Dwayne Blaylock, Chief Executive Officer of Merit Health River Oaks, will now also lead Merit Health Rankin as CEO in addition to his current duties.

The excitement is continuing to build for all employees.  Plans for the Open House and Ribbon Cutting are in place for Friday, April 28, 2017.  Everyone is invited to attend.  Following the Ribbon Cutting buildings will be open to the public to walk-through and view the new facilities.

Franklin County Memorial Hospital earned a Top 20 Best Practices in Patient Satisfaction designation from the National Rural Health Association recently. The hospital was ranked among all critical access hospitals in the U.S.  

Insurance coverage that’s affordable and the plight of the uninsured is certain to be the central focus of upcoming debate. The individual market, with its ties to the Affordable Care Act, is an important and growing market for hospitals and health systems. But it’s a risky market.

The AAFP recently sent a proposal detailing its advanced primary care alternative payment model to the newly formed Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee for review.

A new type of financing is linking private investors who want to do good — and make some money in the process — with not-for-profits looking to get upfront funding for programs where they’re paid for results.

Doctors are hoping Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a fellow physician, will address challenges for small practices in a proposed Medicare rule expected in coming weeks.

Hospitals hope the CMS’ decision to delay implementing Obama-era bundled-payment initiatives for cardiac and orthopedic care will open the door to making the experiments voluntary.

Data from Nemours Children’s Health System suggests that the percentage parents who are willing and eager to use telemedicine services for their children has grown exponentially in the past three years.

Research examines the financial effect of readmissions penalties and value-based purchasing incentives on safety-net hospitals compared to other hospitals.

The AHA’s Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals is celebrating National Healthcare Volunteer Week, which recognizes the service, dedication and commitment of volunteers in health care organizations across the country.  

In this joint HPOE and AONE webinar nurse leaders from Texas Health and Lee Health will share their organizations’ care innovation and transformation stories.

The AHA invites you to participate in a complimentary webinar April 28 to learn more about the FY 2018 inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued on April 14. During this 60-minute session, AHA policy experts will discuss CMS’s proposals, including those on disproportionate share hospital payments, critical access hospital 96-hour certification requirement, the inpatient quality reporting program, hospital-acquired conditions program, hospital accreditation and changes to the electronic health record reporting period for CY 2018. We also will discuss the implications of these proposals for hospitals and next steps going forward. There will be ample time for questions and discussion.

On Average, Premiums for Silver Plans Would Need to Rise 19% to Offset Lack of Funding for Cost-Sharing Reductions, Triggering Tax Credit Increases

A congressional vote on a Republican healthcare plan may not come for weeks as leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate continue negotiations over possible proposals, the White House said on Monday.

“If it happens and we have the votes this week, great, if it’s next week or the week after,” Spicer says.

Obamacare is frequently criticized because some insurance premiums have risen since its enactment.

President Trump said that the GOP healthcare plan will lead to cheaper premiums and “real healthcare” in a Twitter message Monday.