Trump Administration Clears Way To Require Work For Some Medicaid Enrollees
Adding a work requirement to Medicaid would mark one of the biggest changes to the program since its inception in 1966. It is likely to prompt a lawsuit from patient advocacy groups, which claim the requirement is inconsistent with Medicaid’s objectives and would require an act of Congress.
Q&A: The Patient Safety Implications of Overlapping Surgeries
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association made headlines this November, announcing that overlapping surgeries didn’t increase the risk of postop complications. This study, and several others like it that came out in 2017, suggests the practice may not be as risky as some have feared.
5 Takeaways from Alex Azar’s Confirmation Hearing
Trump’s nominee to lead HHS was in the hot seat, answering questions about lowering drug prices, Medicare expansion, and his private-sector work.
The Joint Commission Releases 2018 Patient Safety Goals
The Joint Commission has released a list of its 2018 Ambulatory Health Care National Patient Safety Goals.
Do Physicians Have a Responsibility to Protect Patients from Financial Harm?
Healthcare organizations shifting to wellness and value-based care first have to overcome significant barriers in getting certain populations to engage in health improvements. But among the biggest barriers today is one that few physicians seem willing to discuss with their patients: cost.
An Opioid Remedy That Works: Treat Pain And Addiction At The Same Time
In 2016, a record 912 people died from an overdose in Colorado, according to data recently released by the state health department. Of those, 300 people died from an opioid overdose. Opioid use often leads to an addiction to heroin, which claimed another 228 lives last year in the state. Those two causes together now rival the number of deaths from car accidents in the state.
Reduce Nurse Stress and Reduce Medical Errors
Stress manifests among nurses in various forms and can affect patient outcomes. Fortunately, leaders can implement solutions to help reduce this pervasive problem.
Terrifying Brush with Death Drives Doctor to Fight for Patients
The searing abdominal pain came on suddenly while Dr. Rana Awdish was having dinner with a friend. Soon she was lying in the back seat of the car racing to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where Awdish was completing a fellowship in critical care.
Preventing Fires in the OR
An unplanned fire is the ultimate sign that things have gone sideways.
Despite being labeled a never event and countless regulations on how to prevent them, fires still break out in hospitals. Between 2012 and 2014 there were 5,700 medical facility fires reported to fire departments.
CMS: Providers Can Text, Just Not Medical Orders
CMS is clearing up recent confusion on what medical providers can text each other. The agency confirmed care team members are allowed to text patient information over a secure messaging app. However, texting medical orders is still verboten.