Paul A. Nutting, MD, MSPH, Associate Editor http://www.annfammed.org/ Family medicine has entered a fascinating period of transition and rebirth. In 2004 the Annals was pleased to publish the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) report1 and to track the rich discussion of family physicians in practice, academia, research, and policy.2 The FFM report quickly spawned the […]

http://www.news-medical.net/ Giving physicians cash payments for reduced hospital spending can help control costs without sacrificing quality or access to care, researchers report in a study released today in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The issue is a thematic volume on health reform supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson […]

http://canadianpress.google.com EDMONTON — After they spend about 10 minutes with him in the emergency room, Jack Buchanan’s patients often end up calling him doctor. He wears a big name tag with his title – physician assistant – and always explains that he’s there to help the doctor, not take over. But some people don’t immediately […]

By Michelle Rupe Eubanks http://www.timesdaily.com/ A beautiful view and low cost of living – that’s what the Shoals has to offer young doctors looking for a place to set up practice. Compared to the heavy patient loads and poor reimbursement rates they’ll face once they relocate, the trade-off appears to be more than many care […]

By Stephen Moore http://online.wsj.com For most of the past 30 years, Mississippi has ranked as one of the poorest as well as one of the most litigious states. The two statistics are related. I met with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently, and this politician, best known for helping his state rebuild after Hurricane Katrina in […]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com  The American Medical Association (AMA) urged Congress to take immediate action to avert looming Medicare physician payment cuts that will harm seniors’ access to care in testimony to the House Small Business Committee. AMA Board Member Cecil Wilson, MD, highlighted the impact the cuts will have on the many physicians who are small business […]

By WILLIAM McCALL Associated Press Writer http://www.chron.com PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court has upheld a five-year statute of limitations on medical malpractice lawsuits involving minors. The court ruled Thursday against a claim that laws in effect when Oregon was a territory blocked a five-year statute of limitations that the Legislature approved after Oregon […]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com Small medical practices provide essential services and ensure all patients have access to quality care. However, cuts to Medicare physician fee payments threaten to undermine the work of these firms. Committee Members heard from the Deputy Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They also received testimony from a panel of […]

By Kathleen Doheny http://www.washingtonpost.com/ MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) — As medical malpractice premiums increase, so do the rates of Caesarean sections, new research shows. The study provides a small snapshot of the association, drawing on data from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. The findings, while not national in scope, could further […]