One in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. In recent years, the rate of breast cancer incidences has been slowly increasing, particularly in women under age 50. But breast cancer is highly treatable when caught early. The five-year survival rate for women with stage 1 Read More
Sometimes women are so busy taking care of others that they leave one important thing off their to-do lists: Get my mammogram. // By Althea Fung // One in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. In recent years, the rate of breast cancer incidences has Read More
Conflict between the sector’s “haves” and “have-nots” has been brewing for years and is coming to an inflection point. Health care in the U.S. has been very good to those who participate on the business end of the enterprise, but the comfort they enjoy is often at the expense of others. Those frictions are likely Read More
Conflict between the sector’s “haves” and “have-nots” has been brewing for years and is coming to an inflection point. // By Ron Shinkman // Health care in the U.S. has been very good to those who participate on the business end of the enterprise, but the comfort they enjoy is often at the expense of Read More
How can a health system make a difference in utilization, quality and outcomes, and cost — and improve engagement with underserved members of its community? This was the topic of a recent presentation at the 2023 SHSMD Connections Virtual Conference. Lindsay Cosimano is senior director of marketing communications at Nebraska Health Network, an accountable care Read More
Community engagement is a cornerstone of public relations. Effectively breaking down the barriers to health care access is a far greater challenge. // By Marcia Simon, APR // How can a health system make a difference in utilization, quality and outcomes, and cost — and improve engagement with underserved members of its community? This was Read More
Getting access to care has been difficult in many parts of the country for years. Even in densely populated urban areas, a shortage of physicians and clinicians often made setting appointments for primary and specialty care a frustrating experience. And then 2020 hit. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the staffing shortage and further restricted access. Today, Read More
Providence commits significant financial resources and maps out specific actions to address health inequities. // By Alan Shoebridge // Getting access to care has been difficult in many parts of the country for years. Even in densely populated urban areas, a shortage of physicians and clinicians often made setting appointments for primary and specialty care Read More
// By Jim Pittman // The new Ochsner Health Plan will play an important role in helping improve the health of the Bayou State’s over-65 population. In October 2021, Ochsner Health, the largest health system in Louisiana, officially launched the new Ochsner Health Plan (OHP) with Medicare Advantage (MA) just in time for Medicare’s 2022 Read More
Getting a cancer diagnosis is bad enough. Having to jump on the freeway and drive two hours each way to access care adds significantly to the stress. But that’s what many residents of Orange County, California did when they needed highly specialized cancer care. “Your first shot is your best shot, because it’s really important Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // To meet the expected demand for highly specialized cancer services in Orange County, City of Hope has opened four cancer treatment sites and is currently building a 190,000-square-foot cancer center, scheduled to open next year. A separate specialty hospital will be ready to open its doors in 2025. The Read More
Infectious-disease specialists are beginning to give the all-clear signal to bring patients and families back for routine care. But luring valued community members back to health care facilities is proving to be a communications challenge. Consciously or not, families have created their new normal, which may include telehealth instead of office visits, reducing the frequency Read More
// By Marcia Simon, APR // CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock, Arkansas isn’t waiting for customers to come back on their own. The health system is proactively reaching out to them, using sophisticated analytics to define the target audience with precision accuracy. Infectious-disease specialists are beginning to give the all-clear signal to bring patients Read More
An industry leader recently used a phrase we hadn’t heard before: “The NEXT Normal.” What has the pandemic taught us? How did it stretch us as an industry, and how can we use what we’ve learned to shape strategies in the future? We asked our editorial advisory board members to weigh in on one question: Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // An industry leader recently used a phrase we hadn’t heard before: “The NEXT Normal.” What has the pandemic taught us? How did it stretch us as an industry, and how can we use what we’ve learned to shape strategies in the future? In this article, our editorial advisory board Read More
“For the first time, many patients are experiencing what it’s like to be a rural patient where care feels out of reach,” says Blake Marggraff, CEO of CareSignal. “Patients who were once accustomed to frequent health touchpoints now feel the pressure to make do on their own — as providers experience staffing reductions and patients Read More
// By Blake Marggraff // If there’s one thing the pandemic has shown us, it’s that not everyone has access to the internet or Wi-Fi. But most people these days do have cell phones, and remote patient monitoring via text messaging and IVR phone calls is one way to keep the lines of communication open Read More