Healthcare Financial News

Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania reduced hospital admissions by 20 percent and saved 7 percent in total medical costs by providing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care--including around-the-clock access to primary and specialty care, and physician and patient access to electronic health records (EHRs)--according to first-year results from pilot-test sites. The findings, released in the September-October issue of Health Affairs, provide the first evidence that the PCMH model can improve quality of care and reduce healthcare costs.

Geisinger’s innovations show considerable promise for improving quality and enhancing value. For their best practices and care models to spread more broadly, health policies to align payment incentives, encourage greater organization of care delivery, and adoption of modern IT are needed, write the authors. Read the article.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded the first round of grants to 15 junior faculty nurses from around the country to develop the next generation of academic nurse leaders and strengthen the academic productivity and overall excellence of schools of nursing.

The RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars program will provide $28 million over the next five years to outstanding junior nurse faculty to promote academic careers and thereby address the nursing faculty shortage that contributes to the national nursing shortage. The program is working to strengthen the link between institutional reputation and faculty success by providing research funds and career development opportunities for junior faculty.

Each of the 15 nursing faculty selected will receive a three-year grant of up to $350,000 to help them advance as educators and scholars in their field by providing mentorship, leadership training, salary, and research support. This year’s scholars will examine a diverse range of healthcare-related topics, from health disparities in high-poverty urban neighborhoods to vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in the rural northern plains. Read the press release.