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7 Hospitals in NY Accused of Medicaid Fraud Four hospitals in New York state paid kickbacks to get more patients into their drug treatment programs, which billed Medicaid for services that weren't standard or necessary and lacked state certification, lawsuits allege. Newark Star-Ledger, January 06, 2009 * Registration May Be Required
Mass. Probes High Insurance Payments to Favored Hospitals The governor of Massachusetts is convening a bunch of top state officials to look into why a powerful hospital group has been able to charge more than its competitors. Wall Street Journal (Public access), January 06, 2009
NEOUCOM President and Dean Chair-Elect, AAMC Council of Deans Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) president and dean for the College of Medicine, is chair-elect of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, January 06, 2009
Canadians Worry U.S. Health Reform Could Lead to Doctor Poaching In an article today-Canada’s National Post suggests that the increased demand that would follow health reform could lead to an exodus of Canadian doctors to the U.S. Wall Street Journal (Public access), January 05, 2009
New Record Set for Research Grants at Northwestern Northwestern Univ.’s sponsored research award volume climbed to $438.8-million this year, the highest in the Univ.’s history and a 5 percent increase over last year’s record-breaking $416.4-million. Chicago Sun-Times, January 05, 2009
Primary Care Shortage Exists The combination may not yet be lethal, but a shortage of doctors in Massachusetts, coupled with more physicians practicing "defensive medicine" out of fear of being sued, is clouding the state's landmark health-care reform effort. Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican, January 05, 2009
Emory Psychiatry Chair Penalized For Hidden Payments From Drug Company After investigating allegations that Dr. Nemeroff had improperly accepted money from drug companies without disclosing it to Emory or to the NIH, the university announced that Dr. Nemeroff would relinquish his department-leadership post after 17 years. Chronicle of Higher Education, December 30, 2008
UTMB: You're Fired. Got Any Spare Change? "I have two friends who were faculty members with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In late November, both were fired. In a few days, they got letters from the school asking for money to help the institution accomplish its mission." Galveston County Daily News, December 30, 2008
Schechter Named Plastic Surgery Chief At Chicago Med School Dr. Loren Schechter, division director of plastic surgery at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, has been appointed division chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Advocate Health Care, December 30, 2008
People and Profession
NEOUCOM President and Dean Chair-Elect, AAMC Council of Deans Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) president and dean for the College of Medicine, is chair-elect of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, January 06, 2009
Health on hold in sickly economy A tough economy has created a health hazard of its own. Strapped for cash, thousands of Americans are skipping medication doses, shunning doctor visits and forgoing diagnostic tests to save money. Washington Times, January 06, 2009
Leslie named head of UI Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Kimberly Leslie, has been named head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Univ. of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and Univ. of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Iowa City Press-Citizen, January 06, 2009
Canadians Worry U.S. Health Reform Could Lead to Doctor Poaching In an article today-Canada’s National Post suggests that the increased demand that would follow health reform could lead to an exodus of Canadian doctors to the U.S. Wall Street Journal (Public access), January 05, 2009
Primary Care Shortage Exists The combination may not yet be lethal, but a shortage of doctors in Massachusetts, coupled with more physicians practicing "defensive medicine" out of fear of being sued, is clouding the state's landmark health-care reform effort. Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican, January 05, 2009
Zukin Named F.M. Kirby Professor of Neural Repair and Protection at AECOM R. Suzanne Zukin, Ph.D., director of Neuropsychopharmacology Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva Univ. and professor in Dept of Neuroscience, has been named F.M. Kirby Professor of Neural Repair and Protection at College of Medicine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, January 05, 2009
West Penn Allegheny Health System Announces Recruitment of Leading Burn Specialists Officials of West Penn Allegheny Health System & Western Pennsylvania Hospital announced recruitment of nationally recognized burn surgeons Larry M. Jones, MD, FACS, and Roger R. Barrette, MD, formerly of the UPMC-Mercy Trauma and Burn Center. PR-USA.net, January 05, 2009
Frank LaFerla Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia gets new chief Neurobiologist Frank LaFerla is taking the reins of the UC Irvine Institute for Brain Aging & Dementia, hoping to boost clinical offerings and move forward with a new building dedicated to Alzheimer's disease research. "Univ. of California, Irvine", January 05, 2009
URMC Welcomes New Chief of Hematology/Oncology Innovative and respected hematologist Jonathan Friedberg, M.D., has been appointed chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology of the Department of Medicine and the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the Univ. of Rochester Medical Center. Univ. of Rochester - Medical Center, January 05, 2009
Schechter Named Plastic Surgery Chief At Chicago Med School Dr. Loren Schechter, division director of plastic surgery at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, has been appointed division chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Advocate Health Care, December 30, 2008
Promotions at UI Announced University of Iowa Health Care leaders announced several promotions involving the enterprise's financial services division. Iowa City Press-Citizen, December 30, 2008
Fewer Family Docs Available As Need Grows The new study, commissioned by the Physicians' Foundation, says nearly half of 150,000 primary care doctors want to quit or cut back within the next three years. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 30, 2008
WU Chemist Receives $1.2 Mil. NIH Funding. Joshua Maurer, Ph.D. has received a four-year $1,216,000 NIH grant to unravel tricks of neuronal wiring. Bio-Medicine, December 30, 2008
Teaching Hospitals and Administration
Texas Heart Institute pursues expansion into China The Texas Heart Institute is in talks to join the growing list of academic institutions creating branch facilities abroad. Houston Chronicle, January 06, 2009
Doctors suggest new way to decide who gets heart surgery Patients with heart blockages will be assessed for surgery on a new set of guidelines designed to bring more consistency to who gets the interventions. The Charlotte Observer, January 06, 2009 * Registration May Be Required
Magazine ranks Wis. children's hospital 3rd in US Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has been ranked No. 2 in emergency care and No. 3 overall by Parents magazine. Madison Capital Times, January 05, 2009
Editorial: Cuts reveal La.'s unstable budgeting for LSUHSC Because of unique nature of the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, the institution faces a double whammy in the upcoming round of state-mandated budget cuts Shreveport Times, January 05, 2009
Hospitals feel financial pinch Although they work to cure illnesses, local hospitals lacked immunity from one of the worst ailments of 2008: the economy. Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, January 05, 2009
UT System reaffirms commitment to UTMB Kenneth Shine isn’t happy about continued speculation that the University of Texas System might not see much of a future for the UT Medical Branch at Galveston. Austin American-Statesman, January 05, 2009
UTMB: You're Fired. Got Any Spare Change? "I have two friends who were faculty members with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In late November, both were fired. In a few days, they got letters from the school asking for money to help the institution accomplish its mission." Galveston County Daily News, December 30, 2008
UI Revenue Management Adoption Pays Large Dividends. The Joint Office of Revenue Integrity reports that the enterprise-wide revenue management allowed UI to recover more than $20 million in hospital payments from insurers that UI Health Care would not have received otherwise in the past four years. Media-Newswire, December 30, 2008
Hospital Officials Mum On Pact Pasquotank County officials announced last week that Albemarle Health had reached a tentative agreement to have the Greenville-based UHS manage Albemarle Hospital but no terms of the agreement were released. Daily Advance, December 30, 2008
Promotions at UI Announced University of Iowa Health Care leaders announced several promotions involving the enterprise's financial services division. Iowa City Press-Citizen, December 30, 2008
UTMB Scraps $3 Mil Bonuses UTMB, which cut 3,000 jobs last month, announced that the institution’s financial crisis would not allow payouts in its staff incentive plans. About 900 employees had been in line for bonuses for work done in fiscal 2008, which ended Aug. 31. Texas Cable News, December 30, 2008
Hospitals ill from Debt, Credit Troubles Hospitals, which employ 5 million people, are reporting that donations and investment returns are down, patient visits are flat and profitable diagnostic procedures and elective surgeries are declining as people with inadequate insurance delay care. AP, December 30, 2008
Hopkins institute grabs biopark space The Brain Sciences Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has signed a lease for space in the new John G. Rangos Building in a research park in East Baltimore. Baltimore Business Journal, January 06, 2009
Vanderbilt breathes new life into 100 Oaks What used to be a dead mall now has new life thanks to Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center. The Examiner.com-Nashville, January 05, 2009
Hospital Officials Mum On Pact Pasquotank County officials announced last week that Albemarle Health had reached a tentative agreement to have the Greenville-based UHS manage Albemarle Hospital but no terms of the agreement were released. Daily Advance, December 30, 2008
Research and Discovery
UTHSC Nabs Grants Totaling $1.1M The Univ. of Tennessee Health Science Center has received three grants totaling more than $1.1-million from the Department of Health and Human Services. Memphis Business Journal, January 06, 2009
Why Prostate Cancer Patients Fail Hormone Deprivation Therapy The hormone deprivation therapy that prostate cancer patients often take gives them only a temporary fix, with tumors usually regaining their hold within a couple of years. Johns Hopkins Univ., January 06, 2009
JHU-led team solves mystery of failed kids vaccine Research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has figured out why a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine used in 1966 to inoculate children against the infection instead caused severe respiratory disease and effectively stopped efforts to make Johns Hopkins Univ., January 06, 2009
Alzheimer's research at UM flags key genes New research by the Univ. of Miami zeroes in on the culprit genes in Alzheimer's disease. But more work is needed to predict, diagnose and treat the neurological condition. The Miami Herald, January 06, 2009 * Registration May Be Required
New Record Set for Research Grants at Northwestern Northwestern Univ.’s sponsored research award volume climbed to $438.8-million this year, the highest in the Univ.’s history and a 5 percent increase over last year’s record-breaking $416.4-million. Chicago Sun-Times, January 05, 2009
WU Chemist Receives $1.2 Mil. NIH Funding. Joshua Maurer, Ph.D. has received a four-year $1,216,000 NIH grant to unravel tricks of neuronal wiring. Bio-Medicine, December 30, 2008
Medical Training
Fewer Family Docs Available As Need Grows The new study, commissioned by the Physicians' Foundation, says nearly half of 150,000 primary care doctors want to quit or cut back within the next three years. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 30, 2008
Medicare and Medicaid and Other Payors
7 Hospitals in NY Accused of Medicaid Fraud Four hospitals in New York state paid kickbacks to get more patients into their drug treatment programs, which billed Medicaid for services that weren't standard or necessary and lacked state certification, lawsuits allege. Newark Star-Ledger, January 06, 2009 * Registration May Be Required
Mass. Probes High Insurance Payments to Favored Hospitals The governor of Massachusetts is convening a bunch of top state officials to look into why a powerful hospital group has been able to charge more than its competitors. Wall Street Journal (Public access), January 06, 2009
Tufts to Break with Blue Cross Tufts Medical Center has begun warning thousands of patients that Tufts doctors will no longer accept Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO coverage after Jan. 31, asserting in a letter that the state's largest health insurer refuses to pay Tufts doctors at a "reaso Boston Globe and Boston.com, January 06, 2009 * Registration May Be Required
Denver Health sees costs for covering poor soar in '08 Denver Health Medical Center in 2008 provided about $315-million in care for the uninsured, a record for the city's primary "safety-net" hospital for the poor. Rocky Mountain News, January 05, 2009
UI Revenue Management Adoption Pays Large Dividends. The Joint Office of Revenue Integrity reports that the enterprise-wide revenue management allowed UI to recover more than $20 million in hospital payments from insurers that UI Health Care would not have received otherwise in the past four years. Media-Newswire, December 30, 2008
Hospitals ill from Debt, Credit Troubles Hospitals, which employ 5 million people, are reporting that donations and investment returns are down, patient visits are flat and profitable diagnostic procedures and elective surgeries are declining as people with inadequate insurance delay care. AP, December 30, 2008
Legal and Malpractice
Cross-dressing doctor who killed wife found hanged Dr. Richard Sharpe, the cross-dressing Gloucester dermatologist serving life in prison for killing his estranged wife, was found dead Monday night in his cell at the state prison in Norfolk, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Correction. Boston Globe and Boston.com, January 06, 2009
Emory Psychiatry Chair Penalized For Hidden Payments From Drug Company After investigating allegations that Dr. Nemeroff had improperly accepted money from drug companies without disclosing it to Emory or to the NIH, the university announced that Dr. Nemeroff would relinquish his department-leadership post after 17 years. Chronicle of Higher Education, December 30, 2008
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