NOTES ON NURSING
OpEd: Report Medical Errors and Caregiver Injuries Every 24 hours across the nation there are, on average, 4,658 newly identified hospital-acquired infections, 1,369 patient falls and perhaps as many as 800,000 medication errors. Furthermore, injuries to caregivers are among the highest rates of any occupation, with as many as 950 injuries per day in the United States.
HEALTH CARE
A Hospital Bill Without the Hospital To many people this may be the equivalent of billing for oral surgery after a teeth cleaning. But Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, which owns the dermatology practice, said Reed’s insurer allows the Burlington hospital to charge patients an overhead fee when they are treated by doctors it employs — even when their offices are not located in the hospital but in a medical building 1½ miles away.
Aging America: Elder Abuse is on the Rise The Shalom Center offers shelter, along with medical, psychological and legal help, to elderly abuse victims in this northern Cincinnati suburb. It is among a handful in the country that provide sanctuary from such treatment, a problem experts say is growing along with the age of the nation’s population.
Twin Cities Docs Bypass Insurers; Require Direct Payment The doctors are joining the small but growing number of physicians who since the late 1990s have tried going the “direct pay” or “concierge” route, where doctors typically care for a smaller group of patients who are willing to pay for easier access to their physician.
LABOR UPDATES
Stand with Star Tribune Workers Star Tribune Newspaper Guild members have not had a raise for 2,004 days. On top of that, their pay has been cut between 8 and 14 percent, and they have higher out-of-pocket medical expenses. Their concessions before and after bankruptcy helped save the Star Tribune, a fixture of our community for more than 140 years. Please join them as they ask for dignity & fairness.
WHEN: Today (January 28), 4 PM
WHERE: Outside the Star Tribune (425 Portland Ave., Minneapolis)