British Defend NHS Against U.S. Criticism

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:25:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - August 18, 2009 | British Defend NHS Against U.S. Criticism


British Defend NHS Against U.S. Criticism Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor As the politicians and industry stakeholders continue the laborious effort to enact healthcare reform, opponents of the effort have criticized plans to nationalize the system. These opponents often point to Britain's National Health Service deficiencies as an example of why a government-run healthcare system should not be implemented. But the British are firing back against these claims. [Read More]
		August 18, 2009

Editor's Picks

'No shows' cost the NHS millions
Speaking of the National Health Service, patients who fail to keep hospital appointments cost the NHS more than �600 million a year, data has shown. Between 2007 and 2008, 6.5 million appointments were missed in the UK, with hospitals losing around �100 per patient in revenue. The Department of Health in England said initiatives such as text message reminders are being implemented in an effort to offset the trend. [Read More]

Korean hospitals to be punished over 'nylon patients'
Korea is cracking down on "nylon" patients—those that check into hospitals (often after car accidents) unnecessarily and cost insurers billons in false payouts annually. This article in the Korea Times notes that the patients often show they're healthy enough to roam outside the hospital to take extended trips away from their bedside and to nearby establishments. But starting Aug. 28, hospitals will be responsible for keeping track of their patients' outdoor trips, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. Hospitals failing to provide the information to insurers and government officials will face a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,430). [Read More]

Sydney, Australia hospital anesthetists investigated by consumer commission
A group of 30 doctors at St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, is being investigated for anti-competitive practices. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has demanded the group, which is allocated nearly all of St. Vincent's anesthetic work, justify its existence and membership rules. The investigation comes after the hospital applied to the ACCC last year to rule it could continue the practice of preventing outside anesthetists from working in its operating rooms, even when requested by a surgeon. The hospital withdrew its application late last year, but the commission is investigating new complaints from anesthetists who say they are still prevented from working at the hospital. [Read More]

WHO: World faces growing health inequalities
The world is facing bigger inequalities in health and access to medical care than 30 years ago, World Health Organization representatives announced in two global reports launched on Friday. This year's World Health Report focused on the way primary healthcare is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. A second report, "Closing the Gap in a Generation," documents the results of a three-year investigation into health inequalities between and within countries, the WHO said in a statement. "Inequalities in health outcomes and access to care are much greater today than they were in 1978," WHO representative Hans Troedsson said. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Healthcare reach expands with wireless monitoring
CNN.com - August 18, 2009

Spotting the Next Crop of Leaders
Michelle Ponte, for HealthLeaders Media - August 18, 2009

In Times Like These, Take One Dose of Laughter
Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media - August 18, 2009

Immigrants to soon lose Massachusetts health insurance
Boston Globe - August 17, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Hang On

Get ready for the failure of the HIT stimulus dream, episode of care contracting, the end of easy credit, and a public plan. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Making Wellness Work

Wellness and weight loss programs aren't major revenue generators, but healthcare reformers know they cannot effectively control costs without focusing more on prevention. [Read More]



	Audio Feature Picking the Right Cancer Program: Suzanne Borgos, a senior consultant with Health Strategies & Solutions, discusses ROI components to consider when picking a tumor-site-specific program for an oncology service line. [Listen Now]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

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Could Miami Become a Major Medical Tourism Destination?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:53:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - August 11, 2009 | Could Miami Become a Major Medical Tourism Destination?

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Could Miami Become a Major Medical Tourism Destination? Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor Come for the gorgeous beaches, sunshine, and nightlife—and stay for world class healthcare. That could be the slogan as Miami tries to establish itself as an international destination for foreign patients. The city is attempting to do so via a collaborative effort that includes the work of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and six (to date) large healthcare providers serving the city. [Read More]
		August 11, 2009

Editor's Picks

France fights universal care's cost
Soaring costs are pushing France's healthcare system into crisis and leading the country to borrow U.S. tactics in an effort to remain solvent, according to this article from the Wall Street Journal. For example, in recent months France imposed co-pays on patients to try to hold down prescription-drug costs and forced state hospitals to crack down on expenses. The French system's difficulties show how tough it is to achieve President Obama's goal of universal coverage while controlling costs, the article states. [Read More]

Australia losing doctors to overseas facilities
With the health tourism industry booming in the Middle East and Asia, the regions need healthcare workers. Now Australian health and tourism experts say the country is losing some of its best doctors and nurses because they are being poached to work in these areas. "They're looking for pools of talent that have high levels of training and experts who preferably speak English, so Australia is a prime target," Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matt Hingerty told the Daily Telegraph. [Read More]

Isotope shortage creates healthcare crisis
The shutdown of two aging nuclear reactors that produce a radioisotope widely used in medical imaging has forced physicians all over the world to postpone or cancel necessary scans for heart disease and cancer, or turn to alternative tests that are not as accurate, take longer, and expose patients to higher doses of radiation. Every day, nearly 55,000 Americans and tens of thousands of patients in other countries undergo nuclear medicine tests, notes this article in the Los Angeles Times. In addition to the care-related quality issues created by the shortage, it is also creating a strain on hospital finances, according to the Times. [Read More]

Tories unveil NHS database plans
Conservatives in the United Kingdom have promised huge cost savings for the National Health Service by scrapping government plans for a central database of patient records. The new proposal includes plans for electronic medical records being stored locally by physicians and hospitals, with patients having online access to their information. But some argue the Conservatives' plans raised concerns about patient confidentiality. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

MRSA Cases Drop After Facilities Agree to Self Report
Sarah Kearns, for HealthLeaders Media - August 10, 2009

Encourage and Develop a Culture of Innovation
Philip Betbeze, for HealthLeaders Media - August 10, 2009

Healthcare's Misunderstood Values
Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Media - August 5, 2009

Consumers Spent $33.9 Billion on Alternative Treatments in One Year
Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media - August 5, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Time For 'Dr. Next'?

Generation X and its life-balancing, tech-oriented, team-playing doctors is taking over. But what kind of care will they give us? [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Prepare for the Cancer Boom

Aligning the right cancer care team and utilizing the appropriate technology is essential for maintaining a patient-centered service line. [Read More]



	Audio Feature CIO Strategies: Implementing IT in a Depressed Economy: Patty Lavely, senior vice president and CIO of Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, GA, says CIOs should focus on educating senior executives about what it really takes to support advanced HIT systems, such as staffing levels, infrastructure requirements, and system reliability standards. [Listen Now] Sponsored by Emdeon


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Mexico City Offers Free Health Insurance to Tourists

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:09:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - August 4, 2009 | Mexico City Offers Free Health Insurance to Tourists

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Mexico City Offers Free Health Insurance to Tourists Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor Consumers all over the world struggling to find healthcare coverage now have an option to get it affordably—they'll just have to travel to Mexico City. The government of Mexico City is responding to recent events, such as the H1N1 flu crisis, and its effect on its tourism industry, by offering free health insurance to tourists who stay in the city's hotels. [Read More]
		August 4, 2009

Editor's Picks

HIT Lessons from Across the Pond
In her latest HealthLeaders Media IT column, my colleague Carrie Vaughan discusses a recent report that pulls 25 lessons learned from electronic health record initiatives in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Although there are key differences between these countries' efforts and the United States, the initiatives are comparable and have encountered many of the same obstacles and issues. She outlines some of the best EHR implementation practices taken from report—as well as the pitfalls to avoid. [Read More]

The doctor is in . . . Bangkok
In this rather lengthy opinion piece published on Boston.com, Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, makes the case for globalizing American healthcare. Baker says there are clear ways to take advantage of lower costs in other countries, making the U.S. system more affordable without diminishing the quality. "The economic idea driving globalization is simple: that the United States—and the world—gain when goods and services are produced in the country that can provide the best quality at the lowest price," he says. [Read More]

Patient Deportation Case Highlights Issues with Illegal Alien Healthcare
Arthur Caplan, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics, says Martin Memorial Medical Center was unfairly criticized after the Stuart, FL, hospital chartered an airplane and returned Luis Jimenez, 37, to his native Guatemala in 2003. The hospital had been providing unreimbursed long-term care for the uninsured Jimenez since 2000, when an automobile accident left him partially paralyzed. The hospital placed the value of the uncompensated care at around $1.5 million. "Those who are outraged over sending him home should try to push for illegal aliens to be covered. Good luck with that," Caplan told my colleague John Commins in an interview for this article. A civil jury last week sided with the hospital and rejected claims made by Jimenez's relatives that he was illegally repatriated. [Read More]

Fight is on as junior doctors' hours cut in the UK
The British Medical Association says the assembly government and the National Health Service trusts have failed to prepare properly for cuts in junior doctors' working hours. Under the rules, junior doctors working hours were cut from 56 to 48 hours a week to comply with the European working time directive. As a result of the hour cuts, some hospital representatives say it has left them facing a doctor shortage that leaves them clinically unsafe. But in response, the assembly government called the criticism "scaremongering," according to BBC News. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Doctors in Cuba start over in the U.S.
New York Times - August 4, 2009

Mandela launches children's hospital in Africa
AP/Yahoo News - August 3, 2009

A Canadian doctor diagnoses U.S. healthcare
Los Angeles Times - August 3, 2009

Insurers and Employers: Bend Your Own Cost Curve

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:04:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - July 28, 2009 | Insurers and Employers: Bend Your Own Cost Curve

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Insurers and Employers: Bend Your Own Cost Curve Rick Johnson, Senior Online Editor With healthcare reform making headlines daily, it's hard to believe that just a year ago medical travel was the hot healthcare story. But don't count out the cost-savings option just yet. President Obama might be cheering for the reform plan, but the deal the Senate agrees to won't end the need for alternatives that can drive down health costs. In fact, employers and insurers should plan on exploring every possibility, rather than planning on the government to bend the cost curve.[Read More]
		July 28, 2009

Editor's Picks

Japan wants to build medical tourism market
Japan's government tells "BusinessWeek" that it has an idea for creating jobs in its healthcare sector--competing for medical tourists against Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and India. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has a plan for luring wealthy patients from Asia and Russia to Japan for advanced medical treatment. But I have serious doubts that this will prove successful. First, Japan's healthcare system isn't known for high quality or low costs. Countries such as India, Singapore, and Thailand are already a popular destination for medical travelers who are looking for specialized medical procedures but don't want to pay the high costs. [Read More]

Europe fast-tracking swine flu vaccine
In a drive to inoculate people against swine flu before winter, many European governments say they will fast-track the testing of a vaccine, arousing concern among some experts about safety and proper doses, according to the AP. The European Medicines Agency, the EU's top drug regulatory body, is accelerating the approval process for swine flu vaccine, and countries such as Britain, Greece, France and Sweden say they'll start using the vaccine after it's greenlighted?possibly within weeks. [Read More]

CBO Predicts No Major Shift in Employer Coverage Under House Pay-or-Play Provisions
During the House Ways and Means hearings on the Tri-Committee health reform bill (HR 3200) mid-July, a question was asked numerous times by Republican members: Would larger employers be enticed to give up paying for their employees' health insurance under proposed "shared responsibility" requirements--which required all individuals to be insured--if the federal penalty was not high enough? But the CBO says that there are strong financial incentive for employers to continue offering coverage to their workers. With employers continuing to support employee health, it only makes sense that they look to options like wellness care and perhaps even medical travel benefits to lower costs. [Read More]

Six Must-know Tips to Implement an Effective EHR
Several industry experts have weighed in on this question: What is the single most important tip you could provide to someone regarding an effective EHR implementation? Their answers are quite telling, and not all as you might expect. [Read More]

Jury rules in favor of hospital that deported patient
The AP reports that a South Florida hospital that quietly chartered a plane and sent a seriously brain injured illegal immigrant back to Guatemala over the objections of his family and legal guardian did not act unreasonably, a jury ruled. Healthcare and immigration experts across the country have closely watched the court case. They say it underscores the dilemma facing hospitals with patients who require long-term care, are unable to pay and don't qualify for federal or state aid because of their immigration status. [Read More]

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Time For 'Dr. Next'?

Generation X and its life-balancing, tech-oriented, team-playing doctors is taking over. But what kind of care will they give us? [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Prepare for the Cancer Boom

Aligning the right cancer care team and utilizing the appropriate technology is essential for maintaining a patient-centered service line. [Read More]



	Audio Feature Physicians and System Success: This audio feature offers a discussion between Leadership Editor Philip Betbeze and David Maizel, MD, vice president and executive medical director with Sentara Medical Group in Norfolk, VA. He speaks about physician retention and recruitment, which was cited in the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2009 as the No. 2 priority among healthcare leaders, as also discusses physician group management issues. [Listen Now]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

U.S. Company to Implement Health IT Systems in China

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:01:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - July 21, 2009 | U.S. Company to Implement Health IT Systems in China

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U.S. Company to Implement Health IT Systems in China Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor Under an agreement with the Hunan Provincial Government of the People's Republic of China, Plano, TX-based Perot Systems Corporation will provide IT consulting services for healthcare organizations and public health initiatives throughout the Province. Working with the Provincial Government and in alignment with China's national healthcare reform, Perot Systems will establish the Regional Health Information Platform of Hunan Province, beginning in its capital city of Changsa. [Read More]
		July 21, 2009

Editor's Picks

NHS doctors told to get 'finance savvy'
National Health Service doctors in the United Kingdom have been told they must learn more about finance if the NHS is going to cope in the global recession. To help, the Audit Commission and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has issued a guide to help medics understand how NHS' budget is spent. The Commission hopes that by understanding the money side of the equation, doctors can redesign services to make them more efficient. And this knowledge will likely be needed soon: While health funding for the NHS is guaranteed until 2011, many predict the budget will be frozen or even cut after then. [Read More]

Death rates in Puerto Rican hospitals higher than in states
Patients in Puerto Rico die at statistically higher rates from heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia than those admitted to mainland U.S. hospitals, according to a recent analysis. Advocates in Puerto Rico say U.S. health reform should include efforts to bring Medicare and Medicaid payments more in line with U.S. hospitals, partly by removing reimbursement caps in the U.S. territory. The report said Puerto Rico receives about $20 per Medicaid participant vs. $330 in the states. [Read More]

HHS Will Release $350 million in H1N1 Preparedness Grants
Congress recently authorized the Department of Health and Human Services to release $350 million in preparedness grants to help public health officials and healthcare systems with their H1N1 flu preparedness efforts. To help plan for a 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued general guidance to help state and local governments prepare, notes this article by my colleague Sarah Kearns. [Read More]

Should Canada's health system become more like America's?
A recent survey found that 70% of the 1,000 Canadians interviewed thought their healthcare system was working well and that 82% believed it was superior to the system used in the United States. But Michael Rachlis, an advocate of public healthcare who is a physician and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, said that the public's enthusiasm for the system was, in itself, a problem, according to this article published in the New York Times' "Economix" blog: "Because medicare has been so popular, it's been difficult to change it, even for the better," Rachlis said, referring to Canada's public health system. The article's author, Ian Austen, uses Rachlis' comments as a jumping off point to further examine the pros and cons of Canada's healthcare system and how it compares to the United States'. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Healthcare reform critical issue: Rational reimbursement
ActionForBetterHealthcare.com - July 17, 2009

NHS must prepare for shortfall, analysis says
BBC News - July 21, 2009

Duke-Durham Partnership: Informatics Improves Health
Cynthia Johnson, for HealthLeaders Media - July 20, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Time For 'Dr. Next'?

Generation X and its life-balancing, tech-oriented, team-playing doctors is taking over. But what kind of care will they give us? [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Prepare for the Cancer Boom

Aligning the right cancer care team and utilizing the appropriate technology is essential for maintaining a patient-centered service line. [Read More]



	Audio Feature Physicians and System Success: This audio feature offers a discussion between Leadership Editor Philip Betbeze and David Maizel, MD, vice president and executive medical director with Sentara Medical Group in Norfolk, VA. He speaks about physician retention and recruitment, which was cited in the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2009 as the No. 2 priority among healthcare leaders, as also discusses physician group management issues. [Listen Now]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Overworked Nurses Are Hurting Patient Care and Outcomes

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:24:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - July 14, 2009 | Overworked Nurses Are Hurting Patient Care and Outcomes

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Overworked Nurses Are Hurting Patient Care and Outcomes Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor A survey of nurses from all over the globe has found that nurses believe heavy workloads, coupled with insufficient staff, are impacting patient care and outcomes. Most significantly, the survey found that 92% of respondents face time constraints that prevent them spending necessary time with individual patients. In addition, 96% said that spending more time with individual patients would have a significant impact on patient health. [Read More]
		July 14, 2009

Editor's Picks

Foreign healthcare programs face same problems as U.S.
It is well known that Americans pay more per capita for healthcare than citizens of almost any other country, but do not achieve better health. But the U.S. isn't the only country looking for a better way to provide care, according to this article published in the Chicago Tribune: Foreign health plans also struggle to make ends meet, to improve care, and to tame public bureaucracies. In addition, wait times that border on ridiculous are common in countries that have socialized systems, the article states. [Read More]

Jordan eyes American medical tourists
Jordan is already established in the Middle East as a top healthcare destination, and is now stepping up efforts to tap into the multi-billion-dollar medical tourism market with an initiative to lure U.S. citizens. The push includes a Web campaign as well as a visit by a group of U.S. healthcare specialists and insurers, and is a key part of the country's strategy to develop new services and industries. [Read More]

The pros and cons of Canadian healthcare
This article is part of a series published on the New York Times Web site that examines how Canada regulates its economy, and explores the pros and cons of Canada's universal healthcare system. Canadian residents have a longer life expectancy than Americans, which some attribute to universal coverage. But coming up with the money to pay for those programs is a constant struggle, the article notes: Healthcare accounts for 43%, or $42.6 billion Canadian dollars, of provincial government spending in Ontario, the most populous province, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Another article in the series explores how the Canadian healthcare system works, and these examinations of foreign healthcare systems will likely continue as the U.S. looks for examples of how to completely overhaul its system. [Read More]

Florida firm sues Turks and Caicos government for unpaid medical bills
Doral, FL-based Southern Health Network is suing the Turks and Caicos government, alleging the British colony has not paid $16 million in South Florida medical bills for its citizens. Southern Health Network had a contract to arrange healthcare for seriously ill Turks and Caicos citizens. The Turks and Caicos, which consists of eight islands about 600 miles southeast of Miami, has been in financial and political turmoil for months, and that turmoil has reverberated through the healthcare business in the United States. Baptist Health South Florida reports the Turks and Caicos has paid part of its debt, but still owes several million dollars. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Amnesty International: Peru's pregnant Indian get unequal care
AP/Yahoo News - July 14, 2009

Flu Pandemic Prep: What Your Facility Needs to Know Now
Matt Phillion, for HealthLeaders Media - July 10, 2009

Lawmakers predict delay for health reform plan
Washington Post - July 13, 2009

Florida hospital accused of deporting patient
AP/Miami Herald - July 9, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Time For 'Dr. Next'?

Generation X and its life-balancing, tech-oriented, team-playing doctors is taking over. But what kind of care will they give us? [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Prepare for the Cancer Boom

Aligning the right cancer care team and utilizing the appropriate technology is essential for maintaining a patient-centered service line. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Continuity of Care and the International Patient: HealthLeaders Media contributor Joseph S. Barcie, MD, PhD, MBA, says the time has come for leadership in the medical travel industry to focus on one of the most important issues facing all stakeholders: continuity of care. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Partnership Designed to Offer High Quality Surgery for Foreign and Domestic Patients

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:33:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - July 7, 2009 | Partnership Designed to Offer High Quality Surgery for Foreign and Domestic Patients

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Partnership Designed to Offer High Quality Surgery for Foreign and Domestic Patients Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor Wichita, KS-based Galichia Heart Hospital has reached an agreement with Mobile Surgery International for Galichia to host MSI-coordinated, urologic surgical teams at its facilities. The agreement expands Galichia's capabilities as a center of excellence for selected types of surgical care and expands MSI's ability to offer patients surgical choice in high-quality facilities in the U.S., say representatives from the two organizations. [Read More]
		July 7, 2009

Editor's Picks

Looking to the developing world for healthcare ideas
This piece from the Wall Street Journal examines how some U.S. healthcare programs are trying to lower costs and improve care by modeling them after healthcare solutions used in poor nations. The "Project Connect" program at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, for example, is based on a program used in AIDS clinics in Zambia. But there are obstacles, the article notes: the complexities of the U.S. insurance reimbursement and regulations designed to protect patients can hamper the efforts borrowed from the poorer nations, to name just a few. [Read More]

European healthcare has drawbacks
This article provides another examination of how the U.S. could potentially model healthcare programs after policies in foreign nations, but on a much broader scale. Critics fear President Obama's reforms will lead to more government control over healthcare and cite problems faced by European health systems with socialized programs. But others say Americans could learn from countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, especially in the debate over how to reorganize health insurance. The Associated Press outlines the health policies in several European nations, and provides the benefits and drawbacks of government-run healthcare. [Read More]

Korean government starts medical interpreter program
As the country continues to seek medical tourism business, the Korean government has started a program to train medical interpreters to help hospitals avoid language barriers when providing services to foreign patients. The Korea Human Resource Development Institute, a subordinate of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, selected 65 trainees for its 200-hour program to develop medical interpreters in English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and Arabic. The curriculum consists of understanding communications in the medical field, methods of consulting specific patients, domestic and international medical laws, health insurance coverage, and understanding of major diseases and their treatments. [Read More]

NHS restrictions prompt fertility tourism
In a unique medical tourism trend, women over the age of 40 are traveling to distant fertility clinics in Europe to try to get pregnant because of rules imposed by the UK's National Health Service, according to a study. Francoise Shenfield from University College hospital in London, who coordinated the study, said that although the UK has some of the most liberal fertility laws in Europe, there were "all kinds of barriers" from the NHS, including age limits and waiting lists. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

The Emotional Cost of Nursing
Keri Mucci, for HealthLeaders Media - July 7, 2009

Hospitals: H1N1 Could Get Rough This Fall
Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media - July 7, 2009

How Much Personal Protective Equipment is Enough During a Pandemic?
Scott Wallask and Evan Sweeney, for HealthLeaders Media - June 23, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Bundling By Decree

Can an industry addicted to payment for procedure survive episodic care? Geisinger has. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Faster, Safer Joint Replacements

Hospitals are fine-tuning the surgical process from start to finish in order to replace joints faster and safer than ever before. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Continuity of Care and the International Patient: HealthLeaders Media contributor Joseph S. Barcie, MD, PhD, MBA, says the time has come for leadership in the medical travel industry to focus on one of the most important issues facing all stakeholders: continuity of care. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

JCI, Korean Hospital Association Establish Strategic Collaboration

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:10:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - June 23, 2009 | JCI, Korean Hospital Association Establish Strategic Collaboration

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JCI, Korean Hospital Association Establish Strategic Collaboration Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor The Joint Commission International and the Korean Hospital Association have announced a strategic collaboration designed to improve healthcare quality and safety in South Korea. Karen H. Timmons, president and CEO of the Joint Commission International, said the collaboration made sense for both sides, as the JCI and KHA both seek to improve quality and safety at their respective member hospitals. [Read More]
		June 23, 2009

Editor's Picks

Korean medical tourism patients rise by 41.3%
A total of 1,061 foreigners visited Korean hospitals in May, a 41.3% increase from the same month in 2008, the country's Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs announced. At the beginning of May, Korean laws were revised to allow hospitals to advertise to overseas patients. According to the Council for Korea Medicine Overseas Promotion, the 1,061 overseas patients visited six of its members' facilities during the month. [Read More]

Latvian health official resigns over cuts
Latvian Health Minister Ivars Eglitis has chosen to resign rather than carry out budget cuts that he said would undermine the country's healthcare system. The Latvian Parliament has backed budget cuts of almost $1 billion to help keep the country's economy from collapsing and to head off devaluation of its currency. The spending cuts were to fall most heavily on the health ministry, reducing its budget by about 30%. Eglitis, a physician, said in a statement that he could not accept the cuts because of the damage they would inflict on patients and hospitals. [Read More]

81 U.S. healthcare workers have H1N1 virus
At least 81 U.S. healthcare workers have contracted laboratory-confirmed cases of the novel H1N1 influenza virus and about half caught the bug on the job, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding suggests that hospitals and workers are not taking sufficient preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus, and if a large-scale outbreak of the virus recurs the infected staff could transmit the virus to patients before their own symptoms become apparent. Worldwide, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed cases of H1N1 in 88 countries, with 167 deaths. The CDC is now closely monitoring outbreaks in the Southern Hemisphere, which is now at the beginning of its flu season. [Read More]

India-based Apollo hospitals to get loan for small-town hospitals
The International Finance Corp, a member of the World Bank group, will provide a $50 million loan to Apollo Hospitals for the development of hospitals in smaller cities throughout India. Apollo expects to use the loan for the development of 15 new hospitals in the next three years. [Read More]

Editor's Note
From all of us at HealthLeaders Media, have a great Fourth of July holiday. HealthLeaders Media Global will not publish next week, but will be back with a new issue July 7.

Global Health Headlines

Sri Lankan hospital to raise funds to expand, reduce debt
Lanka Business Online - June 23, 2009

Transfer of Guantanamo Detainees Should Prompt Review of Prisoner Patient Policies
Scott Wallask, for HealthLeaders Media - June 17, 2009

More NHS hospital trusts are failing on child protection, warns watchdog
The Guardian - June 23, 2009

Wichita-based Galichia Heart Hospital working to be medical tourism destination
Wichita Eagle - June 23, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Bundling By Decree

Can an industry addicted to payment for procedure survive episodic care? Geisinger has. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Faster, Safer Joint Replacements

Hospitals are fine-tuning the surgical process from start to finish in order to replace joints faster and safer than ever before. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Globalization and Medical Travel: Emerging Challenges of Quality and Safety: While price and affordability for patients is a primary issue for medical travel, few would support the growth of medical travel if the cost savings came at the expense of quality and patient safety. Adapting the more traditional and evidence based measures of quality to a newly global practice environment has become an emerging challenge for providers and patients, says contributor Sharon S. Kleefield, MA, PhD. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Partnership Uses IT to Improve Clinical Quality

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:53:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - June 16, 2009 | Partnership Uses IT to Improve Clinical Quality

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Partnership Uses IT to Improve Clinical Quality Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor The Knowledge-Based Nursing Initiative—a joint venture by Aurora Health Care, Cerner Corporation, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee—will spread its vision to accelerate the use of evidence-based knowledge in nursing practice via technology during a visit to the United Kingdom this week. [Read More]
		June 9, 2009

Editor's Picks

Magazine: Disease prevention in Germany is mostly good for doctors
The Wall Street Journal Health Blog reports on a story in a German news magazine that claims screening for breast, prostate, and colon cancer does hardly anyone good except for the doctors who can rake in fees from health insurers. The article looks at Christa Maar, who lost her son to the disease. Just a year after his death in 2001, she started a foundation that persuaded German authorities to cover colonoscopies for everyone over 55. But writer Markus Grill says the only people proven to benefit from colonoscopies are doctors, who get the equivalent of approximately $270 from German health insurers every time they perform one. [Read More]

Czech providers offer unique perks to nurses
This article in the New York Times examines the lengths healthcare providers around the world will go to alleviate nursing shortages. In Czechoslovakia, for example, one 31-year-old nurse's special perks to renew her contract at a private health clinic included a range of plastic-surgery options, such as complimentary silicone-enhanced breasts. While the move has been criticized by women's rights advocates, it worked—she renewed her contract. And it may lead other providers to follow suit: In the past year alone, nearly 1,200 nurses have migrated to countries like Germany or Britain in search of better wages, according to the Czech Nurses Association. [Read More]

Australian government urged to develop contingency plan for public hospitals
In this op-ed piece, also from the Times, three healthcare experts say that while most medical travelers seek cosmetic procedures, an increasing number have high-risk operations like heart surgery and joint replacement in places such as India, Singapore, and Thailand. The only way to determine of this is a good idea is to find out how foreign hospitals and surgeons compare with their American counterparts in terms of cost and quality, the authors say. [Read More]

Business leaders prescribe medical tourism for sick Turkish economy
Turkey's top business association says the country should seek a bigger share of the fast developing medical tourism industry. Erdal Karamercan, MD, a member of the acting board of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, said Turkey should become a strong alternative for international medical tourism while introducing the opinion paper: "Medical Tourism: A New Window of Opportunity for Turkey." He said private health institutions with strong infrastructure are continuing to grow in number and the Turkish private health sector was able to handle international competition in terms of hospital infrastructure, staff experience and technology. The paper was prepared to introduce Turkey's potential in the sector. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

GE unit offers interim loans to hospitals, healthcare providers
Wall Street Journal - June 16, 2009

NHS woos informatics specialists
The Guardian - June 16, 2009

University of Findlay (OH) plans hospitals in rural India
ExpressBuzz.com - June 16, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Bundling By Decree

Can an industry addicted to payment for procedure survive episodic care? Geisinger has. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Faster, Safer Joint Replacements

Hospitals are fine-tuning the surgical process from start to finish in order to replace joints faster and safer than ever before. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Globalization and Medical Travel: Emerging Challenges of Quality and Safety: While price and affordability for patients is a primary issue for medical travel, few would support the growth of medical travel if the cost savings came at the expense of quality and patient safety. Adapting the more traditional and evidence based measures of quality to a newly global practice environment has become an emerging challenge for providers and patients, says contributor Sharon S. Kleefield, MA, PhD. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Ghanaian Nurses Train in U.S. to Improve Childbirth Conditions

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:13:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - June 9, 2009 | Ghanaian Nurses Train in U.S. to Improve Childbirth Conditions

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Ghanaian Nurses Train in U.S. to Improve Childbirth Conditions Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor Each year, hundreds of women die in Ghana while giving birth due to complications that are considered preventable and treatable in the United States. But last week, three nurses from Ridge Hospital, based in Accra, Ghana, visited Forsyth Medical Center's Sara Lee Center for Women's Health in Winston-Salem, NC, to learn new ways to treat high risk, pregnant mothers. [Read More]
		June 9, 2009

Editor's Picks

More foreign patients now coming to Miami with insurance
An effort spearheaded by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce seeks to make Miami a major healthcare destination for wealthy foreigners. Baptist Health, Jackson Memorial, the University of Miami Hospital, and Mercy Hospital have joined the coalition, under which the Greater Miami Visitors Bureau developed a marketing campaign saying what a great destination the city is for healthcare. If the potential patients have questions, MiamiHealthCare.org refers them to the websites of the participating groups. [Read More]

Sanford Health unveils plans for Belize clinic
Sioux Falls, SD-based Sanford Health has announced that it will construct its first international children's clinic in the Central American nation of Belize. The clinic, expected to open in 2011, will be built on land donated by a hospital in Belize City. Belize was selected for the site after Sanford Health children's clinic selectors made two visits to the country, following up on requests from groups within Belize that the country be considered for a clinic. Sanford Health will collaborate with the Belize Healthcare Charitable Trust and Belize Natural Energy Trust for the facility. [Read More]

Australian government urged to develop contingency plan for public hospitals
The Australian Medical Association has called on the federal government to develop a contingency plan for public hospitals in case a large number of people drop their private health coverage. The Australian government recently announced changes to private health insurance rebates, and estimated around 25,000 people will drop their coverage as a result. Newly-appointed AMA president Andrew Pesce, MD, said the organization's own predictions suggested there would not be a major dropout rate, but if there is one the AMA is encouraging Health Minister Nicola Roxon to put in place a plan to increase funding to public hospitals so they could cope with the extra demand. [Read More]

NHS trust apologizes after photos of nurses posted on Facebook
As Facebook and other social networking sites continue their immense popularity, hospital officials should take note of this article. Various inappropriate photographs of on-duty nurses at a National Health Service trust have sullied the reputation of the facility. The photographs, taken in 2006 at the hospital, were posted on a Facebook page for staff but were freely available to all 200 million users of the site. They were reported by relatives of former patients and have been removed. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Report: Female doctors in Canada hurt productivity
National Post - June 4, 2009

Use Simulation Training to Boost Safety Culture
Tami Swartz, for HealthLeaders Media - June 4, 2009

WHO flu alerts to reflect severity as well as spread
Reuters - June 9, 2009

Hospitals Get Financially Smart in a Tight Economy
Dom Nicastro, for HealthLeaders Media - June 8, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Cash for Computers

With an incentive to invest in IT and EMRs, healthcare executives need to determine if this offer is the kind of help that they are prepared to accept. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Simpler Surgeries, Complex Market

Technological advances have impact beyond the OR, affecting market trends and hospital-physician alignment. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Risk Management for Medical Travel: Many individuals and employers are at least considering the benefits of international medical travel, says contributor David Boucher, MPH, FACHE. But there has to be risk management systems in place for the medical travel industry to find continued success, he says. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli, Sr. Director of Sales, at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com or call 800.639.7477.

Ortho Exchange Program Provides Lessons for UK, US Health Reform

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:33:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - June 2, 2009 | Ortho Exchange Program Provides Lessons for UK, US Health Reform

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Ortho Exchange Program Provides Lessons for UK, US Health Reform Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor A joint replacement program is just the beginning of a partnership where the United Kingdom and the United States could realize the benefits of aspects of the other's health systems, proponents say. [Read More]
		June 2, 2009

Editor's Picks

Europe's doctor work week limits will be 'catastrophic' for patients, says surgeon
A leading United Kingdom surgeon is speaking out against new rules that limit doctors' working hours. Patients' lives will be put at risk and hospitals forced to close because of the new rules that limit doctors to working a 48-hour week, says John Black, president of The Royal College of Surgeons. Most doctors work considerably longer than 48 hours and Black says restricting their working week will lead to a shortage of surgeons because there will not be enough staff to keep hospitals open. [Read More]

Californians head to Mexico for healthcare
About 1 million California residents travel to Mexico for medical care each year, according to UCLA researchers, and about half of those who travel to Mexico for healthcare services are Mexican immigrants. The study showed that those who have been in the United States for at least 15 years are more likely to head to Mexico for health-related reasons than are people who have been in the United States fewer than 15 years. [Read More]

British official defends health service
Lord Darzi of Denham, a surgeon and top official in Britain's Department of Health, defended his country's healthcare system after an ad campaign produced by Conservatives for Patients' Rights opposed some of President Obama's health-reform proposals by using Britain as an example. The TV and Internet campaign focuses on Britain's National Health Service, featuring British patients and doctors complaining that they can't get access to the medicines and diagnostic tests they need. In response, Darzi told the Wall Street Journal Health Blog that the NHS provides a high standard of care to all Britons despite spending less per capita than is spent in the U.S. Rick Scott, the head of Conservatives for Patients' Rights, said that the goal of the ad campaign is to "show the tragic consequences that occur when bureaucrats put a price on the lives of patients," according to the article. [Read More]

Medical Tourism Association Releases survey results
The Medical Tourism Association has released preliminary results from its first patient surveys on medical travel. The MTA created the medical tourism patient survey as part of a larger research project to study the medical tourism industry, and MTA officials hope the results will provide a better understanding why patients are traveling, where they are traveling to, and give insight to increase international patient flow. "These first patient surveys are going to provide insight into the patient experience and to give a greater understanding as to why patients make their overseas healthcare decisions," said Renee-Marie Stephano, COO of the MTA, in a statement accompanying the survey results. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Jobs ban threatening services at Irish hospital, union says
IrishTimes.com - June 2, 2009

Conservative groups fault healthcare agenda
Wall Street Journal - May 27, 2009

St Helens & Knowsley NHS Trust scans outpatient records
SmartHealthcare.com - June 2, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Cash for Computers

With an incentive to invest in IT and EMRs, healthcare executives need to determine if this offer is the kind of help that they are prepared to accept. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Simpler Surgeries, Complex Market

Technological advances have impact beyond the OR, affecting market trends and hospital-physician alignment. [Read More]



	Contributed Feature Risk Management for Medical Travel: Many individuals and employers are at least considering the benefits of international medical travel, says contributor David Boucher, MPH, FACHE. But there has to be risk management systems in place for the medical travel industry to find continued success, he says. [Read More]


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Paul Mattioli at pmattioli@healthleadersmedia.com.

US, UK Physicians Team Up To Improve Ortho Quality

Tue, 19 May 2009 19:11:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - May 19, 2009 | US, UK Physicians Team Up to Improve Ortho Quality

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US, UK Physicians Team Up To Improve Ortho Quality Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor British healthcare leaders recently visited a prominent U.S. hospital to share orthopedic best practices and workforce development—a partnership that both sides say could ultimately benefit their national health systems. [Read More]
		May 19, 2009

Editor's Picks

Poll: Americans consider medical travel
Results of a Gallup Poll may provide proof that the high cost of U.S. healthcare may increase the likelihood of seeking treatment options overseas. The poll found that up to 29% of Americans would consider traveling abroad for a variety of medical procedures that are routinely done in the United States, and 24% would seek cancer diagnosis and treatment abroad. Healthcare coverage is an important factor in the likelihood that Americans would consider getting health treatment abroad, the poll found: Those who reported that they don't have health insurance were more likely to consider going abroad for medical treatment. [Read More]

Patient survey finds NHS hospitals improving infection control
A survey of more than 70,000 inpatients across England conducted by the Care Quality Commission found significant improvement in infection control when compared to a similar survey done in 2008. Patients said wards and bathrooms were very clean and more noticed doctors and nurses washing their hands between patients, the survey found. The patients were not entirely satisfied in other areas, however: One in 10 said they were not involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care, and 57% did not receive copies of letters sent between hospital doctors and GPs. The hospitals may want to listen to these criticisms: UK officials have promised that patients' opinions about the quality of care they experience in hospital will become a more important factor in deciding how the facilities are rated and paid. [Read More]

Comparative effectiveness study evaluates potential savings
A study by Deloitte profiling the comparative effectiveness systems of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany was released at the 2009 BIO International Convention in Atlanta. The findings of the report conclude that "if implemented correctly, comparative effectiveness has the potential to improve care and reduce healthcare costs for Americans," according to a Deloitte release. Deloitte examined three clinical examples of comparative effectiveness studies across the four countries' national programs. "Comparative effectiveness can be seen as an engine for renewed innovation in the design and delivery of evidence-based care," said Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. "Healthcare information technology, such as electronic health records, may also play a critical supporting role in its evolution." [Read More]

Danish researchers say simulators make surgeons better
Researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital recommend that the use of simulators be part of the surgical training process after monitoring the performance of 24 junior doctors. The researchers put the surgeons in two groups—one that had the traditional training of working alongside doctors and tutoring and another that supplemented this with seven hours of simulator training. They found that those that used the computer simulators were twice as quick as those who did not, taking just 12 minutes to complete the operation on a patient. The doctors trained with the simulators also carried out better procedures according to a points system used to judge the quality of the work. [Read More]

Editor's Note
From all of us at HealthLeaders Media, have a safe Memorial Day holiday. HealthLeaders Media Global will not publish next week, but will be back with a new issue June 2.

Global Health Headlines

New tool in the MD's bag: A smartphone
Washington Post - May 19, 2009

Health outcomes driving new hospital design
New York Times - May 19, 2009

Iraq's once-envied healthcare system lost to war, corruption
McClatchy News Service/The State - May 19, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Cash for Computers

With an incentive to invest in IT and EMRs, healthcare executives need to determine if this offer is the kind of help that they are prepared to accept. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Simpler Surgeries, Complex Market

Technological advances have impact beyond the OR, affecting market trends and hospital-

GE Initiative Seeks to Lower Healthcare Costs, Improve Quality on Global Scale

Tue, 12 May 2009 18:50:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - May 12, 2009 | GE Initiative Seeks to Lower Healthcare Costs, Improve Quality on Global Scale

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GE Initiative Seeks to Lower Healthcare Costs, Improve Quality on Global Scale Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor General Electric announced last week that it will spend $3 billion over the next six years on healthcare technology in an effort to lower healthcare costs and improve health quality around the globe. [Read More]
		May 12, 2009

Editor's Picks

American College of Surgeons releases medical tourism statement
The rising number of patients seeking medical and surgical care overseas has led the American College of Surgeons to study the issue and develop an official "Statement on Medical and Surgical Tourism." In the official statement, the ACS encourages patients to:

Seek care of the highest quality
Select healthcare institutions that have met accreditation standards established by recognized accrediting organizations
Seek care from surgeons and anesthesiologists certified in their respective specialties through a process equivalent to that recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties in the United States

The statement was approved by the College's Board of Regents, its official governing body, in February 2009 and was published in the April 2009 issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. [Read More]

Obama seeks a global health plan broader than Bush's AIDS effort
President Obama has asked Congress to spend $63 billion over the next six years on a new global health strategy that would reshape one of the signature foreign policy efforts of George W. Bush. Bush made combating global AIDS a centerpiece of his administration's foreign agenda, but the plan Obama outlined envisions a more far-reaching approach to global health that would focus not only on AIDS, but also on tropical diseases and other treatable and preventable illnesses. Obama announced last week he is seeking $51 billion to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria during the six years and $12 billion for other global health priorities. [Read More]

Nurses badly needed in rural Canada
While a shortage of nurses and other healthcare workers is an issue for urban areas across Canada, it is an even bigger problem in rural ones, according to Canada.com. In some cases, rural hospitals and health facilities have to reduce services or even temporarily close for short periods of time because they do not have the staff to cover shifts. [Read More]

Device produces ultrasound images via cellphone
Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis say a new device has the potential to help doctors in the developing world. The engineers created a USB-based ultrasound probe that can connect to a smartphone and create a low-cost ultrasound imaging platform. Once connected to a smartphone, the probe acts like any other ultrasound device, serving as an imaging tool for screenings and biopsies. In areas of the world where there is a shortage of trained medical personnel, the system can help field workers transmit data to specialists in a centralized location, said William D. Richard, one of the project's lead researchers. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Australian hospital probed over live woman declared dead
Sydney Herald - May 12, 2009

Swine flu outbreak costs Mexico $2.2 billion
AP/Yahoo News- May 12, 2009

WHO Initiates Worldwide Campaign to Promote Hand Hygiene
Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media - May 6, 2009

Hospitals Used New Communication Tools During Swine Flu Scare
Scott Wallask, for HealthLeaders Media - May 12, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Jump . . . or Get Pushed

The tough decisions you don't want to make now—but may have to. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Redefining Cardio

The cardiovascular service line remains a dependable revenue generator for many hospitals across the country. But a shifting market full of new options for patients means organizations must find ways to differentiate themselves to keep it that way. [Read More]



	Audio Feature CEO Survey: Cheryl Herbert, president of Dublin Methodist Hospital in central Ohio offers insights on the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2009, discussing CEOs' view of the quality of their organizations' information technology and how the federal stimulus package may affect healthcare IT. [Listen Now] Sponsored by TeamHealth and by VHA


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Lisa Brown, Director of Integrated Sales, at lbrown@healthleadersmedia.com or call 781.639.1872.

As Swine Flu Scare Abates, Lessons for the Future

Tue, 05 May 2009 18:17:00 GMT

HealthLeaders Media Global - May 5, 2009 | As Swine Flu Scare Abates, Lessons for the Future

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As Swine Flu Scare Abates, Lessons for the Future Ben Cole, Associate Online Editor After more than a weeklong swine flu scare that saw school closings, travel warnings, and a media frenzy, officials around the world are now trying to ease concerns after health officials determined the H1N1 virus is not as deadly as originally thought. [Read More]
		May 5, 2009

Editor's Picks

Poverty increases flu deaths in Mexico
All but one of the confirmed deaths from swine flu have occurred in Mexico, and this article from the Washington Post examines why. Several theories have emerged, the article states: that Mexico City's 7,300-foot elevation exacerbates respiratory illnesses, that there may be a slight variation between the viral strain prevalent in Mexico and swine flu elsewhere, and that Mexico is further along in disease transmission. But experts say a critical factor is that flu victims have delayed checking into hospitals until their condition has deteriorated so much that they cannot be saved. "Delaying medical care is a characteristic of poverty. For people living close to the edge, taking off a day to visit a doctor or staying home sick is literally taking food out of their mouths," said Paul J. Gertler, a professor of economics at the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley, told the Post. [Read More]

Abu Dhabi to get two state-of-the-art hospitals
Al Mafraq Hospital and Al Ain Hospital, two of the oldest government hospitals in Abu Dhabi, will be replaced with state-of-the-art facilities that will have almost 1,400 beds between them. The plans to replace the facilities, both of which are more than 25 years old, were revealed by the health services company Seha. The hospitals, which currently have a total of 843 beds between them, will be replaced by facilities that "redefine the level of medical services in Abu Dhabi" and will include the first dedicated stroke unit in the country, said Seha Chief Executive Carl Stanifer in a statement. [Read More]

Hospital death rates to be posted on government Web site in England
Death rates of every National Health Service hospital in England will be published on a government Web site, officials have announced. Health Secretary Alan Johnson said patients will gain access to information about mortality rates to help compare the risks of treatment in different hospitals. The Web site will also display "hospital standardized mortality ratios"—figures comparing how much the facility's death rates differ from the norm after making adjustments to reflect the risk and complexity of its caseload. [Read More]

Rich Indonesians spend big on overseas medical expenses
Every year, rich Indonesians spend far more than $1 billion for their medical expenses overseas, according to findings by the research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan. The overseas spending creates a huge potential loss for the domestic healthcare business, with Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and the United States being the main healthcare destinations. Indonesians in total shell out $12 billion per year for healthcare, with more higher-income people seeking the convenience of better healthcare services at top hospitals in neighboring countries, the firm found. [Read More]

Global Health Headlines

Rwandan doctors visiting Spokane, WA
AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer - April 30, 2009

Recession leaves health agencies weakened in swine flu defense
New York Times - April 30, 2009

Junior doctors in India call off strike
The Deccan Herald - May 5, 2009

From HealthLeaders Magazine

Jump . . . or Get Pushed

The tough decisions you don't want to make now—but may have to. [Read More]

Are you a Health Leader?

Service Line Management

Redefining Cardio



	Audio Feature CEO Survey: Cheryl Herbert, president of Dublin Methodist Hospital in central Ohio offers insights on the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2009, discussing CEOs' view of the quality of their organizations' information technology and how the federal stimulus package may affect healthcare IT. [Listen Now] Sponsored by TeamHealth and by VHA


	Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Global Contact Lisa Brown, Director of Integrated Sales, at lbrown@healthleadersmedia.com or call 781.639.1872.

HCPro.com - HealthLeaders Media Global

H1N1 Remains a Worldwide Concern

Abu Dhabi Gives $150M to DC-based Children's National Medical Center

Academic Centers Push to Improve Global Health

Flu Inspires New Strategies to Fight, Slow Spread of H1N1

UPMC Acquires Majority Ownership of Dublin Hospital

Summit to Explore Strategies, Opportunities in Healthcare Globalization

British Defend NHS Against U.S. Criticism

Could Miami Become a Major Medical Tourism Destination?

Mexico City Offers Free Health Insurance to Tourists

Insurers and Employers: Bend Your Own Cost Curve

U.S. Company to Implement Health IT Systems in China

Overworked Nurses Are Hurting Patient Care and Outcomes

Partnership Designed to Offer High Quality Surgery for Foreign and Domestic Patients

JCI, Korean Hospital Association Establish Strategic Collaboration

Partnership Uses IT to Improve Clinical Quality

Ghanaian Nurses Train in U.S. to Improve Childbirth Conditions

Ortho Exchange Program Provides Lessons for UK, US Health Reform

US, UK Physicians Team Up To Improve Ortho Quality

GE Initiative Seeks to Lower Healthcare Costs, Improve Quality on Global Scale

As Swine Flu Scare Abates, Lessons for the Future