Monday, October 4, 2010

Health Informatics News

Health Informatics News

Medical board clamps down on pain docs

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10/2/2010 © St. Petersburg Times The Florida Board of Medicine hands out penalties to doctors who overprescribe pain pills. Meanwhile, despite a legal challenge to its constitutionality, a tougher law takes effect and starts to rein in pain clinics.

Keys hospital unhappy with HMA

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7/30/2010 © Miami Herald What to do with Fisherman's Hospital, a facility that has only a handful of beds filled and flies all its chest-pain patients to Miami? 

Insurers stop writing for kids

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7/24/2010 © Associated Press In Florida, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children as individuals, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says, because they worry that only the sick will sign up. 

Doctor riles family with gun question

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7/24/2010 © Ocala Star-Banner One mother who refused to answer when pediatrician Chris Okonkwo asked whether the family has a gun says it's none of his business. He says the safety of his patients is his business.

Hopkins' chief-to-be reassures

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By Carol Gentry 7/22/2010 © Health News Florida Jonathan Ellen, the Johns Hopkins professor in line to become physician-in-chief at All Children’s Hospital, says local doctors and USF faculty and residents should not be concerned. But confusion abounds.

Shands eyes special session

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By Jim Saunders 7/13/2010 © Health News Florida Warning that it will otherwise have to cut services, Shands HealthCare wants to use a special legislative session next week to reverse Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of $9.7 million for the University of Florida teaching hospital. 

Double-CT radiation a concern

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By Dave Gulliver 7/9/2010 © Health News Florida A type of medical scan that delivers a double dose of radiation to the patient is recommended for only a small number of conditions. But some Florida hospitals perform the scans on more than half of their patients, a new study shows. 

Medicare bids save 1/3 on costs

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By Jim Saunders 7/2/2010 © Health News Florida Medicare patients and taxpayers will save more than one-third on home-health equipment costs in South and Central Florida next year because of a new competitive-bidding program, officials said Thursday. But the industry is trying to kill it, with the help of a Florida Congressman. 

This is an order: Do not resuscitate!

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7/2/2010 © Kaiser Health News Too often, nursing homes or hospitals ignore patients' Living Wills, resuscitating and intubating against the patient's and family's wishes. It helps to have a physician's order in the medical file. FSU is leading an effort in Florida to spread the news.

Hospital charges remain mystery

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6/30/2010 © Kaiser Health News More than 30 states, including Florida, make hospital prices public. But that doesn't mean patients can figure out what a procedure will cost ahead of time, let alone get a binding estimate.

Unsealed complaint slams WellCare

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By Carol Gentry and Mike Wells 6/28/2010 © Health News Florida The whistleblower complaint that launched a federal investigation of WellCare Health Plans four years ago has now been unsealed, portraying a company so heartless it rewarded employees who dumped hundreds of sick newborns and terminally ill patients from the membership rolls.

Chance of seeing Medicaid $ dims

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By Jim Saunders 6/25/2010 © Health News Florida Florida's chances of receiving up to $1 billion in additional Medicaid money appeared to be in deep trouble Thursday; in other action, the Medicare doctors' pay cut was put off for six months.

Shands takes surprise hit

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 By Jim Saunders 5/28/2010 © Health News Florida Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed $371 million from the new state budget today, largely sparing health- and human-services programs. But he immediately raised questions by vetoing millions of dollars for the Shands Healthcare System --- and by trying to prevent rate cuts for nursing homes.

Crist bombarded with abortion pleas

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By Jim Saunders  5/6/2010 © Health News Florida From the Christian Coalition to the ACLU, groups who oppose or support the bill to require an ultrasound before abortion are waging an e-mail campaign. Meanwhile, doctors protest the intrusion.

Managed-care difference 'dramatic'

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By Carol Gentry 4/16/2010 © Health News Florida Medicaid patients in traditional fee-for-service care get some services at two to three times the frequency of those who are in managed care, a preliminary state report suggests. What it doesn't say: Is that good or bad?

Medicaid overhaul gets nips tucks

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 By Jim Saunders 4/16/2010 © Health News Florida Trying to win votes in the House and prepare for negotiations with the Senate, architects of a Medicaid overhaul agreed to changes Thursday that could help defuse concerns of doctors and hospitals.

Limits on pain pills defeated

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By Jim Saunders 4/14/2010 © Health News Florida  The House and Senate have dropped proposals that would have limited doctors to dispensing 72 hours' worth of controlled drugs from their offices. It had been seen as a way to fight pill mills, but Florida Medical Association opposed it.

Outbreak nurse still has license

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By Marty Clear 4/13/2010 Health News Florida The nurse who apparently infected seven patients in the Tampa Bay area with hepatitis C still has her Florida nursing license, and therefore may still be practicing. But where? There's no way of knowing because state health officials will not identify her.  
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