August 2007


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Changes afoot at physician-owned specialty hospitals

When Oklahoma Heart Hospital opened in August 2002 in Oklahoma City, it didn't take long for nearby community hospital Baptist Medical Center to realize it needed to make some changes to offset the loss of patients. But new government and state regulations will mean changes in the specialty hospital workplace in the coming months and years.

CMS proposes 2008 physician payments

In early July, CMS released proposed changes to Medicare physician payments for 2008.

Sending patients home with a little extra care

Campaign advances care for home health patients.

Wiping out surgical site infections

Protocols and preparation are key.

Passionate about teaching doctors

Rashida A. Khakoo, MACP, honored for work in medical education.

Building trust aids decision making in end-of-life care

The patient is dying. More medical intervention is futile. But the family, speaking for their loved one, still wants everything done.

Deciding when patients can't

End-of-life considerations for incapacitated patients without surrogates.

Test yourself: Palliative care

A 72-year-old, 90-kg (198-lb) woman who lives in an assisted living facility is evaluated after 10 days in the intensive care unit. She was admitted with severe urosepsis... and other cases.

Journal watch: recent studies of note

Recent studies about postoperative VTE risk, preoperative hematocrit, and other topics.