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Recovery Act To Fund 12 State Efforts To Improve Care In Ambulatory Surgical Centers
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius provided the down payment for a nationwide effort to reduce health care associated infections in stand-alone or same-day surgical centers. The first effort will begin later this month in 12 states under provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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CBO Director May Help Determine Fate Of Health Care
Several newspapers had articles on major players in health care reform. Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, has "toiled for much of his career in the anonymous bowels of the nation"s economic superstructure," the Washington Post reports. But now, some lawmakers "think he holds the fate of public policy in his hands." After delivering a "skeptical analysis of a stimulus package intended to rescue the U.S. economy" and forecasting "bigger-than-expected losses from a $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system, Elmendorf now "faces the toughest task of his brief tenure: attaching a price to a monumental overhaul of the nation"s health-care system." Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has "publicly lectured Elmendorf, saying he has a moral duty to be "creative" and deliver the favorable budget estimates "we have to have" to win broad support." But Elmendorf says "his office will offer an objective analysis, "without regard to the political consequences."" Elmendorf told the Post that his office would provide the information, but the decision is in the hands of Congress. "CBO is not going to make or break health-care reform," he says.
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Preschoolers' Language Development Is Partly Tied To Their Classmates' Language Skills
Young children learn how to speak and understand language from the words parents speak at home and teachers speak in preschool. A new longitudinal study has found that their preschool classmates also play a part.
Mental Health

Study Finds Cogent's Hospitalist Programs Result In Profoundly Low Hospital Readmission Rates

Hospitalist programs designed and managed by Cogent Healthcare have been found by a recent academic study to have exceptionally low readmission rates, especially for Medicare patients, officials announced today. These results were found through a study co-authored by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University. Presented at the Society of Hospital Medicine"s Annual Meeting in May, the study findings were among those awarded Best of Research, Innovations and Clinical Vignettes. According to the study, which reviewed patients discharged from 25 hospitals in 11 states during a one year period, Medicare patients who had been treated and discharged from hospitalist programs - managed by Cogent teams and discharged home - were readmitted to study hospitals at a rate of only 6.4 percent within 30 days of discharge. Spotlight on Readmission Rates These findings come on the heels of important research published in the April 2009 issue of New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) - "Rehospitalizations among Patients in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program." The NEJM study has been featured frequently in national and trade press due to its impact on the current debate around national healthcare reform. The NEJM study analyzed national Medicare readmission data and found that approximately one-fifth or 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge - costing Medicare $15 billion annually. Mark Williams, M.D., the Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Northwestern University, was an author on both the NEJM study and on the Cogent study. Cogent"s System of Care "The results of the Cogent study demonstrate the value that Cogent brings to our hospital partners. Above all, we are committed to accountability, efficiency and providing consistent, high-quality care and service each patient receives during - and after - their hospital stay," said Ron Greeno, M.D., founder and Chief Medical Officer of Cogent. "We at Cogent feel our success in being able to prevent readmissions is directly attributable to the System of Care that is the hallmark of our programs." Unique to the company, Cogent"s System of Care supports hospitalists in the delivery of inpatient care, and includes significant infrastructure, a coordinated care team, data driven processes, rigorous ongoing training, experienced leadership and a standardized, patient-centric discharge process. That discharge process specifically includes: - Education provided to the patient and family prior to discharge, which reinforces the discharge plan and schedules a follow-up appointment. This education is led by the Cogent Care Team and provided in coordination with hospital personnel. - A "Homecoming Call" within 48 hours to review the patient"s medications and discharge plan. Any complications are relayed to the patient"s Cogent Care Team for follow-up and intervention. - Identification of high risk patients that may require special arrangements to help avoid hospital readmission. "As policymakers in Washington currently seek a solution for the broken U.S. healthcare delivery system, much emphasis is being placed on the need for improving efficiency and quality, and specifically reducing readmission rates," said Greeno. "These findings clearly demonstrate how hospital medicine, in particular the Cogent model of care, can meet these goals." Cogent Healthcare


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