Operations

Given the shift of healthcare resources to primary and preventive care, there are real, long-standing problems with the health insurance model that could be solved uniquely when the payer is owned by the provider business getting paid.

The surge in accountable care organizations and other network affiliations between healthcare providers is spelling big financial opportunity for hospital vice presidents of network development, a position that experts say is key in connecting the clinical and the business side of a health network.

LifePoint Health, which just this week renamed itself from LifePoint Hospitals, said it will hold an 80 percent stake in the hospital while the remaining 20 percent will be held by the Watertown community.

Changes in payment trends brought about by the Affordable Care Act, technology expenditures related to electronic health records, and fluctuations in cash flow from higher deductibles and patient copays have all impacted the need for readily available cash.

Although the numbers suggest healthcare spending is breaking out from its recent periods of low growth, Altarum Institute warns that bump seen in March might not last.

American Medical Association says the readmission penalty is unnecessary since other other pay-for-performance programs already measure complications such as surgical site infections.

CVS is planning to open more than 100 new clinics this year -- recent ones opened in Nebraska, New Mexico and Wisconsin -- and could surpass 1,500 locations by 2017.

The L.A. County program allows for a Web-based conversation between primary care doctors and specialists that can include the exchange of medical records and photographs.

While once there were no books, conferences and even curriculum dedicated to the management methodology, now there are dozens of tools available.

The company earned $38.9 million in the first quarter on nearly $1.3 billion in revenue, pointing to higher admissions across the company.