| Current Louisiana Medical News |
Grant May Help LSU Med School Train More Nurses
The School of Nursing at LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) New Orleans hopes to make a dent in the state’s nursing shortage using a $25,000 grant to train more nurses so they can train more students.
“The initial purpose of the grant was to try to find some creative and innovative ways to get more nurses and alleviate the shortage,” said Laura Bonanno, MS, instructor of clinical nursing at LSU’s School of Nursing.
TED GRIGGS
Medicare Cuts Trouble Docs, Patients
Threats to cut Medicare reimbursements for physicians have become something of an annual ritual, with lobbyists and members of Congress scrambling to delay the reductions.
But this year, the threat level for physicians has been raised. Last month, the Louisiana Medical Society sent members and officials to meet with the state’s Congressional delegation.
TED GRIGGS
Congress Mounts New Attack on Physician-Owned Hospitals
It what has become an annual event, physician-owned hospitals are once again under attack by Congress. The latest assault on physician-owned hospitals was tucked inside the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424), which would require health plans offering mental health coverage to provide the same benefits for mental illness as they do for other medical conditions.
JUDD HARWOOD
Family-Centered Maternity Care Movement Slowly Gathering Speed
Thirty years ago, fathers were not allowed in delivery rooms, babies were whisked away from mothers right after birth, and family members could only view newborns through nursery windows. Today, all of that is changing due to the movement toward family-centered maternity care, a model that is sweeping the nation — and the world. While Louisiana has been slow to make the shift, it is now happening in larger cities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Alexandria.
LISA HANCHEY
Life After the Women’s Health Initiative
Confusion over HT Remains
When the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial of estrogen plus progestin was halted based on findings that the combination carried significant health risks that outweighed its benefits, women and healthcare providers around the country were left to navigate menopausal symptom management in a strange new world.
CINDY SANDERS
Avastin Wins FDA Accelerated Approval for Advanced HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Avastin® by Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA), a therapeutic antibody that interferes with a tumor’s blood supply, recently received accelerated approval from the FDA for use in combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer.
CINDY SANDERS
| Healthcare Recruiting Focus |
Physician Recruiters Offer Tips to Docs on the Market
If you’re a physician looking for a job and a recruiting firm asks for money to help you secure employment, walk the other way. That’s the first word of advice to doctors from two physician recruiters who collectively boast more than five decades of experience in the profession.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD
Avoyelles Hospital
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
MARKSVILLE — Already into the second phase of a $500,000 renovation project, Avoyelles Hospital is completing the conversion of patient rooms into a mix of 34 private and semiprivate beds. This organization has come a long way from the original hospital founded in 1938 in downtown Marksville by Dr. Albert Abramson with only five employees and a few beds. There are now 14 physicians on staff and 192 employees!
BARBARA MCCONNELL
Current Physican Spotlight
Archived Physician Spotlight
Legislative Affairs
On March 31, state lawmakers convened in Baton Rouge for the commencement of the 2008 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature. The Legislature convenes for no more than 85 days, with a mandatory adjournment set for 6 p.m. on June 23. State lawmakers pre-filed over 1,700 House and Senate bills for consideration during the regular session.
CINDY BISHOP
Third Party Liability and the New Medicaid Rule
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has approved a significant change to the Louisiana State’s Medicaid Program which will become effective on April 20th.
The new Rule, which has been approved by CMS, will allow medical providers who bill Medicaid to pursue collection of the “Medicaid write-off” or “difference” after receiving payments from Medicaid.
TED HAIK JR.
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