In the News

Doctors describe pressures driving them from independent practice - According to amednews.com, November 19, 2012, Some physicians, facing daunting business costs, decide the price of autonomy isn’t worth it. Only about one in three is expected to hold a practice ownership stake in 2013. Consultants say there will continue to be a place for small, independent practices, but it might be like small businesses in other industries, where large players have taken the majority of the market. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE



Patients form center of med school training - According to Greenville Online, November 25, 2012, It’s part of a new model of medical education called competency-based training that’s aimed at producing doctors who give STEEEP — or safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable and patient-centered — care, Dr. Carol Aschenbrener, chief medical education officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges, told GreenvilleOnline.com. In traditional medical education, George, a first-year med student at the school, typically wouldn’t get any time with a patient until his third year. This early simulation is designed to help medical students apply what they are learning as they’re learning it.



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Revised Medicare Penalties Hit Some States Hard - According to Kaiser Health News, on October 22nd, Medicare revised its penalties from the new Readmissions Reduction Program at the end of September after discovering it had made small errors in its calculations affecting more than 1,400 hospitals. A total of 2,217 hospitals, or 71 percent of those eligible, are receiving penalties for having too many patients with heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia return within 30 days. Only hospitals with at least 25 heart failure, heart attack or pneumonia cases for Medicare to evaluate were eligible.TO READ MORE CLICK HERE