• 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  |  Jul 17, 2013

    Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month Underscores Efforts to Identify Causes and Develop Treatments

    That’s right. Children get arthritis too. In fact, according to the Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF), nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (JA) – one of the most common childhood diseases in the country. When Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) first shows its symptoms in a child’s…more.

  • By Linda Barlow  |  Jul 10, 2013

    Are Shorter Doctor’s Office Wait Times Just a Phone Call Away?

    Nobody likes to wait, especially at the doctor’s office. No one knows for sure what will happen to wait times, which average from about 16 minutes to just over 24 minutes nationwide according to Vitals – as 30 million more Americans obtain health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But it stands to reason…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Linda Barlow  |  May 23, 2013

    Implementation of Health Care Law Expanding Coverage to More Young Adults

    For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of 19-25 year-olds gaining access to health insurance is on the rise, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2012 Biennial Health Insurance Survey. Researchers point to a provision in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA), which allows young adults…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Linda Barlow  |  May 16, 2013

    With a Little Help from My Friends, Family… And Apps

    “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.” – C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General It was an idea born of near tragedy: an elderly, diabetic father who double-dosed on his insulin therapy and suffered a medical emergency. His two sons realized that if they were more involved in…more.

    Categories: Access to Care
  • By Daniel J. Vukelich, Esq., President, Association of Medical Device Reprocessors  |  May 9, 2013

    Saving Green by Going Green

    In August 2012, Forbes ran an article by Richard Crespin entitled, “If Sustainability Costs You More, You’re Doing it Wrong.”  Never before has this been more true for health care providers than it is right now.  In fact, data shows that if hospitals put in place certain green initiatives, they would save a…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings
  • 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 30, 2013

    It Takes a Community for Effective Disease Prevention and Management

    To help stem the tide and high cost of persisting disparities in U.S. health care, providers are leveraging Community Health Workers (CHWs) as critical players in improving health outcomes by successfully linking “vulnerable” patient populations to better care. Living in the communities where they work, CHWs understand what is meaningful…more.

    Categories: Access to Care