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By Marla Salmon on February 12th, 2010
What should we teach the nurse of the future?
Dean of the UW School of Nursing blogs on the Future of Nursing
Category: Hospital News
By LocalHealthGuide on February 10th, 2010
Children’s and Laurelhurst neighbors strike deal on hospital’s expansion plans
Compromise ends a battle between the hospital and neighborhood over expansion plan.
By LocalHealthGuide on February 02nd, 2010
UW hosts Mini-Medical School
Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis so register online now.
By Michael McCarthy on January 29th, 2010
Symptoms may be of little help in the early detection of ovarian cancer
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study.
By Michael McCarthy on January 21st, 2010
Higher-dose pain prescriptions linked to higher overdose risk
Patients on highest doses were nine times more likely to overdose than those on lowest doses
By LocalHealthGuide on January 14th, 2010
Hutchinson Center to host free science lecture series in February
Topics: Evolutionary Arms Race, Cord Blood Stem Cells, Immune System vs. Cancer, and Tumor Vaccines
By Michael McCarthy on January 13th, 2010
State begins publishing hospital infection rates
The report looks at bloodstream infections from central lines and ventilator-associated pneumonias.
By LocalHealthGuide on October 30th, 2009
Fred Hutch researchers receive $7.9 million grant to study genetics of esophageal cancer
The project will study genetic information from more than 7,000 people.
By Michael McCarthy on October 26th, 2009
Seattle’s Fred Hutch to help build cancer clinic in Uganda
New center will target cancers caused by infections.
By LocalHealthGuide Staff on August 31st, 2009
Evergreen launches digital mammography coach
The coach will provide same-day mammography services at the Evergreen clinics in Bothell, Sammamish and Duvall every week on a regular rotation.
By Dr. Gregory Foltz on August 28th, 2009
Seattle researchers team up to fight brain cancer
The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy from glioblastoma has called attention to the challenge of developing better treatment for brain cancers. Below is column by Dr. Greg Foltz on brain cancer research that LocalHealthGuide published last May to call attention to the Annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk to raise funds for brain cancer research..
By admin on August 28th, 2009
As economic conditions force a tighter job market, new nurses find it’s harder than ever to land their dream job—or any job, for that matter.
“Nursing, even in hard times, was thought to be recession-proof.”
By Chris Linden and Melissa Suran, Medill News Service
It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. Nursing student Barbara Lopez had been told for a long time that she would have an easy time finding a job.
But it took her five months—starting before she graduated in June—to [...]
By admin on August 27th, 2009
Views: The Health Reform Bills Would Be Great For the Business Of Health Care
By Robert Laszewski
President of the consulting firm Health Policy and Strategy Associates
“From the looks of these health care bills, this ‘health care reform’ thing will be great for business!”
Have you noticed how none of the big health care business special interests is running any negative health care reform ads? Why should they when each is [...]
By admin on August 26th, 2009
New doctors at Virginia Mason
Six new physicians have joined Virginia Mason Medical Center.
Cardiology
Sara Weiss, MD, joined Virginia Mason in the Section of Cardiology. Weiss received her medical school training from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. She completed her internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship and heart failure fellowship at the University of Colorado in Denver.
Hematology and Oncology
Nanette Robinson, [...]
By admin on August 19th, 2009
Code Blue: Out-of-Network Charges Can Spur Financial Emergency
By Paul Raeburn
August 19, 2009
On the evening of March 1, 2008, Gary Diego was relaxing with his wife, Ellen, when she abruptly lost her hearing, began repeating herself, and seemed to be losing her grip.
Gary Diego with a picture of his wife Ellen at his home in Truckee, Calif. Photo: Brad Horn/KHN
Alarmed, Diego rushed her [...]
By admin on August 18th, 2009
Health Co-ops Touted as Alternative to Public Plan
Seattle’s Group Health Cooperative seen as potential model for health reform.
By admin on August 17th, 2009
Checking In With Denver Health CEO Patricia Gabow On A “Model” Health Care System
By Andrew Villegas – Kaiser Health News
Patricia Gabow – Photo: Kaiser Health News
President Barack Obama’s trip Saturday to Grand Junction, Colorado is meant to highlight an efficient, high-quality health care system, one with “integrated care.”
That phrase has become a popular term these days as Congress and policy gurus contemplate how the national health care delivery [...]
By admin on August 14th, 2009
Health Stories in the News – Aug. 14
Allow Seattle Children’s to expand, says Seattle Times
The Seattle City Council should reverse ruling of a hearing examiner who has rejected Seattle Children’s expansion plans, says Seattle Times argues in an editorial today’s paper.
The hearing examiner found that hospital’s planned expansion, which would add 1.5 million square feet of space on its Lauralhurst campus, was inappropriate [...]
By admin on August 13th, 2009
For Dying and Seriously Ill Children, Hope For Better Care
By Carol Ann Campbell
August 13, 2009
NEWARK, N.J. – Fourteen-year-old Prince Jackson made a fist and banged his hand on his head, again and again. “It was like this,” he said, trying to describe the blinding pain from the tumor growing inside his head. “It hurt so much. It wouldn’t stop.”
Jackson could not read or sleep [...]
By admin on August 12th, 2009
Transcript of President Obama’s “Health Insurance Reform Town Hall”
The White House has released a transcript of President Barack Obama’s “Health Insurance Reform Town Hall” meeting held yesterday, August 11 at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
To read it click on “Read more…”.
Transcript released by the White House:
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Portsmouth! Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody have a seat. [...]
By admin on August 12th, 2009
$13.5 million in loan repayments for nurses willing to work in facilities facing shortages or to teach
The U.S. government is making available $8.1 million for education loan repayment for nurses willing to work for two years at facilities that face a critical nurse shortages.
The funds will be offered on a competitive basis to 100 registered nurses.
In Washington state the program will offer five positions: four at the University of Washington Medical [...]
By admin on August 12th, 2009
Checking In With Chip Kahn: ‘Potential for Hospitals and Our Patients To Be Big Winners’
By Phil Galewitz – Kaiser Health News
August 12, 2009
Charles “Chip” Kahn III, president of the Federation of American Hospitals, has been a major player on the Washington health policy scene for nearly 25 years.
As head of the lobbying group representing investor-owned hospitals, Kahn helped negotiate a deal in June among the hospital industry, the White [...]
By admin on August 11th, 2009
Health stories in the news
Teachers more likely to spank disabled children
More than 200,000 U.S. schoolchildren are spanked, paddled or subjected to some other form of corporal punishment each year with disabled children receiving a disproportionate share of such punishments, according to a report prepared by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“At least 41,972 students with [...]
By admin on August 11th, 2009
For Major Health Industry Players, Reform’s Positives Outweigh Negatives
By Phil Galewitz
August 11, 2009
When Congress and the White House began talking about a health care overhaul, the industries that profit from the $2.5 trillion system were understandably nervous.
But as the legislation takes shape, it appears much of the anxiety was misplaced. Most of the major health care players, including hospitals, health insurers and pharmaceutical [...]
By admin on August 10th, 2009
Five Lessons From Seattle On Adopting Electronic Medical Records
By Julie Appleby
SEATTLE — Atop a hill here, three of Washington state’s pre-eminent hospital systems sit within blocks of each other, equipped with state-of-the-art electronic medical record systems that track test results, send warnings about dangerous drug interactions and provide medical histories.
But a patient crossing the street from one hospital to another would be wise [...]
By Dr. Carolyn Clancy on August 07th, 2009
What is a ‘medical home” and is it right for you?
The concept of a “medical home”—a clinic where you are followed by a team of primary care providers who know you and can coordinate your care—is getting more attention these days. (See NPR’s story on Swedish Medical Center’s “medical home” program in Ballard below.)
Here Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare [...]
By admin on August 07th, 2009
‘Medical Homes’ Concept Takes Off In Seattle
Seattle’s KPLU reporter Keith Seinfeld has a story on NPR this week about Swedish Hospital’s new “medical home” clinic in Ballard.
LocalHealthGuide’s story from March is below.
By Keith Seinfeld, NPR News
August 7, 2009
This story comes from KHN partner NPR
When President Obama and other Democrats talk about changing the health care system, one phrase that comes up [...]
By Michael McCarthy on August 07th, 2009
March 30 LHG story on Swedish Medical Center’s new “medical home” in Ballard
This is a reprint of an article we ran March 30th on LocalHealthGuide.
This week Swedish Medical Center opens a new primary-care clinic that will use the medical-home model of healthcare delivery.
Swedish officials believe the clinic, which will be located at its campus in Ballard, is the first in the country to be designed from [...]
By admin on August 06th, 2009
In Massachusetts, A Radical Idea For Changing How Doctors Are Paid
By Richard Knox, NPR News
This story comes from Kaiser Health News partner NPR
Massachusetts is proud of its landmark 3-year-old health insurance law. It has brought the state’s proportion of uninsured down from around 10 percent in 2005 to only 2.6 percent — the lowest in the nation.
Dr. Richard Lopez is chief physician at Atrius Health [...]
By admin on August 05th, 2009
Health stories in the news–Aug. 4th
Lack of patients for clinical trials slows cancer research
New York Times reporter Gina Kolata leads her story about how the lack of patients willing to participate in studies is hobbling cancer research with a quote from Dr. Scott Ramsey of Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Dr. Ramsay, a cancer researcher and health economist at the Seattle [...]
By admin on August 03rd, 2009
Gilda’s Club Seattle will host three talks next month. All talks are free and open to the public.
Talk with the Expert: Advanced Ovarian Cancer Treatment Options—Sept. 10th.
Talk with the Expert: Lung Cancer—Sept. 17th.
Keeping Healthy After Cancer—Sept. 24th.
9/10/09 Free Discussion: Talk with the Expert: Advanced Ovarian Cancer Treatment Options
Join us for Talk with the Expert; an opportunity [...]
By admin on July 25th, 2009
Hospitals Divided Over Proposal For Medicare Payment Czar
By Phil Galewitz
July 24, 2009
While a cornerstone of President Obama’s plan to trim medical costs – an independent commission to determine how much Medicare pays doctors and hospitals – has run into strong opposition from powerful industry groups, certain hospital systems are breaking ranks and supporting it.
Many are these are so-called “model” systems, such as the [...]
By admin on July 22nd, 2009
Local Hospitals and Doctors Join Forces to Improve Health Care, Restrain Costs
By Phil Galewitz
July 22, 2009
Donald Berwick, president and chief executive office of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, organized yesterday's all-day conference about communities with higher-quality, lower-cost care.
Communities across the country aren’t waiting for Congress to take action to improve health care quality and contain costs.
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the two largest hospitals are sharing [...]
By admin on July 16th, 2009
Comments By CBO Director Underscore Conservatives’ Health Bill Concerns
Eric Palin – Kaiser Health News
July 16, 2009
A leader of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative House Democrats said today that he and six others in the group will vote together to block health care legislation in committee unless changes are made to slow the rate of growth of federal health care spending and to [...]
By Michael McCarthy on July 15th, 2009
Sports concussion program opens at Harborview
Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center has opened a new center to evaluate young athletes who have had head injuries and provide training to teachers, coaches, parents and others involved in school sports on how to prevent, assess and treat concussions.
The new center, called the UW Medicine/Seattle Children’s Sports Concussion Program, was launched to help schools and [...]
By admin on July 13th, 2009
Views: Blue Dogs Should Look Beyond Cost Containment for Progress on Health Care
By Jonathan Cohn
July 13, 2009
This column is a collaboration between KHN and The New Republic.
Negotiations over health care reform screeched to a halt late last week when 40 centrist Democrats–members of the House Blue Dog Coalition–signed a letter saying they could not support the House’s emerging legislation without significant changes.
Their major complaint? They said the [...]
By admin on July 13th, 2009
Health in the news – July 13
Money and medicine
KUOW looks at the salaries of Seattle’s top docs and charity care Washington non-profit hospitals give
John Ryan, a reporter for Seattle’s Public Radio affiliate KUOW, looked at how much Seattle-area hospitals, most of which enjoy the tax benefits of non-profit status, pay their top officials and how much charity care they provide.
Salaries, Ryan [...]
By admin on July 10th, 2009
Food can cost twice as much at some Seattle supermarket chains–UW nutrition researchers find
It will cost you roughly twice as much to buy a standard “market basket” of food from PCC in Kirkland than it would if you had shopped at Fred Meyer, a study by University of Washington researchers has found.
Market Basket Price in Dollars by Chain
The purpose of the study was to see if there were [...]
