providers
Hospital community benefits reports out
The Office of Health Care Advocate has released their community benefits report on what hospitals are providing to residents of their communities to improve health, not just the health of their patients. Under state statute, uncompensated care does not qualify as a community benefit. The data is self-reported and there are very likely differences in…
Read MorePhysician signing bonuses favor primary care, but salaries still lag
A new report on physician searches by a large recruiter shows a growing use of bonuses to attract providers. The strongest growth in searches is among family practice, general internal medicine and pediatrics. 85% of searches include signing bonuses averaging $24,850. 98% also include relocation allowances averaging $10,427. Other incentives include continuing medical education pay,…
Read MoreWhite coats are history
Beyond the President’s speech, the real news from the AMA conference in Chicago is the vote to do away with white coats for doctors. Apparently those long sleeves hide MRSA and other germs, but it isn’t clear if they are transmitted to patients that way. But to be on the safe side, Britain banned white…
Read MoreNY medical home provides impressive, efficient care
Yesterday I visited the Queens-Long Island Medical Group office in Flushing, NY. The office is the first NCQA-accredited patient centered medical home in the US. Flushing is a colorful, bustling community; 70% of community residents are Asian. Despite the swine flu outbreak, the office was quiet and calm as it was on my first visit…
Read MoreMay CT Health Policy Web Quiz
Test your knowledge of CT hospital finances, take the May CT Health Policy Web Quiz. This month’s quiz was written by Karen Nepomuceno, Policy Intern at the CT Health Policy Project.
Read MoreMatch Day 2009 not good news for primary care
Yesterday was Match Day – the day graduating medical students are matched with residency slots. According to the WSJ blog, only 42% of family practice slots went to students graduating from US medical schools this year. The rest went to foreign school grads, osteopathic medicine graduates, and graduates from prior years. Nine percent of those…
Read MoreSt. Raph’s defaults on $88 m in debt; imbalance in state funding blamed
New Haven’s Hospital of St. Raphael is facing a $35.5m budget hole and cannot make payments on $88 million of debt, according to the New Haven Independent. The hospital is working with insurers who cover the debt on an emergency spending plan that includes closing an ambulatory center that now loses money (awaiting state approval…
Read MoreCT hospitals more profitable in 2007
The financial status of CT’s acute care hospitals continued to improve last year, according to OHCA’s latest report. Average margins (profits) were 3.62% of revenues in 2007, up from 2.51% in 2006. The biggest winner was Saint Vincent’s with a margin of 14.49%; Johnson lost 18.73% last year. The number of hospitals that lost money…
Read MoreGood news for CT doctors, United to offer “insurance” that you can buy insurance in the future
CT physicians are getting some relief in their medical malpractice rates, according to today’s Hartford Courant. Most will see no increase next year and some will save money. Unfortunately, those savings are not expected to pass onto consumers. Employers and workers face six to seven percent increases in premiums next year. Other news about doctors…
Read MoreRetail Medical Clinics and Primary Care panels
Today’s panels at the CSG/ERC annual meeting explored retail clinics – opportunities and concerns – and primary care shortages. The clinic panel included Kim Rhodes from Take Care Clinics (owned by Walgreens) and Ken Ferrucci from the CT medical society. There are about 1000 retail clinics in the US, providing affordable access, including evenings and…
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