Obama’s call for nurses creates opportunities for nurses in response to the health care crisis and nursing shortage, making today an excellent time to attend nursing school.

Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) July 22, 2009 — According to All Nursing Schools, the need for more efficient and affordable health care at a time when the economy is struggling and the baby boomer population is aging, makes health care reform crucial. With the health care crisis being felt by American families, President Obama’s call for “comprehensive” health care(1) comes at a great time for nurses.

There has been a nursing shortage for years, and, in response, registered nursing is anticipated to be one of the hottest jobs over the next several years(2). This, coupled with the fact that one of President Obama’s goals for the health care reform is to hire more nurses, makes today an excellent time to wear scrubs to work.

All Nursing Schools provides comprehensive and up-to-date nursing career and education resources for both students and professionals looking to advance their nursing education. Among the in-depth nursing education offerings, All Nursing Schools gives students a firsthand look into nursing careers and jobs, guidance on the wide diversity of nursing fields students can pursue, and important industry data–such as salary and how the recent federal stimulus bill affects the nursing shortage.

“There is so much opportunity in the health care and nursing fields today,” says Dana Larsen, career researcher for All Nursing Schools. “Whether students want to be a travel nurse, surgical nurse or neonatal nurse–or are just looking to earn more money in their current nursing career–All Nursing Schools can help them find informative and up-to-date career and nursing education resources to help them take advantage of nursing career stimulus opportunities.”

About All Nursing Schools
All Nursing Schools is a comprehensive online publisher of accredited nursing degree programs and nursing career resources. Since 2001, All Nursing Schools has been helping match millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their educational needs. All Nursing Schools strives to be the finest resource available to prospective students and nurses, and is one of several unique Web sites owned by All Star Directories, Inc.

About All Star Directories, Inc.
All Star Directories, Inc. is one of the Internet’s fastest growing publishers of online and career school directories, matching millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their education needs. Recently, Inc. Magazine ranked All Star among the fastest growing companies in the country, and the Puget Sound Business Journal has recognized the company as one of Washington state’s fastest growing companies for five consecutive years. From leading research institutions to fast-growing online and for-profit schools, nearly 6,000 featured schools trust All Star Directories as the authority in online student recruitment. The All Star network of sites focuses on a wide range of fields including All Allied Health Schools, All Art Schools, All Business Schools, All Education Schools, All Psychology Schools, All Criminal Justice Schools, All Computer Schools and All Nursing Schools. Please visit www.allstardirectories.com or call 1-888-404-8043 for more information.

(1) National Nurses Organizing Committee, 2009.
(2) Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009.

Press Contact:
Doug Rosenberg
(888) 404-8043

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Software helps hospital comply with Joint Commission standards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jul 20, 2009 – Bellevue, WA — Pharmacy OneSource, Inc., software as a service provider to more than 1,300 hospitals in the United States, announced today that Shelby Baptist Medical Center has implemented UnitStock for tracking medication storage inspections for 27 hospital units.

“In the pharmacy department at Shelby Baptist Medical Center we are committed to providing the highest quality care to the patients and customers we serve. We are excited about the implementation of UnitStock and the potential it offers to elevate the level of service we provide,” said Carin Rutland, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy at Shelby Baptist Medical Center. “The implementation of UnitStock is one more step in our ongoing goal of providing the best possible service to those who depend on us.”

UnitStock is a documentation and reporting application that assists Shelby Baptist Medical Center in meeting the Joint Commission standards for storage of medications in nursing units, clinics, and operating rooms.

Shelby pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can document unit inspections quickly via the web or on a handheld device. Managers and administrators can run real-time reports to easily see which units have been inspected, view the completed inspection reports, and monitor trends in compliance by unit and by criteria. UnitStock has fully integrated email capability so completed inspections are automatically emailed to nurse managers and others, eliminating paper completely from the inspection process.

Shelby Baptist Medical Center is also using Amplifi to manage, update, and communicate their formulary online. As well, Amplifi effectively and swiftly communicates vital patient safety info, plus policies and procedures, throughout the entire organization

About Pharmacy OneSource (www.pharmacyonesource.com)

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Quest for Quality Prize Recognizes Leadership and Innovation in Quality, Safety and Patient Care

Contact:
Elizabeth Lietz, AHA - (202) 626-2284
James Larkin, McKesson - (415) 983-8736

Washington D.C. (Monday, July 20th 2009)

Three U.S. hospitals were recognized today for their leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care.  The 2009 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize® was awarded to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., which will receive $75,000.  Bronson Methodist Hospital, a 380-bed hospital serving patients and communities in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana, was selected by a multi-disciplinary committee of health care quality and patient safety experts based on its culture of quality and efforts to achieve the Institute of Medicine’s six quality aims for health care.  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston was honored as the finalist and will receive $12,500.  Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C., received the Citation of Merit.

The American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize is presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The prize is supported by grants from the McKesson Foundation and McKesson Corporation.  The criteria for the 2009 award include the demonstration of an organizational commitment to achieving the Institute of Medicine’s six quality aims – safety, patient-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness and equity.  One goal of the award is to honor organizations that are making progress in quality improvement on all six aims and that offer models that can be replicated by others in the hospital field.  Relevant learnings and key elements for achieving progress that have stood out among the current and past honorees include recognizing that organizational leadership is critical, that what is measured is what gets attention and that patient and family involvement is integral to quality improvement.

“As the nation focuses on health care reform, hospitals know one of the best ways to help control costs is to improve the efficiency, safety and effectiveness of care provided to patients and the community,” Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president and CEO.  “Each hospital recognized today has taken a slightly different path in its efforts to improve quality and patient care, but they are all moving toward the same goal.  Their innovation and commitment to quality improvement highlight that every day, hospitals are leading the way to better health and health care.”

“In keeping with our commitment to improving quality, safety and efficiency throughout the healthcare system, McKesson Corporation and the McKesson Foundation are proud to support the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize,” said John H. Hammergren, chairman and CEO of McKesson Corporation. “On behalf of all of our employees, I am pleased to recognize these three institutions for standing above their peers in delivering on the IOM’s six quality aims.”

Prize Winner: Bronson Methodist Hospital – Kalamazoo, Mich.
Bronson Methodist Hospital, a Baldrige Award winner and past AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Citation honoree, focuses intensely on quality improvement and instilling a sense of this commitment throughout the entire hospital.  Bronson has engaged all staff members from hospital leadership to front-line caregivers in efforts to improve patient-centered care, timeliness, efficiency and effectiveness.

• Bronson hospital encourages patients and their families to talk with doctors, nurses and other caregivers about the care a patient receives, knowing that patient-centered care is critical to improving quality.  Employees at Bronson also are encouraged to speak out if they have concerns about care that’s being provided and the staff receive the support and assistance necessary to improve care.
• In addition, Bronson actively involves patients and family members on hospital committees and teams that focus on improving patient care.
• Multidisciplinary teams review patient care practices and identify opportunities for improvement, which reinforces personal and organizational commitment and accountability to care improvement.

Finalist: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Boston

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has set a goal of eliminating all preventable harm by 2012 and has emphasized leadership and transparency to help the hospital move toward that important goal.  BIDMC’s strong values of reliability, safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness and equity are reinforced throughout the organization.

• BIDMC has focused on individual accountability as a way to improve care.  All staff are encouraged to identify areas for quality and improvement and BIDMC provides training and follow-up to help ensure sustained care improvement.
• Developing strong community relationships and being accountable to their community are an integral part of BIDMC’s approach to improving care.  The hospital’s leadership team is committed to being completely transparent with their community and publicly shares information on patient safety and quality improvement issues.

Citation of Merit:  Duke University Hospital – Durham, N.C.
Engaging front-line caregivers and sharing information about patient safety are the cornerstones of Duke University Hospital’s (DUH) commitment to care improvement.  Senior leadership also is strongly involved in quality and safety efforts, emphasizing strong physician and nurse team leadership.

• Duke University Hospital’s Safe Choices program brings together hospital leadership with employees from the various hospital departments to talk about how each individual action can lead to care improvement.  The program reinforces personal responsibility, helping employees see that identifying safety improvement opportunities is part of each staff member’s job.
• DUH brings together collaborative, interdisciplinary patient care teams based on the needs of the individual patient.  A patient resource manager helps organize the interdisciplinary team and works with the patient and family to help them understand their role in the care process.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.

About McKesson Corporation

McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK), currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care.  McKesson is the oldest company in healthcare today and will mark 175 years of continuous operation in 2008. McKesson provides pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients.  For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.

About McKesson Foundation

The McKesson Foundation supports community-based programs and services aimed at improving the health status of at-risk children and adults.  The Foundation is funded by McKesson Corporation, a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care.

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FRANKLIN, Tenn., Mar 31, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) today announced that the partnership units of its subsidiaries (Triad-Denton Hospital GP, LLC and Triad-Denton Hospital, LP) in a partnership that owns Presbyterian Hospital of Denton, in Denton, Texas, and other related hospital assets, have been sold to Texas Health Resources and its affiliate. Texas Health Resources was a minority partner in the limited partnership that owns the 255-bed hospital and exercised a right to purchase the 80 percent ownership interest held by the two Company subsidiaries. Texas Health Resources subsequently filed suit over terms of the transaction. A settlement was initially reached on December 23, 2008, which settled all claims and resolved the lawsuit. The closing was effective on March 31, 2009.Located in the Nashville, Tennessee suburb of Franklin, Community Health Systems, Inc. is the largest publicly-traded hospital company in the United States and a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in non-urban and mid-size markets throughout the country. Through its subsidiaries, the Company currently owns, leases or operates 120 hospitals in 29 states with an aggregate of approximately 18,000 licensed beds. Its hospitals offer a broad range of inpatient and surgical services, outpatient treatment and skilled nursing care. In addition, through its QHR subsidiary, the Company provides management and consulting services to over 150 independent non-affiliated general acute care hospitals located throughout the United States. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CYH.”

Statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual future events or results may differ materially from these statements. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Community Health Systems, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent filings which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including execution of our growth, acquisition, and business strategies. These and other applicable risks are summarized under the caption “risk factors” in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

SOURCE: Community Health Systems, Inc.

Community Health Systems, Inc.
Investor Contact:
W. Larry Cash, 615-465-7000
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
or
Media Contact:
Tomi Galin, 615-628-6607
Vice President of Corporate Communications

Contacts: Spencer Vibbert and Linda Sion at IPRO (516-326-7767)

IPRO is honoring a select group of health care providers in the Upper Capital Region who have signed on to a three-year project aimed at making dramatic improvements in care transitions and reducing avoidable readmissions to hospitals. The providers volunteering to participate in the high-profile Care Transitions Project include hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, physicians’ offices, rehab centers, dialysis centers and hospices located in the counties of Warren, Washington, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Saratoga. Nationally, almost 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of discharge, while the vast majority of these readmissions may be preventable. Unplanned re-hospitalizations accounted for an estimated $17.4 billion in Medicare spending in 2004.

As the not-for-profit Medicare-funded Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for New York, IPRO works with providers across the state to improve performance on a series of inpatient and outpatient quality measures. The Care Transitions Project takes an innovative, community-based approach that emphasizes collaboration across settings and among distinct provider groups in order to better coordinate care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses. IPRO is one of fourteen QIOs nationally selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for this initiative.

“We congratulate those Capital Region providers who are joining together to make dramatic improvements in care continuity, with the goal of reducing costly and often unnecessary readmissions to hospitals,” according to Clare Bradley, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer at IPRO. “To do this, we need to do a better job of identifying high-risk patients before discharge and implementing post-discharge care plans that address contingencies. We also need to make sure reliable transfer information gets shared across settings.”

Health care providers participating in this initiative are establishing systems to ensure reliable transfer of patient information across settings and are working to increase patient/caregiver satisfaction by keeping patients and their family members better informed about their conditions and medications.

In addition to working with health care providers and community leaders, IPRO is helping to empower the community by providing tools and information to help patients better manage their health care, keep track of their medications and support follow-up care post discharge from the hospital. The Personal Health Record (PHR) is an example of one of the helpful tools supported within this project. The PHR is a booklet for people to record, store and share all of their essential health care information with their health care providers.

Upper Capital Region providers and stakeholders currently participating in the project include:

• Adirondack Tri-County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
• Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
• Capital Care Medical Group
• Capital District Physicians Health Plan
• Community Hospice
• Ellis Hospital
• Fort Hudson Nursing Center
• Glens Falls Hospital
• H & L Rubin Dialysis Centers
• High Peaks Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc.
• Hoosick Falls Health Center
• Hudson Headwaters Health Network
• Kingsway Arms Nursing Center
• MVP Health Care
• Pleasant Valley
• Resurrection Nursing Home
• Saratoga Care Nursing Home
• Saratoga County Public Health
• Saratoga Hospital
• Seton Health/St. Mary’s Hospital
• Seton Health at Schuyler Ridge
• Seton Home Health Care
• The Avenue/Capital Living and Rehabilitation Centres
• The Dutch Manor/Capital Living and Rehabilitation Centres
• The Springs/Capital Living and Rehabilitation Centres
• The Stanton/Capital Living and Rehabilitation Centres
• Van Rensselaer Manor Nursing Facility
• VNSA of Schenectady and Saratoga
• Warren County Public Health
• Washington County Public Health
• Wesley Health Care Center Inc.
• The Orchard Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre
• Glens Falls Dialysis Center
• Ellis Residential & Rehab Center
• Healthcare Information Xchange of New York

This material was prepared by IPRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for New York State, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 9SOW-NY-THM7.2-09-13

Hospitals are cutting services and staff, while more patients are in need of assistance

Contact:
David Allen - (202) 626-2313
Alicia Mitchell - (202) 626-2339

Washington D.C. (Monday, April 27th 2009)

Six out of ten hospitals nationally are seeing a greater proportion of patients without insurance coming through their emergency departments, according to a new survey from the American Hospital Association (AHA). At the same time, nearly half of hospitals reported they have cut staff. Recent employment information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that hospital employment is no longer growing and that the number of mass layoffs for hospitals reported in February was more than double what it was a year ago.

The majority of hospitals reported that fewer patients are seeking inpatient and elective services; however, many hospitals are seeing more patients covered by Medicaid and other public programs for those in need. Need for hospital-subsidized services such as clinics, screenings and outreach is increasing even as charitable contributions are down for many hospitals.

“Today’s findings signal what many of us in health care are concerned about: people put off care when they lose their job, which can complicate health care issues for many down the road,” said AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock. “At the same time, the fact that hospitals are cutting staff challenges the notion that hospitals are recession-proof.”

The survey also found that the economy is affecting hospitals with nine in 10 hospitals making cutbacks to help weather the economic storm. At the same time, more than one in five hospitals reported reducing services their community depends on, such as behavioral health programs, post acute care, clinics and patient education.

“Community need for care remains high and in these tough times, communities turn to their local hospital,” Umbdenstock said. “Hospitals are walking a tightrope, trying to balance the growing needs of their communities with today’s economic challenges.”

Despite taking these steps, the majority of hospitals are seeing a moderate or significant decline in their financial health in 2009 versus the same period in 2008. Many hospitals are struggling to make ends meet with over 40 percent expecting losses in the first quarter of 2009, jeopardizing their mission of caring for their communities. The majority of hospitals reported fewer patients are seeking inpatient hospital care or elective care, further shrinking the resources hospitals rely on to meet the health needs of their communities. Financial measures such as days cash on hand that are important to creditors are slipping. If key measures fall below a certain level, creditors can require immediate repayment of borrowed money.

Nearly all hospitals report that their ability to borrow funds to make improvements is getting worse or remains challenging. In a December survey, many hospitals reported that it was significantly more difficult or even impossible to access tax-exempt bonds and other sources of capital to make improvements. Nearly eight of 10 hospitals have stopped, postponed or scaled back projects such as facility upgrades as well as clinical and information technology planned or already in progress.

The survey, AHA’s second about the economic downturn’s impact on patients and communities hospitals serve, was sent to all 4,946 community hospitals in March.

1,078 responses were received, broadly representative of the universe of hospitals.

Click here for a copy of the report, which can also be found at www.aha.org.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.

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