Meeting to show progress on NHIN initiative
The work of four consortia will be on display at the third NHIN Forum, scheduled for Jan. 25 and 26, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services to provide progress reports on the Nationwide Health Information Network Initiative. Efforts to create a NHIN are seen as a key in moving financial, administrative and clinical information between providers and among other players in the healthcare industry.
Miami hospital pays fine to resolve kickback charges
Larkin Community Hospital in Miami and four current and former owners have paid $15.4 million to settle federal and Florida civil healthcare fraud claims. The settlement resolves a civil case which the government filed in 2004, alleging violations of the False Claims Act. The state of Florida joined the suit later that year. The government alleged that in 1997, Larkin, then owned by James Desnick, MD, paid kickbacks to physicians in return for patient admissions. The government contended that the primary recipient of the kickbacks was Jack Michel, MD, who was allegedly paid, along with his brother, George Michel, MD, for patient admissions to Larkin.
Hospital OKs scheduling with software application
Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif. is enabling its staff to schedule their own hours, fitting their shifts into anticipated demands for personnel, through RES-Q Labor Resource Management, an application from Calabasas, Calif.-based Res-Q Healthcare Systems that produces clinically sound skill-matched and financially optimized staffing. The self-scheduling module enables staff to see their department's schedules and select their own shifts or propose swaps with co-workers.
Children's facility picks revenue cycle approach
Children's Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, Calif. has selected Centricity Business Advantage, a fully outsourced revenue cycle management from GE Healthcare. The Centricity service supports business and administrative functions within healthcare organizations while maximizing revenue cycle efficiencies. The solution, hosted by GE, eliminates large capital requirements, IT staffing infrastructure and long installation times while helping to reduce operating costs and allowing investment in other critical needs, GE executives said.