Will the Real Medicaid Program Please Stand Up

04/29/2013

When U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law Medicare 45 years ago, Title XIX was included in the legislation. Title XIX was known as Medicaid and introduced as a welfare program for states to administer to citizens in need. In 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton separated Medicaid from the welfare status and today, many working Americans qualify for Medicaid … Read More

Area hospital employees awarded at April 18 luncheon

04/18/2013

IRVING, TX – A salute to the North Texas hospital workforce, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation’s (DFWHC Foundation) Annual Employee of the Year Luncheon celebrated its 17th year April 18 with the announcement of the 2013 recipients at Irving Convention Center. Thirteen winners were introduced from a pool of 50-plus area hospitals. “This event paid tribute to our nurses, … Read More

Unsung Heroes

04/17/2013

I blogged last year on the terrible shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The first responders, emergency workers and trauma teams were prepared but distressed as only three injured people survived the incident. Sadly, we learned this week at the Boston Marathon about the human devastation related to terrorism. The first responders, emergency workers, trauma teams and physicians saved … Read More

Healthcare costs examined in Dallas Business Journal blog

04/11/2013

In response to a Wall Street Journal article giving state-by-state comparisons of health care costs, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council President and CEO Steve Love was interviewed by Bill Hethcock of the Dallas Business Journal in his blog posted April 9. Health-care spending in the U.S. averaged $6,815 per person in 2009; in Texas it averaged $5,924, according to The Wall … Read More

Love interviewed by CBS Channel 11

04/11/2013

In a April 9 television news story on hospital monitors inside patients rooms beeping, leading to a condition for health care workers known as “alarm fatigue,” the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council’s (DFWHC) President and CEO Steve Love was interviewed by CBS Channel 11 reporter Carol Cavazos. Alarm fatigue has led to an average of two dozen deaths every year says … Read More

What About Hospital Patient Care Costs?

04/09/2013

About five years ago, a “think tank” and university published total Medicare costs per beneficiary in different regions of the country. They stated Texas had some of the highest health care costs in the nation. I contacted the people who conducted the study, reviewed their raw data and extracted only acute care hospital expenses. My analysis revealed acute care hospital … Read More

Employee of the Year Luncheon two weeks away

04/04/2013

Just two more weeks until the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation’s (DFWHC Foundation) 17th Annual Employee of the Year Luncheon. A celebration of dedicated North Texas hospital employees, the event is set for April 18 at the Irving Convention Center. Tickets are available through April 12. Please click on the graphic below to register. You can also download the forms … Read More

Behavioral Health – Must Be In Care Continuum

03/20/2013

Behavioral health disorders affect a large portion of our population. Each year, one in four Americans experience a mental illness or substance abuse disorder and the majority has comorbid physical health problems. Currently, 55 percent of U.S. counties have no practicing psychiatrists, psychologists or social workers. In 2009, more than two million discharges from local community hospitals were for a … Read More

Speed networking event set for April 4

03/19/2013

The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) will host its second Speed Networking Event, April 4 at the Addison offices of Konica Minolta, 14800 Landmark Boulevard, #700. The complimentary breakfast session is from 7:30-9:30 a.m. The networking exercise, where attendees visit with each other one-on-one for six minutes apiece, was very popular during the first gathering in 2012. This year, hospital … Read More

Employee of the Year Luncheon tickets now available

03/14/2013

A celebration of dedicated North Texas hospital employees, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation’s (DFWHC Foundation) 17th Annual Employee of the Year Luncheon will take place April 18 at the Irving Convention Center. Tickets are now available. Please click on the graphic below to register. You can also download the forms here. Online registration can be found here. The 2013 … Read More