Healthcare News of Note: 7 hospitals earn a Press Ganey award for outstanding nursing quality
Seven hospitals were recognized for elevating nursing excellence and improving patient outcomes with Press Ganey’s National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality. Only 48% of Americans rank the quality of U.S. healthcare as excellent or good, according to results of a Gallup Health and Healthcare survey. Nearly half of Americans are…
DOJ withdraws guidance that bolstered antitrust safe harbors for GPOs, cost benchmarking and more
Potentially leading to stricter enforcement of antitrust policy in healthcare, the U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn guidance that essentially promoted certain arrangements in the industry. The Feb. 3 announcement from DOJ’s Antitrust Division amounts to a cancellation of so-called “safety zones” that were established in three sets of nonbinding guidance issued between 1993 and…
Expanding its capacity to disrupt healthcare, CVS Health shells out billions to buy Oak Street Health
A month after stating it hoped to gain a presence in primary care, CVS Health accomplished that goal with a massive deal that could fortify its efforts to advance value-based payment in healthcare. The proposed $10.6 billion acquisition of Oak Street Health, a provider of senior-focused primary care, adds to a portfolio of assets that…
Healthcare News of Note: Most healthcare CEOs are optimistic about the future of their business despite a potential recession
Most of the CEOs in the Healthcare, Media & Entertainment, Telecom & Cable, and Aerospace & Defense sectors indicated being somewhat or extremely optimistic about the future of their business even in the face of a potential recession. While roughly one-third of 2021 hip and knee replacement episodes were performed by providers with 100 or…
Honor Roll: HFMA awards certifications to 2,746 members between September and December 2022
HFMA offers eight certifications for members to validate their expertise and demonstrate their commitment to the profession. The HFMA certifications are as follows: Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP), Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR), Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) – GCC, Certified Specialist Accounting & Finance (CSAF), Certified Specialist Business Intelligence (CSBI), Certified Specialist Physician Practice…
Various data highlight the ongoing labor challenges facing hospitals and other healthcare providers
The healthcare labor picture may be stabilizing in some respects, but hospitals and other providers continue to feel the squeeze. The industry added 58,200 jobs in January, including 10,900 at hospitals and health systems, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That jump follows an average monthly increase of…
Healthcare News of Note: Is a public health crisis looming for the generation born during the pandemic?
Infants born during the pandemic, regardless of maternal SARS-CoV-2 status, scored significantly lower on the gross motor, fine motor and personal-social subdomains of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, 3rd Edition when compared with a cohort born pre-pandemic at one hospital. Opioids were prescribed at discharge during fewer emergency department (ED) visits in 2019-20, compared with…
OIG describes how hospitals can use NPs to treat patients without violating the Anti-Kickback Statute
An advisory opinion from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) appears to give hospitals leeway to expand their use of nurse practitioners in specific situations without violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. OIG issued the opinion in December in response to an inquiry from an unnamed acute care hospital. The hospital was seeking clarification on whether…
TruBridge Complete Business Office (CBO) solution brings financial stability to the revenue cycle
Is your healthcare organization looking for a way to reduce pressure, stress and time on administrative and financial management? Check out this company’s portfolio of solutions to stabilize revenue cycle operations and bring back time for your staff to care for patients.
How to meet your patients’ communication preferences and improve your bottom line
In this HFMA executive roundtable, seven health system leaders share their efforts to effectively engage patients and the lessons they have learned along the way.