Monthly Archives: March 2017

Discovery enables ‘mass produced blood’

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http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39354627

Blood

Scientists say they have made a significant leap towards mass-producing red blood cells suitable for donation.

Red blood cells can already be made in the lab, but the problem is scale.

A team at the University of Bristol and NHS Blood and Transplant have developed a method to produce an unlimited supply.

The artificial blood will be far more expensive than conventional donation. So it is likely to be used for people with very rare blood types.

The old technique involved taking a type of stem cell that manufactures red blood cells in the body and coaxing it to do so in the lab.

However, each cell eventually burns out and produces no more than 50,000 red blood cells.

The trick developed by the Bristol team was to trap the stem cells at an early stage where they grow in number indefinitely.

It is known as making them immortal.

Once the researchers have this group of cells, they can just trigger them to become red blood cells.

Dr Jan Frayne, one of the researchers, said: “We have demonstrated a feasible way to sustainably manufacture red cells for clinical use.

“We’ve grown litres of it.”

New integrated model of care for seniors lowers hospitalizations, readmissions, emergency care visits

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http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/healthcare/new-integrated-model-care-for-seniors-lowers-hospitalizations-readmissions-emergency

Nurse with patient

The clinical outcomes of a new integrated model of care for frail seniors that bridges housing and healthcare are so significant that researchers believe the program has the potential for substantial Medicare cost savings.

The model provides residents with onsite, comprehensive therapy, medical care, pharmacy, and lab services. Key components to the program include a care navigator who coordinates the residents’ total care and high-tech/high-touch communications that transfer the resident’s information to ancillary and acute care services through an electronic health record.

Although Juniper Communities’ residents were older and more cognitively impaired than the overall Medicare population with similar conditions, independent researchers from Anne Tumlinson Innovations looked at 2012 Medicare Beneficiaries Survey, as well as those living in senior housing that didn’t provide an integrated healthcare program, and found Juniper’s Connect4Life program had:

  • 50% lower inpatient hospitalization rates
  • 80% lower readmission rates
  • 15% lower rate of emergency department use

“I thought the results might be good but you never know until you get the data. But I didn’t expect the significance of the results,” Lynne Katzmann, Ph.D., founder and president of the Bloomfield, New Jersey-based operator of senior communities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado, told FierceHealthcare this morning in an exclusive interview.

“The results show when you provide supportive housing and services and integrate with clinical care services you can avoid high utilization of the highest cost services,” said Katzmann, noting that it has the potential to address population health among the 5% who use 50% of healthcare resources.

What now? Health insurers still face uncertainty after AHCA’s demise

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http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/aca/what-now-health-insurers-still-face-uncertainty-after-ahca-s-demise?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal&mrkid=959610&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVROa1lUWmxZV1l6Wm1SayIsInQiOiJkQ01ndjkrMEp6dzFQNGk0T3grck1cL2dBUVBXR2lqeDY1TXF6NHVmcmVZNVJjaUltVUtLd3lcL2Z4RFpOTjNMaUxxVGhXK1ZET2hWYXpyaExmSGRyYTY1d3BXSTMzRnNPSjdIbnFrKzVURkdOdXpLdkxJczRud2hlekJQb3RycGhsIn0%3D

Signs saying healthcare reform

Now that the American Health Care Act is officially off the table, health insurers that had been bracing for a major policy overhaul are once again left to figure out how to thrive under the old rules of the game.

Right before the AHCA was set to go up for a vote on the House floor Friday, Republican leadership decided instead to pull the bill, as they failed to win over enough right-wing GOP lawmakers to pass it.

With the Affordable Care Act in place for the foreseeable future, it “sharpens the focus” of insurers’ evaluation of whether they want to participate in the individual marketplaces next year and how to price their plans, Sandi Hunt, a principal at PwC, said in an interview.

“It means they’re going to have to sit down on Monday and really evaluate—OK, the world is not going to change now, let’s figure out how we want to proceed with that set of circumstances,” she said.

Ceci Connolly, president and CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, noted that some factors may still make that difficult for the insurers she represents.

“Our nonprofit plans are committed to serving their communities but need clarity in order to make sound business decisions before the June filing deadline,” she said in an email. “ACA subsidies, reinsurance and risk adjustment must all be in place to ensure a functioning market.”

The future of one type of ACA subsidy—cost-sharing reduction payments—is of particular concern, as a federal judge ruled in a case brought by House Republicans that the funding for CSRs was illegally appropriated. The Obama administration appealed the decision, but the case had been put on hold since President Donald Trump took office.

For its part, America’s Health Insurance Plans had asked policymakers to fund CSRs through at least until 2019—a suggestion recently echoed by Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish.

Following news of the AHCA’s demise, AHIP spokeswoman Kristine Grow said the group looks forward to collaborating with policymakers and regulators on making improvements to the exchanges.

“Americans deserve a strong, stable individual market that delivers affordable coverage and access to quality care,” she said in an email. “We remain committed to working with Congress and the administration in a bipartisan fashion on solutions.”

Five Lessons From The AHCA’s Demise

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http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2017/03/27/five-lessons-from-the-ahcas-demise/

Image result for lessons to learn

While the keyhole of history has had insufficient time to bring the failed launch of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) into focus, it’s not too soon to begin learning some of the lessons it can teach us. Legislative efforts have a lifespan but our health care system does not. So whether we are still rejoicing or recriminating, let’s take a look at some timeless principles we can apply to the ongoing effort to improve health care in the United States.

8 hospitals planning facility upgrades, expansions

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http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/facilities-management/8-hospitals-planning-facility-upgrades-expansions-32317.html

The following hospitals announced or completed plans in the last week to expand, upgrade or renovate their facilities.

1. Kaiser Permanente opens 11th CareClinic in Washington
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente opened a CareClinic at a Bartell Drugs pharmacy in Des Moines, Wash.

2. Memorial Hermann to open new hospital March 31
Houston-based Memorial Hermann will open an 81-bed hospital in Cypress, Texas, March 31, according to Community Impact Newspaper.

3. Rapid City Regional Health to build $55M orthopedic hospital, sports medicine facility
Rapid City (S.D.) Regional Health will build a $55 million orthopedic hospital and sports medicine center next to its competitor, Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center, KOTA Territory News reports.

4. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center plans expansion
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center plans to expand its main campus by an additional 625,000 square feet, according to a WCPO report. 

5. Portsmouth Regional Hospital doubles number of psychiatric beds
Portsmouth (N.H.) Regional Hospital, which houses a 30-bed behavioral health unit, temporarily doubled the number of its involuntary inpatient beds to decrease wait times for mental health patients. 

6. St. Joseph’s Health opens clinic dedicated to heartburn
Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph’s Health has opened The Heartburn Center at St. Joseph’s, the region’s first dedicated and comprehensive heartburn treatment center.

7. Southcoast Health to expand ED, inpatient capacity at Tobey Hospital
New Bedford, Mass.-based Southcoast Health will expand an emergency department and private inpatient rooms at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, Mass.

8. Norton Healthcare to invest $78M in children’s hospital expansion
Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare will invest $78.3 million into several expansion projects at Norton Children’s Hospital, according to WDRB.

Study: Texans paid approximately 10 times more at EDs than urgent care centers for same diagnosis

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http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/study-texans-paid-approximately-10-times-more-at-eds-than-urgent-care-centers-for-same-diagnosis.html

OR Efficiencies

Texans are likely to pay more at freestanding emergency departments than at hospital-based EDs or urgent care centers, according to a study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine.

For the study, researchers examined more than 16 million Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas insurance claims from 2012 to 2015. During that time period, Texans’ utilization of freestanding EDs rose 236 percent. That compares with a 10 percent jump for hospital-based emergency departments and a 24 percent jump for urgent care clinics, according to a news release.

Researchers also found the average price per visit at freestanding EDs was $1,431 in 2012 compared with $1,842 at hospital-based EDs. In 2015, the average price per visit was $2,199 at freestanding EDs and $2,259 at hospital-based EDs. However, the average price per visit at urgent care centers was $164 in 2012 and $168 in 2015, according to the study.

The study also looked at out-of-pocket liability. At freestanding EDs, patients’ out-of-pocket liability increased from 32 percent in 2012 to 35 percent in 2015, researchers said. At hospital-based EDs, the increase was 29 percent to 33 percent. And at urgent care centers, patients saw out-of-pocket liability go from 36 percent in 2012 to 38 percent in 2015.

“There was 75 percent overlap in the 20 most common diagnoses at freestanding EDs versus urgent care centers and 60 percent overlap for hospital-based EDs and urgent care centers. However, prices for patients with the same diagnosis were on average almost 10 times higher at freestanding and hospital-based EDs relative to urgent care centers,” researchers said.

The study’s authors concluded the higher prices at freestanding and hospital-based EDs “imply potential inefficient use of emergency facilities.”

5 health systems with strong finances

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http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/5-health-systems-with-strong-finances-032117.html

Here are five health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions according to recent reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from recent credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order.

1. Froedtert Health has an “AA-” rating and positive outlook with S&P. The system has healthy financial metrics, and its market share in a competitive service area is improving, according to S&P. The debt rating agency expects Froedtert’s financial profile to remain consistent over the next one to two years.

2. St. Joseph, Mich.-based Lakeland Hospitals has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has a strong financial profile and leading market position, according to Fitch.

3. Mercy Health has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The St. Louis-based system’s balance sheet measures and financial performance have improved in the last three years, according to Moody’s. The debt rating agency expects Mercy Health’s operating margins to continue to improve.

4. Seattle Children’s Healthcare System has an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The system has strong balance sheet measures and operating performance, according to Moody’s. The debt rating agency expects Seattle Children’s Healthcare System’s overall profitability to remain strong and its debt coverage measures to improve.

5. Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has solid operating performance and a strong credit profile, according to Moody’s. The debt rating agency expects the health system to sustain cash flow margins at close to current levels and maintain its liquidity.