DFWHC Membership Directory now available

07/23/2013

The 2013 version of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) Membership Directory is now available. Complimentary hard copies will be distributed to hospital and associate members in August. The directory will be available as hard copy book or an electronic .pdf document which can be e-mailed to members. The popular reference guide serves as an informational address book for members … 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

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

Is the fiscal cliff really over?

01/09/2013

We need to look at health care impact on hospitals over the past two years and not just focus on the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 recently passed by the Senate and House. Hospitals in North Texas and across the nation realized the need to reform health care delivery. They supported the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act … Read More

Patient safety indicators require a comprehensive approach

10/15/2012

The North Texas hospitals support sharing data regarding hospital performance with the public in a transparent manner as long as the information is complete, accurate and limitations are fully disclosed. An example of the complexity related to data analysis is the computer error revealed recently impacting the financial penalties against hospitals on Medicare readmissions within 30 days. The Centers for … Read More

Love interviewed by CBS Evening News

10/02/2012

With part of the Affordable Care Act going into effect, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council’s President and CEO Steve Love offered his insight for CBS Evening News Monday evening, October 1. Love was interviewed for Anna Werner‘s segment involving Medicare reimbursement penalties. As detailed, hospitals now face big fines if too many patients have to be readmitted because of complications. … Read More

Readmissions – A Complex Issue

10/01/2012

In October each year we enjoy the State Fair of Texas, fall festivals, carving pumpkins and Texas football at all levels. This year a new event begins Oct. 1, 2012 resulting from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). A readmissions provision imposes financial penalties on hospitals for “excess” readmissions when compared to “expected” levels of readmission. Generally, hospitals … Read More

Public Policy Concern –
Drug Shortages are Critical

04/03/2012

In 2010, more than 200 drug shortages were reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have continued into 2012. The shortages have occurred across drug classes including critical drugs used in surgery, anesthesia, emergency care and oncology. The current shortages throughout the industry appear to be the result of a significant expansion in the scope and volume of … Read More

Open letter to our Congressional Leaders

02/08/2012

We urge you NOT TO SUPPORT any additional cuts to Medicare as the February 29, 2012 deadline approaches. Although we support the elimination of the 27.4% proposed Medicare cuts to physicians, it should not be done at the expense of hospitals that provide billions of dollars in Medicare, Medicaid and charity care services to millions of Americans in need of … Read More