April 8, 2008

One in 15 pediatric inpatients may suffer drug errors, study finds

Roughly one of every 15 hospitalized children experiences an adverse drug event, according to a new analysis published in the April issue of Pediatrics presenting results from a pediatric-specific “trigger” tool used to scan patient charts for medication errors.

An opportunity to inflect payments

The high percentage of commercial patients is one of the most attractive features of spine care, offering an opportunity to obtain ample reimbursement with the appropriate contracts in place. Given the increasingly short length of stay associated with spine care, percent-of-charges and case rate contracts are generally preferable to per diem rates, with device carve-outs representing the most favorable of payment arrangements for hospitals. To learn more, please read the Innovations Center’s Future of Neurosciences study.

CMS: To boost Medicare Advantage payments by 3.6% in 2009

CMS yesterday announced that it will boost payments to private insurers that participate in the Medicare Advantage program by 3.6% in 2009, falling short of both the 4.8% increase proposed in February and the estimated 3.7% Medicare growth trend for 2009.

Grady Memorial: Receives $200 million gift from Atlanta foundation

Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital on Monday announced that it will receive $200 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, marking the largest gift to a single public hospital on record and representing a “major component of the rescue and reorganizing of Grady,” the New York Times reports.

Airports: Emerging as venues for walk-in clinics, pharmacies

Walk-in health clinics are opening at airports across the country, as companies see a new market in travelers and airport employees seeking basic health services and last-minute prescriptions, USA Today reports.

Around the nation: Bite-sized hospital and health industry news

Et cetera: Spring fever may be explained by hormonal changes, evolution

Spring fever, the seasonal malady blamed for “feverish bouts of house-cleaning” and “love struck dazes,” may be caused by hormonal changes in the body and may be attributable to evolution.

Innovative models for hospital-physician alignment

Health Care Advisory Board research presents 24 models for aligning physician and hospital interests in order to both mitigate competitive risks and enhance physician support of critical hospital goals in such areas as volume growth, patient access, cost-containment, and quality improvement.

Using business intelligence to increase OR margin performance

At last month’s HIMSS national conference, the Advisory Board’s Dr. David Katz spoke to a standing room-only crowd of 500 IT professionals on how the nation’s most progressive hospitals are using advanced analytic tools to transform their business and clinical performance.

Top 5 most popular Daily Briefing et cetera items

NAMES IN THE NEWS

Flagler Hospital (Fla.) - Grady Memorial Hospital (Ga.) - Loyola University Medical Center (Ill.) - Maywood Hospital (Ill.) The Shepherd Center (Ga.) - University of California-San Diego - University of Southern California

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