that appeared on the site during the weekend, two weeks before the film's June 29 opening.

A 124-minute version of Sicko was available on the Google Inc.-owned website, posted by at least two users in 14 consecutive video chunks.

Movie company to get tough over Sicko YouTube leaks - 20 Jun 2007 - NZ Herald: Technology News from New Zealand and around the World

Related Story and Review:  http://dailyscare.com/1564/why-michael-moores-sicko-is-a-health-care-documentary-every-american-must-see

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The most incredible weight lost story

This page has pictures, videos, etc. on his entire weight loss story, including the surgery to remove the excess skin after the fact.   BD

I lost 401 pounds without surgery or pills. All Carb cycling Baby! Working on adding muscle, tryin to gain weight, I know WTF!

This is really the most incredible weight lost story I’ve ever heard Nobody is perfect, I am Nobody

Hat Tip:  Kevin MD

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Doctors Survey Shows Strong Support for Health Care Reform

 

Ninety-one percent of California physicians believe the status quo of the health care system in the state is "unsustainable," according to a survey released on Wednesday by the California Medical Association, the Ventura County Star reports.
CMA polled 300 physicians in California. The survey found:

• 80% of physicians said the California health care system is "in crisis" or "in serious trouble";
• 55% said they have considered leaving the state to practice elsewhere; and
• 81% said they still would choose to become doctors if they were beginning their careers today.

Managed Care Targeted

The survey did not address specific proposals for overhauling California's health care system. However, most doctors singled out managed care as a major contributor to their dissatisfaction, CMA President Anmol Mahal said.
Seventy-six percent cited "limits and restrictions that insurance companies place on doctors" as a serious concern, and 80% said they are unable to spend as much time with patients as necessary to provide quality care.
"They dislike the system that has made administrative actions more time-consuming and burdensome," Mahal said (Herdt,

Doctors Survey Shows Strong Support for Health Care Reform - California Healthline

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Obese Patients Are More Likely To Survive After Successful Treatment For A Heart Attack Than Normal Weight Patients

One kind word about obesity relative to heart attacks, but not words to live by for overall health...interesting study.  BD 

Obese Patients Are More Likely To Survive After Successful Treatment For A Heart Attack Than Normal Weight Patients

Obese Patients Are More Likely To Survive After Successful Treatment For A Heart Attack Than Normal Weight Patients

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Tyson to Sell Chicken Free of Antibiotics

I'm not quite sure exactly how this will benefit me other than higher prices and knowing that the chicken I buy will be subject to a lower potential of yeast infections (as potentially linked to some antibiotics) before they go to the slaughter house.  BD

Tyson Foods, one of the nation’s largest poultry producers, said yesterday that it would no longer use antibiotics to raise chicken sold fresh in stores and would start a $70 million advertising campaign to promote the shift.

The company said that fresh chicken raised without antibiotics was shipped to stores Monday and would be sold beginning later this week in packaging that emphasizes there are no artificial ingredients.

Tyson to Sell Chicken Free of Antibiotics - New York Times

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Hospitals tests 'smart cards' on N.Y. patients

One more innovation in the records business...add a tablet PC or UMPC device and the card reading device can be mobile to be used in various areas of the hospital too.  Take a look at a product from Tablet Kiosk that does exactly this.  In the doctors office this could be very helpful as well instead of having to manually complete the same information over and over on a piece of paper that has been copied so many times that is almost illegible.  We all hate filling out the same information at every MD's office.  BD

 

Joseph Camaratta of Siemens Medical in Malvern with one of the firm's "smart cards" being tested at a N.Y. hospital system.

A hospital visit might soon be safer and speedier with a new patient "smart card" that aims to reduce health-care paperwork and protect against medical errors.

In coming months, patients at Mount Sinai Medical Center and nine other New York City metropolitan hospitals will get a wallet-size health card that can carry the equivalent of 30 pages of medical records, everything from blood type to echocardiograms.

The hospital system is using the cards to reduce medical errors, make it easier for patients to communicate with their doctors, present records that are more complete, and minimize the number of insurance-claim denials.

"The smart card helps us identify exactly who we are talking to," said Jack Nelson, chief information officer at Mount Sinai, which serves New York's wealthy Upper East Side and less-wealthy Harlem.

"We have lots of people with the same last name. From a patient-safety standpoint, knowing exactly who we are dealing with is really good," said Nelson, who saw the cards first used at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens in 2003.

The cards can expedite the registration process for patients by storing their most relevant health information, such as current medications and allergies; test results; chronic conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure; previous visits to the doctor's office, hospital or clinic; brief medical history; and personal data, such as name, birth date and insurance coverage.

Each card is embedded with a computer chip. On the front of the card is the patient's picture.

The card is encrypted and protected by a personal identification number. At the hospital or doctor's office, the card is inserted into a scanner attached to a personal computer. The patient enters his or her PIN to unlock the data. The only time a PIN can be overridden is during an emergency if the patient is unconscious. Hospital emergency rooms will have a special "reader" that can override a patient's PIN.

If patients lose their cards, they can get new ones from the hospital that issued it.

"This smart card is portable all the way down to a doctor's office," Nelson said. The cost for a doctor is a $12 smart-card reader, which can be plugged into the USB port of a PC, and software that can be downloaded for free from Siemens' Web site.

Area firm tests 'smart cards' on N.Y. patients | Inquirer | 06/18/2007

Read here for another related story referencing another software company with custom software smart card solutions:  http://www.zetatec.com/custom-software-development.html

Data Base Applications - Zetatec International
Microsoft® Windows®: Access, SQL, Foxpro
Oracle: SQL Plus, PL/SQL

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Hospitals trimming staff with use of technology - mobility at work

Outsourcing dictation and transcription services along with medical records provide the answers.  Portable units such as PDA Pocket PCs and tablets help get the job done.  Some of this can be done in house as well by using Dragon dictation on portable units too.  They have both enterprise and individual solutions.  BD

Three prominent Denver-area hospitals are trimming staff or outsourcing work, the organizations confirmed Monday.  Meanwhile, officials with Children's Hospital in Denver confirmed that the nonprofit also is shaking up its staff.

St. Joseph Hospital in Denver will cut its workforce by about 70 people starting this week. The cuts include 30 part- or full-time employees. The nonprofit also plans to let contracts expire for about 40 temporary workers.   Separately, Centura Health said Monday that it has decided to outsource a majority of its medical transcription work to a company named MedQuist. The move, which affects about 100 workers, will help the nonprofit "provide transcription services at a lower cost," Centura said in a statement.

"The Denver population is healthier this year than last year," said Minkin, who added that the cuts were made throughout the hospital, including clinical areas such as radiology. "This year, the need was down."

Payroll surgery

Announced staffing changes at three metro-area hospitals:

St. Joseph Hospital: About 70 cuts, including 30 part- or full-time employees and about 40 temporary workers.

Children's Hospital: 41 full- and part-time jobs will be "restructured."

Centura Health: About 100 cuts because of outsourcing medical transcriptions.

The Denver Post - Hospitals trimming staffs

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Who will be spying on your medical secrets?

The same issues are faced in England with many MDs opting out.  This does not go to say that electronic medical records are not a good thing by any means though.  The 2 big issues for one to be concerned about with web access is the possibility of the server being hacked, and the second issue here in the US is the availability for insurers to use to deny coverage or claims.  I don't think that any of us would terribly mind if those 2 items were addressed fully and confidentiality was fully secured, but it looks to be a long road as long as the criteria is used for insurance payors and better medical care just does not seem to be coming together here.  The very information included on the records could also deny health care at some point.  In England they have only the one issue of confidentiality without the insurance issues added.  BD

A number of doctors are opting out from the new electronic records

A new NHS computer will carry all your most intimate medical details. Will it be safe from snoopers? Your doctor doesn't think so:

Amid the furore over waiting lists, budget cuts and filthy hospital wards, the NHS's revolutionary £12 billion technology system looked like a guaranteed patient-pleaser.

The new IT system means you will be able to choose - via a new computer system - exactly where and when you have medical treatment.

In addition, all your medical notes, X-rays and scans will be stored on a national electronic database, which means medical staff will be better informed about you.

Who will be spying on your medical secrets? | the Daily Mail

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Los Angeles County Sees Surplus in Health Budget

Downsizing Martin Luther King hospital and Medicare reimbursement policies now creates a surplus?  The saga continues with this facility....BD

County health officials said the county Department of Health Services will see a surplus of about $120 million because of changes in federal reimbursement for Medicare and savings from downsizing services at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital.
Health officials previously projected a budget shortfall (Leonard/Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times, 6/19).

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a $21.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2007-2008, including $190 million for medical facilities, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.

Los Angeles County Sees Surplus in Health Budget - California Healthline

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Visual Healthcare - new market - HMOs for online medical records

New market for electronic medical records as they market managed care.  This system states that it will bring both personal health records and electronic medical records together.  Again, someday will you need to subscribe in order to have insurance coverage?  It sounds like the physician part of the process will already be there with an option for participants to add their own information.  Could one be canceled or denied coverage for lack of participation down the road?  This is web based and we all know the dangers of information being compromised, thus I believe having the information with you is perhaps a better solution for privacy issues, but then on the other hand the insurance companies won't have the personal input from the patient.  The saga continues...BD

MONTREAL-- June 18, 2007 -- VisualMED Clinical Solutions Corp. (the "Company") (OTCBB: VMCS) (FRANKFURT: VA6) announces that its licensee, Medical.MD, has begun marketing its subscription-based Internet electronic health record to HMOs, who will provide access to Medical.MD's online health record to both patients and first line physicians as a tool for managing care. This represents a market of one hundred million insured patients.
"A one percent market share for our system would represent over 20 million per year in recurring revenues for Medical.MD," says VisualMED Chairman Gerard Dab. VisualMED's licensing agreement with Medical.MD calls for the Company to receive 15% of gross receipts of the joint venture. The current HMO initiative combined with ongoing negotiations for large corporate group sales of subscriptions to the website could generate a significant subscriber core in the near term.
"We are pleasantly surprised by this new unexpected HMO market. This usage of the online record brings together patients and physicians in a manner that is both problem-free and inexpensive," adds Mr. Dab.

Visual Healthcare

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The Gas Company awards Riverside County nearly $700,000 for new self-supporting energy system at Riverside County Regional Medical Center

Meanwhile, this hospital remains on lock down...BD

Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) will present a $693,220 incentive check to the County of Riverside at its June 19 Board of Supervisors meeting for the Board’s installation of a 1.5 megawatt, high-efficiency energy system at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center, which produces both electricity and usable heat.

The County of Riverside and its Riverside County Regional Medical Center facility qualified for the award by participating in The Gas Company’s Self-Generation Incentive Program, a state-sponsored energy-efficiency program that provides financial incentives to businesses for generating their own electricity on-site.

 

WebWire | The Gas Company awards Riverside County nearly $700,000 for new self-supporting energy system

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Personal Health Records, do you want a chip or a card?

Granted this can be a true life saver, but privacy has to enter here again somewhere.  How long before the insurance payors might also have access to these types of records and someday demand the use before coverage would take place or deny a claim if one did not have one?  How long before tracking capabilities are added?  Those are just a couple questions that come to mind.  BD

The chip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted in the patient’s right triceps. It houses a 16-digit number, which links to an online database that can be viewed after the chip is scanned by medical personnel. Nurses, doctors and other authorized employees then can view a Web page with the patient’s medical history, allergies, emergency contacts and information on the primary physician, said Allison Tomek, VeriChip’s vice president of investor relations and corporate communications.

The chip has no power source and cannot be used to track people, Tomek said.

A Florida company is marketing a microchip that can be implanted under the skin and used to report a patient’s medical history.

However, Gulf Coast uses a similar technology on patients when they arrive — a wristband with a code that can be scanned. The program is known as EMAR, or Electronic Medical Administration Record. Once scanned, the code reveals who the patient is, what medication he or she is on and other important information, Whiting said. Doctors can keep up with changes in their patient’s status remotely and can call in new medicines or check on other needs, Whiting said.

Gulf Coast also gives small cards to patients for them to list their prescriptions and allergies.

Panhandle residents have mixed feelings on the technology, which is not new — similar chips have been used on animals for decades.

NewsHerald.com - Headlines

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Hospital ERs try to cut wait times - this hospital offers a 30 minute guarantee

Once again the electronic records come to the rescue here.  Even if a hospital is not completely set up and ready to completely go electronic, a few tablets with Microsoft One Note would help the ER congestion easily, with MDs being able to share patient files and then still being able to print to the paper chart until a conversion is done for the entire facility and the conversion from the tablets would be fairly simple.  The notes can be encrypted and shared between physicians and easily faxed via the PC to the records department.   Hardware on the tablets can easily serve as the gatekeepers for permission to enter data and the units can be carried from one area to another.  BD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It’s the sort of promotion you might expect from a pizza delivery chain, not a U.S. hospital system.

“If someone has to wait a long time it is less likely they’re going to come back,” said Deborah White, spokeswoman for Carondelet Health, which owns two acute-care hospitals in Kansas City that launched a “30-minute guarantee” program on June 1, even as a competing hospital chain pledged to see patients within 15 minutes.

But with the new focus on efficiency, electronic tracking boards report on patient status. Physicians type their orders into databases directly, allowing for faster handling of the ill and injured.

“There was a lot of resistance in the rank and file of physicians at first. They thought it was basically a marketing ploy,” said William Berk, vice chief of emergency medicine for one of seven hospitals in the Detroit Medical Center system, which saw 300,000 emergency department patients last year and just completed a total system streamlining.

Hospital ERs try to cut wait times - Health Care - MSNBC.com

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LA Daily Hospital under fire about gold-card holders

If you have a gold card at this hospital, you won't be left in the ER holding area.  This was created by the foundation and not the hospital, and I might guess most of them are more than likely "gold card" members.  BD

SANTA CLARITA - Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, trying to push through an ambitious expansion plan, is taking heat from opponents for its VIP treatment for donors, volunteers and "community leaders," who get top priority for private rooms and other amenities.

A local doctor, who brought attention to the program at a recent Santa Clarita City Council meeting on the expansion, called the practice discriminatory.

"I am aware they are allowing gold card members to receive special treatment including private rooms ... at times when beds are needed," said Dr. Gene Dorio, whose practice focuses on seniors. "Gold card members are given their gold card privileges (while) those who are not gold card members ... are allowed to be left in the emergency room holding area.

LA Daily News - Hospital under fire about gold-card holders

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Key promises unfulfilled at King-Harbor

The story continues...staff members and nurses failing basic portions of clinical competency assessments among the other problems faced here.  BD 

The reform effort at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital appears to be faltering, as the county backs off key promises to purge most of the staff and effectively hand control of the hospital to highly respected Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
The two pledges were cornerstones of a plan last year that persuaded regulators to hold off on pulling all federal funding, which would have effectively shut down the troubled Willowbrook hospital.

Meanwhile, deficiencies persist among King-Harbor nurses. New data obtained by The Times show that in April, 60% of 285 registered and licensed vocational nurses failed one or more parts of basic clinical competency assessments. More than one in 10 failed three or more sections of the assessment.
Nearly half of King-Harbor's specialized nurses — those who work in intensive care units and post-anesthesia care, for instance — failed at least one section of a separate round of competency assessments last month. The same was true of more than 60% of operating room RNs and surgical technicians.

Key promises unfulfilled at King-Harbor - Los Angeles Times

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Generic Drugs - help for the "doughnut hole" in Medicare D

The links to the $4.00 scripts on this site can be a good place to start.  BD 

6/18/2007 - Nearly one in four people who fell into the ‘‘doughnut hole’’ — the nearly $4,000 gap built into Part D drug coverage — last year could have avoided it if they had used available generic drugs instead of brand-name medications, according to a recent analysis by Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager.
Rather than using expensive brand-name medicines, which can cause individuals to fall into the doughnut hole quickly, patients should ask their doctors about cheaper generic alternatives, the report recommends. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts and have been found to be equally effective, yet cost much less.

The Post-Journal, Jamestown New York

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Medical Pot users want Health Canada to butt out

 

Medicinal users of marijuana are angry with Health Canada for telling doctors to keep dosages low.

But a spokesman for the department said final decisions on dosage are always left to doctors.

As of last month, 1,774 patients were licensed to use medical marijuana, About 1,000 of them grow it themselves.

Source:  Hamilton Spectator - News

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FBI to Battle Zombie Horde - is your PC Infected

The FBI is on a search to find the growing number of PCs that are infected with botnets.  Recently a hospital in the Chicago area was discovered with several PCs that had been infected.  The botnets are usually transmitted via a trojan horse on either a web page or via an email attachment.  These can also be a huge security risk as well depending on the code that has been written as personal and confidential information can also be compromised by gaining network access.  BD

You may not know that your computer is sending spam, being used as a pawn in coordinated Internet attacks, hosting illegal files, or otherwise part of the malware-distribution network known as the zombie horde. Some estimates peg the number of email spams sent each day at around 55 billion, the vast majority of which are sent by infected PCs, usually without any knowledge of it by their owner.

It's all part of what's known as a botnet, giant networks of malware-infected PCs that act as slaves to a master controller via the internet. These PCs, called zombies, are perhaps the biggest security threat on the internet today.

And now the FBI wants to do something about it. How? It's directly contacting a million PC owners to let them know what they ought to have known all along: That their computers are infected and are being hijacked for nefarious uses. The goal is to help track down the source of these infections and put the hackers responsible behind bars. "Operation Bot Roast" (love the name) has already led to the arrest of three scammers.

The feds have offered the same general advice that I do to those infected: Protect yourself against malware and viruses by using the appropriate security tools, and take extra precautions if you find your PC running slowly or sending emails you didn't create (check your Sent Items folder!).

Source: FBI to Battle Zombie Horde : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

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Medical metal detector finds 'lost' orthopedic screws

 

Eli Luong, Jennifer Hoi and David Huberdeau were part of an eight-member team of Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students who developed a handheld detector to help surgeons find "lost " orthopedic...

Inspired by the device used to find lost coins in the sand, Johns Hopkins undergraduates have invented a small handheld metal detector to help doctors locate hidden orthopedic screws that need to be removed from patients’ bodies. The device emits a tone that rises in pitch as the surgeon moves closer to the metal screw. It also serves as a surgical tool to guide the removal of the hardware.

Orthopedic screws, usually made of a stainless steel or titanium alloy, are produced in varying lengths and can have screwheads that range from roughly 3 to 7 millimeters in diameter. Orthopedic surgeons often use these screws and related hardware to hold broken bone fragments together for proper healing. These doctors often need to remove orthopedic screws that shift position, trigger an infection or cause pain, but skin and scar tissue can make it difficult to find the troublesome hardware, even with the aid of real-time X-ray technology. The small handheld detector is designed to zero in on the hardware and steer the doctor’s screwdriver into position for prompt removal.

Source:  Medical metal detector finds 'lost' orthopedic screws

Hat Tip:  Medgadget

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Hospital Discharge Planners

A busy job, especially being the liaison between insurance coverage inquiries and patient care...BD

Bridging Gaps Between Hospital and Home

"I try to give patients a sense of control, a concrete sense of something that can be done: 'O.K., I’m going to help you with XYZ, just to get you through the day.'" Alicia Tennenbaum

Almost as soon as patients are admitted to 9 Silver, a general medicine floor at Beth Israel Medical Center in downtown Manhattan, Alicia Tennenbaum starts planning how to get them to leave.

Hospitals must ensure that a patient’s transition is “safe and adequate” to comply with accreditation standards and state health department regulations and to remain eligible for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. But increasingly, discharge responsibilities are being assigned to clerical staff members rather than nurses or social workers.

Source:  Hospital Discharge Planners - Bridging Gaps Between Hospital and Home - New York Times

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Hero Faces Medical Expenses

Another sad story of someone who was a hero, getting eaten alive with medical expenses.  This is truly sad how one can save the life of another and end up financially devastated for "doing the right thing". BD

William Hoover does not wear a flowing red cape.
He is neither faster than a speeding bullet nor more powerful than a locomotive. He may not be Superman, but he certainly is as heroic.
On Nov. 10, Hoover, 49, pulled 20-year-old Samantha Williams from her burning Fort Smith apartment, saving her from certain death.
Unlike Superman, Hoover is not indestructible. In a desperate attempt to rescue Williams, Hoover suffered a debilitating injury to his right arm. But he has no regrets.

“We’re so far behind on everything it’s pitiful,” Hoover said.
Hoover said he has so far incurred between $150,000 and $160,000 in medical bills. With more surgeries to come, the debt will continue to grow.
Creditors, Hoover said, have begun demanding payments.
“The credit bureau is already talking about suing,” Hoover said. “They want to sell everything we got.”

Source:  Times Record

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Prospect Medical Holdings in Discussions to Acquire Alta Healthcare System, Inc.

 

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. (AMEX: PZZ) (“Prospect”), which manages the medical care of approximately 250,000 HMO enrollees in Southern California, today identified Alta Healthcare System, Inc. (“Alta”) as the company with which it is conducting substantive acquisition discussions. As disclosed by Prospect on June 11, 2007, Alta is a private, for-profit hospital management company that owns and operates four community-based hospitals serving densely populated areas of greater Los Angeles.

The acquisition of Alta is subject to, among other things, the signing of a definitive agreement, finalizing the financing for the transaction, obtaining regulatory and other consents, and other customary closing conditions. No additional information is being provided at this time.

Source:  Prospect Medical Holdings in Discussions to Acquire Alta Healthcare System, Inc.

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Insurers warn: Get healthy or pay more

 

Take care of your health or be prepared to pay more for your insurance.

The next generation of health insurance policies cropping up across Michigan charge more in premiums, co-payments and deductibles for employees who have unhealthy habits like smoking and don't take steps to improve their health.

Source:  Insurers warn: Get healthy or pay more

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Red tape, low pay drive out Docs

Being a self employed physician has it problems today, especially when any type of technology has not bee instituted.  The fax machine rules the office for those still working primarily with paper.  BD

(June 18, 2007) — One seldom hears physicians express satisfaction in the way medicine is practiced. Why? What has changed over the past 10 to 15 years?
Doctors used to be self-employed. They worked for their patients and if they did a good job, they prospered. Now most physicians are employed. Yes, they have relatively more stable hours, but working for a system has its problems. Instead of a foreman in an industrial facility, physicians have medical directors determined to have work done in a cost-effective manner.

The costs of running a private office have escalated. In addition to computers, physicians face the endless production of the fax machine. This is complicated by the demands of insurance companies to justify what physicians routinely do in the office.

Source:  Democrat & Chronicle: Essays

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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AMA Physicians Seek To Prevent Penalties From Health Insurers

United still pushing efforts to fine MDs and potentially remove them from the network if patients continue to be sent to Quest or other Labs...BD

Earlier this year, UnitedHealth Group announced a policy that threatens to fine physicians who repeatedly refer patients to out-of-network labs. UnitedHealth in 2006 reached a 10-year agreement to make Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings the national in-network lab for the company. A letter sent to physicians earlier this year stated that, as of March 1, UnitedHealth will reserve the right to fine physicians who repeatedly refer patients to out-of-network labs $50, reduce their reimbursements or eliminate them from the company network.

AMA Physicians Seek To Prevent Penalties From Health Insurers

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