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Childbirth at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, WA, is viewed as a family experience, rather than a medical event.
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A true test of the success of a process improvement initiative is whether the results can be sustained, and the ED at Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor, NY, has just celebrated the fifth anniversary of its "no wait" process. Most patients skip the waiting room entirely and go right to registration, and then to triage.
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Use of alcohol-based hand cleansers significantly reduced several common infections and reduced absenteeism in a study of 129 white-collar workers in 2005 to 2006, according to research from the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine in Greifswald, Germany.
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As talk of reimbursement reform and pay for performance escalates and health care stakeholders look at ways to improve patient access and outcomes while reducing waste and costs, payers and providers are joining together to create accountable care organizations (ACOs), partnerships that agree to be accountable for the quality, costs, and overall care of a patient population.
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As health care organizations tighten their belts to deal with today's health care environment, case managers report working harder with fewer raises and benefits. But, there is hope on the horizon as new opportunities open up for case managers under health care reform, experts say.
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Who knew what when? At times, you can be put in a tough position because of what a worker tells you. "We are not safety and we can't discipline, so employees tend to tell us more than they would tell others," says Susan L. Zarzycki, RN,COHN,CM, an occupational health manager at Finch Paper LLC in Glens Falls, NY. Here are some common scenarios and how to deal with each:
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When CIGNA members being treated by Piedmont Physicians Group in Atlanta are high-risk or noncompliant, Jennifer Farlow, RN, BSN, clinical care coordinator, contacts them and helps them get back on track for regular visits and recommended tests and procedures.
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In Cheyenne, WY, a regional medical center, a small health plan, and a community-based provider group are working together to develop an accountable care organization with the goal of reducing fragmentation, waste, and variance in care.
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You probably get the feeling, more often than you'd like, that there is more to the story than what a worker is telling you about an injury. There are several possible reasons for the facts not adding up.
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Patient education managers faithfully assess written materials to make sure they are appropriate for people with low health literacy or poor reading skills.
