10% of Tucsonans seek out their affordable care HEIDI ROWLEY Tucson Citizen http://www.tucsoncitizen.com The percentage of Tucsonans who rely on community health centers has doubled in the past six years, reflecting a nationwide trend. Six years ago, 5 percent of the population used such services. Now the figure is 10 percent, officials said. Pima County’s […]

Federal officials say more physician practices could see bonuses from the project’s second and third years. By David Glendinning, AMNews staff. Ten large physician practices participating in one of the first Medicare pay-for-performance projects have proven that such programs lead to better performance, according to government officials. But only two practices were able to reduce […]

MedSurge Advances Founder Scott Day Discusses Aesthetic Medicine Trends, Market Success Factors, Future Plans http://home.businesswire.com Since its founding in 2002, MedSurge Advances has emerged as the leading independent supplier and consultant for the medical spa industry — having launched 228 medical spas and provided assistance to more than 350 physicians who have entered the field […]

CHRIS TALBOTT The Associated Press A national shortage of doctors is hitting poor places the hardest, and efforts to bring in foreign physicians to fill the gap are running into a knot of restrictions from the war on terror and the immigration debate. Doctors recruited from places such as India, the Philippines and sub-Saharan Africa […]

http://blog.pennlive.com The Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced today there still aren’t enough medical malpractice insurers in the state to require to doctors to carry at least $750,000 in coverage. The state will continue to require doctors to carry $500,000 in coverage from a private insurer and to obtain another $500,000 from a state fund called Mcare. […]

http://www.earthtimes.org A growing number of hospitals are employing physicians, according to a new report tracking physician recruiting trends. The 2007 Review of Physician Recruiting Incentives, prepared by Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, a national physician search and consulting firm, examines over 3,000 recruiting assignments the firm conducted from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007. Hospitals […]

Congress is accused of delaying action on reimbursement cuts. By JOSIE HUANG Staff Writer http://pressherald.mainetoday.com Congress’ habit of waiting until the last minute before stopping Medicare from cutting payments to doctors has become so familiar that the president-elect of the American Medical Association jokes it is the “annual dance of death.” With another round of […]

BUSINESS WIRE http://home.businesswire.com/ ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE:PRA) is included in the 2007 Ward’s 50, a prestigious list which recognizes top performing property-casualty insurance companies. ProAssurance is the only specialty medical malpractice carrier to be included in Ward’s 2007 list. The Ward Group analyzed over 2,700 property-casualty insurance companies from 2002 to 2006 in order to identify […]

http://www.nursinginpractice.com Plans to bring in new GP assistants will tread on nurse practitioner toes, say Nursing in Practice readers. Physician assistants are to “supplement the existing NHS workforce” in taking medical histories, performing examinations, diagnosing illnesses and analysing test results. But Nursing in Practice readers agree that the new profession is unnecessary, as nurse practitioners […]