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 'executive'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182067&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182067 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5182067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169611&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169611 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5169611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159197&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F25%2Fusing-tragedy-to-justify-mental-health-services-in-delaware%2F In a letter that could’ve been written in virtually any state by any National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) representative, NAMI Delaware executive director Matthew Stehl and president Mary Berger recently wrote an op-ed for Delaware’s leading newspaper, The News Journal. In the opinion piece, Stehl and Berger decry the lack of adequate funding for mental illness treatment in the state. In a period of economic recession, state-funded health and human services are usually the first to undergo cuts. But it’s an especially relevant issue in Delaware, because the U.S. Department of Justice struck an agreement with the state to ensure it improves its mental health services for its indigent and poor residents who need mental health services. All of which is good. I’m ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159197 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:55:45 +0100 5159197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158873&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fmore-executives-prospering-despite.html Cases that demonstrate the contrast between compensation given to the hired executives of health care organizations and their or their organizations' performance continue to appear.  Last week we discussed how freely million dollar plus compensation is given to executives of nominally non-profit hospitals, and discussed how well some executives were paid just prior to charges of financial mismanagement, arrests or guilty pleas that drove them from their jobs.I have also found a series of cases of executives whose pay seemed disproportionate in the context of their institutions' financial difficulties.  Here they are, discussed in alphabetical order.Greenwich Hospital, ConnecticutAccording to GreenwichTime.com, here is the context:Greenwich Hospital went under the k... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158873 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +0100 5158873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158874&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-goes-up-non-profit-hospital-ceo.html We have frequently discussed the disconnect between incentives, particularly total compensation, given to the leaders of health care organizations and their roles, or lack thereof, in improving the health care of their patients or the public. One measure of that disconnect is how leaders' pay continues to defy gravity while the economy continues to suffer, and health care dysfunction continues to fester.In particular, total compensation given to CEOs of ostensibly not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems is increasingly passing the magic $1 million mark. A round up including two recent articles and others from the last four months that we have not discussed before revealed more "million dollar babies" amongst the ranks of these leaders.  (Note that most of the data... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158874 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:37:00 +0100 5158874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139647&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbest-and-brightest-behaving-badly.html To err is human, and any group of humans can be expected to include those who stray.  However, the constant spin that surrounds most top leaders of health care organizations seems to suggest that these people are different.  In particular, the lavish compensation given leaders of health care organizations is often justified by claims that those in leadership positions are the best and the brightest.  Catching up after a vacation afforded me the opportunity to go through a large volume of news stories, leading to a collection of those from the last year that showed the contrast between such compensation and behavior that was far from the "best and the brightest. "North Memorial Health Care CEO Pleads Guilty to Engaging in ProstitutionAs reported by the Minneapo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139647 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:02:00 +0100 5139647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130672&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-pfizer-iii-enormous-pay-for-poor.html The recent in-depth investigation by Fortune reporters of 10 years of dysfunctional leadership at Pfizer, the "world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company," raises many issues about leadership and governance in health care (see our post here).  To continue what is likely to become a lengthy series, let us now discuss the discrepancy between the markedly dysfunctional leadership performance documented in the Fortune article and the pay given to the leaders involved."Hank" McKinnell et al - 2003-2006 Mr McKinell was forced to retire in 2006. The Fortune article described Mr McKinnell as a "desperate CEO" by 2002 because he could find no way to replenish the company's fading drug pipeline; who then became an absent CEO who "left a power vacuum" and then triggered internal polit... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130672 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:22:00 +0100 5130672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118710&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F10%2Fretractions-of-scientific-research-papers-going-up%2F Ed Silverman over at Pharmalot reports on the media coverage of a new study published by the Journal of Medical Ethics which shows a disturbing trend — more and more journals are retracting journal articles they previously published. Worse yet, nearly 32 percent of the retracted papers are not noted as retracted. “Retracted” in scientific language means that the paper has been withdrawn and should be ignored — as though it never existed in the scientific literature. Retractions generally occur because of sloppy research and errors in the data calculations, collection or statistics, or because of fraud. Is this a trend pointing to lower quality research and sloppier methods being employed? Or perhaps that because more people than ever can read the scientific research... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118710 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:11:31 +0100 5118710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118573&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fnow-mainstream-notion-profit-seeking.html We have been writing - some might say wailing Cassandra-like - about health care dysfunction since I published about it in the European Journal of Internal Medicine in 2003.(1) However, while our dismal warnings were inspired by fears of  health care professionals who saw bad things happening in their local health care environments, the notion that things were really bad in health care really did not get a lot of traction. After all, we were in the second decade of a prolonged economic "great moderation," the good times were rolling, so who was really worried by a few whiners and complainers in health care?However, after the fall of Lehman Brothers ushered in the global financial collapse, or great recession, this complacency was disturbed, and it began to appear that our pr... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118573 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:17:00 +0100 5118573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103347&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FnPoSFjxykkk%2F The UCEM executive have recently relocated from Swarmington-on-the-Wold to the more picturesque setting of Enlightenment Boulevard...but where should we move the non-executive members? (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103347 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:00:12 +0100 5103347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096112&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-pfizer-ii-lack-of-transparency.html The recent in-depth investigation by Fortune reporters of 10 years of dysfunctional leadership at Pfizer, the "world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company," raises many issues about leadership and governance in health care (see our post here).  To continue what is likely to become a lengthy series, let us discuss the most obvious one, is the discrepancy between what appeared in Fortune and what Pfizer chose to make public about its leadership.This discrepancy is most apparent when one compares official descriptions of executive performance with what the Fortune reporters found.  To illustrate, consider the official descriptions of the performance of former Pfizer CEOs Hank McKinnell and Jeffrey Kindler in the respective years in which they were forced out."Han... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096112 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:53:00 +0100 5096112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077624&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fexecutives-get-rich-despite-ethical-and.html We recently posted about some shocking allegations suggesting that the for-profit corporations that now dominate hospice care may prey on vulnerable patients to increase their revenues, and may specifically recruit patients who are not terminally ill for hospice, and then neglect to attend to their treatable medical problems.  The post was based on a Bloomberg investigative report.The Bloomberg report focused on two large for-profit hospice providers, Vitas, a subsidiary of Chemed, and VistaCare, a subsidiary of Gentiva. We have repeatedly seen a pattern in numerous other health care organizations, non-profit as well as for-profit: despite questionable corporate behavior that appears to violate the values of health care professionals, executives receive rich compen... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077624 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:51:00 +0100 5077624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069646&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F7WRGFlNNhZU%2F New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD students (press release): - “Prior research shows ADHD children have slower brain development and a reduced ability to cope with stress,” said Dr. Stixrud. “Virtually everyone finds it difficult to pay attention, organize themselves and get things done when they’re under stress,” he explained. “Stress interferes with the ability to learn—it shuts down the brain. Functions such as attention, memory, organization, and integration are compromised.” - Dr. Stixrud added, “Because stress significantly compromises attention and all of the key executive functions such as inhibition, working memory, organization, and mental flexibility, it made sense that a technique (such as Transcendental Meditation) th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069646 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:35:14 +0100 5069646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050459&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fblood-money-at-border-red-cross-and.html Writing in our local Providence Journal, Felice Freyer reported on a story that becomes less bewildering when viewed in the context of how nominally not-for-profit health care organizations are now run.  The Border DisputeIt seems that two such non-profits are having a border dispute:Two local charities are fighting for your blood.The Rhode Island Blood Center, long the sole blood-collection agency in the state, is objecting to incursions by the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts, which recently started holding blood drives here.A war of words has resulted, with the blood center accusing the Red Cross of a 'campaign of misinformation,' and the Red Cross calling the blood center 'hypocritical.' The Hospital Association of Rhode Island entered the fray with a letter to blood do... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050459 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:58:00 +0100 5050459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050461&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealth-care-for-very-rich-is-different.html Another glimpse of health care for the very rich comes by way of a BNet post by Jim Edwards about the beleaguered CEO of Forest Laboratories.The background is that:The CEO is fighting to retain his place atop the company against both investor Carl Icahn, who wants his own directors on Forest’s board, and the Department of Health & Human Services, which wants to exclude Solomon from the drug business as a punishment for the company settling a $313 million investigation by the Department of Justice over its illegal marketing of Levothroid and other drugs.We had posted about the government threat to disbar him from government business after his company here. Edwards noted that despite these setbacks, Solomon's total compensation actually increased:Forest Labs (FRX) reported that CEO How... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050461 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:16:00 +0100 5050461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028235&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifeinthefastlane.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2FCircle_Of_Care_5.mov In response to a recent conversation with @Prof_Elemental regarding an engagement to perform at the upcoming Utopian Conference of Waiting Room Medicine, the Council executive have urged us to re-post the UCEM concept of Waiting Room design (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028235 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:02:49 +0100 5028235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028451&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Ftelehealth-wait-theres-online-therapy%2F Stop the presses! Randall Stross over at the Digital Domain at The New York Times has just discovered online therapy. Acknowledging that the idea has been around for a long time, Stross begins the piece by digging up an American Journal of Psychiatry article from 38 years ago, written by Thomas Dwyer describing one of the first telepsychiatry systems ever devised (at Massachusetts General Hospital). How quaint. (Confusing telepsychiatry/telehealth systems — which have been around for decades utilizing private networks and closed video systems, and that are well-researched — with online therapy is a common mistake made by journalists who explore this area.) The hook, apparently, is to highlight yet some more companies who’ve decided to take the plunge into exploiting this ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028451 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:10:09 +0100 5028451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008077&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fbeing-non-profit-hospital-ceo-means.html When my arm was twisted heartily to see the movie "Love Story" a very long time ago, I could never understand why so many audience members sighed upon hearing that immortal line, "love means never having to say you're sorry."  I could not understand it then, and still cannot.However, it seems that for reasons that are not any more clear, being the CEO of a not-for-profit hospital or hospital system also means never having to say you are sorry, as shown in some recent stories from the media. Not Sorry for LeavingOriginally published in the Fargo (ND) InForum:The merger 1½ years ago of Sanford Health and MeritCare created a new entity that doubled in size and covers a service area of more than 130,000 square miles.But the unified health care giant needed only one top executive, and the... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008077 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:59:00 +0100 5008077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992817&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fresearch-brief-how-do-attention-and.html The journal Neuropsychologia has a new special issue dealing with the constructs of attention and short-term/working memory. The guest editors remarks can be found here.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology neuroscience psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner general intelligence g attention controlled attention executive attention Gsm short-term memory working memory executive functions Neuropsychologia Generated by: Tag Generator (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence The... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992817 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:26:00 +0100 4992817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975790&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fmore-revelations-about-how-top-managers.html Last month, we discussed the contrast between executive compensation at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System (SVMH), a small California public hospital system, and the treatment of employees in the trenches. While the hospital had laid off workers ostensibly because of the poor economic climate, the local newspaper revealed that its CEO was leaving with a multi-million dollar retirement package, and that some of his supposed severance pay had been given him before he was severed.This month, amidst growing labor unrest partially driven by the disparate treatment of the hired top manager and the more lowly employees who actually take care of patients, a new report revealed further contrasts between how hired executives and "regular" employees are treated.Let me give a blow by ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975790 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:02:00 +0100 4975790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975791&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fceo-compensation-nothing-to-see-here.html An article in the Washington Post showed how uncomfortable executives of big corporations, including health corporations, are about making their outsize compensation transparent.  Here’s one financial figure some big U.S. companies would rather keep secret: how much more their chief executive makes than the typical worker.Now a group backed by 81 major companies — including McDonald’s, Lowe’s, General Dynamics, American Airlines, IBM and General Mills — is lobbying against new rules that would force disclosure of that comparison.The lobbying effort began more than a year ago. It involved some of the biggest names in corporate America and meetings with members of both parties on the House Financial Services Committee and Senate banking committee.The companies and their R... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975791 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:11:00 +0100 4975791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968427&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fembedded-networks-of-influence-in.html At the 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), sponsored by Transparency International, one of the plenary sessions was devoted to the topic of "embedded networks of influence."  The session description included this description of the topic as:the major stumbling block in the fight against corruption, namely, the power of 'embedded networks' in advancing personal or group interests through state institutions. The extent of their power can create what is known as “state capture” meaning democratic governance failure. It will take a close look at the influential role of private sector, especially of the multinational private sector.A recent investigative report in the Chronicle of Higher Education illustrated a striking case of how one key individual has affected... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968427 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:11:00 +0100 4968427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952794&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FII6rtUWA2_4%2F By Gene HealySo for three months now, we’ve been at war in a country that the president’s own secretary of defense admits is “not a vital interest for the United States.” Turns out, it’s also a war that the president’s own attorney general believes to be illegal. That’s what I get from Charlie Savage’s recent reporting on how the White House “forum-shopped” its way to its current position on the War Powers Resolution, to wit, you’re not engaged in “hostilities” if you’re hitting someone but they can’t hit you back. As the WPR’s 60-day deadline approached, the Pentagon’s general counsel and, more importantly, the head of the president’s Office of Legal Counsel, Caroline D. Krass, advi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952794 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:26:01 +0100 4952794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952748&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fmanagers-coup-how-hired-hands-got.html We have frequently discussed the perverse incentives provided to the leaders of health care organizations.  They almost never pay a penalty for presiding over organizational actions that are unethical, harmful to patients, or even criminal (e.g., see posts here and here for some very recent examples.)  However, they often collect outrageously huge compensation disproportionate to any reasonable measure of their organizations' performance.  (e.g., see posts here and here for relevant recent examples.)Now two news articles, based in turn on research studies, further illuminate how hired managers and executives have become so wealthy and unaccountable.The first news article was in the New York Times, and was in turn based on an accounting study.  In summary, a recent,... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952748 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:47:00 +0100 4952748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953136&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fresearch-byte-age-related-cognitive.html Note that the final model (above) is consistent with prior research I included in McGrew (2005) and which is also online here. There is clearly strong evidence for the primary role of processing speed (Gs) playing a indirect role on cognition mediated via working memory.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology neuroscience psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner general intelligence working memory executive function cognitive control processing speed working memory Gsm Gs aging cogni... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953136 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:45:00 +0100 4953136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911418&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcoverts-anechoic-misadventures.html We have frequently discussed how health care leaders' compensation seems to reflect the opposite of the pay for performance they often tout.  One example we discussed recently turns out to be even more vivid than we first discovered.Last week we discussed the case of Mr Michael Cover, the CEO of the small, public Palomar Pomerado Health system in southern California, whose total compensation increased to over $1 mllion a year, while his hospital system was cited for severe, life-threatening medical errors.  The current and previous system board chairmen called his work "excellent, and " phenomenal," and asserted Mr Covert was "one of the nation's leading health administrators."It turns out that a local weekly newspaper, the Community Paper, investigated Mr Covert's... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911418 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:36:00 +0100 4911418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911462&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoNZh6Abkf4E%2F By Jason KuznickiWhen can the executive lawfully kill? The rule of law itself depends on getting the answer right. Clearly that answer can’t be “never,” because then even defensive wars would be impossible. And it can’t be “whenever,” because that would be the very antithesis of lawful government. As F. A. Hayek wrote, “if a law gave the government unlimited power to act as it pleased, all its actions would be legal, but it would certainly not be under the rule of law” (p. 205). The answer must be “sometimes”—but which times are those? In wartime? In peacetime? Against aliens? What about citizens? What role do the courts play? And what about the legislature? In answer to these questions, Cato Unbound lead essayist Ryan Alford draws on the Anglo-American constitutional... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911462 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:12:38 +0100 4911462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893342&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fshould-phenomenal-1-million-ceo-be.html A recent story with some local color once again illustrates the cognitive dissonance evoked by current patterns of compensation of health care leaders.Let me start chronologically. The Stratospheric Compensation of the CEO, and Its JustificationIn 2009, the compensation given to the CEO of the Palomar Pomerado Health, a public health system in the vicinity of San Diego, California, provided some headlines. As reported then by the San Diego Times-Union,Palomar Pomerado Health CEO Michael Covert has received a 26 percent — or $154,000 — pay raise.The increase, approved by the hospital district’s board of directors last month, is retroactive to July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, board Chairman Bruce Krider said.The increase brought Covert’s pay from $582,000 a year to $736,000 ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893342 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:40:00 +0100 4893342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893412&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhYNofFwwjrM%2F By George Scoville Few GOP presidential candidates have proposed specific budget cuts. “Peace is in the interest of Taiwan, China, and the U.S. … But the U.S. should view continuing arms sales to Taipei as perhaps the best means to maintain stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.” Market liberalization has transformed newly independent states that formerly comprised Yugoslavia. President Obama is simply the new standard-bearer for the bipartisan contempt for constitutional limits on power. Cato chairman Robert A. Levy makes the libertarian case for marriage equality: Thursday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893412 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:08:11 +0100 4893412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893413&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrydOQNq3g4U%2F By Gene HealyMy Washington Examiner column today closes out a three-part series this week on “Obama’s Imperial Presidency” (also running at Reason.com). Tuesday’s column covered Obama’s expansion of executive power abroad, and Wednesday’s looked at the ways in which Obama has turned the Imperial Presidency inward against the private sector. Today’s column begins with a recap of the powers 44 holds: Abroad, Obama claims the power to start wars at will; scoop up your email and phone records without answering to a judge; assassinate you via drone strike far from any battlefield, and — should your relatives complain — keep the whole thing secret in the name of national security. At home, Obama has summarily fired the CEO of General Motors, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893413 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:11:38 +0100 4893413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893680&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fresearch-byte-anxiety-and-cognitive.html Very interesting article by Derakshan and Eysenk (2009) that explains/defines attentional control theory and its role in working memory and executive functions. The focus is on the influence of anxiety on attentional control, cognitive performance, and cognitive efficiency. I have made my annotated comments with value added links via the IQs Reading feature of IQs Corner blog.Enjoy. - iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology neuroscience psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner general ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893680 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:28:00 +0100 4893680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893461&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F1e92NjDSH54%2F UCEM call upon fondling members to submit their resume to fill the vacant position of General Secretary. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893461 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:20:56 +0100 4893461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862467&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fmillion-dollar-plus-hospital-ceo.html Health care leaders' compensation has again been in the news. Below are highlights from stories about four medical centers, emphasizing the magnitude of executive compensation, how it is related, or not to hospital and executive performance, and whether and how the organizations' boards chose to justify it. The medical centers are in alphabetical order. University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterCompensationAccording to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:In tax documents released Friday, Jeffrey Romoff, president and CEO of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, received $4.01 million in salary, bonuses and benefits that year.Also,Other top earners at UPMC include neurosurgeons Ghassan Bejjani, $2.37 million in salary and benefits, and Richard Spiro, $2.23 million; cardiothoracic surgeon James ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862467 Wed, 25 May 2011 18:31:00 +0100 4862467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841388&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fseverance-package-to-un-severed-ceo.html The latest jaw-dropping story about executive compensation in health care has been unfolding in California, but at least now I have a diagnosis for this syndrome.  A Generous Retirement Package, Paid Before RetirementIn April, the Los Angeles Times reported about the generous retirement package given to an outgoing public hospital district CEO in California:When he turned 65 two years ago, Samuel Downing received a $3-million retirement payment from a public hospital district in Salinas, Calif., where he serves as president and chief executive.But Downing continued working at his $668,000-a-year job for another two years, and after he retires this week, he will receive another payment of nearly $900,000. That comes on top of his regular pension of $150,000 a year.Note that not only wa... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841388 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:11:00 +0100 4841388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829084&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F4nxLYTlQzms%2F Conclusions Aerobic exercise seems to benefit overweight children not only physically but also mentally. These findings mirror the ones observed in the aging population. Aerobic exercise influences cognition through the increase of growth factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which leads to increased capillary blood supply to the brain and growth of both new neurons and synapses. With childhood obesity on the rise, these are very timely findings. In addition, exercise is a simple solution to increase physical health and mental performance. Something to tell to your school board, over and over! Related posts: Fitter bodies = fitter brains. True at all ages? Exercise as a Treatment for ADHD (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829084 Mon, 16 May 2011 17:59:30 +0100 4829084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829087&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fiqs-reading-chun-et-al-taxonomy-of.html Click on image to enlargeI just finished my first read of Chun et al.'s thought provoking article that suggests and interesting external/internal taxonomy of human attention. All my comments are embedded in the article as per the IQ's Reading feature of IQ's Corner. A very thought provoking article that ties together a wide array of research on attention, working memory (attentional control), the importance of brain network synchrony (esp. the P-FIT model of Haeir et al), etc.Worth the read. I particular like the treatment of working memory as more an attentional control mechanism and the treatment of cognitive control and top-down vs bottom-up attention.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829087 Sun, 15 May 2011 02:47:00 +0100 4829087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813248&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjvfxlWlE_Rw%2F By Gene HealyOver at the American Conservative, I have a review of Eric Posner and Adrian Vermuele’s new book Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic. Funny enough, the working title for my book on presidential power was “Executive Unbound,” but P&V have a very different take on the dangers of concentrating power in the executive (they coin the term “tyrannophobia,” for irrational fear of executive abuse). From the review’s intro: The New York Times book editors assigned their review to the Straussian political philosopher Harvey Mansfield, the self-styled expert on “manliness” who’s as rabid a supporter of the imperial presidency as you’re likely to find. In the late Bush era, Mansfield wrote a 3,000-word Wall Street Journal op-ed, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813248 Wed, 11 May 2011 16:30:24 +0100 4813248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734337&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fneuropsychological-abilities-related-to.html Very interesting study on the neuropsychological constructs related to beginning writing. The abstract, initial CFA/SEM model, and the final CFA/SEM model are presented below. The initial model was not found plausible due to significant multicolinearity between a number of the measures (variance from some measures could be perfectly predicted from other tests, either singly, or in linear combination with other measures). Most intriguing conclusion for me is the clear importance of executive functioning (very broadly operationalized in the final model) for beginning writing. A good article for this interested in early writing and writing disabilities to get and digest.Double click on each image to enlarge.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734337 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:48:00 +0100 4734337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709168&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fjohnson-and-johnson-runs-afoul-of.html Johnson and Johnson, the once highly reputed international pharmaceutical and device company, cannot catch a break.  International Bribery ChargesAs reported by Bloomberg, the latest story is about bribery claims across multiple countries and two continents:Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the world’s second-biggest seller of medical products, will pay $70 million after admitting that the company bribed doctors in Europe and paid kickbacks in Iraq to win contracts and sell drugs and artificial joints.Subsidiaries of J&J paid bribes to doctors and hospital administrators in Greece, Poland and Romania, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice said today in filings at U.S. District Court in Washington. The company also made illegal payments to Iraqi officials to... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709168 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:47:00 +0100 4709168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653317&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fet392xf2v9Y%2F By Malou InnocentTonight, to sell the illusion of America's "limited military action" in Libya's civil war, President Barack Obama insisted that America had a moral imperative to intervene militarily, implying he will do so wherever foreign leaders commit atrocities against their people. This latest mission in the name of "humanitarian imperialism" is extremely dangerous. In fact, if all goes well in Libya, it might be just as bad as if we fail. Consider, for instance, if I walked through a wall of fire and came out the other side unharmed. Although I came out safe and sound, my decision to walk through the wall of fire was still misinformed. My good outcome was simply one among a host of potentially terrible outcomes. After all, if I were to walk through that wall of fire again and... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653317 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:01:33 +0100 4653317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642572&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8JIumpKo5F8%2F By Christopher PrebleThere is ample recent evidence that the president has some difficulty with entrances and exits.  The linked video is a humorous example; the building conundrum in Libya is not. President Obama's decision to launch a series of military strikes against Libya raises a host of questions, many more than can be answered in his much-belated address to the American people tonight. At a minimum, the President must clarify the purpose and scope of the mission. He has declared that the sole object is to protect civilians from harm. Others in his administration, however, suggest that military operations will continue until Muammar Qaddafi leaves office. In fact, the two goals might be contradictory, as the need to protect civilians from violence could well extend long after Qadd... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642572 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:57:22 +0100 4642572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626770&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdespite-poor-financial-results.html It is the season for share-holders' meetings of big US publicly held corporations, and as the proxy statements prepared for these meetings, prepare for more eye-popping, jaw-dropping examples of executive compensation.  Pfizer's 2010 CEO CompensationThe AP (via the Wall Street Journal) just noted the compensation given to Jeffrey Kindler, the outgoing (in 2010) CEO of Pfizer, Inc, the world's largest pharmaceutical company:Former Pfizer Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeffrey B. Kindler may have left the world's largest drugmaker abruptly last December, but he didn't leave empty-handed thanks to a compensation package valued almost $22 million.Kindler received a 60 percent increase last year over his 2009 compensation, according to an Associated Press analysis of a Pfizer regulatory filing Tues... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626770 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:14:00 +0100 4626770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622205&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fmillions-to-health-insurance-ceos-but.html The revelations about the huge golden parachute given the outgoing CEO of ostensibly non-profit Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield induced some public discussion about the disconnect between executive compensation and the mission of health care organization (see most recent post here).  Several other recent stories should generate more discussion on these issues.  First, new proxy statements revealed the compensation of executives of two large for-profit health care insurers/ managed care companies.  In alphabetical order,CignaAs reported by the AP, via ABC news, the CEO got a big raise:Cigna Corp. CEO David M. Cordani's total compensation more than doubled in 2010, his first year as leader of the nation's fourth-largest health insurer, and a period in which the company's ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622205 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:32:00 +0100 4622205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605790&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fhealth-care-executives-compensation.html This article made it seem that the substantial compensation received by these executives was related to the system's financial performance:[Senior Vice President of marketing and communication Jim] Tobalski said Novant will release its fiscal 2010 financial report in April. The system likely will report a better overall performance because of the stock market's surge in 2010.However, as reported eight days later again by the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal, there are other ways to look at these executives' compensation. First, their bonuses can be compared to those given less exalted employees:Novant Health Inc. has paid two separate bonuses, including a one-time 'thank you' offering, to its Forsyth Medical Center employees recently, but that has not dampened the complaints of some employees th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605790 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:35:00 +0100 4605790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600495&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdespite-recalls-legal-settlements.html For our latest story about the tremendous disconnect between the pay and performance of leaders of health care organizations, we turn to Reuters.  Astronomical PayDespite having a very bad 2010, Johnson and Johnson continued to reward its CEO royally:After a year in which Johnson & Johnson's product quality control was deemed such a shambles that the U.S. government will oversee some plants, the board had praise for Chief Executive William Weldon and awarded him almost $29 million in overall compensation.The once golden reputation of the diversified healthcare giant was severely tarnished by seemingly endless recalls of widely used consumer products as well as recalls of medical devices and products from other units in 2010.U.S. consumer product sales fell by more than 19 percent ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600495 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4600495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592326&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fsome-dare-call-it-corruption.html We have discussed many cases of health care organizations' leaders reaping rewards disproportionate to any concept of their performance, and especially to any concept of the effect of their conduct on patients' or the public's health.  Most of these cases have been pretty anechoic, but for some reason, the case of the huge golden parachute given to the outgoing CEO of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield despite a tenure  marked by financial losses and no particularly brilliant advances in patients' care or outcomes, (see this post) continues to generate responses.  One editorial suggested that should the non-profit health insurance company continue to pay so lavishly, it should lose its tax exemption.  Another noted that the company should start put... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592326 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:50:00 +0100 4592326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4581099&cid=t_130652_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2F73DcvJfOYaM%2F A few weeks ago I was reading another self development blog that was written by a Life Coach. I was half way through reading the post when it became apparent I was being sold to. Not overtly you understand, but in a very clever and strategic manner using some subtle language patterns. I thought it was obvious to everybody that it wasn’t really a blog post, but a sales letter, but I was wrong, as became apparent when I read the gushing comments. I really do get why people do that kind of thing and I in many respects there’s nothing wrong with it. However, it’s not something I feel comfortable doing because I want you to trust me, not be second guessing my motives and wondering if I have one hand on my keyboard and the other on your wallet. So let me make something perfectly clear. Thi... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4581099 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:59:27 +0100 4581099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575025&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fmassachusetts-blue-cross-blue-shield.html We have frequently discussed the kind of compensation now frequently given to leaders of health care organizations.  Although often even the most disproportionately outrageous compensation only attracts transient interest, a recent regional story in this genre has really gotten legs.How Big the Golden Parachute?The story was about the severance package given to one Cleve L Killingsworth, the former CEO of not-for-profit health care insurance company Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield.  While first reported as being worth $8.6 million,(1) the estimate of his total severance was soon raised to $11 million.(2)This is a Way to Control Costs?Immediately, that amount was contrasted with the supposed emphasis of the company on controlling costs, and its recent poor performance: K... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575025 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:37:00 +0100 4575025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532217&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fh3hODAdYe1g%2F Egerton Y. Davis IV makes an announcement concerving the future of the Utopian College of Emergency for Medicine. Will they stay or will they go? (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532217 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:26 +0100 4532217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522285&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqAmwBCrGDk4%2F Here’s a lesson for a board of directors: never let a few setbacks deter you from giving your chief executive a raise, however modest. Consider Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon. Despite a breathtaking number of recalls spanning nearly every corner of the health care behemoth - over-the-counter meds, contact lenses, syringes, hip replacement devices - he received a 3 percent pay hike. His new base salary is $1.92 million, up from $1.86 million, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Some may argue that a 3 percent raise is not much. In real dollars, this amounts to roughly $60,000 (which can be used for many things, of course). And his 2010 bonus was cut 45 percent to $1.97 million, down from $3.6 million(the bonus, by the way, is 85 percent cash a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522285 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:01:36 +0100 4522285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522189&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FEu6bR1jN2O4%2F Here is a fun and interactive version of the famous Stroop test. This test is used in neu­ropsy­cho­log­i­cal eval­u­a­tions to mea­sure men­tal speed and flex­i­bil­ity, the hallmarks of executive functions. Performing well on the test requires strong atten­tion and self-regulation. Your job is to name the colors of the words. Do NOT read the words but the color of the ink used to write the words. For example, if the word “GREEN” is printed in a red color, you should say “RED” (and refrain from saying “GREEN”!) Speed matters so try to say the colors as fast as you can. A nice feature here: You will be able to record your reaction times. Ready to have fun? GO (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522189 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:16:23 +0100 4522189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517156&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4s9Nn8lvb68%2F By Jason KuznickiThe Obama Administration's decision to stop defending DOMA in the courts has provoked some widespread commentary. Jim Burroway hints that Obama's strategy here is both deep and cynical. Obama's locked in a losing fight with Republicans over the budget, because Americans really do want to cut federal spending. This remains true even if, notoriously, nearly the only specific program they want to cut is our negligible foreign aid. The mood is anti-spending, and it's just possible that a government shutdown scares Obama even more than it scares the Republicans. The remedy? Change the subject. Make Republicans in Congress defend their stance on gay marriage, which is so not the discussion they'd like to be having. It could be one of the first instances in which gay marriage cou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517156 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:43:20 +0100 4517156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512616&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FH-3P5Te9uPI%2F Once again, the pay package given Novartis chairman Dan Vasella is causing a ruckus. At the annual meeting yesterday in Basel, Switzerland, only 61 percent of shareholders backed the compensation plan, the first time remuneration was put to a vote. This is not considered a very good showing, however, and in fact, Dan and Novartis ceo Joe Jimenez were criticized for their salaries and because a chunk of their pay is not tied to long-term performance, The Wall Street Journal writes. So what did Dan receive? According to the Novartis annual report, he earned about $8.5 million last year, including cash and stock. Separately, Dan also received a one-time retirement benefit worth $12.8 million. But Ethos, a shareholder activist organization, calculates he earned around $27 million. And Rudolf ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512616 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:20:40 +0100 4512616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489608&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fafter-manufacturing-problems-genzyme.html In late 2009, I posted about problems at a Genzyme plant that manufactured some fabulously expensive drugs, e.g. Cerezyme whose cost to patients approximated $160,000 a year. We thought then that for a drug costing that much, the company ought to have figured out a conservative process to provide pure and unadulterated product. In a later post I asked why a company that could afford to make its CEO very rich could not afford to adequately maintain its manufacturing facilities. In May, 2010, I posted about a legal settlement of charges related to its manufacturing problems requiring Genzyme to pay a $175 million fine and function under US government supervision.  And in August, 2010, I posted about how this series of management missteps could lead to the company's C... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489608 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:16:00 +0100 4489608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477669&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fyou-cant-say-that-non-disparagement.html Here is another example of why health care organizations' leaders are different from you and me, and why that may not be a good thing for health care.  A few days ago, the San Jose (California) Mercury News reported on the upcoming departure of a local hospital CEO:El Camino Hospital's handsomely-paid president and CEO Kenneth Graham is out of a job, the hospital announced Thursday afternoon.Graham's contract will end June 30 'without cause, at the request of the hospital's Board of Directors,' according to a statement released to the media.Until then, Graham will continue to fulfill his duties as the hospital's top administrator, according to the statement. Graham has been president and CEO of the hospital for 4½ years.The brief statement did not explain why Graham has been ousted, ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477669 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:21:00 +0100 4477669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470466&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fthecognitive-atlas-project-way-cool.html Very intriguing article and description of the Cognitive Atlas Project, a scientific social collaborative knowledge project.Poldrack, R. A. (2010). Mapping Mental Function to Brain Structure: How Can Cognitive Neuroimaging Succeed? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 753-761AbstractThe goal of cognitive neuroscience is to identify the mapping between brain function and mental processing. In this article, I examine the strategies that have been used to identify such mappings and argue that they may be fundamentally unable to identify selective structure–function mappings. To understand the functional anatomy of mental processes, it will be necessary for researchers to move from the brain-mapping strategies that the field has employed toward a search for selective associations. Th... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470466 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:04:00 +0100 4470466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464459&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fwhy-werent-existing-laws-about-hospital.html Public radio station KUOW reported on the generous compensation given hospital CEOs in Washington:KUOW has learned that 15 hospital executives in Washington made $1 million or more in 2009. That elite group includes 14 nonprofit executives and one head of a government hospital. CEOs at Multicare, Providence, Virginia Mason and Valley Medical each made more than $2 million.Those numbers can be found in the hospitals' latest tax filings and other public records. The pattern was more lopsided in the two prior years. Nobody working at a public hospital cracked the top 10 list of the state's highest hospital paychecks in 2007 or 2008.But then the story takes an interesting twist:Most of Washington's largest hospitals are nonprofit organizations. The state gives the nonprofits a break on th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464459 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:19:00 +0100 4464459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464596&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwejuIjZ-Z6Y%2F Both children and adults need a good night sleep to function at their best. A recent study, summarized here, suggests that this is true for babies too: How much sleep a 12 month old baby gets can influence the development of his/her executive functions. Executive functions, supported by the frontal lobes of the brain, are often considered as indicators of children’s likelihood of succeeding in school. They involve decision-making, problem-solving, plan­ning, inhibit­ing, as well as other high-level func­tions (social behav­ior, emo­tional con­trol, work­ing mem­ory, etc.). Researchers asked parents to complete three-day sleep journals when their infants were 12 and 18 months.[…] three variables were identified: total hours of sleep, percentage of total sleep occurring between 7... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464596 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:16:50 +0100 4464596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459920&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fpassport-to-fraud-amerihealth-mercy.html Back in November, 2010, we discussed the relatively opulent pay and perks given to and conflicts of interest affecting leaders of Passport Health Plan, a non-profit, state (Kentucky) supported Medicaid managed care organization/ health insurer.  This seemed to be another case of health care organizational insiders putting their personal gain ahead of their mission, which was particularly unseemly because their mission was serving the poor.  Now Passport Health is in the news again, and not in a favorable way, as per the Louisville (Kentucky) Courier-Journal:Passport Health Plan’s main contractor has agreed to pay more than $2 million in damages to the Kentucky Medicaid program to settle a fraud investigation, Attorney General Jack Conway announced Wednesday.The settlement with ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459920 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:45:00 +0100 4459920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438938&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fresearch-byte-why-we-sometimes-struggle.html I think the following "in press" article is important. Why? Because I have been actively involved in reading research to better understand cognitive performance (working memory and executive attention in particular), the IQ Brain Clock (role of mental timing in human performance), and neuro-technology interventions (e.g., Interactive Metronome) that seem to improve cognitive efficiency. Across these different strands of research I have CONSTANTLY run across a number of common factors. In particular, I am constantly finding the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (PFC) as being critical to cognitive efficiency (working memory and cognitive processing speed), which in turn impacts intellectual functioning, especially Gf or fluid reasoning. The same brain area is implicated in mental timing and I... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438938 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:50:00 +0100 4438938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424239&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FVwkHirwnKXU%2F Is the Utopian College of Emergency for Medicine about to ditch 'Life in the Fast Lane' and take their online presence elsewhere? Find out here... (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424239 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:33 +0100 4424239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419082&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fmore-on-hospital-executives.html Local US news media brought some more striking examples of how health care organizational leaders, even leaders of non-profit hospitals seem paid out of proportion to any reasonable standards.Carolinas HealthCare System: Corporate-Style Compensation for a Public Hospital CEOCarolinas HealthCare System describes itself as "the largest health care system in the Carolinas and the third largest public system in the nation" in its membership blurb for the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems.  That association describes its members thus, Since the establishment of the first public hospital in the United States in the early 1700s, safety net hospitals and health systems have been an essential part of our nation’s health care delivery system.In the 21st century, safe... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419082 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:36:00 +0100 4419082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405727&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fmaking-their-numbers-examples-of.html Last week, we discussed how the large incentives for pharmaceutical executives to meet short term financial targets (that is, "making their numbers") may be an important cause of their firms' decreasing capacity to fulfill their most basic mission, manufacturing pure, unadulterated medicines.  In the news recently were two examples of how other health care leaders are incentivized to meet short-term financial targets.University of CaliforniaThe first, and bigger example appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. First, note that the University of California system is currently in dire shape:Finances are so dire at the University of California that it might have to turn away qualified students,....Also,UC President Mark Yudof told the regents that UC will need to close a $1 billion budge... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405727 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:03:00 +0100 4405727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382754&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_1FLwXWsXw0%2F By Jim HarperPresident Obama’s “Regulatory Review” executive order, issued this week, has no effect on the regulatory environment that I can discern. It essentially encourages agencies to continue doing the thinking and analysis they are doing so poorly under existing law and executive decree. I called it “a cosmetic, symbolic effort” in the Washington Examiner and—you’ll get the backstory here—also speculated that it’s an effort to change the subject. “Regulatory review” has briefly turned the press away from the government’s huge, ongoing spending spree, and the pall of uncertainty that President Obama has cast over the economy with projects like his re-design of the American health care system. But don’t take ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382754 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:43:26 +0100 4382754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377671&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fresearch-bytes-brief-exec-funct.html Clicking on images should make them larger and more readable- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner neuroscience neurocognitive cognitive abilities cognition domain-specific domain-general cognitive decline aging executive functioning (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377671 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:17:00 +0100 4377671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330969&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fexecutive-compensation-at-non-profit.html We have often discussed executive compensation at US hospitals and academic medical centers, which seems to run from generous to outrageous.  The usual explanation by organizational spokespeople, and occasionally boards of trustees is that this is the sort of compensation needed to attract the best and the brightest, a variation of the "pay for performance" meme that resounds throughout business schools and executive suites.  However, almost never does anyone at any hospital or AMC acknowledge that their leaders are not the best and brightest, although outside of Lake Woebegone, all cannot be above average.Here are two recent stories about hospital executives whose compensation contrasted with their performance.Danbury HospitalWe previously posted about how the former c... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330969 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:49:00 +0100 4330969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313968&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fblast-from-anechoic-past-former-uci.html Soon after we started Health Care Renewal, we ran a series of posts about the University of California-Irvine (UCI) medical school and medical center, featuring stories of mismanagement of major programs, especially those involving organ transplantation (liver, kidney, and bone marrow) while the top executives who presided over the mess received generous compensation, sometimes in strikingly irregular ways, and while at least one whistle-blower alleged he lost his job for complaining about safety issues.  Some of the stories went back another 10 years, to 1995.  One particularly striking story involved the UCI infertility program.  Three physicians were accused of stealing ova from some women to implant in others.  One physician was convicted, and two fled the coun... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313968 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:22:00 +0100 4313968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309562&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fsome-call-it-tyranny-top-leaders-of.html The state of California, and its flagship university system, the University of California, have been under extreme financial pressure lately.  The 36 Executives' DemandsHowever, that apparently has not decreased the University's hired managers' and executives' sense of entitlement.  They are threatening to sue if their pensions are not increased.  As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle,Three dozen of the University of California's highest-paid executives are threatening to sue unless UC agrees to spend tens of millions of dollars to dramatically increase retirement benefits for employees earning more than $245,000.'We believe it is the University's legal, moral and ethical obligation' to increase the benefits, the executives wrote the Board of Regents in a Dec. 9 letter ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309562 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:58:00 +0100 4309562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294827&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F-uEjqrPKAcM%2F This study shows once again how physical fitness is directly related to mental fitness. At all age, exercising the body benefits the brain. Interestingly, aerobic training is usually related to better cognitive performance. This new study shows that resistance training can be added to our list of exercise to do. Related posts: Physical exercise: why aerobic exercise enhances neurogenesis and neuroplasticity Walking increases brain volume and reduces risks of decline (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294827 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:13:34 +0100 4294827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294580&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhackensack-university-medical-center.html Last year was an embarassing one for Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), a large academic medical center affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  In April, former state senator Joseph Coniglio was convicted of fraud (against the public) and extortion for a scheme that involved him being paid $5000 a month for undefined consulting work for HUMC while he promoted the hospital's interests in the state legislature (see post here).  A subsequent investigative report revealed widespread self-dealing on the part of the HUMC board (see post here).  Soon after, the HUMC CEO, John Ferguson, announced his retirement, per the Newark Star-Ledger.Scandal Leads to Apparent ReformsSo when I read an article from last week on NorthJersey.com entit... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294580 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:47:00 +0100 4294580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294643&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FgEv52Bqcpdc%2F Excitement is building as the the post-prandial somnolence evolves into austere reverence as the the Utopian College Council start the protracted process of sobering up in time to announce the inaugural New Years Day Honours list. This year 50 new individuals will be officially recognised as Fellows of the College. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294643 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 07:56:13 +0100 4294643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265682&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJr_njfecfxQ%2F By David RittgersThe House passed a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) yesterday, and it appears that the Senate will take up the measure sometime next week. Good. DADT should end. I’ve said so, and debated the issue with repeal opponent Stuart Koehl (posts 1, 2, 3, and 4). Most servicemembers I know (appropriate disclaimer here) already have a mindset of Don’t Ask, Don’t Care, and its time for official policy to catch up. We should note that a legislative effort is the right way to change the current policy. DADT is based on a law – 10 U.S.C. § 654 – enacted with the FY1994 National Defense Authorization Act. Some have argued (and here, and here) that President Obama could stop enforcing DADT by executive order. The President does have control over enlisted separations ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265682 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:40:28 +0100 4265682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266017&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fresearch-bytes-verbal-ability-and.html As per usual when I make a research byte/brief post, if anyone would like to read the original article, I can share via email---with the understanding that the article is provided in exchange for a brief guest post about it's contents. :) (contact me at iap@earthlink.net if interested). Also, if figure/images are included in the post, they can usually be made larger by clicking on the image.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPad (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266017 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:18:00 +0100 4266017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4259033&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fresearch-bytes-cognitive-employment.html Three interesting articles from one of my favorite journals--Current Directions in Psychological Science.As per usual when I make a research byte/brief post, if anyone would like to read the original article, I can share via email---with the understanding that the article is provided in exchange for a brief guest post about it's contents. :) (contact me at iap@earthlink.net if interested). Also, if figure/images are included in the post, they can usually be made larger by clicking on the image.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ scores CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological as... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4259033 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:43:00 +0100 4259033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251187&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fresearch-byte-more-on-knows-go-and.html I continue to be intrigued with the increasing research on the domain of Go.......I have posted a number of articles at my blog over the past five years (can be found by clicking on Go category label) that indicate that it is a separate cognitive domain and, more importantly, it has significant diagnostic potential for a wide array of cognitive disorders, esp. during the early stages of a disorder.The nose knows :)Cognitive factors in odor detection, odor discrimination, and odor identification tasks. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsycholgy, 32 (10), 1062–1067Authors: Margareta Hednerab; Maria Larssonab; Nancy Arnoldc; Gesualdo M. Zuccod; Thomas HummelcAbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine cognitive correlates of olfactory performance across three different tasks... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251187 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:06:00 +0100 4251187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241835&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FXtT5veL6888%2F My interest in the brain stems from wanting to better understand both how to make school more palatable for students, and professional development more meaningful for faculty. To that end, I began my Neurons Firing blog in April, 2007, have been doing a lot of reading, and been attending workshops and conferences, including Learning & the Brain. If you agree that our brains are designed for learning, then as educators it is incumbent upon us to be looking for ways to maximize the learning process for each of our students, as well as for ourselves. Some of what follows is simply common sense, but I’ve learned that all of it has a scientific basis in our brains. 1. Review and 2. Reflection are two means for thinking about what is being learned. Review can be done in the moments after ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241835 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:25:24 +0100 4241835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205926&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fprominent-health-care-policy-advice.html It is two days after the US Thanksgiving holiday, and one thing I am thankful for is the continued hilarity generated by health care corporate CEOs who pretend to be health care experts.  Of course this all really is not so funny, because the bogus expertise appears not in MAD Magazine, but in the most respected media outlets with the most influence over health care policy. This week's example comes from the Wall Street Journal's vaunted CEO Council.  A summary of its health care panel appeared early this week in that newspaper.The panel included Angela Braly President and CEO, Wellpoint Inc., William A. Hawkins Chairman and CEO, Medtronic Inc., and Klaus Kleinfeld Chairman and CEO, Alcoa.  Angela Braly, a lawyer with no obvious record of direct experienc... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205926 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 19:30:00 +0100 4205926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203141&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Faco-arrogant-clinical-or-aggressive.html In the 1970s, it was managed care organizations.  In the 1990s, it was vertically integrated health care systems.  In the 2010s, the fashionable concept for improving health care, apparently beloved by left-wing policy wonks and right-wing health care executives is the "accountable care organization." (ACO).  Development of the ACO is funded by the recently passed US health care reform legislation.  The official definition of ACO from the US Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is:  An Accountable Care Organization, also called an 'ACO' for short, is an organization of health care providers that agrees to be accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program w... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203141 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:51:00 +0100 4203141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183397&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fthoughts-on-importance-of-cognitive.html It is clear that attention is very important in cognitive functioning. As mentioned frequently at two of my blogs, I believe that controlled executive attention is one of the key cognitive dimensions in intellectual performance, particularly as it relates to working memory and executive function efficiency. I further have hypothesized that many of the current neuroscience based brain-fitness/training programs may all share a common element in their success--they all may fine-tuning controlled executive attention.With the above in mind, I found the following quote of interest in a general self-help book I just started reading...yes, at times, I find reading such books useful and informative. As I read this one, I find that I much of the "wisdom" in the book can be understood from research i... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183397 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:43:00 +0100 4183397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167923&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fliving-high-life-on-money-to-treat-poor.html Here is another story that has developed over the last week about questionable goings on at a not-for-profit health care organization.  The organization in question this time was the not-for-profit, but state government supported Medicaid managed care organization/ health insurer for the Louisville, Kentucky region.  The details came from a Louisville (Kentucky) Courier-Journal article about a state auditor's report on the Passport Health Plan:The organization providing Medicaid services in Jefferson and surrounding counties has spent lavishly on such things as travel, meals, salaries, bonuses and lobbying in recent years, the state auditor’s office said in a report released Tuesday.The scathing report, which Gov. Steve Beshear described as 'disheartening,' said two Passpo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167923 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:49:00 +0100 4167923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167924&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fabout-to-be-bought-out-non-profit.html A report from FloridaToday (in Brevard County) about the sale of a not-for-profit Florida hospital system to a for-profit corporation raises some interesting questions. The background is that the non-profit Wuesthoff Health System was bought by for-profit Health Management Associates (HMA):HMA, a for-profit hospital management company in Naples, bought the not-for-profit Wuesthoff Oct. 1 for $145 million. Wuesthoff lawyer William Kopit has said it was forced to sell because the hospital system lacked the capital to compete.The question is about the conditions of the sale:A foundation formed to manage the proceeds of the sale and continue providing indigent health care has refused to disclose the executive packages to the state, claiming it constitutes a trade-secret exemption under Florida... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167924 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:22:00 +0100 4167924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053299&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fc_1LtB7Xa18%2F This article contains satire... With age comes an increased risk of serious life threatening diseases. Many of these illnesses eventuate in fatality, and a great expenditure to sustain the lives of individuals living with chronic disease. With public health targets placing increased pressure on clinicians to reduce morbidity and mortality for many diseases...one alternative stands out above all others. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053299 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:58:47 +0100 4053299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040667&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fresearch-bytes-10-7-10-preschool.html This study examined linkages between children's developing executive function abilities at age 4 and children's subsequent achievement in mathematics at age 6, 1 year after school entry. The study sample consisted of a regionally representative cohort of 104 children followed prospectively from ages 2 to 6 years. At age 4, children completed a battery of executive function tasks that assessed planning, set shifting, and inhibitory control. Teachers completed the preschool version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Clinical and classroom measures of children's mathematical achievement were collected at age 6. Results showed that children's performance on set shifting, inhibitory control, and general executive behavior measures during the preschool period accounted for s... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040667 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:01:00 +0100 4040667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031185&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fpay-for-what-redux-surrealistic-pay-for.html Pay-for-performance has been a persistently fashionable mantra for health care business leaders and policy advocates, particularly as applied to physicians to control costs and perhaps even improve quality.  We have been highly critical of current methods proposed to measure performance and tie pay to it (e.g., here), and other bloggers, notably Dr Robert Centor at DB's Medical Rants, have vigorously pursued this issue (e.g., here).It is beyond ironic that meanwhile, the pay of health care organizations' leaders seems less and less related to their performance.  For example, in a recent series on local executive pay in the Boston Globe there were these examples:HologicHologic Inc. gave its chief executive, John W. Cumming, a $1.5 million “retention payment’’ ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031185 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:51:00 +0100 4031185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013112&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fmore-tales-of-hospital-executive.html I have collected another series of stories from the wild and wacky world of health care executive compensation.  These are from three different hospitals/ hospital systems, ordered from smallest to largest.Jefferson HealthcareThis story, from Jefferson County, Washington state, came from the Peninsula Daily News:When Mike Glenn takes over the Jefferson Healthcare CEO office Oct. 4, he will be receiving $225,000 annually to run the 25-bed publicly funded hospital.And he will become the highest-paid public official in Jefferson County.Jefferson Healthcare's budget is $65 million, and it employs 360 full-time workers and about 550 part-timers.Note that the amount above is apparently salary, not total compensation, which could well be higher.Lakeland Regional Medical CenterThis story, fro... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013112 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:24:00 +0100 4013112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013145&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKhclFApgeyQ%2F By David RittgersThat’s the claim the Obama administration made in court. As Glenn Greenwald puts it: [W]hat’s most notable here is that one of the arguments the Obama DOJ raises to demand dismissal of this lawsuit is “state secrets”:  in other words, not only does the President have the right to sentence Americans to death with no due process or charges of any kind, but his decisions as to who will be killed and why he wants them dead are “state secrets,” and thus no court may adjudicate their legality. Italics in the original. My colleagues Gene Healy and Nat Hentoff have expressed concerns about targeted killings. Charlie Savage wrote a good piece on this that highlights how even the most ardent defenders of executive power may blush at this broad claim of power. The govern... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013145 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:22:50 +0100 4013145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003261&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FUzrv0EUWPa4%2F Software engineers working for UCEM at the Symantec Health Institute of Technology have confirmed slugtrails of the Stuxnet worm on several of the UCEM servers. Whilst initial reports suggest that US and Mossad agents might be using the worm to infiltrate the Siemens SCADA Management System of the Bushehr Nuclear Reactor in Iran, Professor Inglebert Struvite Staghorn of UCEM is concerned that a far more sinister motive, aimed at disrupting operations at Emergency Department Waiting Rooms is more likely. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003261 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:56:54 +0100 4003261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993920&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FQ7Fh24TxSIs%2F Fly like Comet Superstar on our new de Haviland G-ALYS! Most safety issues have now been addressed resulting in a 1.5 star rating from the Air Accidents Investigation Institute for the 8th year running. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993920 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:04:36 +0100 3993920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987062&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F6uSLl-QUllM%2F Management has synonymously been associated with bad decisions, selective cost cutting, raising it's own salary and attempting to rob others of their ideas. This perception has led people to view managers as parasites, which according to new scientific data may be more correct than we previously thought. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987062 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:00:36 +0100 3987062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987013&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fmore-than-1-million-to-run-public.html After a well-publicized story that managers of small town in California were paid in the high six-figures, reporters in California have gotten interested in the pay of public officials.Thus the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on the compensation received by CEOs of local public health agencies, called public health care districts, two of which run hospitals. One in particular received generous compensation:The top official at Palomar Pomerado Health, a public agency serving health-care needs in Poway and Escondido, receives in excess of $1 million in compensation per year.Michael Covert, who has run the North County hospital district since 2003, receives a base salary of $736,000 a year. Retirement, bonuses and other benefits push Covert’s total pay past $1.1 million.One other public he... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987013 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:55:00 +0100 3987013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965366&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fsmall-hospital-system-loses-61-million.html As we have quoted many times, sunlight is the best disinfectant.  New US Internal Revenue Service requirements for reporting by not-for-profit organizations has resulted in more transparency about the finances of many health care organizations, and this transparency has shown that the culture of perverse incentives and management privilege has spread far and wide.How far and wide?  Consider this story in the (Harford County, Maryland) Aegis:Harford County’s Upper Chesapeake Health lost $70 million because of bad bets in the derivatives markets two years ago, but still paid its chief executive more than $900,000 in annual salary and bonuses.According to figures from their latest tax returns and from the state agency that regulates hospital rates, Upper Chesapeake Medical Center ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965366 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:47:00 +0100 3965366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957869&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fgolden-parachute-for-captain-outrageous.html A year ago, I posted about leadership and governance problems at Northeast Health Systems, a small hospital system located in neighboring Massachusetts.  The colorful story included leaders who solicited money from the community but concealed what they were doing from the same community, an adolescent pregnancy pact after the hospital system refused to provide confidential birth control information at the high school clinic it ran, a hospital vice-president accused of art theft, various cuts, some concealed, of medical services, accusations of conflicts of interest affecting the board of trustees, and no-confidence votes by nurses and physicians. Finally, Stephen Laverty, the CEO held responsible for much of the mess, resigned and things quieted down a bit.  H... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957869 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:35:00 +0100 3957869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946400&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Flogical-fallacies-in-defense-of-million.html We recently posted about the latest example of generously paid health care leaders, million dollar plus hospital CEOs in the Baltimore area (here).  Such stories are appearing more often in the media, and increasingly generating skeptical, anguished, or angry responses.  Defending Millionaire Hospital CEOsSo it should be no surprise that the defenders of rich hospital CEOs are starting to rally.  The Baltimore Sun published two letters defending the million dollar plus compensation received by many local hospital CEOs.  But what arguments they made.First, let us examine in detail  the arguments made by Carmela Coyle, "president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association."  She opened with this description of hospitals as organizations:Famed management expert... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946400 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:23:00 +0100 3946400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965436&cid=t_130652_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FZ70vrpny72I%2F Emergency contraception has always been a difficult issue to achieve a consensus on, but family planning strategies are integral to a sustainable future human population. The opinions of certain societal elements have often resulted in the practices which constitute family planning being less than legal in some areas of the world. In particular abortion and emergency contraception have been unduly targeted, until now. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965436 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:49:58 +0100 3965436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942840&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F20104788%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EMaslow-Emotion-and-a-Hierarchy-of-Service.htm Branding expert Denise Lee Yohn proposes a new hierarchy of customer service based on Maslow's famous breakdown of human needs. Commentssusan — i do think you're on to something — i love road ... by denise lee yohnKeep in mind that the way people actually behave – and ... by Paul WardPlus 8 more... (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942840 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:03:24 +0100 3942840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925089&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIJjaeSI4FKc%2F Eliminating jobs is never easy, but some CEOs suffer less than others when it comes time to living with the consequences. For instance, did you know that the CEOs of the 50 companies that trimmed the most jobs since the latest recession began took home 42 percent more pay than their peers at S&P 500 firms? Who were the layoff leaders? Topping the list was Fred Hassan, the former Schering-Plough ceo, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies. Hassan received a $33 million golden parachute when the drugmaker was bought by Merck last year. Meanwhile, 16,000 jobs are being eliminated (background). Hassan’s total 2009 pay of nearly $50 million could cover the average cost of these workers’ jobless benefits for more than 10 weeks. Next up is the king of recalls, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925089 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:01:48 +0100 3925089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920789&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fmore-hospital-ceos-join-millionaires.html As we predicted, more stringent requirements by the US Internal Revenue Service for financial reporting by not-for-profit organizations, including hospitals and hospital systems, have produced an enlarging parade of revelations of obese pay packages for hospital leaders.  The latest report came out courtesy the Baltimore Sun:Baltimore-area hospital CEOs and presidents boast seven-figure salaries, club and gym memberships, and paid financial planning and tax services as part of compensation packages from their nonprofit employers.According to a survey of Baltimore-area hospitals, the highest-ranking executives were often the recipients of financial payouts and perquisites that many private-sector companies have abandoned in the face of intense public debate about excessive CEO pay. The... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920789 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:09:00 +0100 3920789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914933&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fcan-1-billion-group-of-babies-provide.html The issue of executive compensation in health care seems to be attracting more media attention.A St Louis Post-Dispatch editorial noted how executive compensation for for-profit health insurance CEOs has grown. It started with a quote from Steven Hemsley, the CEO of UnitedHealth:Today the American people are questioning whether or not we receive fair value for the $2.6 trillion we, as a society, are expecting to spend this year on our health care system. The vast majority, including those of us at UnitedHealth Group, believe the answer is, 'No.'Here is a summary of the compensation information:Modern Healthcare, a leading health industry trade journal, published its annual executive compensation survey this week. Topping the list is Stephen Hemsley, quoted above, who gave a speech to the D... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914933 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:49:00 +0100 3914933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889048&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fhow-oligopolists-rationalize-their.html Advocates of laissez faire commercialized health care often trumpet the advantages of competitive markets as a rationale for deregulation.  While there are theoretic, and possibly empiric reasons to think that competitive markets are the optimal way to distribute goods and services, we recently discussed aspects of health care that make it extremely hard for health care markets to be ideally competitive.  Meanwhile, two news articles gave some case-based evidence about how current health care markets are hardly competitive.   Sutter HealthA Bloomberg article focused on Sutter Health in northern and central California. Sutter Health commands a substantial part of a very large market:Sutter Health Co., the nonprofit that owns Sutter Davis, has market power that commands p... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889048 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:17:00 +0100 3889048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872508&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fst-vincents-goes-bankrupt-executives.html St. Vincent's Hospital in the Greenwich Village section of New York City was a landmark institution which filed for bankruptcy in April, 2010, and then closed its doors.  BackgroundA New York Times article written earlier this year described an institution "threatened with extinction" because it stuck to its mission of "compassionate care" in a health care environment that values "fancy equipment and celebrity doctors."  Thus, "officials blamed a high rate of poor and uninsured patients as well as cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and the hospital's inability to negotiate favorable contracts with health insurance companies...."  Painting Another PictureHowever, a story this week in the grittier New York Post painted a different picture:St. Vincent's Hospital was looted by execs ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872508 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:49:00 +0100 3872508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865228&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fgolden-parachute-for-making.html In late 2009, we posted about problems at a Genzyme plant that manufactured some fabulously expensive drugs, e.g. Cerezyme whose cost to patients approximated $160,000 a year. We thought then that for a drug costing that much, the company ought to have figured out a conservative process to provide pure and unadulterated product. In a later post we also why a company that could afford to make its CEO very rich could not afford to adequately maintain its manufacturing facilities.  In May, 2010, we posted about a legal settlement of charges related to its manufacturing problems requiring Genzyme to pay a $175 million fine and function under US government supervision.Recent news articles suggest that the fix of the company's inabilities to manufacture pure, unadulterated drug remained rem... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865228 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:48:00 +0100 3865228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848841&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2F2-legal-settlements-1-corporate.html Omnicare's Trail of Legal SettlementsLast year, we discussed a $98 million settlement made by Omnicare, US based corporation that manages pharmacy-benefits, of allegations that it received kickbacks from generic drug manufacturers for buying and recommending their drugs.  Omnicare had previously submitted to a corporate integrity agreement in 2006, and paid $102 million to settle allegations it defrauded Medicaid.  At the time, we noted that this was yet another of the many cases in which the organization alleged to be involved in wrong-doing paid a fine, but no one who authorized, directed, or implemented the bad behavior was subject to any negative consequences.So last week, Cincinnati.com ran a story on the retirement of the CEO who presided over Omnicare during the time of th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848841 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:47:00 +0100 3848841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845187&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FuaJVh6D6qUc%2F I was really interested in the recent critique of the BBC brain training experiment by Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski. I think Owens et al (2010) was a critical piece of research which was not conducted in the right way and was focusing on the wrong sample population.  I totally agree with the comments by Dr. Zelinski regarding the potential for sample bias and the use of some questionable cognitive measures. However, I would like to take this critique further and question whether the study was value for money when there are other studies which cannot achieve funding but would, in my opinion, show the criticism/scepticism of the use-it-or-lose-it theory. I think there is not enough criticism about the age of the sample population used in Owens et al. (2010). We have conclusive cognitive and neuro... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845187 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:14:16 +0100 3845187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831319&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fdespite-scandal-former-unitedhealth-ceo.html A little while ago, the Wall Street Journal reported on the highest paid US corporate CEOs of the past decade.  One name stood out for those interested in  health care: Dr William W McGuire, the former CEO of giant health care insurance company/ managed care organization UnitedHealth Group.  Dr McGuire was number 9 on the list, with a total realized compensation of $469,300,000.  We started discussing the disconnect between Dr McGuire's corpulent pay and his company's failure to uphold its stated ideals back in 2005, when he was reported to have received more than $124 million to lead a company which championed "affordable" health care.  Later, it turned out that much of Dr McGuire's compensation came in the form of back-dated stock-options, and the resul... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831319 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:55:00 +0100 3831319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816461&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fintroducing-mentoring-and-recovery%2F I’m pleased to welcome our latest blog, Mentoring and Recovery with Shannon Cutts. Mentoring and Recovery is a blog about learning from others in the recovery process. Mentoring is just another word for learning through individual, one-on-one teaching. Mentors can be our guides in this world, as we take on the role of apprentice or student. Others have much to teach us, but not in a formal way — in an informal way, of learning through questioning and example. A mentor is usually so much more than just a teacher — they offer us the well-worn wisdom of their own experience coupled with their education. Perhaps Shannon’s own words for the intent of her blog say it best… Even when we don’t realize we are being mentored, we are always watching, always learning f... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816461 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:45:31 +0100 3816461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805786&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fwhere-no-hospital-ceos-are-below.html In Lake Woebegon, all children are above average.  Now it seems that hospital CEOs have moved there.  Ventura County, Where No CEO is Below AverageThe Ventura County (California) Star reported on the uniformly high remuneration of the CEOs of local, mostly small, not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems.T. Michael Murray reaped $330,545 in 2008 as chief executive officer of St. John’s hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo. He drew an additional $187,071 in bonuses with $73,113 more in benefits and other compensation.His total package, according to IRS records, reached $590,729.And he may have been underpaid, according to a statewide survey of 118 nonprofit hospitals. The report by the Payers & Providers healthcare business publication suggests the base salary for CEOs aver... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805786 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:38:00 +0100 3805786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794913&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fjoint-cfa-floyd-et-al-2010-of-wj-iii.html John Garruto took advantage of my offer and thus, now provides his comments regarding the following recently published research study.  John has been a regular guest blogger at IQ's Corner....how about the rest of you!!!!!!!  I am open to any topic, but am particularly interested in guest posts regarding articles that have been FYI-mentioned at this blog (typically under Research Bytes tag)---and I especially would like to encourage graduate students to send me possible guest posts...as a way to get experience with analyzing research and providing brief summaries.  Maybe some of my professorial colleagues could make the submission of one guest blog post a requirement in one of their classes :)Floyd, R. G., Bergeron, R., Hamilton, G. & Parra, G. R. (2010).  How do ex... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794913 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:02:00 +0100 3794913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767033&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fnot-your-average-joes-health-plan.html A Denver Post article offered a brief glimpse into the health benefits of corporate leaders, on the unusual occasion of a former CEO now in legal fight for the health benefits in the style to which he had become accustomed:Poor Joe. He's not getting the health-care benefits he was promised.His former employer merged with another company, and then another, and then another. And, you know how it goes after a slew of mergers. Suddenly the new, conglomerated monster just doesn't care about retirees any more.Joe isn't going to sit back and take it like an average Joe. He's suing his former employer in U.S. District Court in Manhattan for breach of contract, breach of faith, breach of fiduciary duty and even promissory estoppel.The Joe in question was really:Lord & Taylor's CEO.Joseph E. Bro... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767033 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:37:00 +0100 3767033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3737140&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FuKpYLNAv230%2F This study supports another one we commented on a few years ago on how Bilingual brains stay sharp longer: “In short: learning and speaking a foreign language provides constant brain exercise to the frontal lobes, the area of the brain right behind your forehead that focuses our attention, helps us ignore distractions, and make decisions.” (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3737140 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:01:20 +0100 3737140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714128&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fhow-can-101-million-year-ceo-help.html In 2005, we entitled a post, "How Can a $124.8 Million a Year CEO Make Health Care More Affordable?"  At that time, we contrasted the enormous compensation given to the then CEO of UnitedHealth, Dr William McGuire, with the stated mission of his corporation.  Since then, we have traced the travails of UnitedHealth and its leadership.  Dr McGuire was eventually accused of receiving backdated stock options (which at one time raised his personal fortune to over $1 billion), and was pushed into retirement.  UnitedHealth was accused of a variety of management and ethical lapses.  The rather sorry story as of April, 2010 was summarized here.The more things change, the more they stay the same.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune just reported:Stephen Hemsley, a serious and... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714128 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:20:00 +0100 3714128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710519&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fwellpoint-dont-know-much-about-computer.html Big US based health care insurance companies have not been covering themselves in glory in the last week.Aetna's Math ErrorsFirst, there was the case of Aetna's mathematical prowess, e.g., as reported by the Los Angeles Times:A second insurance company in California has killed plans for double-digit rate hikes for individual policyholders because of errors in its filing that would have inflated premiums, state regulators said Thursday.Connecticut-based Aetna Inc. had sought an average 19% increase in rates for its 65,000 individual customers, but pulled back after multiple math errors in its paperwork were found by its own staff and by an independent consultant working for the state.Aetna's decision follows a similar move by Anthem Blue Cross, which canceled a rate increase of as much as 3... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710519 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:49:00 +0100 3710519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644726&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fkind-of-blackmail-not-for-profit-health.html Here is another case in the annals of over-paid executives of not-for-profit health care organizations, this time from the Burlington (VT) Free-Press,Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont overpaid its former chief executive officer by $3 million over an eight-year period and has been ordered to pay the money back to its subscribers by 2012 in the form of reduced premiums, a top state regulator said Wednesday.The action by the state Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration Department follows last year’s disclosure that William Milnes, the nonprofit firm’s former CEO, received a $7.2 million payout when he stepped down in 2008.Furthermore, note that [Commissioner of the Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration Department Paulette] Thabault said h... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644726 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:49:00 +0100 3644726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607663&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmore-support-for-working-memory-gsm-mw.html The relationships of working memory, secondary memory, and general fluid intelligence: Working memory is special. By Shelton, Jill Talley; Elliott, Emily M.; Matthews, Russell A.; Hill, B. D.; Gouvier, Wm. DrewJournal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, Vol 36(3), May 2010, 813-820.AbstractRecent efforts have been made to elucidate the commonly observed link between working memory and reasoning ability. The results have been inconsistent, with some work suggesting that the emphasis placed on retrieval from secondary memory by working memory tests is the driving force behind this association (Mogle, Lovett, Stawski, & Sliwinski, 2008), whereas other research suggests retrieval from secondary memory is only partly responsible for the observed link between working... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607663 Thu, 27 May 2010 22:28:00 +0100 3607663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588840&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fat-upmc-dealings-with-board-members.html Last year we noted that the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) required more detailed reporting starting in 2009 by US not-for-profit organizations.  Many US health insurance companies/ managed care organizations, most hospitals, nearly all medical associations, nearly all disease advocacy organizations, all health care charities, and nearly all medical schools are not-for-profit organizations.  We suggested then that this reporting might lead to more transparency about the leadership and governance of these organizations.  Some of these new 990 forms are now being publicly disclosed, with some interesting findings.  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review just reported some interesting findings about financial ties between the University of Pittsburg... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588840 Fri, 21 May 2010 21:12:00 +0100 3588840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585560&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2F78-million-golden-parachute-for-not-for.html These sorts of hits just keep on coming.  This story comes from the Baltimore Sun. The Golden ParachuteFirst, let us just review the financial details,Former University of Maryland Medical System CEO Edmond F. Notebaert, who resigned two years ago during a tumultuous time that included infighting and a board shakeup, is again the subject of controversy over his $7.8 million pay package.The package included $2.4 million in severance, about $639,000 in salary for seven months, deferred bonuses and contributions to a retirement plan that instantly vested when he left. By the way, Mr Notebeart did not actually go into retirement after he received this largess,A spokeswoman for Temple University, where Notebaert now heads the health system, said he was not available for comment.The Justifi... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585560 Thu, 20 May 2010 21:18:00 +0100 3585560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581571&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fpaying-ceos-of-health-care-not-for.html Million dollar plus executives of not-for-profit health care insurance companies seem to be becoming a dime a dozen.  Late in April, Buffalo Business First reported the pay of executives of some western New York health insurance companies:The top local executives at the region’s three major nonprofit health plans received nearly $23 million in salaries and bonuses last year.More than 70 people received total compensation of $160,000 or more. That’s the level at which insurers are required to report in annual reports to the state Department of Insurance.When you include executives who work for those three health plans but are located outside Western New York, the total compensation for top-paid execs totaled $46.4 million last year.Among the local executives in the Western New York... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581571 Wed, 19 May 2010 21:32:00 +0100 3581571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573685&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FGoydcQ_e7dM%2F By Lynn Shapiro Snyder. Reproduced with permission from BNA’s Health Care Policy Report, 18 HCPR 680 (May 3, 2010). Copyright 2010 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com Health reform is a process, not an outcome. The health care industry needs to treat Phase II of health reform—–implementation by the Executive Branch—with the same focus and zeal as they did with Phase I—deliberation and passage by the Legislative Branch. It may not be as sexy as Capitol Hill but industry participation in shaping implementation through the Executive Branch could have an even greater impact for industry efforts. Phase II is when the rubber of ‘‘the law’’ meets the road of ‘‘the real world.’’ We are one month into implementation so now is the t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573685 Tue, 18 May 2010 11:57:20 +0100 3573685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560206&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5jQoynjh6zg%2F By Julian SanchezPerhaps you remember the case of Ricci v. DiStefano, so much discussed during Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation process?   To recap briefly: The city of New Haven had used a written test to determine which of its local firefighters would be considered for promotions. When the tests came back, it turned out that the high scorers were overwhelmingly Caucasian, and so the city—fearing a lawsuit from black and Latino firefighters who hadn’t made the cut—scrapped the results. Not, mind you, because the test was in any way discriminatory on its face, but because federal law frowns on any test that has a “disparate impact” on minority groups unless it can be shown to be both closely related to the requirements of the job and less uneven in its effects th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560206 Thu, 13 May 2010 14:17:32 +0100 3560206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546833&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2F19-million-means-never-having-to-say.html Johnson and Johnson, the giant diversified health care company, recently shut down a factory that manufactured non-prescription childrens' medication, and recalled its products.  The findings from a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection of the plant were striking.  As described by Reuters,The company recalled 40 widely used children's pain and allergy medications, saying some may have a higher concentration of their active ingredients, while others may be contaminated. J&J has had four recalls in the past year of over-the-counter medicines.In an FDA report issued on Tuesday, inspectors said they found thick dust, grime and contaminated ingredients at the J&J plant that produces Children's Tylenol and dozens of other products recalled last week.This infuriated t... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546833 Sat, 08 May 2010 19:05:00 +0100 3546833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479638&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhat-me-worry-redux-another-leader.html We have posted lately (here and here) about how leaders of health care organizations seem to be getting even richer despite questions about their organizations' ethics or performance.  Here we go again.  The news about UnitedHealth over the years has provided plenty of examples of organizational behavior that did not fit the company's stated lofty goals, per its "Social Responsibility" page:UnitedHealth Group's mission is to help people live healthier lives.Social responsibility begins with us–and how we do business. Every day, our 75,000 employees strive to find smart ways to promote healthier lives in our communities. On its "Mission and Values" page:Our mission is to help people live healthier lives.* We seek to enhance the performance of the health system and improve the ov... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479638 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:49:00 +0100 3479638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463544&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fpfizer-settles-one-lawsuit-loses.html It's deja vu all over again for Pfizer Inc, the world's largest pharmaceutical company.Settlement of Suit Alleging Neurontin Risks ConcealedPfizer has kept busy in court defending against charges that a company it acquired promoted Neurontin (gabapentin) for uses not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and not well supported by the evidence.  Most recently, it was convicted by a jury in California of being a racketeering influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) because of a long-term "racketeering conspiracy" involving Neurontin marketing (see post here). Now additionally, according to the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer Inc. said it reached a settlement agreement in a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed her husband's use of the antiseizure drug Neur... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463544 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:45:00 +0100 3463544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3457906&cid=t_130652_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F04%2Freearch-briefs-4-10-10-working-memory.html The cognitive neuroscience constructs of working memory and executive function (EF) are hot topics in all areas of cognition.  Although working memory measures are now showing up on most contemporary IQ tests, the measurement of executive functioning (EF) is not...and is typically measured by special purpose tests, tests that all suffer from a solid empirical foundation of research that clearly specifies the elements of, relations between, operational definitions of, etc. the components of EF.I was thus excited to see the table of contents for the recent issue of the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research (see below), as it focuses primarily on working memory and EF research for people with ID/MR.  My excitement was short-lived as I found that, at least at my Universities li... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3457906 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:10:00 +0100 3457906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448806&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhat-me-worry-leaders-prosper-despite.html There were two examples in the recent news about how the leaders of health care organizations seem to prosper no matter what questions are raised about their organizations' ethics or performance.WellPointIt seemed that anger over a rate increase by a subsidiary of the huge insurance company/ managed care organization WellPoint was one reason for the revival of efforts in the US to enact some sort of health care reform legislation.  In our comment on this controversy, we noted that questions about the ethics of WellPoint's actions have appeared again and again.  Wellpoint...settled a RICO (racketeer influenced corrupt organization) law-suit in California over its alleged systematic attempts to withhold payments from physicians (see post here).subsidiary New York Empire Blue Cross ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448806 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:19:00 +0100 3448806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448852&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FPADTOcal1AI%2F By Robin Strongin. Allow me to introduce everyone to our newest Disruptive Women bloggers. As you can see, I once again have the privilege of announcing an amazing group of women—all of whom, in their own unique way—work to improve the lives of others. Some through art and music, some through science, some through direct patient care, and others through policy and communications. The one thing these dynamos have in common, as do all our Disruptive Women, is an unrelenting passion to improve the health and well being of everyone – men, women, and children. How they do it is where things get interesting. Take a moment and look over their bios. You won’t be disappointed. Archelle Georgiou, MD conducts a twice weekly Fox TV healthcare segment in the Twin Cities where she offers vie... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448852 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:51:25 +0100 3448852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432863&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frx1AmOTfABs%2F By Julian SanchezAs Tim Lynch notes, Judge Vaughn Walker has ruled in favor of the now-defunct Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation—unique among the many litigants who have tried to challenge the Bush-era program of warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency because they actually had evidence, in the form of a document accidentally delivered to foundation lawyers by the government itself, that their personnel had been targeted for eavesdropping. Other efforts to get a court to review the program’s legality had been caught in a kind of catch-22: Plaintiffs who merely feared that their calls might be subject to NSA filtering and interception lacked standing to sue, because they couldn’t show a specific, concrete injury resulting from the program. But, of course, informa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432863 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:55:54 +0100 3432863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432864&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3pfaF9XQCho%2F By Tim LynchThe BBC has put together an interesting documentary on the writ of habeas corpus, a legal concept most people have heard of, but too few understand and appreciate. You can stream it here. We should not forget that President Bush and the coterie of lawyers around him tried to advance a theory of executive power that would have made the writ of habeas corpus worthless.  I hasten to add that President Obama has not really disavowed Bush’s claims and so the danger to the great writ has not passed just because Bush has left office. Related video clip of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez here.  Related Cato work here, here,  and here. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432864 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:40:10 +0100 3432864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429130&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fmore-doubts-about-private-equity-taking.html Last week, we posted about how buy-outs of not-for-profit hospital systems by private equity firms seemed to be a new fashion in health care.  Since then, new doubts have been raised about whether this is a good idea.Detroit Medical Center, Vanguard Health, and the Blackstone GroupLetters to the Detroit Free Press raised concerns,As a nonprofit corporation, DMC's mission is to provide quality health care to the community. Management is accountable to Detroit area citizens and health care consumers, not to profit-motivated investors.As a private, for-profit corporation, its mission will be to provide profit for its shareholders. Management will be accountable to shareholders and will be rewarded in relation to the rate of return on their investments.Also, the Free Press reported that a... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429130 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:14:00 +0100 3429130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429131&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fnew-investigations-of-boston-scientific.html It appears that device-maker Boston Scientific has a new set of troubles.  The Boston Globe just reported:Stepped-up government scrutiny of Boston Scientific Corp. stems from heightened concern over medical safety and disappointment that the company made new missteps after resolving previous problems with the Food and Drug Administration, analysts said yesterday.The Natick medical-device maker, which has been working to settle patent suits and federal investigations dating back years, recently was notified of fresh investigations begun by the Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission into problems that forced it to recall implantable heart defibrillators this month.Boston Scientific said March 15 that it had halted shipments and recalled unsold units of seven brands... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429131 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:39:00 +0100 3429131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350568&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWd4iws7642I%2F A pleasant morning here on the Pharmalot corporate campus. After a recent spell of snow, spring appears to have finally bloomed. And that makes it a bit easier to cope with those mid-week deadlines and meetings, yes? So grab a cup of something stimulating and dig in for another day. Here are a few interesting items to help you on your way. Cheers, everyone… Abbott Bests Biogen With Bid For Facet Biotech (Bloomberg) Bristol-Myers’ CEO 2009 Pay Was Down 22 Percent (Associated Press) Sandoz Names Don DeGolyer To Heads US Ops (Chain Drug Review) Novartis Takes Option On Transgene Cancer Vaccine (Reuters) Lilly, Amylin Diabetes Drug Await FDA OK (The Wall Street Journal) Teva Pharmaceuticals Names Phillip Frost As Chairman (Associated Press) Coffee pix thx to chichcacha flickr creat... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350568 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:24:03 +0100 3350568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3327294&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGv0wI7j76mQ%2F Now that the Wyeth acquisition is complete and layoffs are under way, the raises can be given out. And so the Pfizer board has decided to give Jeff Kindler a 12.5 percent salary hike, to $1.8 million, as part of a $14.9 million pay package, which includes $5.5 million in stock awards, $2.6 million in options, a $3.5 million cash bonus, a pension boost and other perks, such as air travel, usage of a car and home security (at $1,217, this would appear to be for an alarm, so why can’t he pay that himself? He’d still get credit on homeowner’s insurance). In all, his compensation is actually down 4 percent, to $14.9 million, but that’s due to a drop in stock awards, Dow Jones notes. Among the reasons cited for Kindler’s raise: achieving financial goals; promoting a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3327294 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:20:31 +0100 3327294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283492&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Funiversity-of-california-ceo-you-can.html The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported how students at the University of California have been providing a satirical approach to the problems of the university's leadership:It's been a seriously dramatic year at the University of California, where hundreds of students seized buildings, demonstrated and shut down regents meetings last fall to protest rising tuition and the perceived privatization of the public school.It's also been a satirically dramatic year, thanks to the UC Movement for Efficient Privatization, a fledgling group of mostly grad students in business attire that uses humor tinged with sarcasm to lampoon UC officials.Their own name is an example. Many UC students believe leaps in tuition and reduced state funding are turning the public university into a private institu... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283492 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:22:00 +0100 3283492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254419&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Feverything-is-up-to-date-in-kansas-city.html They say everything is up to date in Kansas City, so maybe it should not be a surprise that it is the source of a new and colorful tale of how leaders of health care organizations are different from you and me.  The Kansas City Star reported about the professional life of the recently fired CEO of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences:Hiring the CEOThere’s an often-told story about how Karen Pletz, the fired president of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, got her job in the first place.On a flight from Phoenix to Kansas City in 1995, a stranger sat next to her: Jack Weaver, then chairman of the university’s board of trustees.Pletz, with a law degree and a career in banking, so impressed Weaver that he proposed she join the board. When the tru... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254419 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:43:00 +0100 3254419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239816&cid=t_130652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7G2Na5ih3kI%2F Former Novartis ceo Dan Vasella’s 2009 bonus will be close to three times the amount he would be due based on relative earnings growth among large cap peers, according to a report compiled by UK proxy voting agency Manifest and Swiss consultancy Obermatt, Reuters writes. The estimated payout will total about $5.96 million. And that would be around $3.8 millionabove the maximum level calculated by Obermatt, which bases its bonus recommendation on the number of peers a company outperforms - the more peers are beaten, the higher the bonus. Novartis couldn’t confirm the estimated bonus level for 2009. “Dr. Vasella’s base as well as total compensation is in line with that of CEOs from other large healthcare companies,” a Novartis spokeswoman tells Reuters. Vasella ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239816 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:02:49 +0100 3239816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235796&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fhospital-executive-pay-in-land-where.html In the US, it seems to be the season for news reports on the pay of hospital executives.  Here are reports from three states in the southeast, in alphabetical order.FloridaThe St Petersburg (FL) Times reported on the total compensation of local hospital executives:While many workers in the Tampa Bay area have had their wages frozen or reduced in the past few years, life has been kinder to chief executives at nonprofit hospitals in the Tampa Bay area.A bright light in a dim economy, most local tax-exempt hospitals have continued to post surpluses, despite losses on investments and the growing number of uninsured. And the executives at the helms of these organizations have been duly rewarded by their community-based boards, according to the federal tax filings required of such organizat... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235796 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:48:00 +0100 3235796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220490&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fmore-california-medical-centers-plagued.html Earlier this week, we noted that while executives at one University of California medical center were getting large bonuses supposedly for "improved patient health," the hospital was being cited for serious health care quality deficiencies.  Now, more stories have appeared that raise questions about the rationale for the generous bonuses handed out to multiple top hospital executives at University of California hospitals.  University of California - San DiegoFirst, in alphabetical order by city, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on penalties for poor quality care announced by the California Department of Public Health: UCSD Medical Center in San Diego was fined $50,000.... The state said the hospital staff failed to follow its surgical policies and procedures, which resulted i... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220490 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:16:00 +0100 3220490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208313&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fuci-medical-center-fails-inspection-uci.html Back in the early days of Health Care Renewal, we had many occasions to write about problems with the leadership of the University of California - Irvine (UCI) medical school.  Starting in late 2005, we posted  about various management problems at the institution, involving its liver transplant service, cardiology division, and bone marrow transplant service, (see posts here and here) which lead the new chancellor of the campus to "acknowledge a failure of leadership and accountability" (see post here.) Slightly more recently, we noted the almost 20 year history of questionable financial relationships that involved one of UCI's "biggest stars" in clinical researach and several pharmaceutical companies (see post here).  Then, in 2007, we wrote about some strange contract... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208313 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0100 3208313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163736&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fnon-profit-health-care-organization.html ConclusionsLeaders of not-for-profit organizations, starting with their boards of trustees, are supposed to subscribe to the duty of  obedience, "to be faithful to the organization's mission,"  and the duty of loyalty, " give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization." Presumably, that can be extended to the requirement that the top hired executives of not-for-profit put the mission ahead of their own personal gain.  Thus, boards of trustees who feel that they can only retain hired CEOs by pay so high that they will not be tempted by offers from for-profit corporations have failed in their duty by hiring CEOs who put their personal financial interests ahead of the mission.  I believe that the compensation given to CareSource and Premier ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163736 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:42:00 +0100 3163736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133582&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKKgp8fSDho8%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanTerrorists are named after an emotion for a reason. They use violence to produce widespread fear for a political purpose. The number of those they kill or injure will always be a small fraction of those they frighten. This creates problems for leaders, and even analysts, when they talk publicly about terrorism. On one hand, leaders need to convince the public that they are on the case in protecting them, or else they won’t be leaders for long. On the other hand, good leaders try to minimize unwarranted fear. One reason is that we shouldn’t give terrorists what they want. Another is that fear is a real social harm, particularly when it is exaggerated. Stress from fear harms health. It causes bad decisions. For example, if people avoid flying and drive inst... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133582 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:27:10 +0100 3133582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089237&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2F98-million-dollar-man.html We seem to have a new candidate for the award for best-paid CEO of a not-for-profit academic medical center, as reported in the New York Post,Wall Streeters aren't the only ones raking in big bonuses during tough economic times.Hospital presidents and CEOs also collect fat bonuses and 'incentive payments,' even as health-care systems cry poverty, claiming they struggle to break even against government cutbacks, tightwad insurers and skyrocketing costs.While warning of layoffs and slashed patient services, many hospitals shower their top execs and department heads with bonuses and perks. They include housing allowances, chauffeurs, first-class air travel, tuition for their kids and country-club memberships.Under new IRS rules, the extras are disclosed for the first time in recently filed 20... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089237 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:29:00 +0100 3089237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075458&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fmore-air-into-health-care-bubble-30000.html Over four years ago, we posted about the stratospheric prices of new drugs that seemed disproportionate to manufacturing and development costs on one hand, and the value of the drugs for patients on the other.  For example, back then we noted that thalidomide, a very old drug that notoriously was found to cause birth defects when it was given to preganant women, but that then showed promise as an anti-cancer drug, was being marketed in the US for $29 per capsule (approximately $25,000 a year), while a generic form sold in Brazil for $0.07 per capsule.That was then, and this is now.  This week, the New York Times reported on a $30,000+  per month cancer drug.  A newly approved chemotherapy drug will cost about $30,000 a month, a sign that the prices of cancer m... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075458 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:56:00 +0100 3075458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026663&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQw7teQ5vDJ8%2F All too often policy debates regarding executive compensation appear driven more by populist politics than any real basis in fact.   In order to add some light to this debate, two professors at New York University’s Stern School of Business, Gian Luca Clementi and Thomas Cooley, recently released a working paper, offering their findings on trends in executive compensation, many of which I found surprising. First off, Professors Clementi and Cooley measure executive compensation more broadly than just salary, perks and bonuses.  They include annual change in value of own company stock and option holdings, as well as the value of own company stock sales and newly awarded securities.  This broader measure is intended to give a fuller picture of how closely an executive&#8217... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026663 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:44:48 +0100 3026663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992653&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6LxSIjq40OU%2F I’ve been poring over the trove of documents the Electronic Frontier Foundation has obtained detailing the long process by which the FISA Amendments Act—which substantially expanded executive power to conduct sweeping surveillance with little oversight—was hammered out between Hill staffers and lawyers at the Department of Justice and intelligence agencies. The really interesting stuff, of course, is mostly redacted, and I’m only partway though the stacks, but there are a few interesting tidbits so far. As Wired has already reported, one e-mail shows Bush officials feared that if the attorney general was given too much discretion over retroactive immunity for telecoms that aided in warrantless wiretapping, the next administration might refuse to provide it. A couple other t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992653 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:53:22 +0100 2992653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2930963&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXPn383xWwRI%2F If you worry about the abuse of executive power and declining respect among elected officials for the rule of law, you should watch this eloquent illumination of what really went down in the Chrysler bankruptcy earlier this year. The speaker is Richard Mourdock, Treasurer of the state of Indiana. The setting is a Cato Institute policy forum on October 15 about the “sordid details of the Bush/Obama auto industry intervention.” As state treasurer, Mourdock is the person responsible for investment decisions concerning Indiana’s state employee pension funds, some of which owned a small share of Chrysler’s $6.9 billion in secured debt and some of which opposed the administration’s offer of $.29 on the dollar for that debt. Though these small secured holders were publicly casti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2930963 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:24:22 +0100 2930963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923241&cid=t_130652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWC6SQ9CskpI%2F The Obama administration’s announcement this week on cash compensation for those seven institutions receiving “extraordinary assistance” has generated the all-too-predictable responses. Either you think executives at the entities are bad and greedy and should be punished, or you believe this is just the first step in an all-out class war.  Sadly the real victim in all these efforts has been, and continues to be, the taxpayer. Now that the taxpayer is the most significant shareholder in these companies, the top priority for Washington, as representative of the taxpayer, should be to see these companies return to profitability.  Quite simply, if these companies are not profitable, that loss will fall on the taxpayer, as shareholder. And of course, without the ability to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923241 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:19:32 +0100 2923241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916167&cid=t_130652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F22%2Fnami-nearly-75-percent-of-funding-from-pharma%2F As we noted in April, NAMI gets a significant portion of its funding from pharmaceutical companies. We had to guess at what that percentage was, however, because the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) refused to detail their pharmaceutical grants and donations in their annual reports and IRS filings. At the time, I was generous and said that it’s likely that 30 to 50 percent of NAMI’s funding came from pharmaceutical companies. I was off. Way off. The New York Times reported yesterday that nearly 75 percent of NAMI’s funding comes from pharmaceutical companies — $23 million over 3 years’ time: The mental health alliance, which is hugely influential in many state capitols, has refused for years to disclose specifics of its fund-raising, saying the det... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916167 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:07:40 +0100 2916167