• By Linda Barlow  |  Oct 10, 2013

    Not Your Mother’s Big Pharma

    In a September 29 article in Adweek, Joan Voight demonstrates how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is expected to create new opportunities for pharmaceutical stakeholders to play a more active, personalized role in managing patient care through interactive web-based tools. Three aspects of the ACA will change the way treatment…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Oct 3, 2013

    Will You Be There for Stella?

    When patients are diagnosed with cancer, the last thing they should have to worry about is money. That’s why the HealthWell Foundation is planning to open the Emergency Cancer Relief Fund (ECRF). This Fund is something completely new and different – created specifically to help people with expenses not covered under…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings
  • By Joel L. Zive, BS, PharmD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy  |  Oct 1, 2013

    Adherence Training Key to Improved Coordination of Care, Use of Specialty Drugs

    I have been fortunate enough in my career to do humanitarian work in East Africa, and I have witnessed incredible health care service performed despite a paucity of resources. Conversely, one of the many health care tragedies in that part of the world is the downward therapeutic outcome spiral due…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Sep 20, 2013

    We Need a Little Certainty

    When you’ve been diagnosed with cancer like me, you’re faced with an overwhelming amount of uncertainty. Did they catch it in time? Will the treatments work? And for many cancer patients, can I afford good treatment? The Emergency Cancer Relief Fund (ECRF) could answer this question, but only if the…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Aug 22, 2013

    (Medical) Home is Where the Care and Cost-Savings Are

    The word “home” has many connotations: the building in which you live, the place you come from, and even the end point of a game. Now, there is a new type of home: The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). PCMH is a model of primary care that is patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Aug 1, 2013

    Striking the Right Balance for Better Patient Outcomes

    A recent article in Health Affairs reports that ChenMed – which serves low-to-moderate income elderly patients primarily through the Medicare Advantage program – is achieving better health outcomes for Medicare-eligible seniors, including those living with five or more major and chronic health conditions.  Dozens of Chen and JenCare Neighborhood Medical Centers are helping tens of thousands of seniors…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Jun 13, 2013

    More Patients Choosing Hospice “Comfort Care” Option

    In today’s health care environment, so much attention is paid to preventing and eradicating disease to improve health outcomes. But for patients facing terminal illness or life-limiting conditions, accessing quality care can be a frightening and lonely challenge. That’s where hospice comes in as an option for more and more people.…more.

  • By Mary P. Sundeen, President, The HealthWell Foundation  |  May 2, 2013

    Heroes Needed: Apply Within

    We’re taking a departure today from our coverage of what works in American health care to ask for your help. Patients want us to re-open our Breast Cancer Fund at HealthWell, but we can’t successfully do that until we identify several key companies or organizations to partner with us in…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Apr 9, 2013

    Hospitals, Physicians Embrace Strategies To Reduce Cost of “Frequent Flyer” ER Visits

    Pardee Memorial Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C., shaved nearly $405,000 from its Emergency Room (ER) expenses over a one-year period thanks to an integrated program that its founder calls a “patient-centered medical home on steroids.” The program, Bridges to Health, helped its uninsured participants reduce their ER visits from an average…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings