CMO José Baselga on Thursday announced his resignation from the position following an investigation by ProPublica and the New York Times that found he had neglected to disclose industry payments to medical journals, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Maryland, New York, and South Dakota.
CMS says it waiving certain requirements for hospitals and other facilities in North and South Carolina and for enrollees in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program to ensure patients affected by the storm continue to have access to health care services.
About one in four diabetics has resorted to rationing their insulin doses to combat rising prices—but the practice can have lethal consequences, as shown by the tragic case of 26-year-old Alec Raeshawn Smith, Bram Sable-Smith reports for Side Effects Public Media and NPR.
A report from Moody's Investors Service shows nonprofit and public hospitals saw revenues decline at a faster rate than spending for the second consecutive year. Advisory Board's Yulan Egan and Emily Connelly explain that this shows "hospitals and health systems can no longer maintain robust margins through revenue growth alone—cost containment is more important than ever" and offer advice for how to make your organization "cost-disciplined."
A new study suggests Massachusetts' limit on patient-to-nurse staffing ratios had little effect on ICU staffing or patient outcomes, but the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which is backing a ballot initiative to apply similar limits in other hospital departments, says the study does not offer a complete picture. Advisory Board's Katherine Virkstis explains why nursing ratios are only one part of a broader staffing strategy.
Under the agreement, HHS would receive $90.5 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2019, including $6.7 billion for programs targeting the opioid misuse epidemic.
In the age of Fitbits and other wearables, consumers have been trained to strive for 10,000 steps per day—a goal that experts say emerged from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign rather than scientific evidence. But Advisory Board's Peter Kilbridge and Sophie Ranen say that, beyond the 10,000-step goal, wearables have tremendous clinical potential for providers.
Researchers say ED visits for low-acuity conditions declined by 36% from 89 visits per 1,000 members in 2008 to 57 visits per 1,000 members in 2015, while non-ED visits for low-acuity conditions increased by 140% from 54 visits per 1,000 members in 2008 to 131 visits per 1,000 members in 2015.
