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Three Urology Practices Merge
As of January 1st, Urology Centers of Alabama, Birmingham-Shelby Urology, and Eastern Urology Associates have merged into a single practice. Urology Centers of Alabama (UCA) will be the surviving named entity.... Read More
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Three Urology Practices Merge
As of January 1st, Urology Centers of Alabama, Birmingham-Shelby Urology, and Eastern Urology Associates have merged into a single practice. Urology Centers of Alabama (UCA) will be the surviving named entity. “It’s a true merger,” said Mark DeGuenther, MD, president of UCA. “No one practice is buying another...
Steve Spencer |
Keeping Healthy Resolutions On Track
January starts as a fresh page, when people are full of the resolve to finally make the positive changes they’ve been meaning to get around to—go to the gym, eat healthy, stop smoking, get control of their time and stress...
Laura Freeman |
CMS Releases ACO Final Rules, Deadlines Loom
Two tracks for Shared Savings Accountable Care Organizations
The final regulations governing Medicare accountable care organizations were released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in October, and they represent a sea change in healthcare’s future...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
End-of-life Care Makes the Difference for Dr. Tracey Humbert
At 15, on her first day as a candy striper, Tracey Humbert, MD, took a pitcher of ice water into the room of an elderly woman. The woman was waiting for a perma-cath procedure and distraught about her future on dialysis.
The teenager and the 60-year-old talked for an hour. At the end, the woman said, “How did someone so young get so wise?”...
Jane Ehrhardt |
A New Year's Resolution: Updating Your HIPAA Plan
As January gets underway, it is common for us to reflect back on the prior year and set goals for the upcoming year. Whether it is losing weight or maintaining better relationships with loved ones, New Year's resolutions are on everyone's minds this time of the year. Health care providers should also consider setting a New Year's resolution...
Kelli Fleming |
2011 Health Care Year in Review
As I sit down to write this article, I cannot help but to recall the immortal words of Yogi Berra who said: "It's déjà vu all over again."
Howard Bogard |
The Literary Examiner
“Making an Exit: From the Magnificent to the Macabre- How We Dignify the Dead” by Sarah Murray
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Lifeblood
You’ve done everything you possibly could.
You took your vitamins faithfully, drank lots of OJ, and ate all the things the experts said to eat. You’ve avoided touching germy things and you’ve washed your hands raw...
Alex Perry |
THE RUMORS OF THE ACOs DEMISE ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED
On October 20, 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued final regulations (the “Final Rule”) that will govern the implementation of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (the “Medicare Program”) and the formation of accountable care organizations (“ACOs”).
Judd Harwood |
Increased Administrative Burdens Accompany Breach Notification Requirements
On August 24, 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new regulations requiring health care providers and other entities subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their unsecured protected health information (PHI) is breached. The regulations implement breach notification requirements enacted under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.
Judd Harwood of Balch & Bingham |
JCAHO Accreditation Surveys May Become More Cumbersome
On March 26, 2009, the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations ("JCAHO" or "Joint Commission") announced changes to its accreditation and survey standards for hospitals. These changes revise the proposed set of changes that were announced earlier this year by the Joint Commission. In January, JCAHO proposed to issue more than 165 new and revised accreditation and survey standards. However, based on discussions between the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS"), the number affected has now been reduced to 87. Nonetheless, these new and revised standards may make it more difficult for hospitals to obtain or maintain JCAHO accreditation.
Kelli Fleming |
MEANINGFUL USE REGULATIONS ISSUED BY CMS
On December 30, 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that outlines provisions governing the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive programs, including a proposed definition for the central concept of “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR) technology. This proposed rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on January 13, 2010, and public comments are due 60 days thereafter.
JUDD HARWOOD |
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Too Few American Adults Getting Needed Vaccinations: CDC
Title: Too Few American Adults Getting Needed Vaccinations: CDC
Category: Health News
Created: 2/2/2012 4:06:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
| | Mouse Study Suggests Alzheimer's Spreads Through Brain Like an Infection
Title: Mouse Study Suggests Alzheimer's Spreads Through Brain Like an Infection
Category: Health News
Created: 2/2/2012 4:06:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
| | Could a Blood Test Help Spot Depression?
Title: Could a Blood Test Help Spot Depression?
Category: Health News
Created: 2/3/2012 10:05:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
| | Sex and the Elderly: STD Risk Often Ignored
Title: Sex and the Elderly: STD Risk Often Ignored
Category: Health News
Created: 2/3/2012 11:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
| | New Heart Failure Risks: Fractures and Memory Problems
Title: New Heart Failure Risks: Fractures and Memory Problems
Category: Health News
Created: 2/3/2012 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
| | 1 in 2 Stroke Survivors Has High Blood Pressure
Title: 1 in 2 Stroke Survivors Has High Blood Pressure
Category: Health News
Created: 2/3/2012 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 Posted Friday, February 3, 2012 1:00 am CST
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