Quality and Safety
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule this week that would establish conditions of participation for community mental health centers (CMHCs).
Blue Shield of California, AllCare IPA, Doctors Medical Center launch accountable care collaboration
Blue Shield of California, AllCare Independent Physician Association and Doctors Medical Center of Modesto have announced a three-year accountable care initiative that will serve nearly 8,000 Blue Shield members in Stanislaus County.
Recently, studies and news reports have focused on the acceleration of for-profit hospices and questioned those facilities' marketing practices. In response to these questions, and those raised by its members, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a nonprofit member group, released marketing ethics guidelines for hospice and palliative care organizations yesterday.
The National Quality Forum Board has approved for endorsement a list of 29 serious reportable events in healthcare. Of the events submitted, 25 were updated from their earlier endorsement in 2006, and 4 new events were added to the list.
A bipartisan group of senators is questioning the legality of physician-owned distributors (PODs). The group, lead by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), sent letters late last week to CMS and HHS asking for an investigation into the legality of PODs.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance is seeking public comment on the development of standards and measures for an optional patient-centered medical home recognition in patient experiences.
What does ”quality” and ”safety” mean for an organization that doesn’t provide tangible goods or services such as a health insurance company? What is a health insurance company’s ”bare minimum”?
A new study looking at U.S. hospital labor costs for nurses explores the comprehensive costs of employing nurses but the American Nurses Association says the study is an incomplete picture.
WellPoint Inc. announced today that it entered into an agreement to acquire CareMore Health Group, a Medicare Advantage health plan that also operates 26 clinics in select markets in California, Arizona and Nevada.
Even before accounting for the mass influx of Americans rushing to hospitals’ emergency departments from healthcare reform, EDs are in serious need of fine tuning as over crowding and escalating inpatient costs are on the rise.