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CEO's blog is ruffling feathers

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch, March 2, 2007

A Boston hospital CEO has received both praise and criticism for publishing hospital information, such as infection rates, on his blog. Paul Levy's Web log, "Running a Hospital," has set up Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital as the quality leader in New England, as competitors struggle to respond to his postings.

On his blog, Levy writes about issues ranging from the troubles with new health technologies to medical malpractice, and publishes lighter items such as jokes and cartoons.

Recently, Levy challenged other hospitals to publicize their infection rates, a step that patient advocates are also pushing nationally. Levy told The Boston Globe he is puzzled by the reluctance of other hospitals to disclose these rates, because doing so can change the perception of healthcare and provide incentive for all hospitals to do better.

Levy also has criticized Partners HealthCare, the parent organization of competitors Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals, about their market share of patients, saying they get paid more from insurers because of their size. Partners executives declined to comment, asking The Globe,"What's a blog?" when contacted.

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