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Quality and Safety

By James Ellis and Aaron Razavi | 09:22 am | October 03, 2011
How do you think you became sick enough to come back to the hospital? It’s a simple enough question, but one which can have dramatic effects for improving the financial outlook and quality of patient care delivered for hospitals and health system enrolled in the State Action on Avoidable Rehospitalizations (STAAR) initiative.
By Molly Merrill | 11:51 am | September 30, 2011
In an effort to enhance the quality and coordination of healthcare services through the patient-centered medical home, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) granted $32 million to 904 health centers nationwide on Thursday.
By Stephanie Bouchard | 11:06 am | September 30, 2011
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s (PCORI) first major funding opportunity will support approximately 40 awards totaling up to $26 million announced the organization on Wednesday.
By Rene Letourneau | 11:25 am | September 29, 2011
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Wednesday awarded $56.3 million for the development of five new drugs to treat injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome.
By Stephanie Bouchard | 11:20 am | September 28, 2011
The California Hospital Association is accusing the labor union representing nurses at a hospital where a patient died last weekend during a strike of exploiting the tragedy to further its own agenda.
By Chris Anderson | 11:38 am | September 27, 2011
A new report from human resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt and healthcare consulting firm Polakoff Boland says employer interest in accountable care organizations is ramping up as they seek new ways to continue offering healthcare benefits to employees.
By Rene Letourneau | 11:15 am | September 26, 2011
A replacement nurse at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, Calif., administered a fatal dose of medication on Saturday to a cancer patient during a nurses' strike.
By Molly Merrill | 10:04 am | September 26, 2011
The awards were announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of its initiative to extend health information technology in healthcare settings that serve people with mental and substance use disorders.
By Stephanie Bouchard | 04:59 pm | September 23, 2011
Complaints about nursing homes are rampant and general opinion about them is poor. It's well known that employees aren't happy at these facilities and turnover is high. Right? Maybe not so much, according to results of a customer and employee satisfaction survey from My InnerView, a division of the National Research Corporation.
By Rene Letourneau | 11:13 am | September 23, 2011
Physicians estimate the cost of defensive medicine to be between 26 and 34 percent of total annual healthcare costs, according to a new report by Jackson Healthcare. At an estimated $2.5 trillion in annual spending, this means $650-$850 billion is spent each year on medical orders intended to avoid lawsuits rather than treat patients.