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A new study showed that for patients treated in physician owned hospitals the hospitals got about 13% less than those of neighboring hospitals. The cost efficiency in these hospitals is probably due to the physicians being in charge and not administrators. An earlier study showed that physician owned hospitals took less Medicaid patients and did less charity care so they may be able to take the lower commercial rates. Congress is now looking into allowing Medicare to be treated in these efficient hospitals.
The AMA continues to falter. Their ranks have sunk from75% of the practicing physicians to 25%. They no longer can work closely with the GOP on capital hill as they have done for so many years. They let a reduction in fees go into place this year with a greater reduction for next year unless Congress shanges the payment schedule. They are not respected on the Hill any longer.
The dominos are falling. Another board has taken exception with the dreaded American Board of Internal Medicine and their draconian practices. The American Board of hematology is now becoming at odds with the ABIM. Top
Over 400 physicians of Allina Health System have voted to unionize. The union will be part of the SEIU. The reason was the chronic understaffing and burnout felt by the physicians. The hospital was not happy with the decision but they need to do a better job or they will face a walkout like the one at Kaiser recently.
Another hospital caught in their greed is Adena Health. They had two cardiac surgeons who had been accused of sexual misconduct along with two patient deaths by a former chief of surgery. The two cardiac surgeons increased the work at the hospital from 50 surgeries a year to 240 cardiac surgeries per year. This mad the hospital want to look the other way. The two cardiac surgeons are now gone and the program is on pause if not life support. They are also being sued by the former chief of surgery for wrongful termination.
Fifty physicians at Ashville, North Carolina, Mission Health, a HCA hospital, have signed a letter questioning the quality of care since HCA took over. The hospital responded by saying a lot of gobbly gook without meaning.
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania hospital Main Line Health Lankenau Medical Center found themselves in immediate jeopardy of losing their funding after a nurse gave a patient double the prescribed dose of a narcotic. This resulted in harm to the patient. The hospitals says the nurse was at fault however it is almost always a system error in these cases and not the fault of one person. Top
Jonathan Epstein MD, a highly regarded pathologist, has been put on administrative leave. He has been accused of pressuring physicians to validate his wife's, a fellow pathologist, diagnosis. One of her diagnosis led to a bladder removal that was not necessary. Top
DISCLAIMER: Although this article is updated periodically, it reflects the author's point of view at the time of publication. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the information presented.