Old Crow Medicine Show Hit Career High With New Album

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Carry Me Back sold over 17,000 copies in its debut week, landing at #22 on the Billboard Albums Chart, leading to both the band's best ever sales week and their highest ever charting position. The album also was #1 on both the Bluegrass and Folk charts and is the #4 Country album in the nation.

The band just embarked on a tour in support of Carry Me Back, playing shows at capacity in multiple markets; the band will continue touring in the coming weeks, including a show this Saturday in Nashville with the reunited, original line-up of BR5-49 opening. The Lumineers and The Milk Carton Kids will serve as openers for other tour dates. - more on this story

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Old Crow Medicine Show Hit Career High With New Album

‘Tiny Bubbles’ at the Medicine Show Theater

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These are hard times for drinkers, and Richard Willetts Tiny Bubbles cares.

Tiny Bubbles Jay Alvarez, left, and Tim Elliott play roommates in the comedy, at the Medicine Show Theater.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys a refreshing alcoholic beverage, you probably know the look of condescension (disguised as sophisticated tolerance) certain to come your way when you dare to order a single glass of white wine at lunch. Accordingly you may yearn for the days half a century ago and epitomized by the television drama Mad Men when the three-martini midday meal was followed by the three-martini cocktail hour, and no one seemed to worry much about it. In the New Directions Theaters likable if shaky production of Tiny Bubbles, now at the Medicine Show Theater, Danny McKenna (Jay Alvarez) appears to be transported to that time. He loves it; he wants to stay. But he learns some sociocultural lessons.

Danny is a smart, wisecracking, single, gay Denver travel agent and old-movie fanatic whose friend and roommate, Kirk Wesson (Tim Elliott), decides to give up drinking and join Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that Danny finds laughable. This situation leads Danny to his visions of Madison Avenue happy hours and to another series of visions in which he is a nun instructed to help a novice (Amy Staats) having adjustment difficulties. At the convent Danny learns that being in seclusion is not nearly as romantic as it sounded when Maria, as played by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, experienced it.

Mr. Willett loves writing about vintage cinema. (In his Random Harvest the stars of that 1942 film of the same name haunted a New York apartment.) As directed by Eliza Beckwith, Mr. Alvarez is congenial and funny, but he sometimes seems to be playing a gay man from a couple of generations ago. When his character mentioned Paul Lynde at one point, I thought, yes, thats whom he has been channeling all this time. Ms. Staats is surprisingly sympathetic and believably misguided in a second role, playing the hard-drinking career woman who lusts after Danny in the 50s.

We all understand the constraints of low Off Off Broadway budgets, but Markta Fantovs scenic design comes up short when it represents Kenny and Kirks two-bedroom apartment. It works fine as the convent and as the midcentury cocktail lounge, but youd think the men were living in the back rooms of some sleazy blue-collar tavern. Maybe its symbolic, but its depressing.

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Editorial: Medical school brings many benefits

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Fifty-three medical students in the Charter Class of the new University of South Carolina School of Medicine — Greenville on Monday begin their two-day orientation at one of only two new medical schools that will open this year in the United States. On Wednesday, they start EMT training — the first phase of their four-year schooling that is designed "to do things differently" in preparing a new ...

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The Idea of India — Liberty (Part 3) – Video

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29-07-2012 01:06 You can also visit us at Education for all is what motivates both Babar Ali and Azim Premji. Babar Ali is probably the youngest school principal anywhere -- and this started in a small way when he began sharing the knowledge he got with his friends who were unable to go to school. At another point in the spectrum is corporate czar Azim Premji who set up a foundation to help children who cannot afford to go to school.

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The Idea of India -- Liberty (Part 3) - Video

Running: Salt Lake City’s Nathan Krah wins San Francisco Marathon

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Running University of Utah student Krah finishes in 2:26.45.

Salt Lake City runner Nathan Krah won the San Francisco Marathon on Sunday, according to unofficial results.

Krah, a 26-year-old Ph.D. student in human genetics at the University of Utah, was the mens winner, finishing the hilly 26.2-mile course that wound through the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge in 2 hours 26 minutes and 45 seconds, according to preliminary results.

"Even coming from a mountainous area, this was still really hard," Krah said in a statement after winning. "It was just an endless assault of hills."

Devon Crosby-Helms, 30, of San Anselmo, Calif., finished first among the women with a time of 2 hours 44 minutes 5 seconds, according to results.

"That was extremely satisfying," Crosby-Helms said in a statement. "This was my third time racing here, and I really felt I had a good chance to win."

More than 7,000 runners took part in this years marathon, alongside 18,000 people who participated in two separate half-marathons, a 5K run and a Munchkins Kids Fun Run, organizers said.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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U.S. Health Law May Curb Rising Maternal Deaths

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As the U.S. maternal mortality rate continues to increase, the new health care law could offer improvements in preventative care for women. Yet, definitive answers to why more American mothers are dying remain scarce

Credit: Celine Vignal on Flickr, under Creative Commons 2.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

(WOMENSENEWS)--The future of pregnant women in the United States will significantly change Aug. 1.

That is when the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, will require insurance providers and Medicaid to cover clinical preventative services for women, including pre-natal care, all without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible.

Under the new guidelines, millions of women will gain access to health care services for free, including well-woman preventative care visits and screenings for gestational diabetes and sexually transmitted infections. These guidelines do not include maternity care or simply any service the doctor orders. However, starting in 2014, all maternity care will be covered by all new individual, small business and government exchange plans.

"This will provide an extraordinary opportunity to improve women's health not only during pregnancy but before, between and beyond pregnancy, and across the life course," said Dr. Michael C. Lu, the associate administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Not only will preventative care be provided next year without cost to women, under the new health care law, $125 million will go this year to the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program to expand maternal and newborn support for mothers at home.

The changes are being introduced amid a wealth of data indicating that the number of mothers dying in America during or shortly after pregnancy is consistently growing. The rate of maternal mortality in the United States has more than doubled, rising from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 16. 1 per 100,000 live births in 2009 the highest among developed nations, Lu's agency reports.

Various studies have attributed higher risk of maternal death to race, income, region, C-section rates, obesity-related problems and chronic disease. States where poverty exceeded 18 percent, the immigrant population exceeded 15 percent and the C-section rate exceeded 33 percent had 77 percent, 33 percent and 21 percent higher risks of maternal mortality, respectively, a 2007 report by Gopal K. Singh of the Health Resources and Services Administration indicated.

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Worries grow as health care companies send jobs overseas

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WASHINGTON - After years of shipping data-processing, accounting and other back-office work abroad, some health care companies are starting to shift clinical services and decision-making on medical care overseas, primarily to India and the Philippines.

Some of the jobs being sent abroad include so-called pre-service nursing, where nurses at insurance companies, for example, help assess patient needs and determine treatment methods.

Outsourcing such tasks goes beyond earlier steps by health care companies to farm out reading of X-rays and other diagnostic tests to health professionals overseas. Those previous efforts were often done out of necessity, to meet overnight demands, for instance.

But the latest outsourcing, which has contributed to the loss of hundreds of domestic health jobs, is done for financial reasons. And the outsourcing of nursing functions, in particular, may be the most novel - and possibly the most risky - of the jobs being shifted.

At the forefront of the trend is WellPoint Inc., one of the nation's largest health insurers and owner of Anthem Blue Cross, California's biggest for-profit medical insurer.

In 2010, WellPoint formed a separate business unit, Radiant Services, aimed at advancing outsourcing and other cost-saving strategies. WellPoint has eliminated hundreds of jobs in the U.S. over the last 18 months as it has moved jobs overseas, a company spokeswoman acknowledged.

The spokeswoman, Kristin Binns, said WellPoint's shifting of clinical jobs overseas was a small part of the outsourcing and being done through Radiant because it has the technical expertise and can ensure compliance with laws.

Nursing organizations, however, were cautious.

"It's obviously a very disturbing trend," said Chuck Idelson, a spokesman for the California Nurses Assn. "There are serious questions if you're talking about utilization reviews ... and making recommendations on procedures."

Nursing experts said there also may be licensing issues as states generally require certification for those practicing and dispensing health information.

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Health care, jobs top concerns for Canadians: poll

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Health care and unemployment continue to top the list of issues Canadians deem worrisome but, according to a monthly poll, priorities vary widely when broken down by region.

Every month, the pollsters ask 1,000 people across the country via an online panel which three of the following topics do you find the most worrying about Canada? The options include health care, taxes, crime, poverty/inequality, immigration control, unemployment/jobs, corruption, education, environment and moral decline.

While most people, regardless of region, said health care and unemployment/jobs were their top concerns, further down the list, provincial differences become clear.

John Wright, senior vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs, which has conducted the monthly survey in Canada since 1990, said this is a very diversified country . . . while there may be an underlying concern about the economy and health care which is constant the next number of issues are very regionalized and for very distinct reasons.

Wright said the issues can often be linked to current events in each province, demonstrating the effect news stories and government announcements have on public opinion.

In Eastern Canada, unemployment and poverty are top of mind, while the No. 1 concern for Quebecers is corruption. Further west, citizens in the Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces cite crime as their greatest worry, above both unemployment and health care. Meanwhile, concern over inequality/poverty has risen consistently in the Prairies since January. In Alberta, health care dwarfs any other concern. Wright said thats fuelled largely by strains on the system brought by an increased population looking for jobs in the provinces booming oilsands. And, in British Columbia, much like Ontario, unemployment and health care top the list of concerns. However, while the environment is a growing concern in B.C., Ontarians have recently been more focused on crime.

The big three concerns in Ontario were unemployment/jobs (50 per cent), health care (45 per cent) and taxes (32 per cent). The environment was last in line of issues keeping Ontarians up at night, with just 12 per cent, beat only slightly by education, at 13 per cent.

In Quebec, corruption (47 per cent) trumped health care (46 per cent) and taxes (32 per cent) as the major concern for citizens.

Wright said the ongoing Charbonneau commission, which is looking into allegations of corruption involving construction firms, local and provincial governments, political parties and organized crime, has raised that issue from 25 per cent in December 2011 to top of mind today.

In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, crime (38 per cent) and unemployment/jobs (35 per cent) were top of mind. Health care and poverty/inequality were tied at 33 per cent. Crime, although on a decline from a recent high in September 2011, when 60 per cent of prairie dwellers cited it among their three top concerns, still beat out corruption (23 per cent) and the Environment and Education, which were tied on the bottom rung at 13 per cent.

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Freedom Air needs $600K loan to stay afloat

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Monday, July 30, 2012

Freedom Air needs an additional $600,000 loan from the Commonwealth Development Authority to allow the inter-island carrier to continue its operations for the next six months, according to spokesperson Amjad Farhoud.

Farhoud told members of CDA's Development Corporation Division board Friday that Freedom Air will use the money to procure airplane engine spare parts to avert the shutdown of its service in the CNMI.

Along with airline station manager Dennis Cruz, Farhoud said from the original loan proposal of $2.9 million, the CDA division only approved $900,000 in March this year.

He said the amount is not enough to cover the priority expenditures of the carrier including obligations to vendors.

Freedom Air's attempts to seek loan assistance from private banks, according to Farhoud, were also unsuccessful due to lack of asset/collateral that would backup the loan proposal.

The carrier is said to have placed $6 million worth of collaterals for the $900,000 loan extended by CDA to the company which it utilized in immediate repairs of aircraft that resulted in the restoration of flights in Rota.

It was late last year when Freedom Air suspended and reduced its flights to Rota to give way for regular maintenance of its aircraft.

It was also forced to use seven-seater aircraft in lieu of 30-seater planes it formerly used and the switch negatively impacted the tourism industry on island. It also affected local travelers and medical referrals.

Because of the $900,000 loan from CDA, the carrier was able to bring back to normal Rota flights in March this year.

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Freedom Air needs $600K loan to stay afloat

Reach for the stars at Lakeville Library

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Mike Renzi of Starhoo Observatory in Lakeville is presenting a series of programs at the Lakeville Library.Contributed photo

LAKEVILLE --- It's The Moon, It's The Sun, It's ASTRONOMY with Lakeville's Sky Guy!

That's how folks at the Lakeville Public Library are trumpeting an upcoming chapter of the 2012 Summer Reading Program for students ages 10 and older. This year's theme is We Own the Night and to celebrate it, the library is offering a series of workshops aimed at learning how the Moon, the Sun and the Solar System as a whole shape our days and nights. According to a news release, the program focuses on astronomy education which uses numbers and arithmetic as something fun and not something to be feared.

The sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, 14, and 21 in the Meeting Room of the Lakeville Library on Precinct Street and will be conducted by Mike Renzi of Starhoo Observatory in Lakeville.

Renzi has conducted previous workshops on Backyard Astronomy and the Night Sky and has also presented to Lakeville Boy Scout troops. His library workshop topics will include The Basketball and the Baseball (Earth & Moon); The Solar System ... What is it, How'd it get here?; and Beyond the Sun the Milky Way.

At the fourth and final meeting, the group will be invited to a Star Party to be held on Aug. 28 at the Starhoo Observatory on Cedar Pond where parents and kids can come to view the night sky through scopes.

This astronomy event is one of a series of free public cultural presentations being held at the Lakeville Public Library; they are supported in part with a grant from the Lakeville Arts Council.

For dates of additional 2012 Cultural Presentation Series events to be held at the Lakeville Public Library this year, visit the Lakeville Arts Council website at http://www.lakevillearts.com.

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Reach for the stars at Lakeville Library

How technology makes us vulnerable

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Marc Goodman is a global security adviser and futurist. He is the founder of the Future Crimes Institute and serves as Chair of Policy, Law & Ethics at Silicon Valley's Singularity University. He spoke at TED Global in June 2012. TED is a nonprofit dedicated to "Ideas worth spreading," which it makes available through talks posted on its website.

(CNN) -- The future of science and technology sounds so promising. Unprecedented advances in computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, genetics, neuroscience and biotechnology hold the potential to radically transform our world for the better and create mass abundance for all.

I sincerely want to believe in this techno-utopian vision of things to come, but my work as a police officer and global security strategist working in more than 70 countries around the world has taught me that there is a darker side to these emerging technologies.

The criminal underground is highly innovative and often acts as an early adopter of emerging technologies. As a young police officer, I observed gang members and drug dealers using beepers and mobile phones, long before they were in common use by the general public. Today, criminals are even building their own encrypted radio communications networks, such as the nationwide system developed by narco cartels in Mexico.

Watch Marc Goodman's TED Talk

Technology has made our world increasingly open, and for the most part that has huge benefits for society. Nevertheless, all of this openness may have unintended consequences. Take, for example, the 2008 terrorist assault on Mumbai, India. The perpetrators were armed with AK-47s, explosives and hand grenades. But heavy artillery is nothing new in terrorist operations. The lethal innovation was the way that the terrorists used modern information communications technologies, including smartphones, satellite imagery and night-vision goggles to locate additional victims and slaughter them.

Moreover, the terrorists created their own operations center across the border in Pakistan, where they monitored global news broadcasts, online reporting and social media in real time, leveraging the public's photos, videos and social network updates to kill more people.

TED.com: All your devices can be hacked

The terrorists in the Mumbai incident even used search engines during their attack to identify individual hostages and to determine, based upon their backgrounds, who should live or and who should die. These innovations gave terrorists unprecedented situational awareness and tactical advantage over the police and the government.

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Nutrition council acts on malnutrition cases

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Sunday, July 29, 2012

BANGUED, Abra -- Members of the Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) has been doubling efforts to trim down malnutrition rate in the province, the highest in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

As part of the various activities being carried out like health education, the PNC is going around the province this Nutrition Month, checking on the implementation of the nutrition programs of the municipal health units.

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Abra has the highest rate of malnutrition in the entire Cordillera region, posting 12.77 percent malnutrition rate in 2011, but down from 14.25 percent malnutrition rate in 2010.

Mary June Adriatico-Algarne, provincial nutritionist, said a total of 4,138 children out of the 32,000 children in Abra are recorded as malnourished.

Per statistical report of the Abra Integrated Provincial Health Office, the following are the top 10 malnourished municipalities in the province: Danglas 26.34 percent; Pilar 22.36 percent; Lagangilang 21.86 percent; Tineg 19.04 percent; San Quintin 18.93 percent; San Isidro 18.26 percent; Malibcong 17.25 percent; Tayum 15.45 percent; Manabo 13.70 percent; and Boliney 12.90 percent.

Most of the malnourished children are those who are underweight, which Algarne said, could be attributed to poverty as indicated by the lack of food, especially vegetables and other nutritious food that are supposed to be given to children on a daily basis.

Aside from the inadequacy of food, another reason or cause of malnutrition is the inappropriate intake or wrong choices of food, especially among children, who love to eat junk foods.

The PNC effort is backed by Nutrition Month celebration's theme, Pagkain ng Gulay ugaliin; Araw-araw itong ihain to remind parents of the importance of giving their children vegetables and other nutritious food that boost the health condition of the family members. (Maritess Beas)

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Mauritius beach volleyball pair make Olympic debut

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LONDON

Two years ago, Elodie Li Yuk Lo quit her job teaching high school biology and physical education, left her family in Toronto and moved to France to train for the Olympics. In February, partner Natacha Rigobert also walked away from teaching and began the countdown to London.

These two are making history for Mauritius - as the first Olympic beach volleyball players from the tiny East African island nation.

They are enjoying the moment, high-fiving at every opportunity during practice and between points.

Word from supporters back home is that they're gaining popularity in the media and in ads now that the Olympics have begun. Rigobert's husband, professor of sports psychology Thierry Long, is coaching them during this special run.

Mariusz Prudel and Grzegorz Fijalek of Poland also are making their country's debut in a sport long dominated by just a few countries, like Australia, Brazil and the United States. Both the Polish team and the Mauritians will take to the sand for the second time during Monday's schedule.

While beach volleyball is a huge hit and one of the most popular and sexy Olympic competitions, it is still relatively new on the program since becoming a medal sport at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Still, the first-time Olympic athletes realize they play a part in educating those back home and elsewhere.

"It's amazing. We're just so happy to be here as the first team ever in our history from Mauritius," Rigobert said. "It's even more fantastic that it's beach volleyball because our island is surrounded by beautiful beaches. We hope this will bring the sport up in our country and in Africa."

The Mauritians are one of several new teams in the Olympic tournament at picturesque Horse Guards Parade after beach volleyball Olympic qualifying moved away from an all-rankings system.

Li Yuk Lo and Rigobert get their next chance in pool play in a Monday matchup with Lenka Hajeckova and Hana Klapalova of the Czech Republic after losing their Olympic opener Saturday to the Brazilian team of Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca, 21-5, 21-10.

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94% of Pathologists Agree Digital Pathology Will Become Common Practice

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In the mid-1960s, a new slogan was introduced for Trident: "4 out of 5 dentists surveyed would recommend sugarless gum to their patients who chew gum." The phrase is believed to have been based on the results of a survey of practicing dentists with either D.D.S. or D.M.D. degrees, apparently conducted in the early 1960s, whose patients included frequent users of chewing gums; the percentage of respondents to the survey whose responses indicated they would make such references to their patients is believed to have been approximately 80%, rounded off to the nearest full percentage point, of the total number of respondents. It became strongly associated with the Trident brand. As of the last days of May 2010, however, Kraft Foods's Cadbury Adams group was not known to have made any public disclosures of any details about the survey, presumably citing the proprietary nature of the survey data and conclusions as its rationale.

Anyways, didn't you ever wonder who that 1 in 5 or 20% of dentists did not recommend Trident gum to their patients who chew gum?  

Now comes real data from real pathologists in a wide variety of practice settings courtesy of Laboratory Economics recent Digital Pathology Survey Summary.

A survey was e-mailed to approximately 5,000 hospital labs, independent labs and pathology groups this month.  A total of 174 surveys were judged usable, yielding a rate of 3.5%. Survey participants included 58 hospital labs, 18 academic medical centers, 52 independent labs, 14 esoteric reference labs and 32 pathology groups.

31% of respondents claim having a digital pathology system in place with another 20% claiming adding a system within 2 years.  Aperio has a 44% share with Ventana representing 29% of users and 27% claiming "Other". (Click on images to enlarge)

Usetrends
Usetrends
The main uses for digital pathology cited included HER2 scoring, education/training, second opinions/consultations, ER/PR scoring, primary clinical diagnosis, archiving specimens, clinical trials and autopsies.

Note the 20% (with multiple answers allowed by respondents) for Primary clinical diagnosis. A full 1 in 5 current users claim, among other uses, primary clinical diagnosis.  Bravo.  

Reasons respondents cited for lack of adoption and barriers to adoption included cost, microscope meets needs, data/storage concerns, speed, LIS integration (or perhaps lack thereof), reimbursement, limited test menu and time/patience to learn.  Not much new here.  Answers would have been identical 10 years ago. (Click on images to enlarge)

Usesfordp
Usesfordp

 

Last, but not least, when asked when will digital pathology become mainstream, specifically "How long before it becomes common practice for primary diagnosis of cancer?" 61% of respondents thought it would be within 10 years.  Another third thinks it will take more than 10 years.  Only 6% think Never.  

Mixed news here.  10 years ago people were saying "10 years" and nearly 2/3 of those people who responded to this survey who are using an Aperio or Ventana already or another system for HER2, ER/PR, education/training/archiving, consults or primary readers, by any account - adopters are thinking 5-10 years for "common practice" and another 33% think longer than that.

I guess I am in the minority if I chose less than 5 years as a pure percentage of repsondents.  The question did not tackle specific use cases but I think 5 years is an easily attainable number for a large number of hospitals, laboratories and groups to adopt the technology with tangible ROI for certain uses, tests or applications.  (Click on image to enlarge)

Someday I think we will wonder who these 6% of pathologists/laboratorians were...


94percentinmorethan10years

Source (and thanks to): Laboratory Economics for permission to reuse survey information and graphs/images.



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Kudos to CAP PIP Program

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For as long as I can remember I have done the quarterly performance improvement program in surgical pathology offered by CAP.

Essentially, the surgical pathology committee puts together an offering composed of 10 cases with questions, summaries and of course answers to the questions to test your knowledge.  

The slides are mailed during regular intervals, you review the slides, take the self-tests and review the write-ups and answers.

Attempts have been made over the years to convert all or parts of this highly analog experience to digital.  

At one time I recall getting a CD with some whole slide images for a set of cases.  I do not think this was marketable and most members did not support.  While perhaps less expensive to scan 10 slides each set than recuts dozens or hundreds and review for consistency, they did not take off back then.

Increasingly with the CAP Case of the Month I often highlight on this site as well as with their PIP program, whole slide imaging is increasingly used.

This last set offered Case 10 as a digital slide with questions/answers.  

Fantastic images, highly navigable, fast image refresh and view, zoom and focus speeds second to none.

And I got the right answer by looking at the image!

When will the entire PIP program be this good and fast?


 PIP10case

 

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Updates on ACOs from Orchard Software

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Premier_ACO_model_21

With the knowledge that major changes in healthcare are hovering just over horizon, one of the “fixes” to what is “broken” in our current system is the prospect of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)—organizations of providers that can potentially improve the way medicine is practiced and reduce costs.

In an effort to stay abreast of the healthcare changes, Orchard Software has put together some information to share on ACOs, including what they are and how they may impact the laboratory. There are five parts with the first three being ACOs 101, Measures and Meaningful Use, and Three Types of Accountable Care Organizations. Each part has its own focus and by the end of the series the reader will have a foundation for constructive conversation about ACOs.

201009sdp_cover_0The first part is called ACOs 101 due to its focus on the basics of ACOs. After reading this post, a reader should under- stand what an ACO is by definition and the three core principles that define all ACOs. The post also gives a history of how of the ACO movement started. Finally, ACOs 101 shares the requirements to become an ACO and what processes an ACO must define.

In the second part, Measures and Meaningful Use, the post introduces the 33 measures in the Final Rule on ACOs published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The post gives several examples of the four domains, which are patient experience, care coordination, preventive health, and at-risk population/chronic care. The post also shares how the ACO movement and Meaningful Use measures overlap.

AcoIn the third post regarding The Three Types of ACOs, the three models of ACOs are highlighted, which are the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Advance Payment Model, and Pioneer ACOs. Each model has its own benefits and advantages depending on a facility’s risk desire and immediate participation in the ACO movement.

This post was also released on the day that the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. With this ruling, many of the ACO initiatives remain unchanged.

Check out the full blog at http://www.orchardsoft.com/blog and stay up to date on my issues impacting the laboratory industry.

 

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