Community Benefit
The National Quality Forum (NQF) announced Monday it has endorsed 10 behavioral health quality measures aimed at addressing such issues as alcohol and tobacco abuse, antipsychotic medication adherence and follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness.
A new global study by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics identifies six levers that can be used to increase medication adherence, possibly saving some $500 billion in healthcare spending worldwide.
Eliminating surgical complications is something all hospitals strive towards, however, for some hospitals, savings gained by reducing or eliminating surgical complications can lead to reduced revenues.
When it comes to making difficult financial decisions at hospitals, it's crucial to maintain transparent communications with employees and the community. How one small hospital weathered a financial crisis was the focus of a presentation Oct. 26 at a hospital best practices workshop presented by the Maine chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association in Auburn, Maine.
To get better care for patients and lower costs, it's important to stitch together the experience of patients both while they're in the hospital and immediately afterwards.
New York City hospitals scrambled to ensure patient safety in the overwhelming aftermath of post-tropical storm Sandy, which caused unprecedented flooding and widespread power outages.
As Hurricane Sandy made her approach into the New Jersey and New York coastlines, Hackensack University Medical Center, in Hackensack, N.J., was busy taking all possible precautions and preparations in order to continue to safely provide necessary patient care and ensure sufficient supply levels.
According to a recent study released by the North Dakota Hospital Association, North Dakota hospitals and their employees contribute an estimated $4.7 billion each year to the state economy.
In light of the recent Readmissions Reduction Program under the Affordable Care Act, numerous hospitals and medical industry experts are examining new approaches that will decrease the rate of hospital readmissions. "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates $15 billion is spent annually on readmissions for Medicare patients, with $12 billion of that amount being preventable," said Jeff Huber.
As one of the fastest growing surgical segments, orthopedics is in great demand, specifically from an aging baby boomer generation, making orthopedic practices and orthopedic related medical real estate a growing interest to hospitals.