Healthcare Headlines Blog

One In Three Beneficiaries Now In Medicare Advantage Program

Medicare Advantage hit a milestone this year, with 19 million beneficiaries enrolled in an MA plan. Enrollment has increased 71% since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. Read More   

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Glenda Mack, Divisional Vice President of Clinical Operations for Kindred Hospital Rehabilitative Services, introduced Christa Dempsey, Chief Nursing Officer of Press Ganey.

Dempsey began by asking the audience to remember why they began working in the medical field. "We didn't get into this business for the money or the hours," said Dempsey. "We need to get back to WHY we all got into this business in the beginning."

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Family Caregivers Become More Crucial as Elderly Population Grows

Strain on family caregivers is alarming many lawmakers and social-service providers. Read More   

Antidepressants Carry Much Higher Fall Risk than Anti-psychotics, Study Finds

Nursing home residents with dementia who take antidepressants are at significantly higher risk of falls and fractures than those on anti-psychotics, new research shows. Read More   

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Number of Seniors Who Need Personal Care Help Increasing, CDC Says

A "significantly" increasing number of adults over age 65 need help with personal care, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More      

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Federal Agency Offers $15 Million to Support Aging In Place

In yet another move signaling the federal government's intention to increase home health services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making $15 million available to test a new model to help seniors age in place. Read More

As Population Ages, Where Are the Geriatricians?

Geriatrics is one of the few medical specialties in the United States that is contracting even as the need increases, ranking at the bottom of the list of specialties that internal medicine residents choose to pursue. Read More   

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AHA Issue Brief Looks at Bundled Payment Initiatives

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Bundled Payment for Care Improvement and Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement initiatives will be important tests of how well Medicare bundled payment efforts can encourage hospitals, physicians, and post-acute care providers to coordinate care to lower spending and improve quality and the patient experience, according to an issue brief released today by the AHA. Read More

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a process in which a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen at above-normal atmospheric pressure. The process increases the delivery of oxygen to the body, enhancing the body’s natural healing process.

The Hyperbaric Manager at Kindred Hospital Kansas City has seen the positive effects of HBOT on persistent wounds firsthand.

"For those who have tried other therapies with no results, they can find great benefits with hyperbaric oxygen wound therapy," she says. It can be "life-changing," she adds, when a patient no longer has to deal with a wound that wouldn't heal and was impacting his daily life. Read Full Post

Patients, their family members and friends are often overwhelmed during care transitions so we have compiled some frequently asked questions about our transitional care hospitals. Whether you are a patient, loved one or healthcare professional, here are a few things about our transitional care hospitals you should know: Read Full Post

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It is widely recognized by policymakers and payers that our nation’s healthcare system is fragmented, creating gaps in care for patients. Researchers believe that part of this fragmentation is a result of the separate payments furnished by Medicare for each provider type that a patient may encounter during a single care episode.

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