Recent News

 
News - Donations to assist Ukraine and its refugees

Donations to assist Ukraine and its refugees

March 17, 2022

The U.S. Ukraine Foundation is a 30-year-old organization that supports the people of Ukraine in their quest for freedom, democracy, a free-market economy, and human rights. The U.S. Ukraine Foundation has established a fund to provide financial support for humanitarian efforts, including covering the costs of sending medical supplies to Ukraine. The fund also supports refugees through the Kyiv Rotary Refugee Initiative.

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News - 3 ways to improve patients' digital experiences

3 ways to improve patients' digital experiences

March 7, 2022

In a new report, the American Hospital Association (AHA) suggests three ways health systems can leverage technology to create a seamless digital experience for patients.

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News - President announces strategy to strengthen mental health care system

President announces strategy to strengthen mental health care system

March 7, 2022

Our country faces an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages. Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. And, Black and Brown communities are disproportionately undertreated – even as their burden of mental illness has continued to rise. Even before the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety were inching higher. But the grief, trauma, and physical isolation of the last two years have driven Americans to a breaking point.

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News - Loss of rural health creating care deserts

Loss of rural health creating care deserts

March 7, 2022

A rural health care advisory and analytics provider has found nearly half of rural hospitals have refrained from admissions because of nursing shortages this past year. Additionally, more than a quarter of rural hospitals have ceased offering some services due to staffing challenges.

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News - Telehealth use for outpatient visits remains elevated, KFF study finds

Telehealth use for outpatient visits remains elevated, KFF study finds

February 21, 2022

Telehealth use has decreased since the start of the pandemic but levels remain elevated compared to pre-COVID levels, a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis has found. The survey assessed telehealth use from March 2019 through August 2021 using data from Cosmos, an Epic dataset, for more 41 million outpatient visits. The study is relevant only to the population studied and not weighted to be nationally representative.

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News - A new era of health literacy - expanded definitions, digital influences and rural inequities

A new era of health literacy - expanded definitions, digital influences and rural inequities

February 21, 2022

The languages of medicine. First, there is the jargon-packed peer-to-peer language used by healthcare providers to discuss patient care. Second comes an even more elaborate language dedicated to specialty medical care. A third language exists because of the MSDRG system, or Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups. Different from providers’ clinical language, it is a language that belongs to data collection and billing — but it is also a language that providers must master. Yet there is a fourth language that providers do understand — but don’t always speak fluently: the plain language used by their patients.

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News - CMS delays hospital star ratings update until July

CMS delays hospital star ratings update until July

February 21, 2022

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced it will delay updating the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on the Care Compare website from April until July so it can correct a calculation error in the calendar year 2021 results for the OP-10 outpatient imaging efficiency measure.

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News - New ad campaign urges Congress to prevent pending Medicare cuts to hospitals and health systems

New ad campaign urges Congress to prevent pending Medicare cuts to hospitals and health systems

February 7, 2022

The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care will launch a new TV ad urging Congress to act now to prevent pending Medicare cuts and ensure hospitals and health systems have the resources they need to care for their patients and communities.

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News - Looking Ahead: Health Care Marketing Trends for 2022

Looking Ahead: Health Care Marketing Trends for 2022

January 24, 2022

Smith & Jones shares several trends that will be essential to healthcare marketing in the coming year.

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News - 5-star care: How to boost patient satisfaction scores

5-star care: How to boost patient satisfaction scores

January 24, 2022

Physician reimbursement is being increasingly impacted by patient satisfaction scores. Once, this was something only hospitals had to worry about, but now it’s affecting practices of all sizes.

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