HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleagues,
The famed author Pearl S. Buck said, ‘The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how do something well is to enjoy it.’ I came across that quote recently and thought it was especially profound in today’s world where many want to experience success quickly. And, many times, without going through the necessary steps of learning and refining the set of skills necessary for the sought after success. Of course, we could get into the definition of ‘success’ but we will save that for another more cerebral newsletter! I’d rather focus on excellence and what it takes for a person or entity to be excellent. This short entry to our newsletter is much too limited to fully discuss the subject but let me get your mind started with four characteristics that I know are part of the equation. Education, passion, perseverance, and vision are four components that must be part of the formula. Whatever your field of work, change will be a constant and it is necessary to embrace change and stay current via continuing to stay abreast of your profession. That’s easy if you have passion for what you do, you will want to know new trends and technology that will help you be the best. Perseverance is necessary to not be satisfied with OK work but to continue to push the envelope in order to achieve excellence instead of accepting being average. Education, passion, and perseverance will result in developing a vision that will allow you to not only achieve excellence but maintain that excellence. We look for these attributes in every employee we bring on at HCI which has allowed HCI to have achieved excellence for our partner/clients for over 21 years. We also have found excellence in the organizations we call our ‘partner-clients’ and are proud to be part of their teams.
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter. Feel free to contact me with any comments that can make it better for you.
Have an excellent day!
Sincerely,
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JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER FIRST IN REGION TO EARN FIVE STARS
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JUPITER, FLA. (March 1, 2019)—Jupiter Medical Center today received a five-star rating for quality of care—the highest ranking awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Jupiter Medical Center is the first and only hospital in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties to receive the ranking, which places the hospital in the top 10 percent nationally.
This news is especially exciting for us here at HCI for multiple reasons. First, it is our local hospital. And second, Bob Stilley served as Chairman of the Board through January 2019 and is still a board member for this hospital. We would like to congratulate the amazing staff that helped to make this achievement possible.
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Lifestyle initiative improves physical activity, diet
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Documenting lifestyle behaviors among a population through electronic health records may play a role in lowering CVD risks over time, according to findings published in Preventive Medicine Reports.
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BMI affects survival after stroke
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People with a higher BMI are more likely to survive a stroke, according to findings being presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology Meeting.
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Does Glycemic Variability Predict Midterm Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Diabetes?
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A glycemic variability cutoff value of >2.7 mmol/L is the strongest independent predictive factor for midterm major adverse cardiac events in patients with diabetes and acute coronary syndrome, according to study results published in Diabetes Care.
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Push-up capacity may predict men's heart disease risk
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The number of push-ups a man can do in the doctor’s office may be a good predictor of his risk of developing heart disease in the coming years, new research suggests.
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Higher heart rates related to type 2 diabetes risk in normal-weight adults
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The risk for developing type 2 diabetes is higher for Chinese adults with increased heart rates, even those in the high normal range, compared with those with lower rates, especially in combination with a BMI of less than 24 kg/m2, according to findings published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
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Eating nuts may reduce cardiovascular disease risk for people with diabetes
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Eating more nuts, particularly tree nuts, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal.
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Comorbidities, Not PTSD Itself, Behind Higher Heart Risks
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Comorbidities such as smoking, anxiety and depression account for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new analysis of electronic health records.
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Sedentary lifestyle increases risk for CVD in older women
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Older women who were sedentary for long periods of time throughout the day had an increased risk for CVD, according to a study published in Circulation.
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Nurse Navigators Aid Outcomes After Heart Attack Discharge
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Use of nurse navigators can improve care coordination and outcomes following hospitalization for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology Cardiovascular Summit, held from Feb. 14 to 16 in Orlando, Florida.
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So-called ‘superfoods’ have cardiovascular benefits
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When seeking out foods with optimal nutrient content to improve cardiovascular health, look no further than these easy to find foods at your local grocery store.
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U.S. women have lower blood pressure, more obesity than men, study says
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People in the United States may be bringing their blood pressure numbers down, but their weight continues to go up, a new study says.
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Department of Energy seeks agreement to produce Mo-99 domestically
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The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has chosen four U.S. companies to begin negotiations with in an effort to produce Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) without the use of highly enriched uranium.
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Addiction treatment providers go mobile
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Addiction treatment experts say there's a huge need to expand high-quality outpatient care, including medication-assisted treatment, to Americans with opioid and other substance use disorders. After inpatient care, however, patients often can't access or don't stay connected to outpatient therapy, which contributes to a very high relapse rate.
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Sanitizing regimen can reduce post-hospital MRSA infections, study shows
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Hospital patients who are carriers of the superbug MRSA can significantly reduce their risk of future infection by following a six-month sanitizing regimen, according to new research.Patients who faithfully adhered to the regimen experienced 44% fewer MRSA infections and 40% fewer infections of any kind compared to patients who were just given education about preventing a MRSA infection upon their discharge.
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18Fluorocholine-PET/CT demonstrates better clinical utility than conventional prostate imaging
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First-line imaging with 18fluorocholine-PET/CT demonstrated more clinical utility than conventional imaging for identifying prostate lesions with a high impact on patient management, according to results of a randomized trial presented at Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
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Real-world Data Supports Use of Oral Triple Combination in Treating Advanced Multiple Myeloma, Study Finds
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Real world data from multiple myeloma patients in Hungary supports the use of a triple combination regimen — Ninlaro (ixazomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and dexamethasone — in people already heavily treated for this disease.
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Nuclear medicine imaging monitors effectiveness of therapy for melanoma patients
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Nuclear medicine imaging with PET/CT can monitor the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment for metastatic melanoma and predict outcome. In this way, a patient's therapy can be more effectively tailored to his or her personal response.
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Exercise can improve non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease
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Exercise has potential to improve non-motor as well as motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), including cognitive function, report investigators.
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Report finds few seniors are getting routine memory checkups
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Few seniors get their thinking and memory abilities regularly tested during check-ups, according to a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association that raises questions about how best to find out if a problem is brewing.
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Alzheimer's Biomarker Tied to Sleep Apnea
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Sleep apnea was tied to higher tau protein burden in the entorhinal cortex, a preliminary cross-sectional study showed.
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HHS will test paying ambulance providers for trips to alternative sites, telemedicine
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HHS will test allowing ambulance suppliers and providers to transport Medicare and Medicaid patients to areas besides the emergency room, such as a doctor's office or urgent-care facility, or use telemedicine, in a bid to reduce unnecessary trips to the hospital.The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation will conduct an experiment on a new payment model for Medicare to create new incentives on emergency transport and care. The model would apply to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
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LESSONS ON WEATHERING UNCERTAINTY ABOUND AT ACHE THIS YEAR
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Achieving success in the middle of a changing health care environment requires breaking down barriers, defying traditions, seeking out the unexpected and rising from adversity, Platypus Labs Chairman Josh Linkner told the American College of Healthcare Executives 2019 Congress on Healthcare Leadership.
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Hospitals hopeful big changes are coming to the CMS’ star ratings
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Hospitals have for years been advocating for overhauling the CMS’ star-rating program. They may finally get their wish.
The agency is seeking public input on a comprehensive list of potential changes to the program, including tossing out the long-standing model used to assign ratings.
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Northwell shows savings in Medicare pilot testing house calls
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The idea of receiving health services in the home is an attractive one for seniors who might have impaired mobility or poor access to transportation. But Medicare's pilot program for home-based primary care is limited. This year it increased the total number of patients who can enroll to 15,000 from 10,000.
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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Top White House official warns hospitals on surprise medical bills
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A top White House policy adviser on Monday warned hospitals that they need to address the issue of surprise medical bills if they don't want Congress to do it for them.
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CMS makes changes to nursing home star ratings
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The CMS will update the star ratings on Nursing Home Compare in April with several changes including new ratings for health inspection performance and stricter criteria for staffing level ratings.
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Medicare trims payments to 800 hospitals, citing patient-safety incidents
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This year, 800 hospitals will be paid less by Medicare because of high rates of infections and patient injuries, federal records show.
The number is the highest since the federal government five years ago launched the Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, created by the Affordable Care Act. Under the program, 1,756 hospitals have been penalized at least once, a Kaiser Health News analysis found.
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Prescription drug pricing crisis reflected in number of bills filed
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State lawmakers across the country have filed more than 150 bills so far this year to address the costs of prescription drugs, on the heels of passage of 45 new laws last year.
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FDA Commissioner Gottlieb resigns
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FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb resigned from his post Tuesday.
"All of us at HHS are proud of the remarkable work Commissioner Gottlieb has done at the FDA," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. "He has been an exemplary public health leader, aggressive advocate for American patients, and passionate promoter of innovation. I will personally miss working with Scott on the important goals we share, and I know that is true for so many other members of the HHS family."
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law.
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Case-Based Approach to Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Amyloidosis
7:30 am – 11:30 am | Friday, April 12, 2019 | Palm Harbor, Fla.
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Save the date for RSNA 2019
Join us for our 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1–6, 2019, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
September 12-15, 2019 | Chicago, Ill.
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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