- North Carolina: The UNC School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center and the N.C. Division of Public Health this year launched a "telementoring" program aimed at helping providers in the state combat rising rates of hepatitis C. Telementoring sessions offered through the Carolina Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program (CHAMP) typically involve reviewing cases, providing suggestions on treatment, and identifying certain patients who are in need of advanced care, according to Michael Fried, professor of medicine and director of the UNC Liver Center. Fried said the program expects to see results on initial cure rates in between three and four months (Henderson, Triangle Business Journal, 3/14).
- Ohio: Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine has partnered with the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (Cleveland VAMC) to build a new center focused on researching and addressing antibiotic resistance. Led by Robert Bonomo, medical service chief at Cleveland VAMC and professor at CWRU School of Medicine, the new CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES) will aim to advance basic science on antibiotic resistance, drug discovery, and new approaches to treatment (Coutre, Crain's Cleveland Business/Modern Healthcare, 3/13).
- Pennsylvania: PinnacleHealth System this week signed a letter of intent to affiliate with UPMC, a move that PinnacleHealth said would allow it to expand its health care services and make progress on quality initiatives while enabling the system to offer patients more health insurance options. In a separate transaction, PinnacleHealth also announced that it will acquire four Pennsylvania hospitals and a medical center from Community Health Systems (Livingston, Modern Healthcare, 3/14).
Get our 22 strategies for improving margin management
Hospital margins are under intense pressure as the health care industry undergoes permanent structural changes, and slashing costs just isn't enough to adapt. A new margin management strategy is critical to achieving a sustainable financial position.
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