News

As the 50-plus cohort is now nearly entirely made up of the baby boomer generation, the issue of addiction among seniors has started to garner some attention. A report released in 2009 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that from 2002 to 2007 there was a rise of illicit drug use among those ages 50 to 59. A larger population of elderly patients with substance abuse issues will challenge the healthcare system say those in the field.

Walk-in health clinics and urgent care clinics are growing at a fast pace in the United States, their popularity fueled by convenience and affordability. A new urgent care clinic, Medhattan, is set to open this month in the shadow of Ground Zero. Its owners hope their facility will set a new standard of care.

The Medical Group Management Association is holding its annual conference in Las Vegas Oct. 23 to 26. If you’re going, here are some tips for making it a conference to remember

Inpatient rehabilitation operator HealthSouth is realigning its hospitals into six regions in order to position itself for future expansion.

The Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Geisinger Health System and Intermountain Healthcare have repeatedly been touted as models for a new healthcare delivery system. Yet all four have declined to apply for the “Pioneer” program tailor-made by the Obama administration to reward such organizations.

With the decline of traditional pensions, many hospitals and health systems have turned to 401(k)s and other defined-contribution plans in which workers save and invest through an employer-sponsored retirement vehicle. Healthcare organizations usually empower investment committees with oversight of their defined benefit plans, but committee members often have inconsistent levels of investment experience. Thus, they need all the advice they can get, especially in the current economy.

Reimbursement cuts and new payment models resulting from healthcare reform are the biggest challenges confronting U.S. hospitals, according to a new survey of hospital CEOs.

Carolinas Healthcare System, based in Charlotte, N.C., has been granted a Certificate of Need (CON) by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to construct a 64-bed hospital in Fort Mill, S.C.

Mike Murrill Chief Financial Officer Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital Bolingbrook, Ill.

As the U.S. economy continues to struggle, short-term interest rates have settled at historic lows and may remain that way as the Federal Open Market Committee has signaled its intention to keep short-term interest rates low through mid-2013. As a result, now may be an opportune time for hospitals to finance a new project or refinance existing debt with a variable-rate interest structure.