|
hpnonline Daily Update |
|||||||||
|
|
August 2004
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
In this Issue:
State Health Facts Online adds 2003 prescription drug data
Hospital translation rule challenged
Nellcor donation helps McCord
Hospital
manage HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa
FDA seeking comment on
guidance to improve hospital bed safety
State Health Facts Online adds 2003 prescription drug data
The Kaiser Family Foundation's State Health Facts Online now includes the latest available data on prescription drug use and spending for all 50 states and the U.S. The new 2003 data include the number of retail prescriptions filled, retail prescriptions filled per capita, the average price of prescriptions, and total spending on retail prescriptions for each state. The percent change from 2002 to 2003 for these indicators is also included. The 2003 data, based on information provided by Verispan LLC, a health information company, are available by age group (seniors, adults, and children) and gender. The data show that retail prescription sales totaled $163 billion across the U.S. in 2003, with about 3.1 billion retail prescriptions filled. Average price per retail prescription varied across states, from a low of $45 in New Mexico and Arkansas to $67 in Alaska and in the District of Columbia. The nation averaged about 11 prescriptions per capita in 2003, with women filling an average of 13 prescriptions in 2003 and men filling an average of 8 prescriptions. Seniors (age 65 and older) filled an average of 26 retail prescriptions in 2003, ranging from a high of 37 in Tennessee to a low of 16 prescriptions in Alaska. These data are displayed in easy-to-use ranked tables and color-coded maps at http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/healthcosts.
World Research Group is
sponsoring a healthcare conference, Leveraging RFID for Hospitals: “Implementing
RFID to Optimize Patient Safety and Maximize ROI”. Held October 27-29, 2004 at
the MGM Grand in Las
Vegas, NV, the
conference will explore
groundbreaking case studies
from the hospitals who are pioneering RFID implementation. Industry leaders will
present information on how to:
·
Determine
where and how to implement RFID in your hospital
·
Protect
your patients from human error
·
Compare
the benefits of RFID and barcoding
·
Design
an RFID infrastructure
·
Establish
a system of standards and guidelines
· Take advantage of lessons learned from early adopters in the pharmaceutical world
· Gain a better understanding of the FDA perspective
· Operationalize the methods of tracking medication from pharmacy to patient with RFID
· Acquire a greater understanding of equipment utilization in order to cut costs
· Adopt RFID on any scale, without disrupting the entire hospital infrastructure, and combine this with pre-existing networks and systems
· Achieve greater efficiency in any hospital department, including the OR, ER, and blood transfusion
· Improve inventory management for equipment, devices, and instruments
· Envision the unlimited potential of RFID
Register by September 10 and save $300. To register go to, http://www.worldrg.com/HW455/register.asp, or to request a brochure, http://www.worldrg.com/HW455/request.asp. To view a full program agenda, go to, http://www.worldrg.com/HW455/agenda.asp.
Hospital translation rule challenged
Several doctors and a group supporting English as the nation's official language filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a Clinton-era executive order requiring federally funded hospitals, clinics and doctors to offer translation services for patients who speak limited English, reported the Associated Press. The plaintiffs said the order is an illegal intrusion into their practices and will further motivate doctors to restrict their services or leave the industry. The lawsuit, which names as defendants the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Tommy G. Thompson, challenges the 2000 policy on several fronts, including claims that it is expensive and limits doctors' free-speech rights. Health and Human Services issued guidelines for complying with the order last year. They advise healthcare providers to offer their patients free translation services ranging from written materials and phone conferences to bilingual medical staff and trained interpreters. Patients may use family members or volunteers but should be offered the option of a professional interpreter, according to the policy. The lead plaintiff, San Diego orthopedic surgeon Dr. Clifford Colwell, attorneys from the Pacific Legal Foundation and the nonprofit group ProEnglish argue the order improperly interprets civil rights law to include language as part of anti-discrimination based on national origin. (AP)
Nellcor
donation helps McCord Hospital
manage HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa
Nellcor recently donate pulse oximeters to McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa. Clinicians are using the technology to treat seriously ill men, women and children suffering from HIV-related opportunistic infections. McCord Hospital is a nonprofit, mission-based institution that was established in 1909 to care for the local Zulu people. Today the hospital provides services to the many diverse populations living in the region. With the current HIV/AIDS epidemic devastating Sub-Saharan Africa, the services of McCord Hospital are needed now more than ever. Approximately 70% of medical admissions at McCord Hospital are HIV-related and an estimated 36% of pregnant women in Durban are HIV-infected. “The HIV/AIDS epidemic has placed a tremendous financial strain on our resources,” said Dr. Helga Holst, chief executive officer, McCord Hospital. “Individuals will travel for miles to seek out our services. We are a nonprofit hospital, so we try to provide the highest level of care at a cost that our patients can afford.” McCord Hospital, in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School and the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, is in the process of establishing a center of excellence for HIV/AIDS treatment. Members of the hospital's HIV/AIDS support group participate in a variety of activities to raise funds for medications and medical care. For more on McCord Hospital, visit http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/depts/aids/features_dec03.asp.
FDA seeking comment on guidance to improve hospital bed safety
The Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comment on draft guidance intended to reduce life-threatening entrapments associated with hospital bed systems. The guidance provides recommendations for makers of hospital beds, and can be used by hospitals and other healthcare providers to help identify entrapment risks that may exist with current bed systems, FDA said. Comments must be submitted by Nov. 29. (AHA News Now) Go to http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocer/guidance/1537.html.
Monday, August 30, 2004
In this Issue:
Nellcor recalls medical device
Revised OSHA fact sheet on
securing medical
catheters requires annual review
China bans blood trade to prevent spread of AIDS
West Nile vaccine in
development
The Daniels Corporation signs
three-year contract
with Northwest Community Healthcare
Nellcor recalls medical device
The FDA announced that Nellcor Puritan Bennett, a subsidiary of Tyco Healthcare, has recalled all of its CapnoProbes, used by hospitals to measure the carbon dioxide in patients' tissues. Two children who used it died in a Dallas hospital this year, the Food and Drug Administration said. FDA first learned of a potential problem with the product when notified by the Texas Department of Health on August 18. Positive cultures were found in at least 11 patients in the pediatric intensive care units of Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. An association with these specific culture findings and patient outcomes has not been established at this time. On August 19, FDA sent an investigator to Nellcor Corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, CA, to conduct an inspection, which is ongoing. The 11 patients were infected between April and August of this year by a bacteria called Burkholderia cepacia, which has been linked to the use of contaminated equipment and solutions, the FDA said. Eight of the infected children were participating in a Nellcor-sponsored study designed to test the product's safety and effectiveness, the agency said. The bacteria was either on the sensor or in the saline solution that it is packaged in, said Christy Foreman, a deputy director in the FDA's Office of Compliance, reports the Associated Press. Each probe is packaged in a metal canister filled with a saline solution and sealed in a foil envelope labeled as non-sterile. The device is put under the tongue like an electronic thermometer. All of the CapnoProbes were manufactured at Nellcor's facility in Tijuana. Mexico. Since the CapnoProbe Sublingual Sensors were introduced in January 2003, about 5,600 of them have been sold to 60 healthcare centers nationwide, the company said. Manufacturing was halted at Nellcor's Tijuana facility. Nellcor is the only company to manufacture the relatively new product. On August 24, Nellcor notified its customers that they were recalling all lots of the CapnoProbe SLS-1 Sublingual Sensors and asked hospitals to return any unused inventory. The firm said the probe may pose a hazard to patients with compromised immune systems. Both FDA and Nellcor Puritan Bennet are continuing their investigations. Healthcare facilities that are aware of deaths or injuries related to use of the CapnoProbe should report them to Nellcor and to the FDA through the MedWatch program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html. Physicians and patients can obtain further details about the recall from Nellcor at 1-800-635-5267, option 3.
Revised
OSHA fact sheet on securing medical
catheters requires annual review
On Aug 2, 2004, OSHA posted a revision to the “Securing Medical Catheters” fact sheet which had been placed online earlier this year. The revision points out that securing catheters with tape or suture can create unsafe conditions. This new OSHA document now requires all healthcare employers to conduct annual reviews to securing catheters, in order to ensure that a facility is using the safest approaches possible to eliminate or minimize needlestick exposure. With the outreach and education of OSHA compliance officers on this topic, this new requirement will undoubtedly result in more fines and citations against hospitals and others, regarding securement issues. This month OSHA has also begun a major push to alert healthcare employers and OSHA's own enforcement staff about catheter-securement devices, and safer alternatives to using tape or suture to hold catheters in place. This effort is outlined in a recent letter from John Henshaw, head of OSHA, to Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham. This letter describes OSHA's intention to be very active in communicating with its compliance staff about the fact sheet, saying that OSHA will highlight the issuance of the “Securing Medical Catheters” fact sheet in their electronic newsletter, QuickTakes, which goes to more than 46,000 recipients. For the new fact sheet on catheter securement devices (the only such document OSHA has issued on a specific needlestick-safety device), go to http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/factsheet_catheters.html.
China reports 840,000 HIV/AIDS cases, but experts say at least one million poor farmers were infected in the central province of Henan alone as a result of botched blood-selling schemes in the 1990s, reported Reuters News Service. President Hu Jintao recently revised a Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, which requires the government to guarantee funds for infectious disease prevention. “The law stipulates that governments of various levels should strengthen prevention and control of AIDS and take measures to prevent the spread of the disease,” Xinhua news agency said. “This is the first time that AIDS (has been) specifically targeted in the law.” State television said the law banned the buying and selling of blood and ruled out discrimination against people infected with, or suspected of having, contagious diseases. “In general, the law underscores prevention and early warning of contagious diseases and isolation of patients of contagious disease,” Xinhua said. “It puts greater responsibility on medical institutions to monitor the spread of contagious diseases and prevent infection inside hospitals.” (Reuters)
West Nile
vaccine in development
Japanese scientists have developed a vaccine for the mosquito-borne West Nile
virus and will start testing on humans in the coming months, said a researcher.
Japan has reported no cases of West Nile so far. Last year, nearly 10,000 people
were infected in the United States and 262 died, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Koichi Morita, virology professor at
Nagasaki University's Institute of Tropical Medicine, said his team made the
vaccine from an inactive form of the virus sent by American researchers two
years ago. Morita said he would begin small-scale clinical trials on humans to
determine whether the vaccine is safe, pending approval from the university's
ethics board expected later this year. Participants will be monitored for
side-effects and undergo tests to detect the presence of antibodies, a sign that
the body's immune system is responding to fight off the disease. In the United
States, several companies and the government are planning to test potential
vaccines over the next three years. Seventy universities and hospitals
throughout the United States and Canada will participate in a study this summer
in which antibodies from people who had the disease will be injected into people
who are infected.
The Daniels
Corporation signs three-year contract
with Northwest Community Healthcare
The Daniels Corporation, a global organization specializing in reusable sharps containers, has signed a three-year contract with Northwest Community Healthcare, a 2003 Nationwide Top 100 Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL. The 563-bed hospital will convert its sharps collection method to the Daniels Sharpsmart System. The system reduces sharps injuries by more than 30 percent and provides optimum safety with “smart” features such as a leakproof seal, clear-view fill level gauge window and overfill protection. Constructed from rigid puncture-resistant plastic, the containers feature access geometry that allows the container to accept a wide range of sharps while minimizing hand access; and a final closure activation which keeps the container tamper-proof.
Friday, August 27, 2004
In this Issue:
Flu shot maker finds contaminated doses
Number of uninsured Americans rises by 1.4 million
HHS awards $24.1 Million for HIV/AIDS care
The VA
National
Center
for Patient Safety Web site
offers free 'Falls Prevention Toolkit'
Flu shot maker finds contaminated doses
The Chiron Corporation, a major manufacturer of influenza vaccine, said Thursday that it had detected a contamination problem in its new supply and was delaying release of nearly 50 million doses until scientists could determine the cause, reports The New York Times. Chiron makes about half the 100-million-dose supply that federal health officials expected to be used this flu season. The Times reported a spokesman for Chiron as saying that other than a relatively small amount sent to distributors in July, the company will probably not begin issuing the vaccine until mid-October, about a month later than expected. The disclosure to government agencies came on the same day that the Bush administration released the nation's first influenza pandemic plan of preparation and response. Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, said Chiron's contamination problem was “not good news,” in part because the usual October flu immunization clinics may need to be postponed until November, reported The Times. She was also reported as saying that given what Chiron has told her, “at this point we don't anticipate an overall shortage.” As a result of that expectation, she added, the CDC is not now changing its recommendations as to who should be immunized. There are 185 million Americans who ought to be immunized under this year's recommendations, including two doses to all infants from 6 months to 23 months.
Despite a worsening nursing shortage, nursing schools across the country are turning away applicants because they can’t find enough qualified professors. Fewer nurses are pursuing the Ph.D required for full-time, tenured teaching positions, and healthcare jobs often offer better pay, reports the Associated Press. Just as in the nurse work force, much of the faculty is nearing retirement. The nursing shortage is expected to reach 400,000 vacant nurse positions by 2012, reports the Honor Society of Nursing. The educational group is part of the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow coalition now running ads with real nursing educators urging others to join the profession. Doctoral programs are only offered at 88 U.S. nursing schools, with about 3,500 students enrolled in 2003-04, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Only 419 Ph.D.s graduated this spring, down 10 percent from the prior year. Already, the association says about 7 percent of the 10,200 full-time faculty positions at the 690 U.S. bachelor's and graduate nursing programs are vacant. In addition, 122 of those schools need more instructors; they turned away nearly 18,000 applicants last year for lack of faculty and, in some cases, classroom space. Those figures don't include two-year degrees and hospital-based diploma programs, although their faculty vacancy rates are only about half as high, according to the National League for Nursing, which offers grants and runs programs to develop more faculty. Not all schools are having such trouble, possibly because they are in places with a lower cost of living and less-mobile work force, reports AP. One such school is the Purdue School of Nursing in West Lafayette, IN, which has increased full-time faculty in the bachelor's degree program from 40 to 48 since the 2000-01 school year, as each entering class expanded, from 100 students in 2000 to 167 this fall. A low cost of living and proximity to Indianapolis and Chicago are said to help with recruiting. In addition, the school offers above-average salaries and runs popular clinics for Purdue employees and for the public that allow nursing instructors to keep their skills sharp. (AP)
Number of uninsured Americans rises by 1.4 million
The number of Americans without health insurance for at least part of the year in 2003 increased by 1.4 million to a total 45 million people, or 15.6% of the population, reported the Census Bureau. 60.4% of Americans reported having coverage through their employer, compared with 61.3% in 2002. The percentage and number of people covered by government health insurance programs increased, to 26.6% and 76.8 million from 25.7% and 73.6 million in 2002. The percentage of children without health insurance was unchanged at 11.4%, or 8.4 million. Children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured, at 19.2%.
HHS awards $24.1 Million for HIV/AIDS care
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced 35 new grants totaling $24.1 million to help America's children, youth and women with HIV/AIDS and their affected families obtain comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and services. “We have made tremendous advances in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” Secretary Thompson said. “However, the number of women contracting HIV continues to grow, especially in racial and ethnic minority communities. These grants will help ensure that care is available where needed for these women and their families.” The grants are awarded under Title IV of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. Title IV programs specifically address the needs of women, children, youth and families by providing care that deals with the entire family. This includes primary and specialty medical care, psychosocial services, logistical support and coordination, and outreach and case management. Programs also are designed to increase access to clinical trials and research. For more see, http://www.hhs.gov/news.
The VA
National
Center for
Patient Safety Web site
offers free 'Falls Prevention Toolkit'
Statistics from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reveal that falls are the leading cause of injury among people 65 years or older, resulting in 87% of all fractures, which are the most serious outcome associated with falls. Download free, practical information on fall prevention at http://www.patientsafety.gov/fallstoolkit/index.html.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
In this Issue:
Non-profit hospitals pressured to defend tax-exempt status
A few diseases help drive U.S. health spending rise
HHS releases draft document on flu pandemic preparation
New bed linens help fight microbes that
cause hospital acquired infections
Non-profit hospitals pressured to defend tax-exempt status
With billing and collection of uninsured patients' debts gaining national media attention as of late last year, many hospitals have updated their policies, offering discounts to the uninsured and halting practices such as putting liens on homes or seeking arrest warrants for those who don't pay. Still, not-for-profit hospitals are under increasing pressure to defend their tax-exempt status, reported USA Today. The USA Today article discussed ways in which interest has intensified. 1: The IRS is looking at salaries paid to executives and officers of 2,000 of the nation's charities and non-profit foundations, which include hospitals. Salaries deemed “excessive” may violate federal law. 2: Three congressional committees are investigating non-profit hospitals, looking at how they charge the uninsured, the tactics they use to collect unpaid bills and the amount of charity care they provide. New rules could result such as more uniform financial reporting standards and regulations on the size and make-up of hospital boards. 3: States and local property tax authorities are renewing their interest in hospital tax exemptions. 4: More than 40 class-action lawsuits have been filed since June by a team of high-profile law firms against nearly 400 not-for-profit hospitals. The lawsuits take issue with the way the hospitals treat the bills of the uninsured, saying their tax-exempt status implies that they should be more lenient with the uninsured. Beyond providing free services to low-income patients, advocacy groups want hospitals to sharply discount the prices charged to the uninsured. Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2004-08-24-nonprofit_x.htm
A few diseases help drive U.S. health spending rise
A handful of conditions account for most of the $200 billion increase in healthcare spending since the late 1980s, said U.S. researchers. Emory University economist Kenneth Thorpe and colleagues report that the increase in healthcare spending from $429 billion in 1987 to $628 billion in 2000, was due partly to more sick people, but also to more expensive costs of care. They report that the top five medical conditions accounted for 31 percent of the increase in spending. Between 1987 and 2000, the 15 costliest medical conditions, which accounted for 56 percent of the overall spending growth, were heart disease, mental disorders, lung disease, cancer, trauma, high blood pressure, diabetes, back problems, arthritis, stroke and other brain blockages, skin disorders, pneumonia, infectious disease, hormone disorders, and kidney disease. For the study, Thorpe and colleagues used two U.S. government surveys: the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey of 34,000 people and the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey of 25,000 people. They found many more people were being treated for certain conditions and that those new patients accounted for 60 percent of the rise in spending on stroke and other brain blockages. New patients accounted for 59 percent of the rise in spending on mental disorders. While mental disorders did not become more common, twice as many people sought treatment for them between 1987 and 2000, due in part to better diagnosis and the availability of better drugs. While there was little change in the number of people treated for heart disease between 1987 and 2000, the hikes in spending in this area were due to more costly new drugs and devices. The researchers said the study was not definitive as patients reported their own data and the study did not cover people in institutions. The report is published in this week's issue of the journal Health Affairs and available on the Internet at http://www.healthaffairs.org.
HHS releases draft document on flu pandemic preparation
A long-awaited draft document released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human services outlines suggestions for how the United States can prepare for pandemic flu. Suggestions of the Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan include, stockpiling of antiviral drugs, making more flu vaccine and better surveillance for new flu strains. The plan says it may be necessary to screen travelers, close schools and quarantine mildly ill people to limit spread of the disease. HHS is increasing pressure on states to prepare their own plans for dealing with pandemic flu this year, including how to free up enough hospital beds to handle the sickest patients. Specialists say it's only a matter of time before the next pandemic strikes, and are concerned that the bird flu in Asia could provide a trigger if it mutates to a form that is easily spread among people. Experts estimate pandemic influenza might kill between 89,000 and 207,000 people in the United States, while current annual influenza mortality is between 20,000 and 40,000. Many proposed actions are already underway. Scientists are producing a small amount of vaccine from a “seed virus” made from the H5N1 flu strain now circulating in Asia. When that work is finished in November, the vaccine will be tested in a small clinical trial in people while a larger batch of vaccine is made to see how the strain performs in industrial-scale production. The federal government is also seeking to buy more oseltamivir, a drug sold as Tamiflu, from Roche. Taken for five days, the drug can prevent infection in people exposed to influenza in many cases. There is enough oseltamivir in the government's “strategic national stockpile” of epidemic and bioterrorism drugs to treat about 1 million people. The government is seeking input from hospitals and state health departments as it develops the plans. HHS wants to hear from health departments and the public about who should get vaccines or antiviral drugs if supplies are short. The plan suggest various scenarios such as targeting those most at risk of death, such as the elderly; those most at risk of infecting others, such as health care workers; or those with important jobs such as police and fire personnel.
New bed linens help fight microbes that
cause hospital acquired infections
Medline Industries announces the launch of bed linens treated with HaloShield, a patented technology that harnesses the antimicrobial power of chlorine-based sanitizers to kill infection-causing pathogens, including MRSA and VRE. Healthcare facilities will be able to use HaloShield sheets and pillowcases to combat the spread of a wide range of resistant bacteria, viruses and other microbes, including MRSA. HaloShield extends the capabilities of EPA-registered chlorine-based sanitizers, proven hygienic agents that do not promote resistant microbes, to maintain an effective antimicrobial barrier for the lifetime of the sheet. Medline Industries, Inc. licenses HaloShield from Vanson HaloSource, with exclusive rights to distribute HaloShield-treated hospital sheets, pillowcases, scrubs, gowns and reusable underpads in North and South America. HaloShield is a patented, durable coating that binds EPA-registered chlorine-based sanitizers to nearly any textile or surface. The antimicrobial properties of the chlorine are renewed each time the HaloShield sheet is laundered in an EPA-registered chlorine-based sanitizer, such as Clorox® bleach, consistent with standard hospital protocol. Laboratory and field tests show that HaloShield is non-irritating and safe for sensitive skin.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
In this Issue:
GAO report on senate state and federal efforts
to prevent and detect improper payments
New York hospitals to sue over Medicare rule change
Ansell Healthcare donates gloves to aid Paraguay disaster relief
Amerinet Central honors members, supplier at annual meeting
GAO report on senate state and federal efforts
to prevent and detect improper payments
This GAO report provides information on (1) the types of provider fraud and abuse problems that state Medicaid programs have identified, (2) approaches states take to ensure that Medicaid funds are paid appropriately, and (3) CMS’s efforts to support and oversee state program integrity activities. To address these issues, GAO compiled an inventory of states’ Medicaid program integrity activities, conducted site visits in eight states, and interviewed CMS’s Medicaid program integrity staff. The GAO found that various forms of fraud and abuse have resulted in substantial financial losses to states and the federal government. Fraudulent and abusive billing practices committed by providers include billing for services, drugs, equipment, or supplies not provided or not needed. Providers have also been found to bill for more expensive procedures than actually provided. In recent cases, 15 clinical laboratories in one state billed Medicaid $20 million for services that had not been ordered, an optical store falsely claimed $3 million for eyeglass replacements, and a medical supply company agreed to repay states nearly $50 million because of fraudulent marketing practices. States report that their Medicaid program integrity activities generated cost savings by applying certain measures to providers considered to be at high risk for inappropriate billing and by generally strengthening their program controls for all providers. At the federal level, CMS is engaged in several initiatives designed to support states’ program integrity efforts; however, its oversight of these state efforts is limited. CMS initiatives include two pilots, one to measure the accuracy of each state’s Medicaid claims payments and another to identify aberrant provider billing by linking Medicaid and Medicare claims information. In fiscal year 2004, CMS allocated $26,000 and eight staff positions nationally for overseeing the states’ Medicaid program integrity activities, including the cost of compliance reviews. With this level of resources, CMS aims to review 8 states each year until all 50 states and the District of Columbia have been covered. From January 2000 through December 2003, CMS has conducted reviews of 29 states and, at its current pace, would not begin a second round of reviews before fiscal year 2007. This level of effort suggests that CMS’s oversight of the states’ Medicaid program integrity efforts may be disproportionately small relative to the risk of serious financial loss. For the full report, see www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-707.
New York hospitals to sue over Medicare rule change
Several New York City hospitals said they would sue the Bush administration over a proposed rule change that they say could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare payments in the next decade, reports The New York Times. Traditionally, the amount hospitals receive in federal Medicare assistance is adjusted to account for different labor costs in metropolitan areas. The rule change would redraw the boundaries for a New York metropolitan area so that city hospitals would be grouped with those in New Jersey suburbs where wages are lower. While other large metropolitan areas will be hurt by the change, which is scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 1, New York is the first to take the matter to court, reports The Times. Hospital officials say this case is significant because it involves a broad-based challenge to a national Medicare classification system that could affect every hospital in the country. The lawsuit, which hospital officials said would be filed in coming days, names the director of health and human services, Tommy Thompson, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Greater New York Hospital Association's law firm who is leading the suit, said the change would cost New York hospitals $930 million in the next 10 years. The hospitals hope to force the administration to go back to the previous boundaries or to draw new ones in a way that they say takes labor costs into account in a better way. If the change goes into effect, it would force the hospitals to pay for the lost Medicare reimbursements out of their own pockets. (The New York Times)
The National Institutes of Health released a strategic plan it said will guide its support for research to prevent and treat the nation's rising epidemic of obesity. The plan, developed by a task force convened in spring 2003 to intensify and enhance coordination of obesity research across the agency, outlines goals and strategies for research to prevent and treat obesity through a combination of behavioral, environmental and medical approaches. About 65% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, NIH notes, conditions estimated to cost the nation $117 billion in medical and indirect costs such as lost wages due to illness. The agency plans to invest roughly $440.3 million in obesity research in fiscal year 2005, up from $378.6 million in 2003. For more on the research plan, visit www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2004/niddk-24.htm.
Ansell Healthcare donates gloves to aid Paraguay disaster relief
Ansell Healthcare Products LLC has donated 1,500 pairs of surgical and examination gloves to Paraguay in response to the August 1 supermarket fire in Asuncion. Nearly 370 people were killed, and more than 400 people were reported injured in the country's worst disaster in decades. The scale of the tragedy stretched the resources of one of South America's poorest countries. According to news reports, the overwhelmed hospitals lack basic supplies, such as gloves and bandages. Ansell Healthcare contacted the Paraguay embassy in Washington D.C. regarding a donation and arranged to ship product the following day.
Amerinet Central honors members, supplier at annual meeting
At this month’s Amerinet Central Member Conference held in Nashville, TN, Fairfield Medical Center, Stratum Med Inc. and Gordon Food Service received honors for their work with the group purchasing organization. Amerinet introduced three new Awards of Excellence to recognize an acute care facility, a non-acute care facility and a supplier. Member award winners were determined based on utilization of the Amerinet contract portfolio, participation in education programs and data services and active involvement in membership activities. Criteria for the supplier award included: timely and accurate sales reporting; active participation and sponsorship of member meetings; proven leadership in engaging field staff, improving proactive marketing activities and providing customer support; and participating in business reviews. The winner for the category of Acute Care Facility was Fairfield Medical Center, located in Lancaster, OH. Fairfield Medical Center is a 222-bed general acute care facility with established affiliates and off-campus locations. The winner for Non-acute Facility was Stratum Med, Inc. Incorporated in 1996, Stratum is a physician owned and governed services company with approximately 2,000 associated physicians and shareholders, located in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Supplier, Gordon Food Service is the largest, privately held foodservice distributor in North America. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, GFS has operations in Ontario, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
In this Issue:
Rising contract labor expenses among hospitals
Hospitals use ‘secret handwashing watchers’
Lowering ICU patients' blood sugar
Guidance document on controlled pain medication
Mölnlycke Health Care introduces two new BARRIER® gowns
Rising contract labor expenses among hospitals
A new study by the American Hospital Directory shows that hospitals are spending more than $16 billion per year for contract labor, an increase from 4.7 percent of hospital personnel expense in 1997 to 8.1 percent in 2002. This trend may indicate that hospitals are substituting more expensive contract labor for salaried staff. Preliminary measurements from 2003 indicate even further escalation of the trend. Since contract labor typically costs twice as much as salaried personnel, the high utilization of contract labor may represent as much as $8 billion in incremental expense. The study examines Medicare cost report data and provides statistics for various types of hospitals. Spending patterns are examined for short-term, acute care hospitals by type of control, the presence of teaching programs, hospital size, and service intensity. Comparative information is presented to enable individual hospitals to compare their own labor expenditures to that of their peers. For example, for-profit hospitals report total labor expenses representing 40.1% of operating revenue during 2002 while voluntary hospitals report expenses of 51.6 percent. The study also explores operational reasons that may explain patterns in labor expense. It is widely believed that increases in contract labor may be attributed to shortages in nursing personnel. When asked if nursing shortages make the use of contract labor unavoidable, Doug Howell, a co-author of the study, replied, “There is no nursing shortage if a hospital is able to arrange contract labor. It simply means that a hospital has to be smarter in attracting and retaining nurses. If an agency can hire a nurse why can't the hospital?” Mr. Howell provides a case study showing how Norton Healthcare of Louisville, KY, used an innovative approach for dramatically reducing their contract labor expense. He concludes, “The impact ... on the system has been a reduction of $9 million annually in labor costs, plus the added benefit of knowing that Norton employees provide all of the nursing care in the system's hospitals.” Mr. Howell is Senior Vice President with Norton Healthcare and has extensive career experience in Human Resources. The complete study can be found on the American Hospital Directory website at http://www.ahd.com.
Hospitals use ‘secret handwashing watchers’
Two hospitals in Peoria, IL, have enacted strict handwashing programs to reduce the risk of infections, and one of the hospitals is using “secret handwashing watchers” to ensure proper compliance with the campaign, PJStar.com reported. OSF St. Francis Medical Center is using a $1,000 research grant to fund the program, which continues through January. The handwashing campaign includes brochures, quizzes, fliers and informational packets distributed to employees. Methodist Medical Center is also implementing a national patient safety goals campaign, which includes stressing the importance of handwashing. A quarterly infection control newsletter is distributed to employees, and hand washing is a big part of that. The hospital utilizes “secret hand-washing watchers” to see if people are following the rules, said PJStar.com.
Lowering ICU patients' blood sugar
Patients in intensive care units are more susceptible to elevated blood sugar levels, regardless of their illness. A study at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut has found that giving insulin to I.C.U. patients to bring their blood sugar down to near normal levels will help raise survival rates. In February 2003, the hospital's intensive care unit began a policy of treating all patients whose blood sugar levels rose above 140 milligrams per deciliter of blood. A comparison of 800 patients who were in the intensive care unit just before the policy was introduced and 800 who were admitted immediately afterward found that mortality dropped 29 percent, representing 49 fewer deaths among the 800 patients in the second group. The study appears in the August issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Patients in both the before and after groups suffered from a variety of health problems, including traumatic injuries, pneumonia, heart attacks and gastrointestinal bleeding. In such critically ill patients, stress, medications and even intravenous feeding can cause blood sugar levels to rise. High blood sugar might promote problems with blood flow leading to organ failure, and might also encourage inflammation. After the Stamford I.C.U. doctors and nurses began regulating the patients' blood sugar, the length of patient stay dropped from an average of three and two-thirds days to three and one-third. And the number of patients with kidney dysfunction fell to 3 out of 800 from 12.
Guidance document on controlled pain medication
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a guidance document intended to help educate healthcare professionals and law enforcement personnel on the clinical and regulatory issues surrounding the prescribing of controlled pain medications. The guidance is a follow-up to a 2001 consensus statement by the DEA, Last Acts Partnership, and Pain & Policy Studies Group at the University of Wisconsin titled, “Promoting Pain Relief and Preventing Abuse of Pain Medications: A Critical Balancing Act.” The statement called for a balanced policy addressing both the necessity of medical access to prescription pain medications and active approaches to stem abuse, addiction and diversion. The new guidance document, which contains answers to frequently asked questions on the issue, can be found at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/new.htm.
Mölnlycke Health Care introduces two new BARRIER® gowns
Mölnlycke Health Care has expanded their BARRIER® surgical gown product line by introducing their highly repellent BARRIER® Surgical Gown II and fluid impervious, breathable BARRIER® Fluid Protection Plus gown. Both gowns were developed using innovative fabric technologies in response to the increasing demand for the comfort and protection of healthcare workers and rigorous infection control practices and to assist with cost management. The fabrics were developed using the ANSI/AAMI PB 70 guidance. Mölnlycke is offering a no charge gown product trial to demonstrate the benefits of the new fabric technology. To schedule a trial, interested parties should call 1-800-882-4582 and press Option 2.
Monday, August 23, 2004
In this Issue:
Senator says Justice
Department to investigate VA hospital fraud
U.S. Attorney announces first
criminal
conviction under HIPAA privacy rule
Nominate your team for 2004
CS/SPD
Department of the Year
Cardinal Health adds to offerings
The Justice Department has opened a broad criminal investigation of the medical-supply industry to determine whether hospitals and other medical care providers are fraudulently overcharging Medicare and other federal and state health programs for a wide array of goods, reported The New York Times. More than a dozen medical-supply companies recently received federal subpoenas in what appears to be a wide-ranging investigation into the way suppliers market products to clinics, hospitals and nursing homes that serve Medicare and Medicaid patients, and whether those institutions properly account for the purchases. Industry executives expect many hospitals to receive similar requests in coming weeks, said The Times. The central issue, according to current and former industry executives, is whether the industry's use of rebates, discounts, barter arrangements and refunds to hospitals and other medical centers means that Medicare and Medicaid are being charged higher prices for products than the hospitals are actually spending. The investigation appears to be centered on the medical-supply industry's dealings with Novation, a company in Irving, TX, that is an industry leader in negotiating the contracts that thousands of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities use to buy drugs and other supplies. A Novation official confirmed this week that the company was recently served with a federal subpoena demanding that it produce documents said The Times. The federal investigation came to light after one medical products company, Becton, Dickinson, the world’s largest maker of medical needles and syringes, disclosed last week in its quarterly financial report that it had been served with a subpoena. Some of the other big companies to be served with subpoenas are the drug makers Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Genentech; the G.E. Healthcare medical equipment unit of General Electric, and Cardinal Health. Based on the federal codes cited in a copy of one of the subpoenas, investigators are seeking evidence of healthcare fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft or bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, obstruction of investigations and other possible violations. The practices under scrutiny include questionable payments in the awarding of contracts and incomplete accounting of the rebates paid to hospitals and other medical centers. People in the medical-supply business who were aware of the subpoenas said the investigators wanted records of payments made by suppliers to Novation and to the hospitals and other facilities that use its contracts. (The New York Times) For the full story see, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/21/business/21buyer.html. More also in Around the Nation, http://www.hpnonline.com/around%20the%20nation/aroundthenation.html.
Senator says Justice Department to investigate VA hospital fraud
Florida Senator Bill Nelson said Friday that the Justice Department will investigate a $278 million computer system at a veterans hospital that failed, leading top officials to resign, reported the Associated Press. The probe will focus on whether the project contractor, BearingPoint, committed fraud or otherwise violated its contract at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Nelson said, as reported by AP. A spokesman from the Justice Department declined to comment, saying the agency neither confirms nor denies the existence of criminal investigations. A report last week from the Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general questioned how BearingPoint handled the Core Financial Logistics System, which was supposed to track hospital finances and inventory. The report said the system was rushed into use before hospital employees were properly trained and before problems with data conversion and software integration were addressed, said AP. Difficulty with tracking inventory, controlling finances and ordering supplies led to cancellation of 81 elective surgeries and other problems with patient care, the report said. The report did not allege criminal misconduct. The system was abandoned nine months into a trial run at the VA's fifth busiest hospital before a national rollout. About $278 million of its $472 million budget had been spent. Congressional investigators found that BearingPoint was paid an incentive bonus of more than $200,000 for keeping the project on schedule despite the inadequate training. A VA committee is examining the project and will make recommendations regarding its future. Five VA officials quit or were reassigned this year because of the computer problems and hospital mismanagement. A BearingPoint spokesman also declined to comment to AP. In a statement, the VA said it had directed all employees to cooperate with Justice Department investigators.
U.S.
Attorney announces first criminal
conviction under HIPAA privacy rule
A 42-year-old Washington state man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information for economic gain. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle, which is prosecuting the case, said the plea agreement represents the first criminal conviction under the health information privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which became effective in April 2003. The man admitted he obtained a cancer patient's name, birth date and social security number while employed at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and disclosed that information to get credit cards in the patient's name, charging more than $9,000 in debt. The man was fired shortly after the identify theft was discovered. If the court approves the plea agreement, the defendant will be sentenced to a term of 10-16 months and pay restitution to the credit card companies and patient for expenses he incurred as a result of using his identity. At a hearing scheduled for November 5, 2004, U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo S. Martinez will determine whether to accept the Plea Agreement. For more, see the Aug. 19 announcement under "Press Room" at www.usdoj.gov/usao/waw/.
Nominate your team for 2004 CS/SPD
Department of the Year
Healthcare Purchasing News believes in rewarding the nation’s outstanding central service and sterile processing departments. Their efforts don’t just save hospitals’ money, they save lives. Healthcare Purchasing News has offered the Central Service Department of the Year award for almost a decade, and now the CS/SPD Department of the Year award, which honors the best that the CS/SPD profession offers. The winning CS/SPD team will be featured on the cover of the December 2004 issue of Healthcare Purchasing News as recognition of the winning department’s outstanding contributions to patient care and to the CS/SPD profession. Last year’s winner was MedCentral Health Systems, with an innovative CS/SPD close knit team. Their dedication to ongoing education and vision made them tops in 2003. This year, we’re looking for entries that follow that tradition and tell the story of the many ways that these unsung heroes of patient care are doing their jobs, helping patients and setting new standards for performance. The judges select a winning CS/SPD team as proof that there are so many first-rate CS departments working quietly and efficiently in support of the nation’s operating rooms. In truth, this honor should be shared by CS departments and CS workers everywhere. Entries will be judged on elements such as teamwork, innovation, creativity, savings to their hospital, originality, contributions to quality patient care, long-lasting results, efficiency and customer service. There are no limits on the length of your entry, and it is helpful to document any claims made. Entries may be e-mailed, mailed or faxed to Jeannie Akridge, 7650 So. Tamiami Trail, Suite 10, Sarasota, FL 34231; Fax 941-927-9588; email: jakridge@hpnonline.com. The deadline is 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 8, 2004.
Cardinal Health adds to offerings
The Radiation Management Services division of Cardinal Health has introduced IntelliCheck, a device that performs a daily quality-assurance check of the radiation therapy beam. IntelliCheck uses air ion chamber technology and Windows CE-based software to perform linear accelerator quality assurance, according to the Cleveland-based firm. In other new product developments, the company said that it is also now offering Victoreen radiation monitors as a replacement for legacy monitors.
Friday, August 20, 2004
In this Issue:
Create and manage your virtual electronic
health record
at HIMMS 2005 Interoperability Showcases
CONMED to acquire C.R. Bard product line
CDC report says dialysis may have spread West
Nile
Donations for Health Careers Foundation
Partners Conference
Redesigned hospital gowns protect Muslim
women's modesty
GE updates surgical navigation
systems
Create and manage your virtual electronic health record
at HIMMS 2005 Interoperability Showcases
Attendees at the 2005 Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition will have a hands-on opportunity to create and manage their own online health records using products and standards now in the marketplace and being demonstrated at the Cross-Enterprise and Ambulatory Care Interoperability Showcases on the exhibition floor. Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) will enable the interoperability for the Showcase demonstrations, which will feature vendor-neutral health information exchange across multiple care settings. IHE began in November 1998 as a collaborative effort to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share critical information. Sponsored today by HIMSS, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), IHE does not create new standards, but instead, drives the adoption of existing standards to address specific clinical needs. At the Cross-Enterprise Interoperability Showcase IHE will feature the Cross-Enterprise Clinical Document Sharing Integration Profile that enables document linkage and information sharing across acute care (hospital), ambulatory (outpatient) and other care settings. Documents with simulated patient health information, created on-site as part of an attendee’s own health record, will then be accessible in the booths of participating exhibitors to demonstrate the IHE integration capabilities of their products. Continuity of Care records, radiology images, cardiology reports, laboratory results and the information infrastructure to support security applications will be part of the Interoperability demonstration. The Ambulatory Care Showcase will feature demonstrations based on patient care scenarios, taking attendees through simulated settings that include the patient’s home, small physician’s office, multispecialty group practice, and freestanding diagnostic center. To learn more about IHE and participation in how the showcase benefits vendors or providers, attend the upcoming workshop, Deploying Interoperability in the Real World. The workshop, held Sept. 13-15, 2004, at the Marriott Oak Brook in Oak Brook, IL, will present the IHE approach to implementing standards-based interoperability solutions. For more information, visit http://www.rsna.org/IHE/participation/index.shtml. See the entire release at: http://www.himss.org/asp/ContentRedirector.asp?ContentID=54286
CONMED to acquire C.R. Bard product line
CONMED Corp (Utica, NY) will acquire from C.R. Bard Inc (Murray Hill, NJ) certain products of its Endoscopic Technologies business. The business consists of a comprehensive line of single-use medical devices employed by gastro-intestinal (GI) and pulmonary physicians to diagnose and treat diseases of the digestive tract and lungs using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. The Endoscopic product line to be acquired had 2003 revenues approximating $54 million and is the third largest domestic supplier of these types of products to the market.
CDC report says dialysis may have spread West Nile
Two people in Georgia who contracted West Nile virus may have acquired the infection while undergoing dialysis treatment, report US health officials. The infections, which occurred last year, were suspicious because the two men were treated on the same dialysis machine on the same day, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A third person who received dialysis on the same day showed exposure to the virus at some point in the past. One of the patients, a 60-year-old man with a history of diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer, subsequently died. “One or more of these dialysis patients might have acquired West Nile virus infection at the dialysis center through an undetected breach in infection control procedures or outside the dialysis center from the bite of an infected mosquito,” the report said. While Georgia investigators could find no evidence supporting the claim, they could not rule it out. The investigators consulted with the CDC on the matter and together they produced the report. The report cautions hospitals and medical centers offering dialysis to make sure that their machines, needles, and other devices are adequately cleaned before and after each patient is treated. (Reuters)
Donations for Health Careers Foundation
Partners Conference
The Health Careers Foundation (HCF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing much needed financial assistance to individuals committed to the pursuit of careers in nursing, pharmacy or allied health fields. Each year the Health Careers Foundation holds a Partners Conference to bring together executives from the business and healthcare communities in support of the HCF mission. The event is essential in reaching the HCF’s fundraising goals. The HCF is asking for support via contributions to the 2004 HCF Partners Conference to be held Sept. 30 through Oct. 3. Donations of logo giveaways, prizes, silent auction items, or a monetary gift in the amount of your choice will all be greatly appreciated. Checks, prizes and giveaway items should be received by September 17, 2004 and may be shipped to: Thomas A. Sawyer, Olympus America Inc., Two Corporate Center Drive, Melville, NY 11747. For more information call Thomas A. Sawyer at 631-844-5381 or email Thomas.Sawyer@Olympus.com.
Redesigned hospital gowns protect Muslim women's modesty
The drafty and revealing standard issue hospital gown has caused many Muslim women to cancel doctor’s visits rather than face what they consider an unthinkable indignity. When officials at Maine Medical Center discovered this fact, the hospital redesigned the standard gown to provide extra coverage for patients who want it. The gowns have been available for several weeks. Over the past few years, 2,000 Somali refugees have come to Portland and most of them are treated at Maine Medical’s international clinic. As many as three out of 10 women were skipping their appointments, the hospital reported. When surveyed in their homes, the women whose religion and culture require them to be covered, described their dread of being asked to wear the revealing gowns during outpatient procedures. They also said they were publicly humiliated when they had to wait in a hallway in the radiology department. The gown created by the Portland hospital is long enough to provide more coverage of a patient's legs and has extra material to ensure that a patient's backside remains covered. Underneath, there's a wraparound sarong for even more coverage. The University of Michigan Medical Center, located in southeastern Michigan, home to 300,000 Arab-Americans, is considering posting signs on the rooms of Muslim women warning male visitors and staff to check with a nurse's station before entering, said a hospital spokeswoman. Still, it is unlikely that the standard-issue gown will go away entirely. In some situations, in emergency rooms for example, it's more important to put the interests of doctors and nurses ahead of the interests of patients. (Associated Press)
GE updates surgical navigation systems
Multimodality vendor GE Healthcare has updated the software for its InstaTrak 3500 Plus and ENTrak Plus electromagnetic surgical navigation systems. The updates permit users of the products to view a 3D map that enables physicians to track instrument positions with no line-of-sight restrictions, according to the Waukesha, WI-based company. InstaTrak 3500 features an enhanced Advanced ENT with CT/MR fusion for skull-base and sinus surgeries, GE said. An AccuMatch markless registration feature has also been added to both products, eliminating the need to shave the patient's head before surgery, the firm said.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
In this Issue:
A plea from Florida’s Lee Memorial Health System
Bush considers importing prescription drugs if
they are safe
West Nile hits Phoenix the
hardest
QuadraMed lists on the
American Stock Exchange
University HealthSystem Consortium and Thermo
USCS
announce asset management program agreement
A plea from Florida’s Lee Memorial Health System
Following the destruction of Hurricane Charley, Lee Memorial Health System (FL) reports that many of its employees have lost their homes and all their personal belongings. Lee Memorial Health System is setting up a relief fund to help employees who were impacted. Bob Simpson, president of the hospital cooperative that supplies Sarasota Memorial, Lee Memorial and two other hospitals in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, FL, said, “The one thing that I have seen that really impacted me was the dedication of all our employees. Through all this, for four days, they never went home. Working round the clock, knowing their own homes and property where being damaged. They moved their families into our facilities and kept right on working. Our ER's have been hit the hardest and we are all tired, but we don't want to let each other down and we want to make sure we are here to care for our community. We have so many elderly here. We need to make sure they are cared for.” If any of our extended family in supply chain across the country would like to help, they can send a check made out to: Lee Memorial Health System Hurricane Relief Fund c/o LeeSar 401 Leonard Blvd. Lehigh Acres, FL, 33971, Attn. Bob Simpson. All these monies will go directly to caregivers who have been impacted by this storm. HPN thanks you for your support.
Bush considers importing prescription drugs if they are safe
Under political pressure to allow imports of cheaper prescription drugs from
Canada and other countries, President Bush appeared to move closer to supporting
the idea Wednesday, but only if the safety of the drugs could be assured,
reports CNN. When asked about prescription drug imports during a town hall
meeting in Wisconsin, Bush said, “I'm looking at this. ... There's a lot of
pressure in Congress for importation.” However, Bush said it is not clear that
the imported drugs would be safe. “What I don't want to do is be the president
that says we'll allow for importation, and all of a sudden drugs that are
manufactured somewhere else come in over the Internet and it begins to harm our
citizens,” he said. “If it's safe, then it makes sense.” Wednesday's remarks
were some of Bush's most extensive comments to date on the issue of prescription
drug imports.
While extreme heat and nearly nonexistent rainfall make Phoenix seem like an unlikely spot for this year's West Nile virus epicenter, federal health officials say Arizona is the only state where the mosquito-borne virus is an epidemic. So far this year, at least 290 of the nation's more than 500 West Nile cases are in Arizona; three of the 14 deaths were in Arizona. Nearly all the cases have been in the state's most populous county, Maricopa, which includes the Phoenix metro area. State health officials estimate at least 30,000 Arizonans may have the virus without knowing it, and some people never have symptoms. Only about 1 percent of West Nile victims develop the potentially dangerous inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, meningitis or encephalitis. While more humid climates have more mosquitoes than Arizona, they are also more prepared to deal with "nuisance mosquitoes". In addition, one particular type of mosquito, the Culex tarsalis, thrives there. The species is one of the best carriers of West Nile virus, thriving in suburban settings and feeding on humans. The species can breed in small pools of standing water, and because it is so dominant, it doesn't have to compete with other types of mosquitoes for breeding spots. Of the approximate 600,000 residential swimming pools in the state, state health officials estimate about 10,000 are capable of breeding mosquitoes, including neglected stagnant pools. Also, many of the city's older neighborhoods still use irrigation flooding for lawns, sometimes leaving standing water for days. Tall, mature trees in Arizona are prime spots for mosquitoes as well as birds who also carry West Nile. So far, the primary weapon has been to spray pesticide at night with fogging trucks. Maricopa County officials recently voted to spend more money to increase the spraying, but opted against the aerial spraying recommended by the CDC due to its high costs and the need to spread the budget over the entire season. Federal officials are watching to see if the county is able to slow the virus' spread.
QuadraMed lists on the American Stock Exchange
After facing many obstacles in the last three years, QuadraMed Corporation (AMEX: QD) announced on Thursday that it will begin trading on the American Stock Exchange at 9:30 a.m. (eastern time). QuadraMed provides healthcare information technology and services, from clinical and patient information management to revenue cycle and health information management. Heading the company, which has 2,000 customers and 1,000 employees, is CEO Lawrence P. English, a 20-year veteran of Cigna Health Care.
University HealthSystem Consortium and Thermo USCS
announce asset management program agreement
University HealthSystem Consortium, an Oak Brook, IL, based alliance of academic health centers, and USCS, a business unit of Thermo Electron Corporation, Brookfield, WI, a provider of equipment maintenance cost control services since 1979, have announced the selection of Thermo USCS to replace the Capital Asset Management Program (CAMp) formerly offered Consortium members. The agreement became effective July 1, 2004. UHC had offered CAMp to its members since 1994 as a way to reduce equipment maintenance costs through a collective, self-managed program coordinated through UHC and directed to the CAMp participants. The program offered technology management support through the UHC staff and professionals at member institutions. The alliance sought a commercially available asset management program via a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The objective was to replace CAMp with a system that would allow participants to continue to receive substantial, measurable, and sustainable savings in the cost of operating equipment. “Over the years, Thermo USCS has recognized CAMp as a respected asset management program,” said Deborah C. Deinstadt, Thermo USCS senior vice president. “CAMp and our LIFECYCLE™ program have more similarities than difference, which we believe translates into the smoothest possible transition from CAMp to LIFECYCLE for UHC participating members.”
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
In this Issue:
Hurricane Charley’s aftermath worries medical experts
Florida Hospital Association sets up relief
fund for hospitals hit by Charley
HHS sends nurses, other caregivers to two
Florida hospitals
LifePoint to acquire Province
Healthcare
VHHA Services expands partnership with
Equipment
Management & Technology Solutions (EMTS)
Hurricane Charley’s aftermath worries medical experts
Until electricity is restored and the debris is cleared, health officials are worried that there could be more deaths and injuries in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley as people return to severely damaged homes, reported the Associated Press. “We're seeing lacerations, injuries post-hurricane,” Karen Mulvaney, a critical care nurse told AP. “A lot of people are coming here now because people are now returning to their homes.” In addition to injuries sustained during repairs, residents are being sickened by eating rotting food and contaminated water. They are skipping their prescription drugs and, with no air conditioning and with window screens blown away, exposing themselves to mosquitoes carrying diseases such as West Nile virus. Lack of air conditioning is also exacerbating conditions such as asthma. “It really gets back to getting electricity as soon as possible because that's going to solve a lot of problems,” said Tommy Thompson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Right now there are a lot of heart attacks in people who are going out and cleaning out their property.” The U.S. death toll Tuesday rose from 19 to 20, when an 86-year-old man who had evacuated his home fell and died in a motel. Officials in Charlotte County said three new deaths involving a crash at an intersection where the traffic lights were not working may also be linked to Charley. About 493,000 people remained without power Tuesday and it could still be weeks before it is fully restored, state officials said. Three makeshift medical centers have been set up in tents outside of hospitals closed for repairs. Each day the number of people seeking help at one such federally-sponsored facility has grown larger, reported AP. Saturday brought 54 people, Sunday had 88 people and on Monday there were 107 patients. The medical center has to pick up the slack since Charlotte Regional Medical Center is closed and Charlotte County's other two hospitals are just treating emergency-care patients. In addition to a shortage of medics, supplies are also getting low. “We're running out of medication. We're running out of bandages,” said John Caprio, team commander of the medical team running the center. “We're going to need a resupply.” Six hospitals suffered severe damage in the storm and remain closed or are providing emergency department services only, while others are still without power and operating generators.
Florida
Hospital Association sets up relief
fund for hospitals hit by Charley
The Florida Hospital Association has created a relief fund to help hospitals affected by Hurricane Charley. The association has identified staffing as the most immediate need for the hospitals and is advising organizations willing to offer nurses and other support staff for short-term relief, or other types of assistance, to contact the FHA. The association said it also is working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and state Medicaid office to identify staff available to assist hospitals in accelerating Medicare and Medicaid payments. The FHA said more on the Hurricane Charley Disaster Relief Fund, including the address for sending contributions, would be available tomorrow morning at http://www.fha.org/charley.html. (AHA News Now)
HHS sends nurses, other caregivers to two Florida hospitals
The Department for Health and Human Services announced that it is providing nurses and other staff to assist two Florida hospitals in the wake of Hurricane Charley. The hospitals, DeSoto Memorial Hospital in Arcadia, 30 miles northeast of Punta Gorda, and Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, near Orlando, are caring for extra patients in the aftermath of the storm, and have many staff who have lost their homes, an agency spokesperson said. The HHS “mission assignment” will provide 49 specialty care nurses, four primary care providers, four pharmacists, and 11 radiology and laboratory technicians. The staff will come from the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense and other agencies. The initial cost of providing the staff, including travel and equipment, is $1 million, which HHS said would be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. HHS also is providing a $200,000 grant for state officials to fill in any gaps in providing emergency care. More on HHS' aid to Florida is available at http://www.hhs.gov. (AHA News Now)
LifePoint to acquire Province Healthcare
LifePoint Hospitals Inc (Brentwood, TN) signed an agreement to acquire Province Healthcare Company (Brentwood, TN). The transaction will create a hospital company focused on providing healthcare services in non-urban communities, with 50 hospitals, approximately 5,285 beds and combined revenues of approximately $1.7 billion in 2003. Of the combined 50 hospitals, 47 will be in markets where LifePoint Hospitals will be the sole community hospital provider. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2005.
VHHA Services expands partnership with Equipment Management
& Technology Solutions (EMTS)
Equipment Management & Technology Solutions (EMTS) and VHHA Services/Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association announce a significant extension of their partnership. Additional capital equipment services and reduced pricing are now available to all VHHA member hospitals. The following EMTS services are now available at reduced rates to all VHHA member hospitals: EMTS SENTRY Service – Performance based capital equipment cost reduction; EMTS TOTAL Service – Outsourced capital equipment services on a per project basis; Equipment Valuation Services (EVS) – Fair Market Values, Equipment Inventory Appraisals, Liquidation Values, and Insurance Replacement Costs.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
In this Issue:
CMS launches Council to improve timely
access to medical innovations
Study says
U.S.
Veterans received better diabetes
care than managed care patients
Blood-thinner administered once a day
prevents DVT in hospital patients
Smith & Nephew introduces new cannula line
The State of
Science
in Wound Care
Management video available
CMS launches Council to improve timely
access to medical innovations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is creating a panel of experts to help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries' have timely access to new medical treatments and technologies, the agency announced. The Council on Technology and Innovation, created under the Medicare Modernization Act, will address issues related to Medicare coverage, coding and payment for new technologies to support CMS' efforts to develop better evidence on the safety, effectiveness, and cost of new and approved technologies. The council replaces the agency's Medical Technology Council and will be co-chaired by Herb Kuhn, director of CMS' Center for Medicare Management, and Sean Tunis, M.D., director of the agency's Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. For the full release, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1163.
Study says
U.S.
Veterans received better diabetes
care than managed care patients
Veterans with diabetes get better care under the Department of Veterans Affairs system than some patients using managed care, reported U.S. researchers who suggested that nationalized healthcare can work well. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows VA patients got the recommended care more often. A team of researchers from the University of Michigan and University of California studied 1,285 patients with diabetes treated at five VA medical centers and 6,920 patients in eight commercial managed care health plans. They looked at whether patients received seven standard recommended tests or services: an eye exam, a measure of glucose control called the hemoglobin A1c test, cholesterol screening, a foot exam, urine analysis, advice on aspirin use and a flu vaccine. Researchers also checked blood pressure and cholesterol. They found that 93 percent of VA patients had an annual hemoglobin A1c test, compared to 83 percent of managed care patients, and 75 percent of VA patients were told about how aspirin can prevent heart attack and stroke, compared to 49 percent of managed care patients. They found that 91 percent of VA patients had an annual eye exam compared to 75 percent of managed care patients. Beginning in 1995, the VA began improvements focused on managing chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Blood-thinner administered
once a day
prevents DVT in hospital patients
Current research supports the use of blood-thinners to help acutely ill, hospitalized patients minimize the risk of death from a pulmonary embolism (PE) and its precursor deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition often overlooked by physicians and patients. A researcher from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), in an international clinical trial, found that critically ill patients at risk for DVT and PE who received a once daily low molecular weight heparin, dalteparin, versus placebo, experienced a 45 percent reduction in risk of a DVT. Results of this clinical trial, known as "PREVENT" (Prospective Evaluation of Dalteparin Efficacy for Prevention of VTE in Immobilized Patients Trial), is being published in Circulation. Researchers analyzed 3,076 hospitalized patients who were randomized to receive either dalteparin 5,000 units per day or a placebo for 14 days. Patients were followed for 90 days. Researchers found that patients taking dalteparin experienced a 45 percent reduction in the development of DVT. There was no significant increase in major bleeding among patients receiving the blood thinner, dalteparin, compared with the placebo group. DVT, a medical condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the body's large veins, put groups including elderly hospitalized patients and those who have had recent surgery, cancer, or previous blood clots at risk of death. According to the American Heart Association, DVT occurs in approximately two million people a year. More than 600,000 of those with DVT are at risk of a blood clot “breaking off,” migrating to the lungs and blocking the pulmonary artery. This medical condition, known as PE, is the third leading cause of death in the United States. The PREVENT Trial was sponsored by Pfizer, the manufacturer of dalteparin.
Smith & Nephew introduces new cannula line
Smith & Nephew's Endoscopy Division announced the release of the CLEAR-TRAC(TM) Complete cannula system for use in arthroscopic, or minimally invasive, joint surgery. During arthroscopic procedures, cannulae provide sterile pathways to the joint surgeons will treat. Each cannula in the CLEAR-TRAC system features a unique cap, or dam, that prevents fluid from escaping during the procedure. In addition, the cap can be removed, enabling surgeons to clear small pieces of bone or soft tissue from the treatment area without having to remove the cannula from the incision. The CLEAR-TRAC system includes cannulae in nine sizes, enabling surgeons to find the best fit, depending on the size of the patient, the size of the joint being treated and the thickness of the muscle around it. Each cannula is made from a clear polyester material that is tinted so surgeons can distinguish between different cannulae during surgery. The clarity helps provide an unobstructed view of the instruments and suture inside them, as well as the bone and soft tissue that surround the surgery site.
The State of
Science in
Wound Care
Management video available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services broadcast (April 23, 2004) a 2-1/2 hour training presentation via satellite and web cast on the Science of Wound Care Management. A video of this training presentation is now available exclusively from the National Technical Information Service. This program is mandatory for Regional Office and State Agency HHA survey staff and their supervisors, and State and RO OASIS Educational Coordinators. The goal of this broadcast was to provide a better understanding on the current state of science in wound care, accurate coding for OASIS wound items, and Required Assessments between Day 55-60. The broadcast consisted of pre-recorded and live presentations followed by a question and answer session, via fax and phone. The State of Science in Wound Care Management video is available from NTIS, call 1-800-553-6847 or (703) 605-6000, for $65 plus $5 handling fee, no additional charge for shipping; quote order number AVA21287VNB2KTB. Most major credit cards accepted. Fax orders to (703) 605-6900. Access information on more than 600,000 government information products on the NTIS Web site: http://www.ntis.gov.
Monday, August 16, 2004
In this Issue:
We’re back: Hurricane Charley hits Punta Gorda, FL
FDA clears device for removing
blood clots in stroke patients
Picis and Ibex Healthdata
Systems merge
ISMP urges changes to epinephrine labeling
FacilityCare Magazine's 2004
Operations Survey reveals
continued focus on healthcare construction
We’re back: Hurricane Charley hits
Punta Gorda,
FL
Due to rising waters and the imminent threat of Hurricane Charley
starting Thursday night, the Sarasota, FL, offices of Healthcare
Purchasing News were closed on Friday, and we regret that we
were unable to transmit the Daily Update. Following the destruction
of the Category 4 storm that hit neighboring city Punta Gorda, FL
and surrounding areas killing at least 16 people, we are thankful to
have missed major damage. Doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists
are needed in Sarasota, Charlotte and perhaps in DeSoto County
shelters. Licenses are required. To volunteer, call the Sarasota
County Health Department employee resources number: 941-861-2717.
Patients from severely damaged hospitals in Charlotte and DeSoto
counties began arriving at Sarasota Memorial Hospital early
Saturday. Punta Gorda, a town in
Charlotte County about 25 miles north of Fort Myers, bore the brunt
of Charley's force as winds gusted to 180 mph (289 kph) in the city.
At least four hospitals in the storm's path evacuated and
transferred patients to other facilities. Though Florida hospitals
have been built to very strict hurricane standards and can withstand
strong winds, the real threat is flooding.
FDA clears device for removing blood clots in stroke patients
Concentric Medical, a privately held medical device company, announced that it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the Merci(R) Retriever. According to the company, this is the first medical device cleared by the FDA to remove blood clots from the brain in patients experiencing an ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a blood clot which can impair brain function and cause severe disability or death. Of the 700,000 annual strokes in the US, approximately 83 percent (or 581,000) are ischemic. The FDA granted clearance after a thorough review of patient data obtained in a clinical study at 25 medical centers in the United States. The MERCI (Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia) Trial evaluated the device in 141 patients who were ineligible for a "clot-busting" drug that can only be used within three hours of stroke onset. Physicians participating in the study navigated the Merci Retriever into the brain using standard catheterization techniques. A small puncture in the groin was used to introduce the Merci Retriever into an artery leading to the brain. Upon reaching the targeted area, the Merci Retriever is designed to restore blood flow by engaging, capturing and removing the blood clot.
Picis and Ibex Healthdata Systems merge
Picis, Inc. and Ibex Healthdata Systems, Inc. announced that the companies have merged to form the industry’s first provider of proven best-in-cluster solutions for the high-acuity care areas. Picis, a provider of information solutions for automating surgical and critical care units, and Ibex, a provider of automation systems for emergency departments, share a common vision and unique ability as a combined entity to provide a single partner to automate and support the most resource- and cost-intensive areas of a hospital: the Emergency Department (ED), Operating Room (OR) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), address hospitals’ shift to sicker patients. Under the terms of the agreement, Picis will retain its name and maintain its current operations. Ibex Healthdata Systems will now be called, Ibex, a Picis company, which will continue to offer the focused emergency department information systems and service to hospital clients integrated to the Picis OR and ICU suite of products. Mark Crockett will serve as president of Ibex, a Picis company, and will join the Picis board of directors. Todd Cozzens will remain president, CEO and vice chairman of the board for the combined company.
ISMP urges changes to epinephrine labeling
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices is urging labeling changes to prevent medication errors involving the drug epinephrine, following the death of a 16-year-old boy in an emergency department due to an epinephrine overdose. ISMP says current labeling makes it easy for caregivers to confuse dose concentrations, which can lead to overdose. The organization is advocating changes to the way dose concentration is expressed on epinephrine labels, as well as a warning on epinephrine ampuls to remind clinicians to dilute the more concentrated form of the drug before use. In addition, ISMP says changes are needed to prevent confusion of epinephrine with the similar-looking and sounding ephedrine. ISMP has petitioned the United States Pharmacopeia, which sets medication safety standards, for these changes. Meanwhile, the organization is recommending that providers take steps to avert potential errors, such as posting a dose conversion chart on emergency carts and other areas where the medication is prepared. (Source: AHA News Now)
Fa
cilityCare
Magazine's 2004 Operations Survey reveals
continued focus on healthcare construction
FacilityCare magazine's 2004 Healthcare Operations Survey results
reveal an industry determined to meet the demand for a more comforting
environment with a continued focus on new construction and remodeling plans. The
survey also indicates that compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act, sustainable design issues and outsourcing practices are
foremost on the minds of today's healthcare facility managers. Distributed to
6,655 FacilityCare subscribers, the survey generated a response rate of
more than 15 percent. Results of the survey are published in the August issue of
FacilityCare.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
In this Issue:
Vermont to sue FDA for denying
request
to import Canadian drugs
MedAssets signs agreement with
ON-Q PainBuster
ASHES announces environmental
services week
Frost & Sullivan: Disposable drape and
gown market growing in Europe
Cardinal Health’s private
brand catalog now available
Vermont to sue FDA for denying request
to import Canadian drugs
Vermont says it will become the first state to sue the Food and Drug Administration for denying its request to import prescription drugs from Canada. “Vermont presented a legal and responsible plan to import prescription drugs,” Gov. James Douglas said in a statement. He said the FDA's reasons for rejecting the state's request for permission “are unsubstantiated and we have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies available,” reported the Associated Press. Douglas had previously rejected suggestions that the state set up a drug importation program without FDA approval. But in a letter responding to the FDA's rejection, Michael Smith, administration secretary for Douglas, wrote that the administration found itself “forced to consider development of a reimportation program that conforms to our interpretation of the current laws, independent of your agency.” Smith replied to a letter from William Hubbard, the FDA's associate commissioner for policy and planning, which denied a request the state made last December for an exemption from the ban on drug imports. Hubbard wrote that the FDA is “very concerned about the safety risks associated with the importation of prescription drugs from foreign countries.” Hubbard said that the FDA was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs Service and other government agencies on a study to determine whether a system could be developed that would allow reimportation of U.S.-made drugs to be done safely. (AP)
MedAssets signs agreement with ON-Q PainBuster
I-Flow Corporation announced that it has been awarded a
contract by MedAssets. With this agreement, MedAssets will offer ON-Q(R)
PainBuster(R), a narcotic-free surgical-site pain relief system, to its member
facilities, including hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. ON-Q recently
received enhanced indications for use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and it is now labeled to provide significantly better pain relief than
narcotics alone and significantly less need for narcotics after surgery. Studies
have shown that ON-Q PainBuster relieves pain after surgery and reduces or
eliminates the need for narcotics. The ON-Q PainBuster is a device that consists
of a small balloon pump that holds a local anesthetic (a pain-numbing medicine)
and delivers it through a catheter directly into the surgical site. The
proprietary ON-Q Soaker(TM) Catheter is designed to provide more even
distribution of local anesthetic over a wider area, as compared to other
catheters, because of its patented wicking capabilities. ON-Q PainBuster helps
patients avoid the side effects of narcotics.
ASHES announces environmental services week
The American Society for
Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES) announces that September 12-18, 2004
has been designated Healthcare Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week. The
theme of this year's Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week is “Leading
the Way to a Healthier Environment” and will recognize the importance of
environmental services and housekeeping in high-quality patient care, patient
satisfaction and infection control practices. Hospitals are encouraged to
participate in Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week by recognizing staff
with event-specific products, special events and staff-wide recognition. For
ideas on how to celebrate Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week, see
http://www.ashes.org/ashes/hospitalconnect/sso/loginSuccess.
jsp?action=INIT or contact ASHES at 312-422-3860. Partnering organizations,
vendors and suppliers can help support environmental services and housekeeping
professionals by purchasing celebration products with their company logos. To
order Healthcare Environmental Services and Housekeeping Week products, visit
http://www.jimcolemanltd.com/esweek/ or call 847-963-8100.
Frost & Sullivan: Disposable
drape and
gown market growing in Europe
The
market for disposable surgical drapes and gowns in Europe has seen steady growth
in the recent past owing to the high standards of infection control enforced by
the new European Union Medical Device Directive (MDD) and EU regulations, said a
report by Frost & Sullivan. While penetration rates are not as high as those in
the United States,
they have been increasing gradually throughout
Europe. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.healthcare.frost.com
/prod/servlet/vp-portal-home.pag?vpid=2843806), reveals that the disposable
surgical drapes and gowns industry generated revenues totalling USD 419.0
million in 2003. Total market revenues are expected to reach USD 608.1 million
in 2010. Increasing awareness on the need for better infection control,
particularly with respect to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and hepatitis B, has drawn attention toward
providing improved bacterial barriers. Due to their patient protecting
properties, drapes and gowns are now considered to be medical devices that have
to comply with the MDD specifications. This has given non-woven technology a
boost. Non-woven fabrics have excellent liquid resistance, tensile strength and
hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties. The use of traditional cotton and
cotton-polyester mixed textiles has been decreasing since these fabrics fail to
meet the requirements of the new standards. The choice, then, has been reduced
to single-use products and ‘high-tech’ reusable products for most healthcare
purchasers. However, studies show that the microbial penetration resistance of
single-use drapes and gowns is much superior to that of reusable drapes and
gowns, both traditional and 'high-tech.' Another factor in the
reusable/disposable dynamics is pricing. Reusable drapes and gowns have a
relatively higher initial cost but can be used between 50 and 100 times. Still,
they involve other overhead and logistics costs such as sterilization and
laundering. Thus, when total costs are considered, the disposable products tend
to prove less expensive than the reusable alternatives.
Cardinal Health’s private brand catalog now available
Cardinal Health has just published a 336-page catalog containing a broad selection of private brand products. The new catalog represents savings opportunities for healthcare providers on a variety of widely used commodity items. To obtain a copy of the new catalog, Cardinal Health customers should contact their distribution sales representatives or call 800.964.5227.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
In this Issue:
Hospitals must ask patients about immigration
status to receive federal aid
FDA
seeks injunction against Utah Medical
IAHCSMM responds to vendor
budget
woes with Fall meeting changes
Sandel
signs exclusive distribution agreement
with Cardinal Health for safety products
Hospitals must ask patients about immigration
status to receive federal aid
The federal government is
offering $1 billion to hospitals that provide emergency care to undocumented
immigrants, as long as the hospitals ask patients about their immigration
status. The largest allocations are going to California, $72 million a year;
Texas, $48 million; Arizona, $42 million; New York, $12 million; Illinois, $10
million; and Florida, $9 million, reported The New York Times. Under recently
developed guidelines, federal health officials are requiring hospitals to ask
questions about immigration status to ensure that the money would be used for
“emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens.” Among questions
that the Department of Health and Human Services wants hospitals seeking
reimbursement to ask patients: "Are you a United States citizen?”, and “Are you
a lawful permanent resident, an alien with a valid current employment
authorization card or other qualified alien?” Hospital employees would have to
sign forms certifying that the immigration information for each patient was
"true and complete” to the best of their knowledge. Hospital administrators who
knowingly submit false information to the government would be subject to civil
and criminal penalties. Under the new guidelines, photocopies of passports,
visas, border crossing cards or other documents that establish the patient's
status should, if available, be included in the patient's file. Dr. Mark B.
McClellan, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, said hospitals could ask the questions in "an unobtrusive way” that
would not discourage immigrants from seeking care. The government also says
hospitals must not single out people who "look or sound foreign,” reported The
Times. The federal funding will be made available in four annual installments of
$250 million, for services provided on or after Oct. 1. To read the full story,
go to
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/10/politics/10health.html
?ex=1093146569&ei=1&en=80a6d622be3f9c27
FDA seeks
injunction against Utah Medical
The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration said it is seeking an injunction
to ban Utah Medical Products Inc. from making medical devices.
The FDA said the
company has failed to ensure that its products are manufactured in accordance
with regulations, despite repeated warnings including a warning letter following
an FDA inspection.
During the most recent inspection conducted between Feb. 3 and March 3,
FDA investigators cited problems including the failure to establish that
manufacturing processes were adequately controlled, and the lack of an effective
system to troubleshoot and fix manufacturing problems.
The Midvale,
Utah-based company makes medical devices used in obstetrics, gynecology,
neonatal intensive care, urology, electro-surgery and blood pressure monitoring.
The ban was
implemented after FDA inspections showed problems over the past three years at
the Midvale facility.
The agency is asking Utah Medical to stop
making medical devices until it can prove it has corrected any deviations from
“current good manufacturing practice.” (Associated Press)
IAHCSMM responds to vendor budget
woes with Fall meeting changes
In
direct response to vendor budget crunches and their expressed challenges in
exhibiting at both the Annual and Fall educational conferences, the
International Association of Central Service Materiel Management has opted to
abolish the Fall Meeting after 2005. While the goal of offering two meetings,
typically on opposite sides of the country, was to minimize travel expenses and
make it easier for central service managers and technicians to attend, IAHCSMM
recognized that offering two educational conferences was putting a financial
strain on the vendors that have supported the Association by exhibiting and
sponsoring the events. The association indicated that although it will cease
offering the Fall meeting, it is by no means wavering in its commitment of
providing ongoing education to the nation's Central Service Materiel Management
professionals. “On the contrary, IAHCSMM remains wholeheartedly committed to
providing the very best educational programs and services to those involved in
the sterile processing profession, regardless of their location,” explained
IAHCSMM president Sybil Williams. “With this Fall meeting change comes a renewed
commitment to strengthening educational efforts at the chapter level, which will
ultimately create even more opportunities for CS technicians, supervisors and
vendors to participate.” IAHCSMM is hopeful that chapters will step up their
meeting efforts and perhaps even partner with other area chapters to generate
greater regional interest from both attendees and exhibitors. Sandy Buhler,
chair of IAHCSMM's exhibitor advisory committee, added that vendors' regional
offices may even be able to help fund the meetings. “By strengthening
educational efforts at the grassroots level, IAHCSMM members will have even
greater access to the knowledge and support they need to perform their jobs
effectively.”
Sandel signs exclusive distribution agreement
with Cardinal Health for safety products
Sandel Medical Industries LLC, has signed a three-year exclusive distribution agreement with Cardinal Health to supply healthcare providers with Sandel’s safety products through Cardinal Health’s surgical procedure kits. Under the agreement, items such as medication labeling kits, safety scalpels, instrument drapes, markers, and many others will be included in Cardinal Health’s surgical kits. Cardinal Health makes four types of procedure kits through its Presource™ Products and Services business including minor procedure trays, non-sterile kits, custom sterile kits and its Procedure-based delivery systems (PBDS), containing both sterile and non-sterile supplies for procedures. Sandel collaborates with healthcare professionals to identify issues leading to the design, development, manufacturing and selling of a variety of innovative, cost-effective medical products and services.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
In this Issue:
VHA helps hospitals reduce cardiovascular costs by 14 percent
MedAssets launches DSH
Inpatient Program
to reduce providers’ pharmacy costs
Callidus, LLC brings dedicated sleep lab
software to the
U.S.
SFSHMM meeting explores costs of self distribution
Sharps safety scholarship application
date extended to September 3rd
VHA helps hospitals reduce cardiovascular costs by 14 percent
VHA Inc., the national health care alliance, has helped nearly 400 member hospitals identify more than $120 million in potential savings for cardiovascular services, one of the most costly services for hospitals to operate. According to VHA, its program can help members reduce costs by an average of 14 percent in most instances without compromising quality of care. VHA found that one key to cutting costs is through better utilization of the supply contracts managed by VHA’s supply company, Novation. VHA helps members benchmark their overall supply costs for cardiovascular procedures against other members and available national data. VHA’s clinical consulting team, which includes physicians, nurses and pharmacists, works with members and their clinicians to help hospitals improve how they use supplies. Abington (PA) Memorial Hospital, a 508-bed regional teaching hospital, worked with VHA in a strategic supply cost management program, and saved $2.4 million across the organization in less than three years. The hospital began by engaging a physician champion for the program and forming two physician-led work groups, which also included VHA experts, to explore and recommend standardization opportunities and improve utilization of cardiology devices. In cardiovascular services, Abington saved $1.1 million (part of the $2.4 million in overall savings) over a two-year period by working with VHA and Novation staff, and the contracted suppliers to reduce the cost of cardiac stents, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and pacemakers.
MedAssets
launches DSH Inpatient Program
to reduce providers’ pharmacy costs
MedAssets announced the launch of its new DSH Inpatient Program for Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) who qualify for the 340B outpatient pharmacy program. Facilities designated as Disproportionate Share Hospitals are those who serve a large number of uninsured patients and Medicaid enrollees. Effective July 1, 2004, MedAssets established a portfolio of special inpatient pharmacy contracts for 340B certified DSH hospitals. These contracts will assist providers with discounted pharmaceuticals for their in-patients under the provisions created by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) in December, 2003. Through MedAssets CDQuickR e-catalog technology, access to the DSH inpatient pharmacy discounted contracts is automatically available to pre-qualified members. Members may also elect to utilize the Pharmacy Audit tool in CDQuick, which allows the user to identify any discrepancy between the contract price and the price charged by the wholesaler at the time of purchase. For more information about MedAssets DSH Inpatient Program, please contact Jerry Herberholt, MedAssets DSH Inpatient Program Director at jherberholt@medassets.com or by calling 1-800-950-4722.
Callidus, LLC brings dedicated sleep lab software to the U.S.
Callidus, LLC has introduced Aladin which the company said is the first purpose-built sleep laboratory software management system in the U.S. Designed from the ground up for sleep labs by sleep doctors in conjunction with software programmers, Aladin has been operating in European sleep labs since 1997. Callidus has just begun offering Aladin in North America from offices on both coasts. Aladin offers appointment scheduling, inventory management, and automatic sleep data collection all in one easy-to-use, highly customizable program. The system eliminates the need for multiple entries with its ability to universally update files. It can generate lists based on the criteria of your choice. Designed by Germany’s LUU Connect Systems, the system is based on the IBM DB2® database, and has the ability to be networked into any system. One major benefit this software provides is the import/export function which removes the need to reenter information. It also provides the ability to import all data that the laboratory currently uses and has used in the past. From a management standpoint, the administrator has the ability to view all aspects of the laboratory and spot possible bottlenecks to increase efficiency.
SFSHMM meeting explores costs of self distribution
The Southeast Florida Society for Healthcare Materials Management presents “Self Distribution – What’s the Cost?” which will explore the benefits and pitfalls of both traditional distribution and self distribution. Hosted by the Boca Raton Community Hospital and Owens & Minor, the program will be held Friday, August 20, at the Boca Raton Community Hospital Education Center, located at 800 Meadows Road. Registration begins at 2:30, with the first presenter from Owens & Minor to speak from 3:00 to 4:00. A presentation on “Cardinal Distribution” will be held from 4:00 to 5:00, and a “Leesar” seminar from 5:00 to 6:00. A reception follows. The cost is $25 for non-members or $15 for current members. Call (561)955-4146 or email LLeon@brch.com by August 18 to RSVP.
Sharps safety scholarship
application
date extended to September 3rd
Touro University International (TUI) has a series of four on-line, distance learning courses, leading to a Graduate Certificate in Sharps Injury Prevention, that will be offered beginning September 2004. The goal of the program is to provide healthcare and other professionals with advanced knowledge, skills and abilities to assist international efforts to eliminate the risk of needlestick and other sharps injuries and subsequent risk to bloodborne infections (e.g. HIV, HBV, HCV). This certificate program in sharps injury prevention is funded, in part, through an unrestricted educational grant from the Safety Institute, Premier, Inc. In September 2004, the Safety Institute will also award one full scholarship to cover all four courses and the application fee. For additional information about this certificate, a letter from Professor Neumann, RN, PhD, Dean, College of Health Sciences at TUI about benefits of the courses, the scholarship application forms, and other sharps safety resources, visit the Safety Institute Web site at <http://www.premierinc.com/safety>. Click on "Sharps safety resources" or the icon with the syringe.
Monday, August 9, 2004
In this Issue:
Capgemini opens Pharmaceutical RFID Centre of Excellence
AHA elects new chair-elect designate and board
members
Radiologic technologist wages rise 20%
New Anti-AIDS Combinations Approved
IBM using RFID to track medical waste
Cardinal launches patient-positioning devices
Capgemini opens Pharmaceutical RFID Centre of Excellence
In
response to the growing problem of counterfeit drug production and
distribution, the consultancy firm Capgemini has created a
Pharmaceutical RFID Centre of Excellence to help pharmaceutical
firms pilot drug pedigree technologies and help eliminate
counterfeit drugs. According to Capgemini, counterfeit drugs in the
global supply chain cost the pharmaceutical industry $50 to $100
million a year per company in lost revenue and brand reputation
damage, and present potentially serious risks to patients in need of
the actual prescribed medication. Capgemini has launched the new
initiative in Cambridge, MA, with software vendor SupplyScape to
deliver an open, secure development environment for the testing of
anti-counterfeiting RFID pilot schemes. Capgemini's technology
partners also participated in the development of the centre,
including Sun Microsystems and ADT Security Systems (a division of
Tyco Fire & Security).
AHA elects new chair-elect designate and board members
The AHA board of trustees has elected a new chair-elect designate and eight new board members. As chair-elect designate, Richard Umbdenstock, president and CEO of Providence Services in Spokane, WA, will succeed George Lynn as chairman-elect when Lynn becomes chairman of the AHA board in January 2005. The new board members will serve three-year terms also beginning in January. They are Molly Coye, M.D., founder of the Health Technology Center; Benjamin Chu, M.D., president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.; Teri Fontenot, president and CEO of Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA; John O'Brien, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester, MA; Marilyn Tavenner, group president of outpatient services at HCA; Maynard Oliverius, president and CEO of Stormont-Vail HealthCare, Inc. in Topeka, KS; Kenneth Samet, president and chief operations officer of MedStar Health in Columbia, MD; and Kathleen Sellick, executive director of the University of Washington Medical Center. For more, see the news releases at www.aha.org under "Press Room."
Radiologic technologist wages rise 20%
Radiologic technologists have experienced a nearly 20% increase in hourly wages and a 26.5% increase in annual salaries since 2001, according to survey results by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. The increases bring average wages for the technologists to $24.16 per hour and average salaries to $65,401 per year as of January of 2004. The "typical" registered technologist responding to the survey is female (77%), holds an associates degree (46%), and has been practicing in the profession more than 16.2 yrs. In addition, most of the 8,438 radiologic technologists responding to the survey said they receive some form of benefits from their employer, including health insurance (88%), life insurance (78%), and retirement or pension programs (86%). ASRT expects the rise in salaries and wages for radiologic technicians to continue due to a persistent national healthcare workforce shortage, reported AuntMinnie.com. The ASRT survey is available at www.asrt.org.
New Anti-AIDS combination drugs approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two new "fixed-dose combination drug treatments" for HIV/AIDS. Combination products bring together different HIV/AIDS drugs in a single medication or co-package, and help make treatment regimens less complicated for patients to follow. The new drug treatments are Epzicom (abacavir/lamivudine), manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline; and Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil/emtricitabine), which is made by Gilead Sciences, Inc., the agency said.
IBM using RFID to track medical waste
According to a report by IBM, the U.S. sends some 2 million tons of medical waste to incinerators and landfills each year. And Japan’s Environment Ministry estimated last year that more than 11 million cubic meters of industrial waste had been illegally dumped around the country. Medical waste represents only a tiny fraction of that sum, but it is of particular concern because of potential health problems. Recent revisions to Japanese waste disposal regulations now make originators of waste, in this case hospitals, culpable in illegal dumping cases. Now a Japanese company and IBM are teaming up to track medical waste as it leaves hospitals. Kureha Environmental Engineering Co. Ltd., a leading waste management company, will begin testing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to ensure that medical waste reaches its proper disposal point. IBM Japan’s RFID Solution Center in Yamato, Japan, will collaborate in the test. During the trials the cardboard or plastic containers that hold the waste will be outfitted with RFID tags. Intensive testing at the Yamato facility will examine how well these tags transmit information in a variety of situations. After those trials are completed, testing will move on to Kureha Environmental Engineering's waste processing site. Once the effectiveness of RFID tagging is confirmed, the company plans to equip Kureha General Hospital, in Fukushima, Japan, with the RFID technology to track its discarded medical waste. This is the first study in Asia Pacific of tracking medical waste and represents a new application for RFID.
Cardinal launches patient-positioning devices
Cardinal
Health has introduced a new line of radiation therapy
patient-positioning products called Halcyon. The Halcyon line
includes products such as head and neck immobilization systems
(thermoplastic sheets and frames), tilting radiolucent headholders,
head cushions, and carbon-fiber breast boards.
Friday, August 6, 2004
In this Issue:
Mayo Clinic and IBM team up to mine patient care data
Medicare approves
brain cancer treatment coverage
Total Repair Express acquires Precision Endoscopy of America
Medical centre trials RFID system with Siemens
Bromenn Regional
Healthcare and Medline
sign prime vendor distribution agreement
The Mayo Clinic and IBM Corp. are teaming up on a project with the goal of designing individualized patient treatments. The team is announcing a multi-year, multi-million dollar collaboration to build a massive database mined from Mayo’s 4.4 million patient records and doctor’s notes. A supercomputer would search the data for trends in patient groups that might otherwise go undetected. The goal of the Mayo-IBM Collaboration and Life Science Development is to allow doctors at the Clinic to go online and access medical data for Mayo patients of the same age, gender and medical history in order to compare treatment mechanisms. The system, which is currently being tested, will be available to 200 Mayo doctors and researchers by the end of the year, allowing them to access hundreds of cases as they consider medicines and procedures for treatment. Patients whose records went into the computer system signed authorizations for the transfer, said Mayo officials. Doctors and hospitals outside the Mayo system will have access to published Mayo research but not the patient records and electronic doctors' notes. Mayo doctors and healthcare providers eventually will be able to access the system at the point of care.
Medicare approves brain cancer treatment coverage
In a Medicare decision announced Tuesday, the government agency has agreed to cover the cost of the Gliadel Wafer treatment, an expensive treatment that greatly improves survival rates for people with brain cancer. Medicare's decision is expected to persuade other insurers to pay for the treatment, at a cost of approximately $12,000, reported the Arizona Daily Star. The Gliadel Wafer treatment combines surgery and chemo-therapy to combat brain tumors called gliomas and glioblastomas. The tumors are so aggressive that the median survival time is 11 months after diagnosis. Surgeons open the skull and cut out the cancer, leaving a cavity in the brain. The space is lined with Gliadel Wafers, usually six or eight. The wafers, saturated with the cancer-killing drug BCNU, slowly dissolve, releasing the drug directly into brain tissue where cancer cells may remain. Systemic side effects are minimal, and survival rates are increased fourfold. Previously Medicare covered the $15,000 cost for the surgery, but not the $12,000 cost of Gliadel. According to Guilford Pharmaceuticals, only 9 percent of eligible patients have been receiving Gliadel.
Total Repair Express acquires Precision Endoscopy of America
Total Repair Express, LLC (TRE) has acquired the majority ownership position of Precision Endoscopy of America, Inc. (PEA). TRE, located in Hillsborough, NJ offers repair management of surgical instruments, surgical equipment, and scope repair. PEA, a national provider of endoscopic and surgical equipment service is located in Hunt Valley, MD. PEA specializes in the repair, maintenance and refurbishing of endoscopic medical equipment. Additionally, TRE offers a vast array of asset management services that include, stainless steel repair, buy/sell of capital equipment to adjust facility inventory, hospital liquidation services and Saphyre™ asset management software that allows for complete accountability of surgical instruments and medical equipment. PEA offers equipment management programs that include 24 hour rapid turn around, pick up and delivery, custom service agreements, education and training, and service history reporting. The PEA Scope Smart™ program” provides a step-by-step process to increase the quality of repair for flexible and rigid scopes, power equipment, surgical accessories, phaco hand pieces, cameras, couplers, and fiberoptic cables. Together, PEA and TRE will have eight service centers across the U.S.
Medical centre trials RFID system with Siemens
New York's Jacobi Medical Center has commissioned Siemens Business Services to test an RFID-based patient tracking system, in which patients are fitted with an RFID wristband upon admittance to the hospital, allowing staff to use PDAs and tablet PCs to view treatment information, reports UsingRFID.com. When patients are admitted to the hospital they are fitted with the wristband that carries their unique patient number. Hospital staff can then use PDAs and tablet PCs equipped with RFID readers to identify patients and gain online access to a database containing each patient's entire medical history. Of the 2,000 patients treated at the hospital each month, 200 will be added to the pilot project.
Bromenn Regional Healthcare and Medline
sign prime vendor distribution agreement
BroMenn Regional Healthcare (Normal, IL) and Medline Industries, Inc. have signed a multi-year supply distribution agreement in which Medline will act as the system’s primary supplier for medical and surgical supplies. The five-year agreement is worth approximately $15 million in healthcare supplies and is expected to save BroMenn about $800,000 over the life of the agreement. The agreement will focus on driving savings at BroMenn on a multitude of medical and surgical products and services, including distribution of Medline and non-Medline brand products.
Thursday, August 5, 2004
In this Issue:
Survey reports on medical errors
Lawson Solution selected by New York Academic Medical Center
Fewer employees getting insurance through jobs
FDA warns about counterfeit medications
purchased at mexican pharmacies
Court rules in favor of ALARIS on needle-free products
Study shows Risk of VTE reduced in certain patients
Survey reports on medical errors
The Boston Globe reported survey results of otolaryngologists at Boston's Children's Hospital, Tufts University School of Medicine, and Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland. Of the surgeons who replied, 45 percent reported that a medical error had occurred in their practice in the previous six months. The errors occurred in all phases of patient care from diagnosis and testing, to surgery and post-operative care. Seventy-eight errors, or 37 percent, seriously harmed patients, while 9 were fatal. Researchers said they were surprised by some of the results, which are to be published in the journal Laryngoscope. Surgeons reported injuries to seven patients during endoscopic sinus surgery, two of those patients were blinded. Because individual doctors are so rarely involved in mishaps during this surgery for chronic sinusitis, they assume such errors are unusual overall, said Dr. David Roberson, a surgeon at Children's Hospital and one of the authors. "I've never seen anyone lose their sight before, but two in the last six months, my God," Roberson said. "The take-home message to doctors is that they need to ask and get information about errors and adverse events specific to their practice" if the profession is going to make improvements. Roberson, the coauthor of the errors in otolaryngology study, said that he and his colleagues wanted to develop a way to classify different types of errors so surgeons would know trouble spots. Testing errors, for example, accounted for 10.4 percent of all errors reported. In one case, an office staff member meant to order an X-ray for a child from a computerized drop-down menu. Instead, the employee mistakenly ordered a study requiring the young patient to have anesthesia. In 13.7 percent of the errors, the patient got the wrong medication. For more information visit; http://www.laryngoscope.com/pt/re/laryngoscope/abstract.00005537-200408000-0
Lawson Solution selected by New York Academic Medical Center
Lawson Software signed five new contracts representing 17 hospitals. The healthcare providers licensed Lawson Surgical Instrument Management software to help them reduce surgery delays and control instrument and staff costs. Winthrop-University Hospital, is one of the healthcare providers that chose Lawson's Surgical Instrument Management to assist in automating the management of its surgical instruments and trays. The hospital is a 591-bed university-affiliated medical center and Level 1 Trauma Center located on Long Island in Mineola, N.Y. As part of an initiative to revamp its Sterile Processing Department, Winthrop and external consultants from ISH, a firm that provides strategic IT and logistical planning, management and implementation services to the healthcare industry, decided that surgical instrument management software was necessary to reap the best gains in quality and efficiency.
Winthrop wanted to minimize surgery delays caused by instrument set errors and also control surgical instrument costs. In addition to helping Winthrop reduce surgical delays and improve productivity, Lawson will enable the hospital to use best practices along with Lawson's Surgical Instrument Management product to improve training for its sterile processing staff. Winthrop sought a software tool that would shorten training time while improving staff performance. By providing an online visual aid for instrument recognition, the Lawson application will simplify the training process and promote more accurate tray assembly.
Fewer employees getting insurance through jobs
In a report in USA Today, the percentage of people who get health insurance through employers fell sharply from 2001 to 2003, resulting in 9 million fewer people with employer coverage after accounting for population growth. Unemployment and the rising cost of insurance were blamed for the falloff, which saw the percentage of people under 65 who get health insurance through employers go from 67% in 2001 to 63% in 2003. During the same years, enrollment in government health programs such as Medicaid grew, preventing a significant increase in the uninsured, according to the study by the non-partisan Center for Studying Health System Change in Washington. Job losses related to the sluggish economy were the main reason for the drop in people covered by employer health plans. Plus insurance premiums that increased 28% during the period also contributed to the decline, as some employers stopped offering coverage, while others opted out of insurance plans due to increased premiums.
FDA warns about counterfeit medications purchased at mexican pharmacies
The FDA has announced that several people have purchased counterfeit versions of anti-cholesterol drug Zocor and generic painkiller carisoprodol from Mexican pharmacies and warned against the health risks posed by counterfeit medication, the Arizona Daily Star reports (Ibarra, Arizona Daily Star, 7/31). According to FDA, the counterfeit Zocor did not contain any of the medication and the counterfeit carisoprodol was less potent than authentic versions (AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/1). There are no warning signs to indicate rising cholesterol levels in those who are taking counterfeit Zocor, Dr. Gordon Ewy, chief of cardiology and director of Sarver Heart Center at University Medical Center in Tuscon, Ariz., said. FDA spokesperson Laura Alvey said FDA is working with Mexican officials to stop the sale of counterfeit medications, but she could not say whether border officials were told to stop importation of prescription drugs. According to FDA, counterfeit medication is a growing problem and medicine from abroad or sold over the Internet is more likely to be counterfeit than prescription drugs purchased at U.S. pharmacies (Arizona Daily Star, 7/31).
Court rules in favor of ALARIS on needle-free products
A United States District Court has denied the application by ICU Medical for a preliminary injunction enjoining the manufacture, use and sale of two products offered by Cardinal Health's ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. subsidiary, Cardinal Health said today. In denying the injunction of the ALARIS SmartSite(R) and SmartSite(R) Plus needle-free products, the court said, "A preliminary injunction is not warranted because ICU fails to show that it is likely to succeed on the merits in this case, it would be irreparably harmed if an injunction is not granted, the balance of the hardships tips in ICU's favor, and the impact on the public interest." "We're pleased with the ruling, as we believe the plaintiff's claims are wholly without merit," said David L. Schlotterbeck, president and chief executive officer of ALARIS Medical Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health. ALARIS reported previously that it will defend vigorously its products and intellectual property. Cardinal Health acquired ALARIS Medical Systems on June 28, 2004.Previous disclosures regarding this lawsuit were issued while ALARIS was a public company and are available at http://www.alarismed.com.
Study shows Risk of VTE reduced in certain patients
Each year, approximately 240,000 people die in the United States from blood clots. Venous thromboembolism or VTE is the formation of a blood clot in a person's veins. The clot can break off and travel to the lungs where it can potentially kill you. VTE is mainly caused by inactivity as a result of being bedridden. The condition poses a serious and potentially fatal risk for millions of people with serious medical conditions. Experts say more widespread prevention of VTE may soon be practiced. According to data appearing in the journal Circulation (August 2, 2004), the drug Fragmin (dalteparin sodium injection) reduced the risk of VTE in hospitalized patients with conditions including cancer, heart failure and respiratory failure by nearly half and this benefit was maintained for 90 days after treatment. This may be welcome news for patients with medical conditions who require hospitalization. One in seven hospitalized cancer patients will die from a pulmonary embolism (Oncologist 2003 No. 8 - pg. 381-388). For more information, visit http://www.fragmin.com
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
In this Issue:
APIC reissues whooping cough guidelines
Point-of-Use decision support tool announced
M.R.I. Screening for Breast Cancer
Kodak film designed to reduce patients’ radiation dose up to 50 percent
APIC reissues whooping cough guidelines
Jeanne Pfeiffer, RN, MPH, CIC, President of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), cautions that whooping cough (Pertussis), a highly contagious and debilitating respiratory disease, is on the rise among teenagers. A preliminary count by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified more than 11,000 cases of whooping cough last year in the United States, up from 9,771 in 2002. This number, which the CDC admits is almost certainly “an underestimate,” is the highest recorded in three decades. APIC recommends these steps to avoid whooping cough: Vaccinate infants as soon as possible. Take note that vaccinations are not recommended after the age of seven. Booster vaccines to re-immunize a person are currently in development, but nothing is yet available to the public; Be aware that childhood vaccination is not necessarily effective forever. There is ‘waning’ or a lessening of the vaccine’s effectiveness after five to ten years; teenagers who were vaccinated as infants may be susceptible again to this disease; If you or your child has been exposed to someone who is diagnosed with whooping cough, contact your physician. APIC supports cough etiquette whenever you have a respiratory illness…cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough, discard the used tissue and wash your hands or decontaminate your hands with an alcohol hand hygiene product. -- even this simple measure can help prevent infection transmission.
Point-of-Use decision support tool announced
PAR Excellence Systems, Cincinnati, OH, a provider of supply chain management solutions introduced PAR Vision at the AHRMM convention in Nashville this week. PAR Vision is a browser-based data analysis and decision-support tool that provides virtually unlimited and immediate views of the organization’s supply chain data. The product features drill-down capabilities, “what-if scenarios” and action-directed “hit lists.” PAR Vision also includes a system-status dashboard, which continuously displays the status of key supply chain indicators and web-requisitioning features with unlimited templates and user-friendly search capabilities. PAR Vision is the latest innovation designed to effectively utilize all of the valuable data collected through widely accepted point-of-use technologies.
A Dutch study published in The New England Journal of Medicine produced the
strongest evidence yet that magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancer
in women at high risk of the disease far better than standard mammography.
According to a report in the New York Times, the study is the largest ever
conducted on the subject searching for cancer in some 1,900 women with a high or
moderately elevated risk of the disease because of a genetic mutation or a
family history of breast cancer. Doctors screened the women every six months by
physically examining their breasts and once a year by using M.R.I. scans and
mammograms. Among 45 cancers that were detected and evaluated, M.R.I. found 32
of the tumors and missed 13, whereas mammography found only 18 of the tumors and
missed 27.
It’s theorized that the main reason for the difference appears to be that radiologists reading mammograms have difficulty identifying tumors in the dense breast tissue of many younger high-risk women, and M.R.I. scans provide more sensitive discrimination. The main drawback of M.R.I. scans is a high rate of false positives. For another, M.R.I. scans can cost more than $1,000 apiece, about 10 times the cost of a mammogram, and insurance coverage is limited.
Kodak film designed to reduce patients’ radiation dose up to 50 percent
Eastman Kodak Company announced that it is developing a new general purpose medical imaging film designed to reduce radiation dosage for patients by up to 50 percent, while maintaining excellent image quality. This new high-speed film was demonstrated as a works-in-progress by Kodak’s Health Imaging Group at the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators annual meeting. This new radiographic film will be the first high-resolution radiographic film in 20 years to offer a significant radiation dose reduction. The film’s increased speed will also reduce the impact of patient motion and retakes due to blurring caused by motion. Trade trials in the United States and several European countries are scheduled to begin in August.
Tuesday, August 3, 2004
In this Issue:
David Brailer to speak at Disease Management Congress
American HomePatient calls
for action to protect respiratory
therapy patients' access to medication
Consorta provides searchable
database to support
environmentally preferable purchasing
Omnicell unveils hybrid system for cabinets and open systems inventory management
David Brailer to speak at Disease Management Congress
Dr. David Brailer, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will present the keynote session at the 9th Annual Disease Management Congress (DMC), on Tuesday, September 21. DMC is being held September 20-22 at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA. Dr. Brailer's presentation, "Delivering Consumer-centric and Information-rich Healthcare," will open the second day of DMC's extensive conference program. DMC is dedicated to serving the field in its quest to reach critical mass through its "independent voice" educational program and exhibit hall. For more, vist http://www.diseasemanagementcongress.com.
American
HomePatient calls for action to protect respiratory
therapy patients' access to medication
Home healthcare provider American HomePatient, Inc. reacted to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relating to revisions to the physician fee schedule to be published in the Federal Register August 5, 2004. The company is concerned that the enactment of a drastic reduction in reimbursement rates beginning January 1, 2005 for drugs that are used to treat respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will deprive 1.2 million Medicare patients of access to important medication. At issue are CMS's plans to implement greatly reduced reimbursement rates under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) for medications used to treat respiratory disease such as COPD. COPD is, as CMS acknowledges in the NPRM, the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States and includes illnesses such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and black lung. One of the methods for treating COPD is by inhaling drugs that are delivered through nebulizers, special machines that aerosolize drugs diluted in normal saline to permit easier inhalation into the lungs. The reimbursement reduction under MMA will result in a 90 percent reduction in reimbursement for medications delivered through these nebulizers.
Consorta
provides searchable database to support
environmentally preferable purchasing
As part of its comprehensive commitment to environmental protection, group purchasing organization Consorta has developed a searchable database that enables its members to quickly identify suppliers of environmentally preferred products. The database is populated with information provided by healthcare suppliers during Consorta’s contracting process. Consorta members can access the database via the organization’s Web site, www.consorta.com. Currently, Consorta members can search the database by supplier name; new search features are expected to be added soon. The database includes all categories of products for which Consorta contracts, including medical/surgical, laboratory, pharmacy, imaging, food and administrative supplies.
Omnicell unveils hybrid system for cabinets and open systems inventory management
Omnicell, Inc. unveiled OptiFlex, the healthcare industry’s first truly integrated or “hybrid” system for managing medical supplies in secure cabinets and open shelves simultaneously, at the 42nd Annual Conference & Exhibition of the Association of Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) in Nashville, TN. The product line includes configurable modules for medical-surgical floors, specialty procedure areas, such as the cath and special procedure labs, as well as a robust solution for the surgical services department. Tailored for nursing workflow, the flexible system enables quick and easy access to supplies, providing improved data capture, reduced consumption and inventory, and increased efficiency.
Monday, August 2, 2004
In this Issue:
Medicare publishes changing interest calculations
and corrects home health payment rule
New resource for hazardous drug handling
Partnership for Patient Safety introduces
Patient Safety Advantage ™
Banner Health gives award to Lawson HR/Payroll
Implementation team
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Not Seen As Top Priority
AmerisourceBergen awarded $10
billion contract
for pharmaceutical distribution
Kodak in clinical trials for Mammography CAD System
Medicare publishes changing interest calculations and corrects home health payment rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have released a final rule that changes the way it calculates interest on Medicare overpayments and underpayments to providers, suppliers, health maintenance organizations, competitive medical plans, and health care prepayment plans. Effective Oct. 1, CMS expects the changes to reduce the amount of interest assessed on these payments and simplify the way the interest is calculated. The interest calculation change also will apply to Medicare secondary payer debt. In addition they have corrected a June proposed rule updating home health payment rates for calendar year 2005. The correction includes the intended 2005 pre-floor and pre-classification wage index tables. The rules can be found at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040730c.html under Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
New resource for hazardous drug handling
A recent alert from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sheds light on the health risks posed to those working with hazardous drugs. The alert examines the issue in its entirety and provides measures for protecting healthcare workers, including use of a closed-system device for safe handling of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs. Sources and resources, including experts on the subject and links to the Alert and relevant articles are now available at Expert411.com (http://www.expert411.com/_wsn/page9.html). The NIOSH Alert recommends that employers improve environmental and employee protection where hazardous drugs are handled. Baxa Corporation provides a closed system for handling and antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs. This system, PhaSeal, uses dry connections and a built-in expansion chamber to prevent drug aerosol leakage and subsequent transfer into the work environment. As a closed system, it contains hazardous drugs throughout the entire process of drug transfer, preparation, transport, administration and disposal, eliminating the risks of environmental and occupational exposure. For more, visit http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/3/prweb114691.php.
Partnership for Patient Safety introduces
Patient Safety Advantage ™
In response to this continuing challenge of improving patient safety, the Partnership for Patient Safety (www.p4ps.org) is introducing Patient Safety Advantage™ (PSA), a new approach for embedding best practices and creating sustainable cultures of safety and reliability in healthcare. The PSA design combines proven features from strategies implemented by healthcare winners of the Baldri ge National Quality Award plus intervention techniques from the field of Appreciative Inquiry. Based on that foundation, the parallel threads of cultural/human growth and clinical/technical innovation run throughout the PSA process. The PSA process begins by shifting the foundation that underlies a hospital’s cultural climate. Studies show that about 75% of all organizational development efforts fail to achieve their intended results, and about 50% of strategic decisions from those efforts fail to be implemented.
Banner Health gives award to Lawson HR/Payroll Implementation team
Lawson Software said that the implementation of Lawson Human Resources and Payroll was awarded Banner Health's prestigious 2004 Vision Leadership award. The Human Resources/Payroll team, one of 24 nominees, was selected by a panel of system judges chosen to identify projects that demonstrate Banner's values of People, Excellence and Results. The Lawson project provided a single, integrated system solution that allowed for standardization, real-time access, improved reporting and enhanced controls. Since going live in 2003, Lawson has helped Banner Health standardize key business processes within one system. This has enabled the healthcare provider to more efficiently access data and generate reports, ensure uniform management and compliance with reporting and regulatory requirements as well as establish efficient and consistent procedures to reduce processing complexity and ensure prompt and accurate employee payment.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Not Seen As Top Priority
In a recent nursing opinion poll, 84 percent of the 191 wound ostomy
continence nurses who responded said nurses and technicians did not fully comply
with incontinence skin care protocols. The poll was conducted at the Wound
Ostomy Continence Nurse Society’s annual meeting in June by Sage Products Inc.
of Cary, IL.
“Incontinence skin care is critical to preventing skin breakdown which increases the risk for pressure ulcers, a preventable and costly condition,” said Kathleen Vollman, MSN, RN, clinical nurse specialist and a speaker at the conference. “Pressure ulcers increase patient’s length of stay in the hospital and can increase morbidity and mortality.”
Pressure ulcers can cost as much as $70,000 to heal. Less serious ulcers may range from $2,000 to $30,000. A study in Ostomy/Wound Management stated that the average hospital spends $400,000 to $700,000 annually just treating pressure ulcers—and most of this cost cannot be reimbursed.
Although 91 percent responded that their incontinence skin care protocol includes the preventative use of skin protectants, nurses cited several reasons why their staff is not fully compliant with hospital protocol: Protective barrier creams are not readily available at the bedside; Process variation, everyone thinks their way is better; Shortage of staff, time constraints and employee turnover; Lack of education about basic skin care and preventing skin breakdown.
AmerisourceBergen awarded $10 billion contract
for pharmaceutical distribution
AmerisourceBergen Corporation announced that Kaiser Permanente awarded the Company a three-year contract with two one-year renewals to provide pharmaceuticals distribution and other supply chain activities. AmerisourceBergen, who currently services Kaiser Permanente’s pharmaceutical distribution needs, values the contract at approximately $10 billion over the five-year period of the contract.
Kodak in clinical trials for Mammography CAD System
Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Imaging Group announced that trade trials for its KODAK Mammography CAD (computer-aided detection) system are underway. The film-based CAD system was demonstrated as a works-in-progress this week at the 2004 AHRA (American Healthcare Radiology Administrators) annual meeting. Kodak’s mammography CAD software uses sophisticated algorithms to help identify suspicious areas on patients’ digitized mammograms, guiding radiologists to re-examine these areas for possible disease. Clinical trial data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration show that 39.4% of missed breast cancers could have been detected 14.8 months earlier using Kodak’s Mammography CAD system. The KODAK mammography CAD system is scheduled to be Kodak’s first CAD product, with market introduction planned for 2004. Kodak’s mammography CAD system consists of an input station, with a computer, digitizer, touch screen monitor and bar code reader; and a report station, with a computer, touch screen monitor and bar code reader. Kodak is also expanding its PACS (picture archiving and communications system) portfolio with image and information management systems to serve the needs of specialized markets, including mammography.