providers
New resource for CT physicians on quality of care
eHealthCT together with a long list of partners is providing physicians with quality measures for their practices across payers through a new iniative, CT Health Quality Cooperative (CHQC). CHQC is the first of its kind tool in Connecticut and one of only a handful nationally to aggregate data across health plans and Medicare to provide…
Read MoreMiddlesex Hospital has an online ER clock
If you need an emergency room in the Middletown area, you can now go online to see what the waiting time is at Middlesex Hospital’s three ERs. As the volume of ER patients rises across the state, wait times have grown to average four hours according to the Courant. Patients in Middletown can now reduce…
Read MoreMore on the challenges and promise of primary care
Today’s NY Times features an article on a summer immersion program linking University of Washington medical students back into rural and underserved communities. The video is the best part. Students experience the frustrations of caring for people without adequate coverage, without the resources they need to be well, all in a few minutes for each…
Read MoreHospital 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…
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