The Washington State Department of Health has taken disciplinary actions or withdrawn charges against health care providers in our state. The department’s Health Systems Quality Assurance Office works with boards, commissions, and advisory committees to set licensing standards for more than 70 health care professions (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, counselors). Chelan County In December 2008 [...]
For every bright mind that doesn’t reach her or his full potential, biomedical research loses a new idea, a new approach, or a new perspective. In an effort to advance talented women in leadership positions, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published today a Request for Applications (RFA) to support [...]
Companies around the country are becoming aware of their impact on the environment, and the American Red Cross is joining the movement to create a more environmentally friendly workplace at more than 100 of its Biomedical Services offices nationwide. Using a process developed by Dolphin Safe Source, a leading chemical inventory management and inventory analysis [...]
PhysicianFee Cut The Senate on Tuesday byvoice vote approved a %26quot;bare-bones%26quot; Medicare bill (S 2499) that woulddelay for six months a 10% physician fee cut and would extend SCHIP throughMarch 2009, CQ Today reports. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer(D-Md.) said the House will take up the measure on Wednesday. The legislation would increase Medicare physician [...]
Whilefinding a physician is %26quot;relatively simple, finding one who understands thepatient — and who can be understood by the patient in return — is the toughertask when language and culture stand in the way,%26quot; an East Brunswick Home News Tribune editorial states. The editorialadds, %26quot;Familiarity breeds comfort, comfort creates trust, and trustinevitably leads to better [...]
Health care is a high-stakes, pressure-packed environment that can test the limits of civility in the workplace. A new alert issued today by The Joint Commission warns that rude language and hostile behavior among health care professionals goes beyond being unpleasant and poses a serious threat to patient safety and the overall quality of care. [...]
Football training season is in full swing, leaving many athletes prone to injuries on the field. While football players recognize the health risks associated with typical activity on the job, those in a traditional office setting may not understand that injuries aren’t just for athletes. There are many common pains and strains that can take [...]
Poverty plays a central role in people buying lottery tickets. It’s a losing game. I don’t think rich people buy lottery tickets. Although state lotteries, on average, return just 53 cents for every dollar spent on a ticket, people continue to pour money into them — especially low-income people, who spend a larger percentage of [...]
Physicians who do not use the tools of information technology (IT) such as electronic health records and computerized entry of prescriptions could fall short of professional standards, according to a new review. Although technology cannot replace thoughtfulness and caring, it is increasingly difficult to be a competent doctor without tech support, contends David Mechanic, Ph.D., [...]
Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5 percent increase in their payments for 2009 according to a final regulation published today by CMS. The increase in the hospice wage index is the net result of a 3.6 percent increase in the so-called “market basket” indicator of cost, offset by a 1.1 percent decrease in [...]
