HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Illinois based Advocate Health Care, one of the nations top health systems, has successfully completed implementation of its Clinical Information System, a consolidated information source that brings together patient-linked longitudinal data from diverse hospital systems. Utilizing Convergence CTs (CCT) Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW) technology and services, working with Advocates subject matter experts, data is converged into a single, easily accessible resource for clinical research, data reporting and operational studies. This affords Advocates medical and quality staff the ability to perform detailed, deep queries necessary to satisfy complex protocols without requiring additional Information Technology resources or impacting operational database systems.

We feel its our responsibility to utilize health care dollars in a socially responsible and financially sustainable manner, said Lee Sacks, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer. Through our focus on prevention, optimal treatment of diseases and care coordination across the continuum, we are confident our efforts will continue to create value and reduce avoidable costs.

Encompassing details on over one million annual in-patient visits spanning Advocates organization, which includes 10 adult hospitals, 2 integrated childrens hospitals, and more than 250 sites of care, the growing CDW warehouse includes electronic medical records, patient demographics, diagnoses, laboratory test schedules and results, operating room statistics, and details of prescribed medications.

After consolidation in the CDW, data can be summarized for a wealth of reporting requirements, becoming the basis for detailed queries and statistical analysis using a number of commercial analysis applications including SPSS, Cognos, MS Excel, and Convergence CTs own products.

Clinical [data] integration is really leading us down the path of evolving into a highly reliable organization that develops the right care model to get the best possible outcomes, said Michael McKenna, MD, vice president of medical management at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

The term medical research frequently evokes images of scientists seeking a cure for cancer in a laboratory or patients participating in clinical trials out of their doctors offices; a partial picture, at best. That kind of research is necessary, but not sufficient, says Advocates vice-president of research, W. Thomas Summerfelt, Ph.D., one of the visionaries driving the project. Yes, we need to come up with new treatments, but we can arguably save even more lives by improving the delivery of care that most physicians already provide and most patients already receive.

Lambert Onuma, chief executive officer at CCT adds, From an analytics perspective, real improvements in patient care, benchmark performance and efficiency will only stem from the use of evidence-based medicine. CCTs CDW solution and analytics delivers this type of critical information.

About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care, named among the nations top health systems, is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest care providers in the Midwest. Advocate operates more than 250 sites of care, including 10 acute care hospitals, two integrated childrens hospitals, five Level I and two Level II trauma centers, one of the areas largest home health care companies and one of the regions largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $571 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2011.

Continued here:

Convergence CT Deploys Advanced Clinical Data Warehouse at Advocate Health Care

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & VANCOUVER, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth, two nonprofit health care systems, have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to create a new regional health care system with the ability to improve care and access for individuals, employers and communities across the northwest U.S.

The partnership will create an integrated health system in the region, combining seven Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals in Washington and Oregon with nine PeaceHealth hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The new organization will include nearly 26,000 employees and about 950 employed physicians serving in hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient care clinics, long-term care facilities, laboratories and private homes across the region.

The new organization, with annual revenues of almost $4 billion, will build on the strengths of both organizations to better manage care and resources in a rapidly changing health care environment.

Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth share common cultures and values, said Kevin E. Lofton, president and chief executive officer of Englewood, Colo.-based CHI, the nations second largest faith-based health system. We see this as a natural evolution a perfect way to share economies of skill and scale, improve health services and reinforce our common mission to create and nurture healthier communities.

Alan Yordy, president and chief mission officer of Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, said, PeaceHealth and Catholic Health Initiatives have long traditions of serving communities throughout the Northwest and providing health services to all people. Our shared mission and combined strengths will allow us to better serve individuals with safe, high quality networks of care built upon more than a century of service in the Northwest.

The nonbinding letter of intent is the first step in the partnership process. Leaders of Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth expect to form the new system before June 30, 2013, after completing the due diligence and approval process. The two organizations will be equal partners in the fully integrated health care system serving the northwest region.

Discussions were prompted by a rapidly changing health care environment that demands a more coordinated, integrated approach to the way health and wellness services are delivered to individuals and communities. It also demands the ability to accept more financial risk in caring for defined populations, such as Medicaid recipients. The size and scale of the new organization will allow it to form additional collaborations and networks of care that will include physicians, hospitals, insurers and other caregivers, increasing access to high-quality health services while reducing costs. The partners will reduce costs by making infrastructure investments more efficiently as a single organization in areas such as information technology systems.

The integration of the two organizations is expected to take place over time.

The new organization will include two CHI hospitals in Oregon Mercy Medical Center, Roseburg; and St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton and five facilities in Washington that comprise Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System: St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; and St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw. Also included are Franciscan Medical Group and Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care.

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Catholic Health Initiatives, PeaceHealth Agree to Form Integrated Regional Health Care Network to Serve Northwest U.S.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- An aide to Florida Gov. Rick Scott is defending the Republican's opposition to expanding Medicaid under the federal health care overhaul to cover another million state residents, even though the federal government would pick up most of the initial costs.

Spokesman Brian Burgess on Thursday said the state cannot afford the millions it would take to attract billions in federal funding every year that Florida is eligible to receive through the expansion. The governor, a former hospital chain executive, has been a leading opponent of the federal health care overhaul that would extend coverage to millions.

Burgess also said the state has other programs to help low-income people who don't qualify for Medicaid.

"We have to figure out how to pay if we are going to do this, and we don't see a way," Burgess said.

He was reacting to preliminary figures reviewed this week by state economists. They show turning down the expansion would cost Florida nearly $40 billion in federal money to save at most $2.5 billion in state funds over 10 years.

"Where does it come out of?" Burgess asked. "What programs get sacrificed?"

The expansion could eventually cover in excess of 1 million more Floridians, but the economists don't believe all those eligible will participate. They are revising the dollar estimates downward, but Burgess said Scott is worried the costs, instead, will increase in the future.

Critics say Scott is being penny-wise and pound-foolish to oppose adding billions in federal money to Florida's economy. Many Republican governors favor the repeal of what they call "Obamacare," even though the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the so-called individual mandate.

Among those critical of Scott's stance are the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, a liberal think tank in Tallahassee. The center released a report this week disputing Scott's claim that Florida's Medicaid program has been growing more than three times as fast as the state's general revenue.

It says Scott's statistic is inflated due to the recession and contrived to make any Medicaid growth appear as extreme as possible.

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Aide defends Scott's stance on health care dollars

How many doctors are needed to serve the population, and what the impact of health care reform would be on that, are much debated but hard to measure.

Excerpt from:

Today's Economist: Uwe E. Reinhardt: Health-Care Reform and the 'Doctor Shortage'

Grants totaling $450,000 for 17 front line community groups across Qubec Adds to more than $400,000 in community grants distributed in Qubec in 2011 More than $6 million in total already donated by Bell Let's Talk to Qubec hospitals, research centres and community organizations

MONTREAL , Aug. 17, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that the annual $1 million Bell Let's Talk Community Fund is distributing $450,000 in grants to 17 mental health community groups across Qubec in 2012. This builds on the more than $400,000 the fund distributed to Qubec groups in 2011, the fund's first year.

"Bell is pleased to be supporting the tremendous work these organizations are doing in delivering front-line mental health care and support at the community level across Qubec," said Martine Turcotte , Bell's Vice Chair, Qubec. "Bell supports Qubec mental health care at every level - with major hospitals, at Qubec research centres, and at the local level where so much good work is done. We know these grants will truly make a difference for the 1 in 5 Qubcois and Qubcoise affected by mental health issues."

Launched in 2011, the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund encourages community organizations from coast to coast to coast to apply for grants to support local programs that aim to eliminate the stigma of mental health and improve access to care. The fund provides grants in every region of Canada to support select projects providing front-line support to those impacted by mental health issues in communities large and small.

"Mental health accounts for more than 15 per cent of the burden of disease yet receives only 6 per cent of health care funding," said Mary Deacon , Chair of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. "By going directly to the grass roots where so much of the available care is being provided, we know we are maximizing the impact of every dollar we give."

Since launching Bell Let's Talk in late 2010, Bell has invested more than $6 million in more than 40 Qubec mental health hospitals, research centres and community organizations. Recipients have included the Hpital Louis-H. Lafontaine Foundation, the Fondation Hpital Charles-LeMoyne, the Mental Illness Foundation, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Fondation Cit de la Sant, the Portage Foundation, Fondation Robert-Giffard, and Fondation les Petits trsors of the Hpital Rivire-des-Prairies.

A complete list of both the 2012 and 2011 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Qubec recipients is attached. Online applications for the 2013 Fund will open early in the new year. For more information about the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell in Qubec Bell is committed to the Qubec community, employing more people, spending more on Qubec infrastructure and R&D, and contributing more to charities (led by the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative) and community events than any other communications company. Bell employs more than 17,000 team members in Qubec and invested over $900 million in Qubec infrastructure and R&D in 2011 alone - including the rollout of the next-generation Bell Fibe network that is already ramping up competition and choice in TV and Internet services for consumers in Qubec.

Bell offers Bell Mobility wireless, Bell TV, Bell Internet, Bell Home Phone and Bell Business Markets services across Canada , and is wholly owned by Montral's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

About Bell Let's Talk The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a $50-million charitable program based on four action pillars: Anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.

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Bell Let's Talk Community Fund invests in Québec mental health care

West Quebec residents are crossing the border into Ottawa for what they believe is better health care, and candidates in the provincial election are facing questions about how they would solve the problem.

Link:

Health care hot-button issue in west Quebec

MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners, today announced the appointment of Carol Raphael to the Company's Board of Directors.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120817/NY59052 )

Ms. Raphael brings a wealth of health care policy, economics and management experience to the Henry Schein Board. From 1989 to 2011, Ms. Raphael served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), the largest nonprofit home health agency in the United States. As CEO, Ms. Raphael expanded the organization's services and launched innovative models of care for complex populations with chronic illness. Prior to joining VNSNY, Ms. Raphael held executive positions at Mt. Sinai Medical Center and in New York City government. Currently, Ms. Raphael is an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University. She chairs the New York eHealth Collaborative, a public-private partnership working to advance the adoption of health information technology in New York State. She is the Chair of the Long-Term Quality Alliance, a member of the National Quality Forum Coordinating Committee, where she chairs its Post Acute/Long-Term Care Workgroup, and is a strategic advisor to the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA).

"As health care continues to evolve, Carol's broad experience will provide the Henry Schein Board of Directors with an important new perspective on this quickly changing market," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Henry Schein. "In addition, as the populations of the United States and other developed nations around the world grow older and use health care services at an increasing rate, Carol's strategic insights into the health care needs of an aging patient group will be invaluable as we continue to execute our strategic plan for growth."

Ms. Raphael is a nationally recognized industry leader and an expert on health care policy. She has served on numerous commissions including the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the New York State Hospital Review and Planning Council and several Institute of Medicine committees. She was a member of New York State Governor Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team.

Ms. Raphael has also served on numerous boards including those of Lifetime Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Barrier Therapeutics, Inc., Future Health, and the American Foundation for the Blind. She serves on the boards of the Primary Care Development Corporation, Pace University, the Medicare Rights Center and the New York City Citizens Budget Commission. She is also a member of several advisory boards including the Harvard School of Public Health's Health Policy Management Executive Council, the New York City Health and Mental Hygiene Advisory Council, the New York City Age-Friendly Commission, and the New York University School of Nursing Advisory Board.

Ms. Raphael has an MPA from Harvard University's Kennedy School and co-edited the book Home Based Care for a New Century. She was a Visiting Fellow at the Kings Fund in the United Kingdom, and was listed in Crain's New York Business 50 Most Powerful Women in New York City.

"It is a pleasure to join the Board of a company that recognizes the important demographic and health care shifts occurring in society and is determined to play a leadership role as we navigate a course to continued success," said Ms. Raphael. "Henry Schein has an impressive eight-decade commitment to providing health care practitioners with products and services that enhance patient care and practice efficiency, two qualities that will continue to be essential as health care evolves. I look forward to joining this strong leadership team and helping Henry Schein continue to grow for many years to come."

About Henry Schein, Inc. Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500 Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100 Index, Henry Schein employs nearly 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves approximately 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

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Henry Schein Appoints Carol Raphael to Board of Directors

Kentucky's largest health care system on Thursday said it is terminating contracts at all its facilities with Medicaid managed care provider Coventry Cares.

KentuckyOne Health which formed earlier this year to operate Saint Joseph Health System and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare said the terminations will be effective Nov. 1 for Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and Dec. 1 for Saint Joseph Health System.

Coventry is one of four companies hired by the state to manage care for the 560,000 Kentuckians enrolled in the federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Coventry has given notice in recent months to many Kentucky hospitals and health care providers that it intends to terminate or renegotiate contracts.

KentuckyOne decided to stop working with Coventry after the Medicaid provider sent a contract termination letter to Our Lady of Peace hospital in Louisville on April 27 that was effective July 18, said KentuckyOne spokeswoman Barbara Mackovic.

Our Lady of Peace is one of the largest private, non-profit psychiatric hospitals in the country and works with all four Medicaid managed care companies to serve a high-risk patients with intellectual disabilities, Mackovic said.

"Many of the children served by Our Lady of Peace have no other facility to meet their highly specialized mental and behavioral health needs," she said. "In addition, 75 percent of patients at Our Lady of Peace are children and adolescents, many of which have developmental delays with dual diagnosis."

CoventryCares also terminated its contract with Taylor Regional Hospital in Campbellsville, another of KentuckyOne's facilities, she said.

"We feel CoventryCare's actions will ultimately hinder and prevent the care our communities need and deserve," Mackovic said. "That is especially true when a plan would put our most vulnerable patient populations at Our Lady of Peace at risk."

Officials with CoventryCares did not immediately answer a telephone call and an e-mail seeking comment.

Mackovic said KentuckyOne will continue contracts with Kentucky Spirit, WellCare and Passport, the other managed care organizations.

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KentuckyOne Health cancels contract with Medicaid provider Coventry Cares

Nashville is exhibiting more strength as a destination for entrepreneurs, particularly in health care, but it's not always easy helping startups win more venture capital dollars.

Original post:

Ryan Underwood: Some health-care, other startups thriving in Nashville

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. (ICS) announced today that it has joined Alabama Primary Health Care Association (APHCA) strategic partners program with the intent to support third-party HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) Meaningful Use compliance audits for APHCA members across the great state of Alabama.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120816/CG56801)

Under the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, health systems that employ the use of electronic health records (EHR) in a manner which helps improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care are eligible to receive Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments. APHCA members who are successful in becoming "meaningful users" of certified electronic health record technology would be eligible for such incentives.

The Alabama Primary Health Care Association's membership includes 16 community health centers in Alabama and together operates 130 practice sites; primary care, mental, rural and HIV/AIDs health care providers; primary care networks, hospitals and educations institutions. Dedicated to providing comprehensive, affordable, community based and accessible primary health care to every Alabamian, these health centers provide primary care to almost 300,000 persons, have an overall economic impact of almost $150 million annually, and employ 2,000 individuals statewide.

"In order for our member health systems to ensure they are maintaining regulatory compliance while offering the highest possible levels of quality and efficiency in patient care, it was crucial for the APHCA to partner with an information security partner that is well-versed in the intricacies of the federal meaningful use compliance requirements," said Mary Hayes Finch, JD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of the APHCA." "ICS has the depth of knowledge and experience that we needed; they are well-versed in these requirements and are well-positioned to help our member systems achieve success," Finch said.

"ICS is in its fifteenth year of working amid the complex and dynamic environment associated with health information management," said Chip Schuneman, COO of ICS, Inc. "ICS has a long track record of success that can help APHCA member agencies maximize their compliance and stretch their information technology budgets as they meet the federal government's (HIPAA) Security Standards and Technical Safeguards," Schuneman said.

Media Contact: Jennifer Solt, 24 Communications, 334-354-2906, jennifer@24c.co

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

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Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. Partners with Alabama Primary Health Care Association

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's new promise to restore the Medicare cuts made by President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law could backfire if he's elected.

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Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney

Today, having to navigate a health-care system that is disorganized, confusing, and increasingly unaffordable frustrates growing numbers of Oklahomans.

Oklahoma has 624,000 individuals who are uninsured and are without adequate health-care coverage. Approximately 40 percent or 230,843 individuals of the state's uninsured reside in northeastern Oklahoma, according to 2010 Census data.

Certain parts of northeastern Oklahoma and the surrounding area are considered to be medically underserved areas. That is, on a patient-to-doctor ratio, the area does not have access to physicians and health-care services in proportion to the number of residents in the area.

In partnership with federal, state and local authorities and private foundations, Morton Comprehensive Health Services has been providing quality health-care delivery and services to the area for more than 90 years.

What is missing from the health-care debate is the growing body of evidence that shows we can address all of these problems by expanding access for more people to a patient-centered, primary-care medical home.

Studies show when illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, asthma and depression are not appropriately managed - or prevented in the first place - they account for a significant portion of the skyrocketing costs for families and the entire health-care system.

In a primary-care medical home, doctors, nurses and other providers work closely as a team with patients to prevent - or manage - costly chronic diseases.

America's community health centers, like Morton, have been leaders in showing the value of this approach as an effective way to address more needs, improve health and contain costs.

The unique health center model allows us to save the entire health system, including the government and taxpayers, approximately $24 billion annually by keeping patients out of costlier health-care settings, such as emergency rooms. In these tough economic times, health centers are small businesses that serve as economic engines in their communities.

According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, health centers generated $20 billion in combined economic impact in 2009 and were responsible for nearly 200,000 jobs in areas hit hardest by the recession.

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Community health centers' vital role

LINCOLN (AP) Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman turned to the public Wednesday for suggestions on how to create an online, statewide marketplace for health insurance, a key piece of the federal health care law designed to steer users toward a coverage plan.

The Republican governor announced a series of meetings that will start later this month and be held throughout the state. Health care providers and advocates for children, the poor, taxpayers and the insurance industry have been invited to participate.

"We're trying to keep the process very open, very public," Heineman said at a news conference. "We want to hear from citizens, and we think now is the appropriate time now that we're getting a lot closer to this final decision."

The public meetings come as the state prepares a blueprint for a so-called health exchange that is due to the federal government on Nov. 16. The online markets allow consumers and small businesses to shop for health insurance and see if they qualify for federal tax credits aimed at lower-income residents.

Heineman repeated his opposition to any proposals to extend Medicaid coverage to more Nebraska residents. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government cannot penalize states that choose not to expand Medicaid, as was required in the federal law.

Health care advocates argue that the Medicaid expansion is critical: Unless more Nebraskans are allowed to participate, some will have incomes too high to qualify for the program but too low to receive the federal tax credits.

The federal law picks up the entire cost of covering more people for the first three years, and then drops to 90 percent, with states covering the remaining 10 percent. Supporters say it's a great deal compared to current Medicaid rates wherein Washington pays as little as half of the cost in some states.

Heineman said the expansion would drain state money that should instead go to K-12 public schools, colleges and the University of Nebraska.

Supporters of the federal health care law cheered Wednesday's announcement, although some said the Legislature still needs to create an independent governing board to oversee the health exchange. Nebraska Department of Insurance Director Bruce Ramge has said the Department of Insurance, under Heineman's administration, is the best equipped to handle the duties.

Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, a Democrat who supports the federal health care law, introduced a measure during this year's session that would have created a 12-member oversight board. The proposal was shelved, as state officials waited for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the health care law.

Continue reading here:

Nebraska to host health care law meetings

Gov. Haslam has a chance to make a difference by embracing health care reform.

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Haslam urged to embrace health-care reform

Thousands of Kentuckians with HIV or AIDS could have access to more effective treatment because of health care reforms if advocates and providers inform state officials what's needed to make it work now.

"It's like building a plane while we are flying a plane," said Amy Killelea, senior manager for health care access for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, a national advocacy group.

Killelea spoke Wednesday, the second day of a two-day conference on AIDS and HIV that drew advocates and health providers from across Kentucky to Lexington.

Kentucky is one of 16 states in the process of creating health care exchanges to provide new insurance options. By September, she said, a benefits plan is to be completed detailing the types of coverage private insurers need to offer to be part of the state system. By October, she said, enrollment is to begin. These changes are aa result of the new health care reform act.

It's time for advocates to let state legislators and the Kentucky office of Health Care Reform know what they need because reform changes are evolving rapidly, Killelea said.

There are thousands of pages of documents streaming to the states about enacting health care reform since the July decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed the law to move forward. That includes, she said, to laughs from the room, some 400 pages on how to streamline the application process for those currently without insurance.

"Multiple federal agencies are issuing hundreds and hundreds of regulations. I know because I've read them," she said.

The good news is that health care reform offers the promise that many of the roughly 8,000 Kentuckians with AIDS and HIV will have health insurance for the first time, replacing "a patchwork system with many, many holes and gaps," she said. This is especially true for those who are poor and could not get insurance before because of what she deemed discriminatory practices concerning pre-existing conditions.

And, she said, states are allowed wide discretion on how to implement the Affordable Care Act within the federal guidelines.

But its incumbent on people working with AIDS and HIV patients to make sure, for example, that the anti-viral drugs needed to keep HIV and AIDS patients alive are covered at a reasonable cost under the plan, she said.

Read more here:

Health reform law could improve AIDS treatment in Kentucky, advocate says

There's another Paul Ryan plan for health care, a fundamental change in caring for the poor and disabled that would affect many more people than the Medicare overhaul the GOP vice presidential candidate is best known for.

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The other Paul Ryan plan: $800B in Medicaid cuts

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation's leading health care organizations, will serve as the Official Medical Services Partner and Health Care Partner for the events being held in San Francisco during the 34th America's Cup. Kaiser Permanente physicians, nurses and staff will enhance the existing emergency response and first aid capabilities on-site by providing high quality health care for spectators, athletes and team members during the America's Cup events.

"Kaiser Permanente is among the most respected and trusted names in health care, and we are proud to have this important partnership with an organization that is widely recognized for its innovation in delivering high-quality health care," said Stephen Barclay, CEO of the 34th America's Cup.

"Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing the highest quality care to our more than 9 million members and the communities we serve, and we are proud to provide our medical expertise and support to America's Cup," said Bernard J. Tyson, president and chief operating officer for Kaiser Permanente. "Additionally, the America's Cup organizers share Kaiser Permanente's commitment to carbon reduction and healthy communities, and we look forward to working with them on important sustainability initiatives in California."

"Through our integrated and technologically advanced model of care delivery, our physicians, nurses and staff work together to consistently deliver high-quality health care, and we will bring that same level of clinical expertise to the America's Cup in San Francisco," said Robert Pearl, MD, executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group.

The 2012-2013 racing season for the America's Cup World Series starts Aug. 21, 2012, in San Francisco the first time America's Cup teams will race on San Francisco Bay. Admission to the America's Cup Village on Marina Green will be free to the public and open from Aug. 21-26.

About the America's Cup

One of the most fiercely competitive and sought after trophies in all of sport, the America's Cup was first raced in 1851, 45 years before the modern Olympics. The U.S. yacht America won, giving the international sailing competition its name.

The next Louis Vuitton Cup, America's Cup Challenger Series (July-August 2013) and America's Cup Match (September 2013) will be held for the first time in San Francisco Bay, a natural sailing arena where more than one million spectators are expected.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: http://www.kp.org/newscenter.

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Kaiser Permanente Serves as the Official Medical Services Partner and Health Care Partner for the 34th America's Cup

A national nurses' union is lobbying for a single-payer health care system, saying it's the only plan most Americans can afford. Proponents also argue that Medicare-for-all is more fiscally hawkish than Romney's new running mate.

Mitt Romney's vice-presidential choice of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, an arch enemy of the Affordable Care Act, may push President Barack Obama's health care reform into the center of the 2012 political ring.

For advocates of a full-scale public health insurance program--and for women's health as well--that could mean another chance to carve out their position as deficit-hawks with much sharper budget-cutting teeth than Ryan himself.

"Research shows that private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume 31 percent of every health care dollar," said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, who is a board member of Physicians for a National Health Program, a Chicago-based nonprofit of 18,000 physicians across the country who support a Medicare-for-all system. "Streamlining payments through a single nonprofit payer system would save the United States more than $400 billion a year, enough to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans."

Singh, a Gilbert, Ariz., gynecologist, predicts that more women will support a single-payer system because under the Affordable Care Act insurance companies and drug companies will still be able to charge what they want due to weak restrictions on premium rate increases and out-of-pocket costs. Older people may pay up to three times more for insurance than younger patients.

"These restrictions will hit women hard because they use more health services, have lower incomes and live longer than do men," Singh said. "This will lead to more patients skipping care and suffering serious health and financial consequences. Illness and medical bills are linked to 52 percent of personal bankruptcies in the United States."

Jean Ross is co-president of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the Oakland-based union that has more than 85,000 registered nurse members in 50 states and is lobbying for California to adopt a single-payer health care system.

"Despite its modest benefits, the ACA is no remedy for our health care crisis because it perpetuates the principle of all the health care you can afford," Ross said in a recent telephone interview, referring to the Affordable Care Act. "In California and a growing number of states, insurance premiums already equal or exceed 20 percent of median incomes. If premiums continue to rise at the current rate, the average family premium would total $24,000 by 2020."

Drumming Up Support

To drum up grassroots support for passage of a single-payer health system in California, the California Nurses Association sponsored a bus tour that visited 19 communities during June and July. The tour drew about 1,000 people for free blood pressure readings and blood sugar screenings and another 2,000 to the town hall meetings.

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Single-payer healthcare is more budget hawkish than Ryan's plan

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Press Ganey Associates, Inc., a recognized leader in health care performance improvement, today announced that David Costello, Ph.D., has joined as Chief Analytics Officer. Costello will focus on enhancing analytics solutions, providing greater profiling of patients and clients, and delivering predictive modeling and segmentation solutions. Costello joins Press Ganey's team of professionals, including Dennis Kaldenberg, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, in the effort to provide more targeted improvement strategies.

"Since our founding 27 years ago by Dr. Irwin Press and Dr. Rod Ganey, our company has continuously been home to some of the brightest and most accomplished minds in health care analytics," said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO, Press Ganey. "We are proud to add another highly respected individual to our team. David will greatly enhance our ability to deliver actionable insights that help improve the entire patient experience."

Throughout his more than 25-year career, Costello has successfully developed innovative analytics approaches for the health care industry. He has a proven track-record for decreasing health care costs, and simultaneously improving clinical quality outcomes and generating positive brand affinity. Most recently, Costello was building patient segmentation models for care management, carriers, Accountable Care Organizations, and other health care sectors.

"It's an honor to join Press Ganey at a dynamic time when analytics plays such a critical role in health care reform," said Costello. "Because of Press Ganey's history, we are uniquely positioned to deliver better, more sophisticated, and more targeted insights that will substantially improve organizations. We recognize the critical importance of understanding both entire patient populations and the entire experience for each individual patient. Being able to provide actionable insights at both levels will truly be a difference-maker for our clients."

Prior to Press Ganey, Costello served as Executive Vice President and General Manager for SCIOinspire, a health analytics company focused on helping clients translate big data in to actionable applications. Previously, Costello was Senior Vice President of Consumer Segmentation and Engagement Strategies at Health Dialog. While at Health Dialog, he created and implemented clinical, analytic and segmentation products aimed at decreasing medical costs and improving clinical quality among its 20 million members.

Costello received his Ph.D. and master's degree in sociology from the University of Delaware.

About Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

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Press Ganey Hires Industry Veteran as Chief Analytics Officer

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. & ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

St. Joseph Health and Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced plans for a new regional health care affiliation which will take bold, innovative measures to transform health care delivery, ultimately becoming a model for addressing some of the biggest challenges in American health care.

The organizations intend to form an integrated regional health system including their respective Southern California hospitals, an expansive physician network, and numerous outpatient and urgent care facilities in Orange County and the High Desert. Their shared vision includes taking action to fix fragmented systems of care, greatly improve access for the underserved, and deliver on the goal of making the region among the healthiest in the country.

This affiliation is a catalyst to extend our mission and make a real difference in health care delivery by assuring a system of highly-connected, quality services. New access points will be developed to enhance community wellness and allow more people to benefit from the research and advanced care of a vast network of doctors, clinics, and exceptional hospitals, said Deborah Proctor, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health. We believe St. Joseph Health and Hoag have the foresight and expertise to address some of the greatest needs and accomplish the greatest good for Orange County and the High Desert. This is a critical step for the future of our communities that only can be accomplished by the brightest minds and the biggest hearts in health care.

This is a historic day for medical care in Orange County, said Dr. Richard Afable, Hoag president and CEO. Together, we share over a century of collective experience and a commitment to serving the health needs of people in Southern California. Our goal in forming this affiliation is transformational. Current models of medical care are too complex, too expensive, and lack the integration needed to effectively and compassionately care for people in need. It is also unacceptable that models of care are far too often out of reach for those who are most vulnerable and in need of help. Our vision our promise is to transform Orange County into one of the healthiest communities in California and the country. Our affiliation will introduce innovative care processes that will improve clinical outcomes, reduce the overall cost of care, and enhance the health care experiences of all members of our community.

Specifically, the health system leaders have identified as part of their vision:

Under the affiliation, Hoag and St. Joseph Health will retain their individual identities and faith affiliations Presbyterian and Catholic, respectively.

In planning to work together, St. Joseph Health and Hoag recognized many similarities. They are both non-profit, faith-based health care organizations, committed to providing the highest quality, affordable, and accessible health care services in the community. Both institutions achieve this through thoughtful planning of their networks of services, fostering an environment of best practice health care, and reaching out to vulnerable populations through extensive community benefit programs.

The planning process is being aided by support from the community, elected officials, faith-based organizations, physicians, and hospital employees. Their support and review continue to be instrumental in this process.

The health systems entered into a letter of intent to form an affiliation. The next step is an application with the California Office of the Attorney General, which is planned for October and could require more than 100 days for a decision.

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Hoag and St. Joseph Health Announce Historic Affiliation to Transform Health Care Delivery