MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'dartmouth'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775352&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fcontinuing-parade-of-legal-settlements.html Here is our latest round-up of the more colorful legal settlements made by some US health care organizations.Cardinal HealthCardinal Health is a pharmaceutical services company. Per the Kansas City Star:A pharmaceutical distributor has settled a federal anti-kickback lawsuit by agreeing, in part, to pay $760,000 to former Kansas City Chiefs player Dan Saleaumua and a consultant.That money is part of an $8 million settlement that Cardinal Health Inc. of Ohio agreed to pay the U.S. government to settle the lawsuit.The lawsuit alleged that Cardinal offered Saleaumua and consultant Kevin Rinne an illegal $440,000 kickback so it could supply prescription drugs to seven Kansas City area Medicine Shoppe pharmacies that Saleaumua owned at the time.Cerberus Capital Management/ Dyncorp/ Steward Heal... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775352 Mon, 02 May 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4775352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723808&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhospice-patients-spend-less-overall-time-in-hospital-but-more-days-in-the-icu%2F2011.04.16 Chronically-ill Medicare patients spent fewer days in the hospital and received more hospice care in 2007 than they did in 2003, but their intensity of care increased as well, according to a report by the Dartmouth Atlas Project. While in the hospital less, patients had many more visits from physicians, particularly specialists, and spent more days in intensive care units, as result of growth in intensive care and specialist capacity, the researchers said. Intensive interventions can lower a patients’ quality of life and cost more, the researchers noted. About one-fourth of all Medicare spending stems from the last year of life, and much of the growth in Medicare spending is the result of the high cost of treating chronic disease, the authors noted. Following patient preferences for ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723808 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4723808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498275&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faggressive-care-when-is-it-better-for-patients%2F2011.02.19 The recurring narrative among health reformers is that hospitals that provide more care raise health costs, but don’t necessarily improve quality. This has lead to a backlash against so-called “aggressive” hospitals and doctors, with upcoming financial penalties to match. But the situation, as always, appears to be more nuanced than that. In her column in the New York Times, Dr. Pauline Chen looks at one subset of patients who actually may benefit from aggressive care: Those who suffer surgical complications. The study, found no difference in the rate of complications for aggressive and nonaggressive hospitals. But when they looked at all the patients who had complications and examined their outcomes, the researchers found that regardless of the urgency of their operations, those pat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498275 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:00:29 +0100 4498275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455262&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintegrating-major-health-systems-could-make-things-worse%2F2011.02.09 Health reformers propose the proliferation of integrated health systems, like the Mayo Clinic or Kaiser Permanente, which, according to the Dartmouth Atlas, lead to better patient care and improved cost control. To that end, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been a major part of health reform, changing the way healthcare is delivered. Never mind that patients may not be receptive to the new model, but the creation of these large, integrated physician-hospital entities that progressive policy experts espouse comes with repercussions. Monopoly power. To prepare for the new model of healthcare delivery, physician practices have been consolidating. In many cases, they’re being bought by hospitals. Last year, I wrote how this is leading to the death of the private practice physician... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455262 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:00:58 +0100 4455262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372046&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsimple-blood-test-for-cancer-breakthrough-or-nightmare%2F2011.01.19 That’s the question Dartmouth’s Dr. Gil Welch asks in a column on the CNN website. He reflects on [recent] news about a test in development that might find a single cancer cell among a billion healthy ones — as so many news stories framed it. Welch analyzes: “But it’s not that simple. The test could just as easily start a cancer epidemic. … Most assume there are no downsides to looking for things to be wrong. But the truth is that early diagnosis is a double-edged sword. While it has the potential to help some, it always has a hidden side-effect: overdiagnosis, the detection of abnormalities that are not destined to ever bother people in their lifetime. Becoming a patient unnecessarily has real human costs. There’s the anxiety of being told you ar... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372046 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:00:29 +0100 4372046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331014&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbuzcooper.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fmedpac-fig-2c.png MedPAC has released another report in which they have tried to explain variation in healthcare utilization among metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), of which there are approximately 400. MSAs more-or-less correspond to Dartmouth’s 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs), and the conclusions reached by the Dartmouth folks and MedPAC tend to correspond. In commenting about MedPAC’s last report, issued in December 2009, I noted that the major variation was caused by high Medicare expenditures in seven southern states, where patients are poorer and sicker and use much more care.    In their new report, MedPAC went a step beyond measuring expenditures, which they adjusted for prices and other factors in their last report, to measuring the actual units of service, a far better way to ass... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331014 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:23 +0100 4331014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285200&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-makeover-for-lab-reports%2F2010.12.23 Although medical professionals get used to it, the way laboratory data is presented in reports can be quite confusing to the patient. Typically, it is a few columns of black text with poor organization and little guidance to help the patient discern any meaning. The folks at Wired agreed, and they brought together some Dartmouth physicians and a group of designers to bring a new look to these drab reports. We got to see their refreshing results at TEDMED, but now these prototype reports have been published online: Link: The Blood Test Gets a Makeover… *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285200 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:00:02 +0100 4285200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241767&cid=t_138423_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F08%2Fthe-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day%2F It’s common knowledge that we should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Or at least many people think it’s common knowledge. Heinz Valtin, a Dartmouth Medical School physician, disagrees. In an invited review published by the American Journal of Physiology, Valtin reported that there is no supporting evidence to back up the popular recommendation to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. How did the 8 X 8 myth start? Valtin thinks that the notion may have started in 1945 when the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommended approximately “1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food,” which would amount to roughly 2 to 2.5 quarts per day (64 to 80 ounces). In its next sentence the board stated, “[M]ost of this quantity is contained in... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241767 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 11:20:49 +0100 4241767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993914&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprimary-care-has-it-been-oversold%2F2010.09.21 Citing a new study by the Dartmouth Atlas, the Wall Street Journal’s health blog provocatively asks: “Has the notion of ‘access’ to primary care been oversold?” The Dartmouth researchers found “that there is no simple relationship between the supply of physicians and access to primary care.” That is, they found that having a greater supply of primary care physicians in a community doesn’t mean that the community necessarily has better access to primary care. Some areas of the country with fewer primary care physicians per population do better on access than other areas with more primary care physicians. The researchers also report that the numbers of family physicians is more positively associated with better access than the numbers of internists... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993914 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0100 3993914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3982002&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F09%2Fmatthew-holt-matthew-holt-of-the-health-care-blog-and-i-am-just-absolutely-delighted-today-that-my-interview-subject-is-vi.html By Matthew Holt I was absolutely delighted that after several polite "maybe later" responses I was able to recently interview Victor Fuchs, the Henry J. Kaiser Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. Vic is best known as the "Father of Health... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3982002 Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3982002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957840&cid=t_138423_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fdr-wiley-chip-souba-named-dean-dartmouth-medical-school%2F In a somewhat curious move, surgeon Dr. Wiley “Chip” Souba is leaving his position as Dean at Ohio State Medical School and moving to Dartmouth, where he will assume his duties October 1, 2010. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957840 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:52:17 +0100 3957840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690796&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F06%2Fthe-dartmouth-team-responds-again-to-mr-harris-of-the-new-york-times-.html By JONATHAN SKINNER, PhD Reed Abelson and Gardiner Harris, the authors of the June 4th New York Times article critical of the Dartmouth Atlas and research, have acknowledged Elliott Fisher and my concerns and clarified the record in their posting... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690796 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3690796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683577&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F06%2Fdoing-their-homework-times-reporters-respond-in-dartmouth-atlas-spat.html By MERRILL GOOZNER Over the weekend, the two New York Times reporters who challenged the core findings of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health stuck to their guns in a detailed response to the rejoinder to their critique. The Dartmouth Atlas,... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683577 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3683577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641024&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-dartmouth-atlas-debate-careful-consideration-needed%2F2010.06.07 The worst-kept secret in journalism circles recently was that the New York Times was planning an article critical of the Dartmouth Atlas. Among the main points in the article: • “The mistaken belief that the Dartmouth research proves that cheaper care is better care is widespread.” • “The atlas’s hospital rankings do not take into account care that prolongs or improves lives.” • “Even Dartmouth’s claims about which hospitals and regions are cheapest may be suspect.” • “Failing to make basic data adjustments undermines the geographic variations the atlas purports to show.” The Times has also published the correspondence it had with the Dartmouth team about methodology questions. The Dartmouth team challenges each of these c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641024 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:46 +0100 3641024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635742&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-dartmouth-atlas-debate-consider-criticism-and-comments-carefully%2F2010.06.07 The worst-kept secret in journalism circles recently was that the New York Times was planning an article critical of the Dartmouth Atlas. Among the main points in the article: • “The mistaken belief that the Dartmouth research proves that cheaper care is better care is widespread.” • “The atlas’s hospital rankings do not take into account care that prolongs or improves lives.” • “Even Dartmouth’s claims about which hospitals and regions are cheapest may be suspect.” • “Failing to make basic data adjustments undermines the geographic variations the atlas purports to show.” The Times has also published the correspondence it had with the Dartmouth team about methodology questions. The Dartmouth team challenges each of these c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635742 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:46 +0100 3635742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635728&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1RPluDhZbJk%2F By Michael F. CannonResearch by scholars at Dartmouth Medical School suggests that Americans waste gobs of money on medical care.  Last week, The New York Times ran a fairly lame critique of the Dartmouth research, by Reed Abelson and Gardiner Harris.  Kate Steadman of Kaiser Health News provides a good synopsis of expert reaction to the story and writes, “Conservative and libertarian health policy bloggers were largely silent, ignoring the debate.”  Although this libertarian wasn’t exactly ignoring the debate, the categorization is largely fair.  More about that in a moment. Abelson and Harris’s portrayal of the Dartmouth research is completely at odds with my understanding of that research. Source: www.dartmouthatlas.org Decades ago, Dartmouth researchers stum... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635728 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:20:51 +0100 3635728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625634&cid=t_138423_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnational-privacy-center-backed-trusted-entities Amidst all the millions of federal dollars slated for health IT adoption, HHS understands the importance of protecting patient information in electronic form. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625634 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:59:26 +0100 3625634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595540&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fstewards-of-elite-university-or.html We have postulated that one of the key reasons US health care has become so dysfunctional is that the leaders of some of the most august health care institutions have strayed from, if not totally abandoned their organizations' fundamental missions.  There are many possible reasons for this phenomenon, but one is that the ultimate stewards of not-for-profit health care organizations, their boards of directors or trustees, have become uninterested in the mission, or impotent to uphold it.  So, we have tried to figure out what has happened to these boards that has lead to this sorry state.Dartmouth College: the Packing of the Board of TrusteesOne example we have come frequently discussed (beginning here) is that of Dartmouth College, despite its name, really a university, and o... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595540 Mon, 24 May 2010 19:27:00 +0100 3595540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139006&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F01%2Fthe-five-things-to-pay-attention-to-in-2010.html By Matthew Holt There’s no doubt that despite my thoughts that Obama wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have pushed health reform in 2009, it was a very big year for health care. Death panels, public options et al—one hundred thousand visits to... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139006 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3139006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920486&cid=t_138423_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9taezv2msng%2F Eli Lilly recently became the first big drug maker to post a so-called registry of payments made to doctors for several reasons, mostly speaking engagements. And it so happens that five Dartmouth Medical School professors were listed in the registry for payment they received for health care professional education work and advising activities, The Dartmouth News reports. Douglas Noordsy, Craig Donnelly, Robert Santulli and Jeffrey Fetter - who serve as psychiatrists either at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center or New Hampshire Hospital - received $35,500, $30,250, $9,300 and $6,300, respectively, during this year’s first quarter of 2009, the paper writes. And DMS professor Richard Rubin, who heads the Vermont Clinical Study Center, Vt., received $15,000. However, faculty members are l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920486 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:51:00 +0100 2920486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823931&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fwhy-have-governing-boards-forsaken.html We have posted frequently about the governance and leadership of academic medical organizations. While one would think that health care organizations, and especially academic health care organizations ought to be held to a particularly high standard of governance, we have noted how their governance is often unrepresentative of key constituencies, opaque, unaccountable, unsupportive of the academic and health care mission, and not subject to codes of ethics. How the governance of organizations with such exemplary missions and sterling reputations got this way has been unclear.Now there are new insights from the ongoing discussion of one of the most interesting and controversial cases of disputed organizational governance. We have often come back to the example of Dartmouth College, of which... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823931 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:46:00 +0100 2823931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662628&cid=t_138423_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F01%2Ftrojan-horse-for-ovarian-cancer-nanoparticles-turn-immune-system-soldiers-against-tumor-cells%2F In a feat of trickery, Dartmouth Medical School immunologists have devised a Trojan horse to help overcome ovarian cancer, unleashing a surprise killer in the surroundings of a hard-to-treat tumor. Using nanoparticles–ultra small bits– the team has reprogrammed a protective cell that ovarian cancers have corrupted to feed their growth, turning the cells back [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662628 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:59:42 +0100 2662628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630367&cid=t_138423_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FrlUdixSnCOc%2Fpediatrics-in-practice-launch-education.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630367 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:47:00 +0100 2630367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510467&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fmcallen-is-now-a-tale-of-three-counties.html By DANIEL GILDEN Daniel Gilden is a health services researcher with 20 years of hard core quant experience.He's the President of JEN Associates which provides highly specialized analysis of Medicare and Medicaid data. He contacted THCB regarding the fuss about... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510467 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2510467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477588&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe-road-from-mcallen-to-el-paso.html By HAROLD S. LUFT Dr. Atul Gawande has provided a chilling description of the problems facing true health reform in his recent New Yorker article. In The Cost Conundrum he describes how medical care is provided in McAllen, Texas, which... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477588 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473601&cid=t_138423_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FOxvoYiQvOZQ%2F Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center are looking at a potential link that connects Lou Gehrig’s disease and algae. Lou Gehrig’s disease “attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.” While studies are still preliminary and additional research is needed, the preliminary thought is that the disease could be triggered by algae in the water. One source says that “certain algae blooms produce a neurotoxin that may trigger the disease. The blue-green algae can be fatal to animals and should be avoided.” Researchers note that this algae is extremely rare. Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post from: Blisstree Lou Gehrig’s Disease and Algae (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473601 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:37:52 +0100 2473601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464159&cid=t_138423_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fevidence-based-lobbying.html Leaders of the medical-industrial complex wonder if the Dartmouth research findings might be a touch overblown. I dunno - maybe. But don't we doctors do a lot else based on much less evidence? What fraction of hallowed medical practice is based on no more than class IIb recommendations?Heck, I'm ready for New York to get less medical money. I don't think the kinds of places I'd rather practice are the ones that are overspending. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464159 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:47:00 +0100 2464159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458089&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F06%2Fdatadriven-health-care-an-interview-with-jerry-reeves-md.html An under-the-radar debate is occurring in health care between those who say data shows that practice variations across the land are “unwarranted” and those who maintain that such variation is inevitable given socioeconomic population differences and cost of practice differences... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458089 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2458089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405141&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F05%2Fconnecting-value-to-coverage-a-first-glimpse.html By MICHAEL PAINTER Would you take a virtual walk with me across the Dartmouth Atlas map on RWJF's web site? Just follow the link. Now, move your cursor first over, say, anywhere in Minnesota. There, you'll see that 2006 Medicare... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405141 Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2405141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380782&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fblogscan-accountable-academic.html On The Torch blog, hosted by FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), this post by Kyle Smeallie summarized the travails of "petition candidates" for the boards of trustees of two elite American universities (Dartmouth and Harvard). As we have noted, at most universities, the boards of trustees, the bodies ultimately responsible for upholding the universities' missions, are closed shops. At most universities, the boards appoint new members to replace departing ones, without input from alumni, parents, students, faculty or anyone else who might be considered constituents. Thus, at most universities, even though the boards are ultimately responsible for the stewardship of the institutions, and upholding the institutions' missions, practically, they are accountable to no one. At ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380782 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:42:00 +0100 2380782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364986&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fpension-fund-scandals-payment-agents.html As we get closer to graduation season for most institutions of higher education, another story about the leadership and governance of higher education, involving an institution housing a prominent medical school, has come into view, albeit indirectly. Let me try to explain this complex story, which on its surface has something to do with the ongoing financial crisis, but nothing to to with academia, by quoting, as usual, from media coverage.We start with an article from the New York Times last week:The man leading the Obama administration’s efforts to restructure the auto industry has been described in Securities and Exchange Commission documents as having arranged for his investment firm to pay more than $1 million to obtain New York State pension business.Although he is not named in th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364986 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:43:00 +0100 2364986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364987&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Finvestment-bankers-strike-back.html We have posted frequently on the governance and leadership of academic medical organizations. While one would think that health care organizations, and especially academic health care organizations ought to be held to a particularly high standard of governance, we have noted how their governance is often unrepresentative of key constituencies, opaque, unaccountable, unsupportive of the academic and health care mission, and not subject to codes of ethics. How the governance of organizations with such exemplary missions and sterling reputations got this way has been unclear.We have often come back to the example of Dartmouth College, of which Dartmouth Medical School is a significant component. We most recently summarized here an ongoing dispute about the extent that the institution's board ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364987 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:34:00 +0100 2364987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347941&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhedge-fund-u-version-2.html We have posted frequently on the governance and leadership of academic medical organizations. While one would think that health care organizations, and especially academic health care organizations ought to be held to a particularly high standard of governance, we have noted how their governance is often unrepresentative of key constituencies, opaque, unaccountable, unsupportive of the academic and health care mission, and not subject to codes of ethics. How the governance of organizations with such exemplary missions and sterling repuations got this way has been unclear.In 2007, we reported on one famous institution which had a more representative, transparent, and accountable form of governance. Let me provide a summary of the background from FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347941 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:18:00 +0100 2347941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955203&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fleadership-of-elite-american-university.html In which we revisit some questions about the leadership and governance of Dartmouth College, a leading US university....Last year, we posted several times, most recently here, about the leadership and governance of Dartmouth College, which is, despite its name, one of the elite American universities, and home to a prestigious medical school. Dartmouth is unusual in that it allows some of its board of trustees to be elected by alumni. Furthermore, it allows candidates to be nominated by petition of the alumni. Many US colleges and universities' boards are entirely self-appointed. Those that allow elections usually restrict these to a few seats, and usually only permit candidates chosen by the board, university administration, or their agents. Therefore, the top leadership of most US higher ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955203 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:58:00 +0100 1955203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1631185&cid=t_138423_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fmore-health-care-is-not-better.html What explains the large variation in health care costs across the country? You would expect that the regions with the highest health care expenditures have the sickest patients, or have the highest prevalence of chronic health conditions. But you would be wrong. Health care expenditures are highest where health care supply is the highest. As the number of hospital beds, doctors, and medical technologies (”supply-limited health care”) increases, the use of these goods increases as well.More in Clinical Correlations, the blog of NYU Internal Medicine. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1631185 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:18:00 +0100 1631185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353905&cid=t_138423_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcarebloglaw.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fdartmouth-atlas-health-care-stats-on.html The WSJ Health Blog posts (WSJ article, More Choices Drive Cost of Health Care) interesting statistics on end of life care costs according to the latest Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care edition (due out today).The report shows:. . . that the cost of individual medical services isn’t the big driver of Medicare spending, at least for chronically ill patients in their last two years. It’s the intensity of care, such as the number of specialist visits and days in the ICU. . .According to the map graphic West Virginia comes in low in the "below $37,500" category showing the average Medicare Spending during the last two years of life for chronically ill patients.As the costs of our health care system increase over the coming years we will likely see an increased focus on looking at the end of ... Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353905 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:39:00 +0100 1353905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1341313&cid=t_138423_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F262128108%2F (Please remember you can subscribe, at the top of this page, to receive this complimentary bi-monthly newsletter by email).  We are proud to announce that we now belong to the exclusive Scientific American Partner Network. Scientific American Mind spoke highly of our website last year, so it was only natural (but made us very pleased) that we were invited to join their new blogger network. We remain an independent company, so there will be few obvious changes - mainly some more links between their website and ours and new banner ads administered by Scientific American's great team.  News Brain Fitness Software Report: Reviews:  our just released Market Report is earning a growing number of accolades as a must-read publication for executives and investors interested in emerging brain... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1341313 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:47:21 +0100 1341313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858256&cid=t_138423_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Foceania-in-new-hampshire.html We recently discussed a proposed attempt to "reform" the governance of Dartmouth College, an elite US educational institution and home to a well-regarded medical school. As noted earlier, Dartmouth is unusual in that it allows almost half of its board of trustees to be elected by alumni. Furthermore, it allows candidates to be nominated by petition of the alumni. Many US colleges and universities' boards are entirely self-appointed. Those that allow elections usually restrict these to a few seats, and usually only permit candidates chosen by the board, university administration, or their agents. Thus, the top leadership of most US higher educational institutions is mostly self-appointed. Dartmouth was a partial exception to this pattern.Now the Dartmouth board has decided to become more li... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858256 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:53:00 +0100 858256