Operations

American Hospital Association-backed report says ignoring socioeconomic differences may create the appearance of quality issues where there are none.

One day after Providence Health and Services and St. Joseph Health began operating as a combined nonprofit entity, and the newly-formed health and social services system -- dubbed Providence St. Joseph Health -- said Wednesday that it will use a $100 million investment to create the Institute for Mental Health and Wellness.

While the legacy skin test is cheaper in terms of materials, it requires more staff time, and a greater commitment on the part of the patient.

Michael D. Williams, president and the founding CEO of Community Hospital Corp., has announced his retirement from the organization after a 20-year stint. He'll continue to serve in that capacity until a new CEO is in place, which is expected to be around the end of June 2017.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia faces separate lawsuits accusing it of sending reimbursement money for emergency room care directly to patients -- and not to the hospital because it isn't part of the insurer's network. That's costing the hospitals money since patients don't always turn over the funds, according to the lawsuits, filed by Polk Medical Center in northwest Georgia and Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles

Colorado-based health system Catholic Health Initiatives will be backing its way out of the insurance market after its health plan subsidiary, QualChoice Health, posted significant losses over the past couple of years, according to financial documents released by the company.

Highest paid physician types for 2015 were nuclear medicine, neurological surgery; orthopedic surgery; radiology; and nueromusculorskeletal medicine.

Lower-than-expected enrollment in the new insurance exchanges, and significant insurer losses, have resulted in substantial premium increases and insurer withdrawals from state markets.

The clinical care model has integrated care teams of health coaches, diabetes educators, pharmacists and resource coordinators.

The concept of image sharing as part of a true enterprise imaging solution strategy was the most important reason for considering a new image sharing vendor, according to the peer60 report.