In the past few years, the prevalence of hospital-owned physician practices has greatly increased as hospitals seek to expand referral bases and service lines while physicians seek a reprieve from growing federal and state reporting requirements and other regulations. One…

With 30,000 hospitalists in the United States, hospital medicine is the fastest growing medical specialty and it is expected to play an important role in healthcare reform, according to a report by the New York Times.

Robert J. Baudino, JD, is president of Baudino Law Group in Des Moines, Iowa, which primarily represents healthcare clients. Here, Mr. Baudino discusses how hospitals can prepare for accountable care organizations, noting that clinical integration is a good first step.

Six interventional radiologists with Radiological Association of Sacramento (Calif.) Medical Group have filed suit against Sutter Roseville (Calif) Medical Center and Sutter Medical Center Sacramento after being denied privileges following Sutter's hiring of its own radiologists, according to a report…

The Department of Health and Human Services will now include quality information about outpatient and emergency department care at hospitals across the United States on its HealthCare.gov website as well as CMS' Hospital Compare website, according to an HHS news…

The heart attack mortality rate for U.S. hospitals dropped from 16.6 percent for the period of July 2005 through June 2008 to 16.2 percent for the period of July 2006 through June 2009, according to CMS data analyzed in a…

The clinically integrated network is a key building block for the accountable care organization, an upcoming piece in the healthcare reform law that will bring together hospitals, physicians and other caregivers to deliver the full scope of care for each…

Southeast Medical Center, a primary care practice with seven locations based in Oakes, N.D., has officially merged with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health-MeritCare, according to a MeritCare news release.

Arizona has become the 19th state to reject a federal invitation to set up a high-risk pool to cover patients with pre-existing medical conditions under health reform, according to a report by the Arizona Republic.

Sen. Dean Florez (D-Calif.) plans to introduce a bill aimed at preventing City of Hope cancer hospital in Duarte, Calif., from severing ties with California Cancer Specialists Medical Group and forming a foundation to employ other physicians, according to a…