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Justice Dept. takes over waiting list case
Because the Department of Justice has taken over negotiations with the governor’s office, it's more likely that the state will be sued in federal court.
Wrapping up the session
Tax bills would leave hair-raising budget holes for fiscal 2014
When Kansas legislators return to the Statehouse this week to start the wrap-up session and begin finalizing the state budget, they will be facing the rosiest financial outlook they have seen in many years. But a projected $600 million surplus could vanish in months, if lawmakers finalize either of the major tax plans passed in the House or Senate during the regular session. For some, that is a hair-raising scenario.
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Midwifery 101: Options for pregnant women
May 21, 2013
When a woman is having a baby, planning begins long before the baby is due. For many women, part of the planning process includes deciding whether to use a physician or a midwife. In Lawrence, women have the option to use certified nurse midwives or lay midwives, and to have an at-home birth or hospital birth. By Meagan Thomas
Mortality rates down at KU trauma, burn centers
May 20, 2013
Mortality rates at the Kansas University Hospital trauma and burn units are among the lowest in the country, according to figures released this week. The Burnett Burn Center's mortality index is 0.58, indicating that 42 percent of patients who would normally have died from their injuries are surviving. The KU Trauma Center, meanwhile, has a mortality index of 0.72. By Giles Bruce
Lawrence firefighters collecting for MDA this weekend
May 18, 2013
This weekend, Lawrence firefighters will hit the streets to fill their boots — with money.
Lawrence social worker helps patients live their own lives
May 14, 2013
Felicia Shockey isn't your average social worker. She has arranged for a patient to ride on a Harley Davidson alongside the Patriot Guard. She helped another fly in a hot-air balloon, checking an item off the top of his bucket list. She lets patients drink alcohol or eat steak — if that's what they want. The director of social services at Brandon Woods at Alvamar in Lawrence is the inaugural winner of the Crossroads Hospice Caring More Award, which will be presented at The Oread on Wednesday. By Giles Bruce
Doctor finds 'A Healthier Wei' to treat kids
May 14, 2013
Julie Wei was a pediatric Otolaryngologist, or ear, nose and throat specialist, at the University of Kansas Medical Center for more than ten years when she began to see a trend that she didn’t like: a large number of children with chronic congestion. Wei’s book, “A Healthier Wei” is an explanation of why she believes children are being misdiagnosed and wrongly medicated and her theory, with proven success, on how to fix these problems.
Overruns Forcing Lower Payments to Some Providers in Stopgap Health Program
May 21, 2013
The cost of claims for people with serious medical conditions has exhausted most of the $5 billion provided by Congress for the health insurance program.
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Advertising: Aiming Autism Ads at Hispanic and African-American Parents
May 21, 2013
Advocates for people with autism are aiming ads at Hispanic and African-American parents to speed the diagnosis of the disorder in their children.
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Half of Hospital Admissions From Emergency Rooms
May 21, 2013
A report by the RAND Corporation said it was not clear how emergency rooms affected health care costs.
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Barbara Brenner, Breast Cancer Iconoclast, Dies at 61
May 20, 2013
Ms. Brenner, who led Breast Cancer Action for 15 years, took on the medical establishment and industrial companies as she crusaded for research on the disease.
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Well: Younger Children Seek an Acne Cure
May 20, 2013
With pimples emerging well before the teenage years, and a rise in the number of preadolescent patients, doctors have put together guidelines on treatment for children as young as 7.
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EHR part of MaineHealth's financial woes
May 2, 2013
In a memo to its employees last week, Maine Medical Center, part of the MaineHealth system, said it has suffered an operating loss of $13.4 million in the first half of its fiscal year. The rollout of MaineHealth's estimated $160 million electronic health record system, which has resulted in charge capture issues that are being fixed, was among several reasons Maine Med's CEO cited for the shortfall.
Benchmarks: Changes are afoot for clinical and business intelligence
April 22, 2013
A study earlier this year from the University of Missouri showed that most patients took a dim view of doctors who make use of clinical decision support technology.
Researchers found that patients saw physicians who use CDS as somehow less capable than those who don't. They saw the IT tools as impersonal, and thought the systems were a barrier between them and their caregivers.
Women promise new tide for health IT
April 24, 2013
In health IT, it's a man's world. Although women account for more than 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, they hold a paltry 25 percent of senior health IT roles nationwide. Don't get used to this trend, however, say female industry leaders who are working to make the realm of information technology more accessible to women.
Putting Aside Preconceptions—Time for Dialogue Among Primary Care Clinicians
May 16, 2013
An editorial by The Commonwealth Fund's David Blumenthal and Melinda Abrams explores one approach to addressing the primary care workforce shortage: using nurse practitioners to provide a wide range of primary care services.
Improving the Medicaid Primary Care Rate Increase
May 16, 2013
Since January 2013, Medicaid agencies and health plans have been required to pay for primary care for Medicaid beneficiaries at the generally higher rates paid to providers by Medicare. The Center for Health Care Strategies' David Bricklin-Small and Tricia McGinnis say that to ensure continued access to primary care, the increase should be maintained beyond its two-year timeframe.
The Value of Strong Primary Care
May 10, 2013
The Fund's Jordan Kiszla and Rachel Nuzum discuss a recent policy briefing on the potential of patient-centered medical homes to transform primary care.
Making Sense of the Change in How Medicare Advantage Plans Are Paid
May 7, 2013
Under the Affordable Care Act, overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans are gradually being pared back. But will private plans be able to cope with the reduced payments? Using newly available government data, this brief examines average costs among Medicare Advantage plans and variation in costs among plan types.
Medicare Essential: An Option to Promote Better Care and Curb Spending Growth
May 6, 2013
Combining Medicare's hospital, physician, and prescription drug coverage with commonly purchased private supplemental coverage into one health plan could produce national savings of $180 billion over a decade while improving care for beneficiaries, a new Health Affairs study finds.
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