Health care integration and control
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Health care integration and control
Unsustainable health costs are driving a massive consolidation of providers and a shift in focus — no longer are health care systems just big collections of freestanding hospitals and doctor practices where you go to get cured of what ails you.
» Bigger Systems, Bigger Profits
Hospitals' cumulative operating margin jumps from 5.4% to 9.2% in three years.
» Hubs and Spokes
Move less complicated treatments closer to a patient's home. Turn 'hub' hospitals into specialized care centers. The goal: Efficiency.
» Star Struck
Florida hospitals don't do well in ratings from the federal government.
Challenges to mental health care persist six months after Hurricane Michael
Life Management Center would welcome more mentally ill patients in Panama City if it had the staff and space to treat them. But as Bay County approaches the six month anniversary of Hurricane Michael, the nonprofit treatment facility is still recovering. “We can’t deliver on all the demand that is out there,” said Ned Ailes, president and CEO of Life Management Center. [Source: Panama City News Herald]
Olivia expresses optimism on health regulation issues
They can work it out. That was House Speaker Jose Oliva’s sentiment Wednesday when asked about the differences between the House and Senate versions of certificate of need legislation. “Certainly, we like our version, as I am certain they like their version,” Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, told The News Service of Florida. “We have to work together to get this stuff done.” [Source: WLRN]
AHCA postpones behavior analysis therapy cuts, proposes other changes
The state Agency for Health Care Administration has backtracked on its decision to cut Medicaid reimbursement rates for therapists who mostly work with children on the autism spectrum, but other changes are still on the table. More than 100 behavior therapists and parents - several waving signs that said things like “Agency for Health Care Elimination” and “Not ok to cut ABA” - gathered at AHCA’s field office in Tampa Friday for the second public meeting in a series across the state through May 10. [Source: Health News Florida]
South Florida businessman convicted in $1B Medicare fraud, largest ever charged by Justice department
A federal jury on Friday convicted a Florida health care executive on 20 criminal counts in what prosecutors described as a $1 billion Medicare fraud scheme. Jurors reached a partial verdict after four days of deliberating the fate of Philip Esformes in one of the biggest such cases in U.S. history. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
› USF launches measles simulator for Florida [WUSF]
A new online measles simulator shows how quickly the disease could spread in Florida. It models the state's actual population, taken from census data, and considers how people move about the region and interact. The University of South Florida College of Public Health, in partnership with the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, launched the simulator.
› Tampa General Hospital first in Florida to use new single-incision robot [Florida Trend]
Tampa General Hospital has become the first hospital in Florida to successfully complete a urologic surgery using a sophisticated new robot, cutting just one small incision to allow for a more rapid and less painful recovery. The new robot, Intuitive's da Vinci SP surgical system, arrived at Tampa General last week and surgeons used it to successfully remove a patient's cancerous prostate.
› Sarasota Memorial recognized in top hospital ranking [Your Observer]
Sarasota Memorial Hospital earned a spot on a Newsweek ranking listing the best hospitals in the U.S. and 10 other countries. Sarasota Memorial Hospital placed 194th, one of six hospitals in Florida to make the list.
› Upgraded Broward Health neonatal unit gives preemie babies a better chance at life [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A major transformation of Broward Health Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit now gives low-weight newborns an even better opportunity to survive and thrive. Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale has turned its multi-incubator NICU layout into an all-private-room setting and equipped the rooms with high-tech machinery.