The MMA claims that physicians should stop bickering with each other and work together. The FMA is upset because they say that every medical organization should be allowed to declare what they believe and not have to deal with criticism from other medical organizations.

Well, those “safety net” hospitals that treat uninsured patients with lower incomes are experiencing a huge financial crisis right now since they did not receive more Government money through the national health care reform. Is this a glimpse into the future of our Country with the new health care reform?

These days, physicians seem to be trimming or completely removing the physical from their medical repertoire. Why are some physicians doing away with the physical? Is this bad for the patient and medicine in general? If the physical is becoming extinct, then what are physicians utilizing to evaluate their patients? They are looking to more tests and diagnostic procedures.

The Virginia Department of Health Professions has released a new report that the commonwealth’s shortage of physicians is most likely going to get worse. They are not able to retain their physicians or entice their medical students to stay once they graduate.

Jackson Healthcare conducted a survey of how physicians feel about healthcare reform. Further surveys were then completed on “the economic and non-economic impacts of defensive medicine on physicians and patients.”

The New York Times is reporting that a hospital in Atlanta, GA is going to be networking with a medical service provider to offer medical services, like dialysis, to illegal immigrants who are in the final stages of renal kidney failure. Is this how the new Obama care is going now?

The Los Angeles Times reports that one of the largest union votes in 69 years began yesterday as Kaiser employees starting voting on which union would be representing them; either, the current one, SEIU, or a new competitor, NUHW (National Union of Healthcare Workers).

Medicaid fraud at its finest. Arrests made this week by the Feds in Elizabeth, NJ.

So let me get this straight…if you disagree with Obama care you now have to worry about threats from this Administration? Is this Administration really going to follow through on wielding their power to bully health insurers and try to wipe them out? Doesn’t freedom of speech and speaking the truth matter anymore?

An anonymous letter sent to state regulators has Los Angeles County authorities seeking access into two years of peer reviewed cases at a local hospital. The author of this anonymous letter claims that there was not enough peer review in regard to problems at the neonatal ICU. This letter stated that the peer review was missing and “doctors and staff were not meeting to discuss medical mistakes.”

This operation was the third double-hand transplant in the US, to date. Several surgeons rotated in and out of the waiting room during this surgery. While they were in the waiting room, they would tweet various updates on the surgery. Of course, privacy issues were maintained and no mention of the patient’s identity was given.

There is a petition before OSHA that is asking for Residents hours to be shortened. Certain advocacy groups are arguing that Residents are working too long hours. So, should there be tighter regulations on the work hours for Residents?

In this current economic environment, will public hospitals survive? With this current economy and the advent of the new health care reform law, will these solo public hospitals be able to survive or will they slowly become extinct and overshadowed by the bigger health systems and possibly even by new government run hospitals?

Despite the recent drop in patient admissions to US hospitals, several facilities seem to be raking in a profit. One of the most profitable hospitals currently in the US is Flowers Medical Center in Dothan, Ala.

Recent polls indicate that support for the new health care law is slipping. Americans are not happy with this new health care law, especially not excited about the individual mandate where they will be forced to purchase a health insurance policy, whether they want to or not.

The problem comes into play when you are a physician who is a victim of Sham Peer Review or who has been falsely accused of Disruptive Physician Behavior? Where do you turn to for help? Doctor’s Advocate can assist you.

The HHS has just announced that $32 million in assistance will be doled out to those rural healthcare systems to assist in their medical care of patients in those localities. It’s great that the Federal Government is dishing out money to these rural healthcare facilities; however, this is all being done on the taxpayers’ dime.

For those who have been advocating for stronger patient privacy rules, the wait is over. The HHS will now have to make stronger standards and rewrite those privacy rules. Temporary rules were issued in August; however, the HHS will issue its final regulations sometime in the fall of this year. Both sides of this issue have valid points, but we’ll have to wait until the fall to see the final regulations laid out.