Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
To Attract Docs To Rural Areas, Hospitals Promote Lifestyle, Importance Of Mission
NPR: Creative Recruiting Helps Rural Hospitals Overcome Doctor Shortages
Recruitment is a life or death issue, not just for patients in those areas, but for the hospitals themselves, says Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. Over the last decade, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed, he says, and over the next decade, another 700 more are at risk. "Keeping access to health care in rural America is simply a challenge no matter how you look at it, but this shortage of rural health care professionals just is an unfortunate driving issue towards more closures," Morgan says. (Noguchi, 8/15)
Modern Healthcare: New Drug Disposal Regulations To Be Implemented Next Week
A new federal rule will go into effect next week prohibiting healthcare organizations from flushing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals into the sewer system, which will cause some providers, distributors and pharmacies to change their protocol and processes. Starting Aug. 21, drugs like nicotine and chemotherapies will need to be disposed through the proper channels rather than down the drain, which will cost healthcare facilities time and money if they need to get up to speed. (Kacik, 8/15)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Valley Forge Medical Center Going On The Market
The trust that owns Valley Forge Medical Center and Hospital in Montgomery County has decided to put the 86-bed addiction-treatment facility up for sale. The owner cited several years of losses and the need to get the facility into the hands of an operator with the wherewithal to invest in it. The trust is also open to a real estate deal. (Brubaker, 8/15)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Hahnemann University Hospital Gets Higher Bid From California Firm
A California company that wants to reopen Hahnemann University Hospital, but did not win last week’s auction of the hospital’s residency program, said Wednesday that it would increase its bid to $60 million if bidding for the bankrupt Center City institution were reopened. The move by KPC Global, of Santa Ana, could lead to a twist in the June 30 bankruptcy, which also includes St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and other operations. (Brubaker, 8/15)
Modern Healthcare: $1 Million Ransomware Demand Refused By Washington Hopsital
Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen, Wash., is recovering from a ransomware attack that encrypted files across its network, including electronic health records, earlier this summer. An estimated 85,000 people's data were affected. The hospital and one of its subsidiaries have begun mailing notification letters to people who had data compromised in the attack, Grays Harbor Community Hospital said in a statement posted online Wednesday. (Cohen, 8/15)
Seattle Times: $12.3M Payout For Infant Burned In Madigan Operating-Room Fire Delayed As Feds Consider Appeal
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed notice that it may appeal a $12.3 million verdict stemming from a 2015 operating room fire at Madigan Army Medical Center that severely disfigured a 13-month-old child, potentially preventing the family from accessing money needed for the child’s treatment, according to court documents and attorneys. The Army admitted it was negligent and responsible for the fire in court documents. U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton announced the verdict in June following a four-day bench trial in which he determined the surgeon and anesthesiologist treating the child at the hospital at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma were negligent and failed to communicate with one another about the fire risks posed by the operation. (Carter, 8/15)
