Back
| Current Memphis Medical News |
The MED Works to Regain Fiscal Footing
Proposal Involves Closing Emergency Services in Early 2010
Ten days before Halloween, the Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED) Board of Directors approved a strategic plan to close its Emergency Department if it cannot get $32 million in additional funds by Feb. 1. The move was no trick; emergency physicians could soon be halted from treating patients for the hospital to regain fiscal footing.
LYNNE JETER |
LEADERS IN HEALTHCARE: Renee S. Frazier, executive director, Healthy Memphis Common Table
When Renee S. Frazier came on board with the Healthy Memphis Common Table earlier this year, she had a lot of work on her plate. The non-profit collaborative, which was founded in 2000 had steadily grown into a multi-layered organization with specific initiatives to make Memphis healthier, receiving national grants for their work.
By bringing in an executive director with a corporate leadership background, the goal has been to give the Common Table a business structure.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Keeping Healthy in the Trenches
Healthcare Workers Taking Prevention Seriously
A young pregnant woman, who’s been complaining of respiratory problems, waits patiently in an exam room at Christ Community Health Services. Before long, nurse midwife Margaret Taylor appears to take her temperature and listen as the expectant mother describes her ailments. Though the girl doesn’t appear to have the H1N1 swine flu virus that’s taken Memphis by storm, Taylor doesn’t take any chances.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Medical Economics: Healthcare Reform – Government is often a choice between bad and worse
Last month the national Medical Group Management Conference was held in Denver. There were more then 35 members of the press. This included five from Modern Healthcare which has normally sent one reporter. We were there every day and something new came out, from the insurance industry’s cost report on healthcare reform to the Baucus bill passing committee. It seems like almost every member of Congress wants to have some say in reform that speaks to their own agenda.
BILL APPLING |
The Future of Medical Space Design
When it comes to finding the space for a medical practice, the trends today are quite different than a decade ago. There is more consolidating and downsizing, with more people turning to custom design to develop an office that fully fits their needs, without any wasted space.
|
Detecting Retinal Diseases Earlier
Two healthcare leaders working on separate research projects—one focusing on the retina; the other studying imaging work—came to life when they collaborated on a patent-pending process which could lead to earlier detection of retinal diseases.
|
| Health Information Technology Focus |
A GPS for Medical Marketing
Surely by now you’ve read a dozen plus articles on how to market your practice. While most of them have merit, all of the ones I’ve read have missed something very important. The component that is critical to creating an effective marketing program for physicians and healthcare organizations is a preliminary baseline analysis. This is not an analysis that requires ten people years to complete. It is something that can be done for practical purposes with specific thought from the administrator and each physician. Cumulatively, you will have a good analysis of where you are (your own GPS), of what your practice is really like and what you may want to do to move to the next step.
VANESSA SMITH, CMDS |
Lessons Learned
MGMA Online Guide Walks Through Operational Essentials
At the beginning of this year, Medical Group Management Association's Center for Research, with funding from United Health Foundation, began rolling out chapters of an online resource guide that outlines essential financial know-how for running an efficient practice. "Lessons for Financial Success" is open to everyone through the MGMA Web site (www.mgma.com) and takes the reader through valuable operational information in five chapters, the last of which has just been published.
CINDY SANDERS |
Abbas Kitabchi, MD
UTHSC Professor of Medicine in Endocrinology
The research produced by Abbas E. Kitabchi, MD, has changed the way diabetes is treated today. Kitabchi's career as a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at University of Tennessee's Health Science Center, where he serves as the Maston K. Callison Professor of Medicine in Endocrinology, has spanned more than four decades. He received the endowed chair several years ago in recognition of his contributions in diabetic care. During his career, he has helped move forward the understanding of diabetes, thanks to the hundreds of research papers he's written or co-authored, as well as his work on several landmark studies.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
|
