Practice Management
In 2022, the United States saw a 3% increase in the infant mortality rate, which represents the most significant rise in two decades. The national infant mortality rate climbed from 5.44 per 1,000 live births to 5.6 per 1,000, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although it appears as a seemingly small increase, it’s the first statistically significant jump since the rise recorded between 2001-2002. Notably, the rise in infant mortality …
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A decade ago, Tarek Loubani, an emergency medicine physician and Kuwait-born Palestinian refugee, developed the world’s first 3D-printed stethoscope to address the medical equipment crisis in under-resourced global communities. In 2016, he founded the Glia Project, and the organization is now actively printing critical medical equipment for providers in conflict zones like Gaza and the Ukraine, according to STAT News. The group aims to empower local communities to produce their own 3D-printed equipment with the …
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The distribution arm of medical supplier Henry Schein was shut down by a cyber attack on October 15. According to SecurityWeek, the company’s 1 million global customers could not place orders, and shipments were halted. The company said its practice management software was not impacted, however. Now what: Cyber attacks are increasing in frequency as well as the scale of their financial impact on healthcare organizations and their partners. “Have a secondary supplier to fall …
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Hundreds of physicians along with approximately 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants caring for patients in the Allina Health system have voted in favor of unionizing. Allina Health told an ABC News affiliate on Sunday that it will agree to recognize the new union. Once the union is officially certified, it will represent what could be the largest private sector physician’s union in the country. This decision follows the clinical teams’ concerns over issues such …
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is raising awareness about the importance of improving antibiotic and antifungal use during US Antibiotic Awareness Week, November 18-24. Through communication strategies, CDC is reinforcing messages to patients and providers to remind them that anytime antibiotics or antifungals are used, they can cause side effects and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, the agency is recognizing that health inequities can result from less-than-optimal antibiotic or antifungal prescribing practices, which …
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Across the retail landscape, Rite Aid has appointed a new CEO and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a restructuring plan to reduce its debt. The drugstore chain has been contending with declining sales, mounting debt, and multiple lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, according to Yahoo News. Consequently, the company anticipates losses of $650-680 million by late February. What’s the outlook like? Rite Aid certainly has a lot of ground to cover. Larger rivals …
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Federal researchers from the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) posted a draft technical brief with the goal of establishing a standardized definition for primary care. AHRQ’s initiative aims to address the existing variability in definitions of what’s considered primary care to align research efforts that ultimately drive policy. AHRQ is looking at three factors: what type of provider is providing the care; where care is delivered; and types of services. A public comment …
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In recent years, the United States has witnessed a surge in cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), notably chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea, as per data sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and analyzed by US News & World Report. In 2021, gonorrhea cases showed a 28% increase, and syphilis cases showed a spike of 74%. The cumulative burden of STDs was pronounced with more than 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, …
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MedWise cut the ribbon on its 13th clinic in Oklahoma this month. Spanning 3,057 square feet, the Tahlequah location includes x-ray facilities, diagnostic testing, seasonal vaccinations, and other traditional urgent care services. MedWise announced plans for expansion in the near future with three more clinics expected to open around the state in Bartlesville, Claremore, and Broken Arrow. New payer too: The organization recently added BlueCross BlueShield Native Blue to its list of payer partners, according …
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New population data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a concerning increase in adult obesity prevalence, with 22 states now reporting rates at or above 35%. By comparison, 19 states were in that position in 2021. The upward trend is concerning because just a decade ago, no state had obesity prevalence rates above 35%. In the data presentation, the District of Columbia was the only place in the nation with …
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