Dr. Jack M. Chapman says MCG expansion is critical to meet the need for new doctors By Randy Key http://www.wjbf.com he President of the Georgia Medical Association says a doctor shortage is looming for the state. Doctor Jack Chapman spoke to the Augusta Exchange Club, on Thursday. Dr. Chapman says the state will be 2,500 […]

By JULIUS A. KARASH http://www.kansascity.com As costs and the numbers of uninsured keep trending upward, health care has emerged as the most important domestic issue of 2008. Here are PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institutes predictions for the top eight health industry issues of the coming year:

Health Plans Say New Rules Improve Safety and Cut Costs; Hospitals Can’t Dun Patients By VANESSA FUHRMANS http://online.wsj.com/ Health insurers are taking a new tack in a bid to improve patient safety and reduce health-care costs: refusing to pay — or let their patients be billed — for hospital errors. Aetna Inc., WellPoint Inc. and […]

http://www.pharmalot.com As part of a new policy that experts say is one of the toughest in the nation blocking drugmakers from influencing docs, SMDC Health System in Duluth, Minnesota, recently got rid of nearly every freebie with a drug company name on it, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. “We’re part of a leading trend that’s trying […]

Northeast Georgia Medical, other hospitals don’t want rules to change By Debbie Gilbert http://www.gainesvilletimes.com A slight change in the wording of Georgia’s malpractice reform law could make a big difference to hospitals and patients. The consumer advocacy group Georgia Watch is pushing for an amendment that would make it easier for patients to sue hospitals […]

BY HECTOR LOMBANA Special to The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com Five years ago, following a well-documented battle between insurance companies and patient rights groups, Florida capped statutory damages on medical malpractice insurance awards. Recent news suggests that the future of these caps may be in jeopardy. One Florida court ruled the caps unconstitutional; another court ruled […]

Will LaBreche / Web Editor/Staff Writer/Photographer http://www.haywardwis.com According to a report by the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Medical Society, getting in to see a physician will be a growing problem in the coming years. In 2003, the two agencies established a Task Force on Wisconsin’s Future Physician Workforce which was charged with identifying […]

By: Carlos Mayorga http://media.www.dailyutahchronicle.com With Utah’s consistently high birthrate, people moving into the state and more Utahns projected to retire in the coming years, the demand for more physicians is increasing fast. As the Utah State Legislative session begins next week, officials at the U’s School of Medicine say they are ready to respond to […]

http://www.cnw.ca Canadian Medical Association (CMA) President Dr. Brian Day announced today in a speech on the costs of wait times, that his organization, representing 67,500 doctors nationwide, was launching a major campaign to put the growing physician shortage on the federal political agenda. “The shortage of health care professionals affects wait times and hurts patients,” […]