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January 27, 2010 -- Hospital Impact has been ranked one of the top 50 healthcare blogs by Wikio.
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by Anthony Cirillo
I recently had an engaging conversation with Kellyann Curnayn, author of A Good Day in Hell: The Flatlining of Nurses Across America.
Yeah, that title gets your attention. So does Kellyann, a dedicated, practicing nurse. She shared with me her view that nurses do not get paid to take care of patients--they get paid to fill out paperwork. She shared with me some insights on the level of lateral, nurse-on-nurse violence that occurs in healthcare across settings every day. Much of it is based on the need to cover your you-know-what.
by Paul Roemer
I've never been mistaken as one who is subtle. Gray is not in my patois. I am guilty of seeing things as right and left and right and wrong. Sometimes I stand alone, sometimes with others, but rarely am I undecided, indecisive, or caught straddling the fence. When I think about the expression, 'lead, follow, or get out of the way,' I see three choices, two of which aren't worth getting me out of bed.
I do it, not of arrogance, but to stimulate me, to make a point, to force a dialog, or to cause action. Some prefer dialectic reasoning to try to resolve contradictions; that's a subtlety I don't have--like the time I left the vacuum in the middle of the living room for two weeks hoping my roommates would get the hint. That was subtle and a failure. I hired a housekeeper and billed them for it.
Take healthcare information technology, HIT. One way or another, I have become the polemic poster child of dissent, HIT's eristical heretic.
by Anne Zieger and Dan Bowman
Now, more than ever, healthcare is a topic that is being talked about at every water cooler and dinner table in the U.S. Between hospitals struggling to stay afloat and a reform effort that seemingly has the nation divided, what happens over the next few months and years will have a lasting impact on healthcare in this country.
FierceHealthcare decided to take a look at a few of the movers and shakers in healthcare today, to get a better understanding of where healthcare is now, and where it is going. Whether we're talking about bloggers, doctors, business professionals or politicians, the following people represent the present and future of healthcare.
by Dr. Kenneth H. Cohn
Last weekend, I was a speaker and mentor at the SEAK Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians Conference, which was attended by approximately 250 physicians. My topic was "Practical Strategies for Transitioning to Non-Clinical Careers," in which I described part-time hospital administrative work, locum tenens coverage, and creating and sustaining a personal brand using Internet technology.
The experience that I will never forget was serving as a mentor to more than 50 physicians who signed up to see me in 15-minute blocks throughout the weekend. I met people from a variety of specialties (ED, cardiology, primary care, radiology, surgery) and many states, from Florida to California.
by Wendy Johnson
Publisher, FierceHealthcare
We've heard lots of interesting ideas since then. Some were a bit Mickey Mouse, others focused on nothing short of a complete turnaround. The common thread throughout: Hospital Impact has been your water cooler--your place to sound off, share ideas learn from each other. That's still true today.
by Dan Bowman
Associate Editor, FierceHealthcare
Bill Frist has been keeping busy these days. Between chatting up former colleagues on both sides of the aisle about healthcare reform and heading up the acquisitions, divestitures and portfolios for his Nashville-based investment firm, Cressey & Company, the cardiac surgeon and former Republican Senator from Tennessee is also promoting awareness of atrial fibrillation. He has also been an advocate for children's health around the world, pushing for investments in such resources as clean water and vaccines.
FierceHealthcare caught up with the ex-Senate Majority Leader yesterday and asked him to elaborate on some of his efforts, as well as his views on healthcare reform.
Of the 15 acute-care hospitals in the nation with the highest gross-patient revenue, only seven are located outside of the states of California and Pennsylvania. Only three of the 15 recorded a financial net loss last year. But which facility tops FierceHealthcare's list, based on 2008 statistics compiled from the American Hospital Directory? Is it Cedars-Sinai Medical Center? Massachusetts General? The famous Cleveland Clinic? Read on to find out. Click here for the slideshow
by Anthony Cirillo
I love to stir the pot and my last post on why patient and person-centered care is not working did just that. I should first qualify my contention from that blog. True, person- and patient-centered care is working in some instances, but honestly, it is taking hold in just a fraction of the health care universe. I may have implied that it is not working at all, and that was not the intent.
by Anne Zieger, FierceHealthcare Editor
Readers, as most of you probably know, tonight President Obama went on live national television to make a pitch for his health reform vision. Unfortunately, given the Administration's track record of intellectualizing, inside baseball and changes in direction, it's not likely that most Americans walked away saying "Wow! I understand health reform perfectly. Give me some of that!"
The thing is, most of us, both in and outside the industry, agree that there are many reforms that need to be made, some of which President Obama has been working hard to communicate.
by Tony Chen
Well, the day has come for my last post here at Hospital Impact. After transitioning this blog over to FierceHealthcare, and after I was laid off from my hospital job, I'm now focused full-time on a few new start-ups in the healthcare and Web 2.0 arenas. You can still follow me on twitter @hospitaltony and read posts from me at the sg2.com community website.
Safety TipHospital facilities built today do not include asbestos, but many older buildings still have asbestos components in them. Steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts were often insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape because of their fireproof and insulating properties. Resilient floor tiles were made from vinyl asbestos. Asbestos cement was employed in roofing, shingles and siding materials. The hazard of this carcinogen increases when the fibers become airborne, and untrained contractors can inadvertently increase risks by cutting, tearing, sawing, scraping, or sanding asbestos materials. Elevated asbestos levels can occur in hospitals where old materials are damaged or disturbed. It is best to leave undamaged asbestos material alone if it is not likely to be disturbed. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause mesothelioma and other diseases. Be sure to use an experienced asbestos removal contractor when you need to get rid of old materials that might contain asbestos. |
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