Study: Nearly half of all ER physician care goes uncompensated

From the Orlando Business Journal, via Chris Perrin:
Increased numbers of uninsured patients coming into Florida emergency rooms may worsen overcrowding, adversely affect quality of care and lead more ERs to close their doors, a new University of South Florida study shows.
USF researchers surveyed 188 Florida hospital emergency physician groups about the uncompensated care they [...]

Verichip files for an IPO

From The Street:
Verichip, the Applied Digital (ADSX:Nasdaq - commentary - research - Cramer’s Take) unit that makes and sells radio-frequency chips for use in humans, filed for an initial public offering Friday.
“We believe that our patient identification solution is compelling for emergency room physicians as well as for patients who have cognitive impairment, chronic diseases [...]

Blue Cross & Blue Shield strikes deal with emergency room doctors

From Boston.com
Dozens of emergency room doctors reached an agreement with Blue Cross & Blue Shield to remain in the insurance company’s network.
Fifty doctors at Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital planned to leave Blue Cross’ network on Jan. 1 because they were unhappy with the payment rates the company offered
But the two [...]

Patient Attacks Officer in the ED

From KATU.com
PORTLAND, Ore. - A hospital patient is under arrest after police say he tried to stab a corrections deputy with a knife in an attack that was caught on tape.
The incident happened Tuesday around 2 p.m. inside the emergency room at Portland Adventist Medical Center.
Police say the patient, 35-year-old James Edward Stevens, [...]

CPT and ICD-9 Changes

From ACEP:
The American Medical Association recently released its annual refinement of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and descriptions. For 2006, paramount CPT changes for emergency medicine concern emergency department after-hours services and moderate (conscious) sedation. The previous related codes were frequently denied by payors as not being applicable to the emergency department or [...]

JAMA Study on Anticoagulant Therapy

From the NY Times:
Patients being treated for heart attacks involving narrowed arteries and clots that reduce blood flow to the heart are often given overdoses of powerful blood-thinning drugs in the emergency room, increasing their risk of serious bleeding, a study has found.
Excessive bleeding occurred at catheter sites, from existing stomach ulcers and in [...]

"Presenteeism"

From MedPage Today:
Sometimes it’s better for everyone if dedicated, hard-working employees stay home from the job if they’re under the weather.
We’re not just talking about use of the occasional “mental health day” — calling in sick even though there’s really nothing much wrong but the worker just can’t take it any more.
But we are [...]

Oxycontin ring based in ER?

More on the Oxycontin accusations in PA, from the Daily Courier:
Egleston, a former emergency room doctor at Aliquippa Community Hospital, would meet patients in the emergency room’s waiting area, take them to a private room and issue a prescription, Corbett said.
Agents were tipped to the ring when nurses at Aliquippa said they became suspicious [...]

Shooting in the ER

From Omaha’s WOWT.com:
A Kearney police officer fatally shot a 29-year-old man in the emergency room of Good Samaritan Hospital early Sunday.
The name of the deceased and the officer who shot him were not immediately released.
The man was armed with a knife, acted in a threatening manner and refused to comply with multiple verbal commands of [...]

Can you hear me now?

From the Kansas City Star:
A Blue Springs woman was taken to the emergency room early Friday with a cell phone lodged in her throat.
Blue Springs Police Sgt. Steve Decker said the woman apparently tried to swallow the telephone because she didn’t want her boyfriend to have it. Decker said no crime was committed.
After police responded [...]