Efforts To Stop Suicide Will Get A Boost In 2020

The new federal budget has more money for a national suicide prevention hotline, and the Federal Communications Commission says it will designate a 3-digit dialing code to call it.

* This article was originally published here

The Healthiest Vegan Date Squares

Free of gluten and added sugar, these Vegan Date Squares are just as good, if not better, than the real thing! Super moist and deliciously tasty, they’re the perfect replica of your typical soft, sweet and crunchy date square.

Date Squares are another Holiday staple in this household… I think it’s mainly due to the fact that they happen to be one of my son’s favorite treats. He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth but these, he has a very hard time resisting! And the mother in me likes to make sure that there will be at least one treat on the dessert on the table that will appeal to him!

As such, I think that this would be the one recipe for which I have created the most versions throughout the years. Honestly, though, I think that this one is the healthiest I’ve ever come up with! These guys contain no animal products whatsoever – of course – no gluten and not a grain of added sugar. Still, they are deliciously sweet and will tantalize your taste buds with all kinds of not-so-subtle hints of orange and coconut, as well as a decadently rich and buttery flavor. Their texture is melt-in-your-mouth soft and creamy, yet they are pleasantly crunchy and slightly crumbly, just like any good Date Square should be… The dream!

And one of the best things about Date Squares is that they are super quick and easy to make and won’t have you dirtying up the entire kitchen, either. I get the feeling I’ll be making those often… not just for the Holidays!

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The post The Healthiest Vegan Date Squares appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Using deep learning to predict disease-associated mutations

A research team implemented a robust deep learning approach to predict disease-associated mutations of the metal-binding sites in a protein. This is the first deep learning approach for the prediction of disease-associated metal-relevant site mutations in metalloproteins, providing a new platform to tackle human diseases.

* This article was originally published here

Women with single dose of HPV vaccine gain similar protection as multiple doses

A new study revealed that one dose of the HPV vaccine may prevent infection from the potential cancer-causing virus, according to new research.

* This article was originally published here

Brain tumor organoids may be key to time-sensitive treatments for glioblastomas

Lab-grown brain organoids developed from a patient's own glioblastoma, the most aggressive and common form of brain cancer, may hold the answers on how to best treat it. A new study showed how glioblastoma organoids could serve as effective models to rapidly test personalized treatment strategies.

* This article was originally published here

1 Year After Losing Its Hospital, A Rural Town Is Determined To Survive

Anger and fear have turned to pragmatic hope in the year since the people of Fort Scott, Kan., lost their hospital to corporate downsizing. A community health center remains. So far, so good.

(Image credit: Sarah Jane Tribble/Kaiser Health News)

* This article was originally published here

A very Merry Christmas to you my friends!

Well here we are… it’s that magical time of the year once again!

As you go gashing through this Holiday season, please bear in mind that Christmas is about spending time with your family and friends; it’s about creating happy memories that will last a lifetime. Take the time to appreciate the true blessings of Christmas and remember that on Christmas day, it’s not what’s under the tree that matters, but rather who’s gathered around it. Every Christmas gift will one day lose its luster, but the memories of loved ones never will. So have fun, enjoy every little moment: dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, laugh out loud and love with all your heart. 

In the end, the best Christmas gift of all is when you realize how much you already have…

For me, every single one of you are like most the amazing Christmas present ever. You guys are the absolute best, and this place just wouldn’t be the same without you. As such, I wish to sincerely thank you for being here, for all your love and support, for having such a positive impact on my life. From the bottom of my heart: thank you, thank you, thank you! You are all total gems, true angels and the absolute best Christmas gift ever!

Warmest Holiday Wishes to you, and yours!

The post A very Merry Christmas to you my friends! appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Oven Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem Artichokes, also called Sunchokes or Topinambour, are a nice change from your regular taters! Dare to try them today! (if you can gets your hands on ’em, that is!)

Jerusalem artichokes are very similar to potatoes, except they’re a tad chewier and sweeter and not quite as starchy, with a subtle nutty flavor that’s slightly reminiscent of artichokes, hence, their name…

Although they are called artichokes, they’re actually tubers — and very knobby ones at that! — that sort of look like ginger root, but actually belong to the daisy family. The rhizomes indeed produce the most beautiful yellow flowers in the Fall!

Their season is pretty short, though; they are typically harvested in the late months of the Fall, as it it said that tubers left in the ground past several frosts will be sweeter than those harvested sooner.

And since they do not store as well as potatoes, they’re usually not available for long! If you are lucky enough to stumble upon them at your local market, make sure to grab some! You’ll be happy you did!

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* This article was originally published here

Vegan Parmesan

This 5 ingredient Vegan Parmesan only takes 2 minutes to make, and it’s so crazy tasty, you’ll want to sprinkle it on everything! Think “nooch” to the 10th power!

If you’re a vegan, then you probably sprinkle nutritional yeast, aka nooch on just about everything you eat. Well, ok. Maybe not your morning cereal, or your chocolate chia pudding, or anything sweet for that matter. But everything else, you probably be like “hey, pass the nooch this way, please!” I know I do! I put that sh*t on everything!

Sometimes, though, I feel like I want a little bit more… a little bit more texture, a little bit more flavor, a little bit more oomph, you know?! Especially when I’m eating things like pasta with tomato sauce, a fresh crispy leafy salad or a piping hot bowl of minestrone soup, for instance.

That’s when I reach for Vegan Parmesan!

I know there are already plenty of recipes for it on the internet, but I find most are mainly made of cashew meal with just a little bit of nutritional yeast in it. I wanted my vegan parmesan to still offer most of the same nutritional values that nooch has to offer, especially in the vitamin B12 department. So I made sure to incorporate lots of it in my parmesan mix. Also, I added a tiny amount of dried onion flakes, which give the mixture a pleasant yet subtle onion soup flavor, while adding a very agreeable little crunch to it. Personally, I’m a fan! Perhaps too big of a fan, even; I love this stuff so much that I sometimes eat it by the pinchful…

I really hope that you will like it too!

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The post Vegan Parmesan appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Naturally sweetened with orange juice and maple syrup, this Cranberry Sauce is so stupid easy to make and tastes so much better than the sugar-laden storebought stuff… Plus, it can – and even should – be made ahead of time, so there are no excuses not to make your own!

Cranberry Sauce is a sacrosanct Christmas tradition in this family… Funny thing though is the tradition seems to be me making it, and then completely forgetting to put it on the table on Christmas day! Yeah… that’s actually happened a few times!

But then we eat it for breakfast on toasts in the following weeks. If you’ve never tried that, you really have to! Now I’m not saying that you too should start making cranberry sauce only to forget to serve it to your family and guests on Christmas night, but keep this in mind as the perfect solution when comes time to use any potential leftovers!

This cranberry sauce is totally heavenly, not only on toasts but with your Holiday feast as well… The combination of orange, maple and cranberry, and the nice little touch of vanilla, work so incredibly well together and tastes just like Christmas. Plus, since it isn’t loaded with all kinds of nasty sugars, it isn’t overly sweet but rather retains all the natural tartness and tanginess of the cranberries. All very yummy stuff, really!

So yummy in fact, you might be tempted to make it year ’round.

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* This article was originally published here

Abarca, Amgen push the envelope with outcomes-based plan for Enbrel

Abarca COO, Javier Gonazlez

Health plans should be more willing to pay for high-cost drugs if they actually produce the results patients expect: cures, symptom relief, etc. But pay-for-outcome deals are few and far between.

Abarca Health –a small pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)– recently announced an outcomes-based deal with Amgen for Enbrel. I interviewed Abarca’s chief operating officer, Javier Gonalzez about the announcement.

This is your second deal with Amgen. How did the first one go? What did you learn from it and how did that impact the Enbrel contract?

Abarca is in the process of implementing the outcomes-based agreement with Amgen for Repatha. Because of the innovative and complex nature of these agreements, implementation takes time both with the drug maker and the health plans.

All parties have learned a lot throughout this process, and we expect implementation to get faster with new agreements. We also know that each outcomes-based contract is different. What looks like success for a patient with high cholesterol–like those who take Repatha–might not be the same for someone who is taking Enbrel for rheumatoid arthritis.

The key to a successful outcomes-based contract is collaboration–so this process has allowed Abarca to build a solid working relationship with Amgen. Our organizations are very much aligned in our belief that these agreements have the potential to disrupt the entire healthcare reimbursement system.

The Enbrel arrangement is positioned as an outcomes based contract, but the outcome is just whether the patient stops using the drug. Why not something more advanced, like a clinical measure?

Although our agreement for Enbrel will initially measure discontinuation, we will also be collecting data that drills down further into why the patient stopped treatment–which could be related to side effects, adverse events, or failure to meet therapeutic outcomes.

Though we would like to see additional clinical measures become the determining factors for outcomes-based contracts, it’s important to remember that these agreements are still very much in their infancy. Manufacturers are proceeding very slowly and picking some basic pharmacy therapy outcome endpoints that are reliable and readily accessible—medication adherence and discontinuation, for example—as they build experience.

But, as payers and PBMs build frameworks that can connect disparate patient health data points, and report outcomes through robust analytical platforms, we believe that they will be in a better position to take these agreements to the next level. To help move the industry to this point, Abarca is developing a specialty quality pay-for-performance program to establish clinical, operational, and compliance efficiencies for health plans that will create a game changing experience for patients, pharmacies, and physicians while delivering competitive pricing. We plan to announce this initiative early next year.

What interventions, if any, are utilized to encourage patients to stay on Enbrel? Do you work with any vendors to help?

Our clinical teams work closely with our clients to track adherence across all therapy classes on an ongoing basis. We also have our award-winning Medication Therapy Management (MTM) initiative and programs in place, which look at adherence for high risk patients.

Additionally, we are in the process of ramping up our offerings around the management of specialty patients. Our multi-pronged approach will feature advanced technology, and the eventual development of a quality pay-for-performance program that relies heavily on adherence as a factor to determine success. 

I’ve never heard of Abarca. How big are you? Who are your customers?

Abarca was built on the belief that with a smarter technology and a straightforward approach to business, it can provide a better experience and greater value for payers and consumers–and we’ve been delivering on that mission for more than a decade.

As a full-service PBM, Abarca’s clients include self-insured employers, Medicare and commercial plans, and large insurers across the US. We manage more than $2 billion in drug costs for 2.8 million members in commercial, self-insured, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. We also provide Darwin, our advanced technology platform that our team built in-house, to health plans and PBMs.

There have been a lot of companies claiming that they were going to disrupt or revolutionize the PBM industry. Often they use terms like “transparency” to try to differentiate themselves. But they haven’t been very successful. Why would Abarca succeed where others haven’t?

The largest players in the PBM space have found–and maintained–success by adhering to the status quo. Unfortunately, too often those practices favor the company, and not the clients and members they serve. And while some organizations may use the word transparency, we are building relationships with our clients to deliver transparency starting from day one.

For Abarca, transparency means is holding ourselves to a higher standard. It means to be able to look our clients in the eye and tell them “this is exactly what each of your drugs costs and why.” We don’t believe that transparency should be touted as a differentiator, it should be the industry standard.

Our company was founded to throw out the PBM playbook and find a better way in healthcare–and we have structured every aspect of our business in pursuit of that mission.

We have built industry-leading technology from scratch that makes PBM processes integrated, user-friendly, and modern–and has attracted the attention of some of the nation’s leading PBMs. Within a two year period, we will have doubled the size of our team to accommodate our ongoing growth. And, while many PBMs are in the process of debating outcomes based contracts, we’re executing them with some of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers.

What other kinds of outcomes based contracts do you have in the pipeline? What kinds of drugs are good candidates?

Abarca will be focusing on high-cost, high-risk specialty medications for our future outcomes-based contracts. Specifically, we’re looking at treatments for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypercholesteremia, and breast cancer, among other disease states.

Do pharma companies want to do more of these deals? Why?

The adoption of innovative drug contracts has been slow and steady over the last few years. In fact, a recent report by PhRMA found that the list of publicly announced value-based contracts grew from 39% to 43% during 2018. But, there are several important trends that are emerging that could change healthcare significantly, including pay-for-performance, calls for transparency, and, potentially, moves away from existing rebate models.

Based on these factors, I believe that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly warming to these types of agreements. There is also the added bonus that outcomes-based agreements give drug makers critical, real-world insight into the performance of their products.

In general, pharmacy can be a very slow moving industry. But, those who are willing to innovate on their own accord–rather than industry mandate–will be in a better position for long-term success.

How about payers? What is their motivation?

Payers are really looking forward to the widespread adoption of these agreements, for a few reasons. First, it puts more accountability on manufacturers for the performance of their products. Additionally, it will help to facilitate better fact-based formulary decisions.

Today, there are a number of factors that contribute to whether or not a drug appears on a formulary but, in many cases, the process can be quite opaque. That’s not how important decisions that impact member health should be made. As outcomes-based agreements become commonplace, we will have the data necessary to manage formularies with more transparency, and objectivity. Specifically, the total impact of cost will be easier to manage and decisions can be made based on clinical outcomes, rather than pharmacy-based data points. 

Do you expect these outcomes based plans to be emulated by other PBMs? Does Abarca provide technology to other PBMs that will help?

We would hope that these types of agreements become the standard in our market. However, we recognize that not every PBM has the technology necessary to support them.

Along with being a full-service PBM, Abarca provides the technology, analytics, and reporting capabilities for health plans and PBMs to support innovative drug contracting–and other clinical initiatives. It may seem a little counterintuitive to provide what some see as our “secret sauce” to the competition, but we believe that health plans, pharmacists, physicians, and, most importantly, patients deserve a better experience–no matter who their PBM is.

——

By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

 

 

The post Abarca, Amgen push the envelope with outcomes-based plan for Enbrel appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Creamy Vegan Egg Salad Party Sandwiches

These Creamy Vegan Egg Salad Party Sandwiches look and taste so much like the real deal, no one will ever notice if you just drop them on the table without saying a word…

Egg Salad Sandwiches. They are such a great classic at parties, are they not? I mean, who doesn’t LOVE egg salad sandwiches? Unfortunately, for us vegans, they are yet another one of those things that are totally off limits. But, vegans rejoice, there actually exists a more than decent vegan option! This tofu version tastes and looks so much like the real deal, it’s almost scary. I actually made those to take to a party last week and they were a total hit!

Now, I like my egg salad on the creamy side, especially when making party sandwiches — it just holds so much better! — but if you preferred your egg salad to be a little bit less creamy and have a little bit more chunks in it, you could totally play with the ratio of creamed to chopped tofu. I process about half the tofu and keep the other half as chunks, but you could totally do 1/3 creamed 2/3 chunks, for instance. Just play with it until you find your own optimal balance.

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The post Creamy Vegan Egg Salad Party Sandwiches appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

How Online Grocery Delivery Could Help Alleviate Food Deserts

Delivery service could make it easier to access fresh, healthy food in these areas, a study finds. It lends support to a pilot program that lets people pay for these groceries with food stamps.

(Image credit: svetikd/Getty Images)

* This article was originally published here

Healthy Festive Vegan Chocolate Fudge

Not only is this Festive Vegan Chocolate Fudge super creamy, velvety smooth and totally delicious, but it also happens to be truly healthy and completely guilt-free!

Can you think of a better, prettier treat to put on the table this Christmas? Or any other occasion, for that matter. Super easy to make, this healthy vegan chocolate fudge only requires 4 simple ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time to make. And no special equipment either.

This fudge is perfect in every single way: it tastes absolutely amazing, has the silkiest, fudgiest texture, it’s super easy – and quick – to make, cuts super clean into perfect little squares and best of all, stays firm at room temperature. This means it won’t start to melt on you as soon as you take it out of the fridge, like many other healthy fudge recipes out there… In fact, this one is actually MUCH better at room temperature so it’s best that you take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before you serve it!

And that, makes it even more perfect, because it’ll make it that much harder for you to just grab a piece right out of the fridge every now and then, and eventually realize that you’ve gone through the entire batch before it even had a chance to make it to the party…

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* This article was originally published here

More than 1 in 3 low- and middle-income countries face both extremes of malnutrition

Being undernourished or overweight are no longer separate public health issues. A new article details how more than one in three low- and middle-income countries face both extremes of malnutrition -- a reality driven by the modern food system.

* This article was originally published here

Teens With ADHD More Likely To Get Hooked On Nicotine, Research Shows

Vaping use among high school students is rising and that's likely driving an increase in nicotine use. Teenagers who may be more likely to get hooked are those with ADHD.

* This article was originally published here

Orion Health CMO Dr. Chris Hobson discusses HIE’s past, present, future

Dr. Chris Hobson

Orion Health has been the Health Information Exchange (HIE) business around the world for more than 15 years. In this podcast, Chief Medical Officer Chris Hobson and I discuss the past, present and future of health IT.

Topics include:

• (0:12) There are a lot of buzzwords in health IT: interoperability, population health, precision medicine. What is their relevance?
• (3:07) What new buzzwords will we encounter as we head into the new decade?
• (8:07) Health Information Exchanges have been around for 15 years. Have they succeeded? How will they evolve?
• (12:05) You operate around the world. What are some differences and similarities you see with the US system? What can we learn from abroad?
• (17:00) How do the priorities of payers and providers differ?
• (20:16) What are the implications of new legislation focusing on interoperability? TEFCA? 21st Century Cures?

---

 

 

The post Orion Health CMO Dr. Chris Hobson discusses HIE’s past, present, future appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Boston Globe quotes David Williams re:Partners name change

Partners HealthCare is changing its name to Mass General Brigham, saying goodbye to a name loved by exactly no one. The Boston Globe quoted David Williams about the change in In major rebranding, Partners HealthCare changes name to Mass General Brigham

David E. Williams, president of the consulting firm Health Business Group, said Partners’ hospitals might be able to rally around a new common name.

“It won’t change anything by itself, changing the names,” he said. “But if it’s part of trying to do an integration, it might have meaning.”

But he also questioned whether the initiative will be worth the costs.

“If it gets to the point where a nonprofit is contemplating $100 million to change its name, it tells you something is wrong. That’s a fairly wasteful exercise,” he said.

David also explored the topic in more detail on the Health Business Blog.

 

The post Boston Globe quotes David Williams re:Partners name change appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Warren Doubled Down On 'Medicare For All' As Voters Had Second Thoughts

The Massachusetts senator has pushed corporate regulation and fighting corruption as campaign centerpieces since early on. So how did "Medicare for All" come to define her platform while support slid?

(Image credit: SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)

* This article was originally published here

25 Vegan Christmas Baking & Dessert Recipes

A roundup of 25 Vegan Christmas Baking and Dessert Recipes to help you keep things healthier and cruelty-free Holiday Season!

I just woke up to realize that Christmas is only 2 weeks away! My first Christmas as a vegan, too… To this day, I have no idea what I am going to put on the menu. But to be honest, my focus this year has been more on getting ready to leave for my 3-month trip to Costa Rica, right after the Holidays. So I’m afraid that my Christmas cooking has been relegated to 2nd rank.

But Christmas still has to happen… and so does vegan Christmas cooking. The one thing that is going to be the biggest challenge for me, I think, is the baking and dessert part of the menu. While there are tons of recipes for vegan cakes and cookies and pies and cupcakes and bars of all kinds out there to inspire me, I find only a minority are actually somewhat healthy. Vegan definitely doesn’t necessarily always rhyme with healthy. Lots of those recipes call for all kinds of refined sugars and unhealthy fats…

Still, I managed to find quite a few healthier vegan sweet treat options that inspired me — some of them being my own, I confess — and I thought I would bunch them up in a neat little roundup and share them with you.

Hopefully you’ll manage to find one or two that will inspire you, as well!

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The post 25 Vegan Christmas Baking & Dessert Recipes appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Supreme Court Hears Another Obamacare Case, With A Twist

The justices seemed sympathetic to $12 billion in insurance firms' claims. The Affordable Care Act promised to partially reimburse insurers if they lost money due to peoples' preexisting conditions.

(Image credit: Susan Walsh/AP)

* This article was originally published here

LifeSpan blames Medicare for its troubles. David Williams is quoted in the Boston Globe

Rhode Island’s hospital industry is troubled. The largest system, Lifespan is losing a key executive and just announced a major financial loss. When the company, which is also the state’s largest private employer, blamed its losses on Medicare cuts, the Boston Globe (R.I. Hospital president to leave as Lifespan announces losses, offers early retirements) called on David Williams for insight.

David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group, a Boston consulting firm, said he was struck by Lifespan’s remarks that its operating losses were due, in part, to “a dramatic and unexpected reduction in Medicare rates.”

Last month, about 600 hospitals filed lawsuits against the US Department of Health and Human Services, claiming they’ve been shortchanged on Medicare payments. Inpatient hospital reimbursements were reduced 0.7 percent, an adjustment that’s been in place since 2011 and is extended by Congress to recover overpayments.

The hospitals are suing over reductions in 2018 and 2019, which is estimated at about $200,000 per hospital, per year.

“If that’s what [Lifespan] is referring to, it was certainly unwelcome by providers, but whether you can say it was unexpected or dramatic, I wouldn’t agree with it,” Williams said.

 

The post LifeSpan blames Medicare for its troubles. David Williams is quoted in the Boston Globe appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Dr. Chris Hobson

Orion Health has been the Health Information Exchange (HIE) business around the world for more than 15 years. In this podcast, Chief Medical Officer Chris Hobson and I discuss the past, present and future of health IT.

Topics include:

• (0:12) There are a lot of buzzwords in health IT: interoperability, population health, precision medicine. What is their relevance?
• (3:07) What new buzzwords will we encounter as we head into the new decade?
• (8:07) Health Information Exchanges have been around for 15 years. Have they succeeded? How will they evolve?
• (12:05) You operate around the world. What are some differences and similarities you see with the US system? What can we learn from abroad?
• (17:00) How do the priorities of payers and providers differ?
• (20:16) What are the implications of new legislation focusing on interoperability? TEFCA? 21st Century Cures?

---

 

 

The post appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Meet The Womanikin, The Breasted Vest Working To Close The CPR Gender Gap

Studies show women are less likely to receive CPR in public than men. A manikin sleeve with silicone breasts might be part of the solution.

(Image credit: Alice Henshaw)

* This article was originally published here

Electronic map reveals 'rules of the road' in superconductor

Using a clever technique that causes unruly crystals of iron selenide to snap into alignment, physicists have drawn a road map that reveals the quantum ''rules of the road'' that electrons must follow in the enigmatic superconductor.

* This article was originally published here

A Daughter Talks With Her Father About Coping With Her Mother's Suicide

Sylvia Grosvold was 5 years old when her mother died by suicide. At StoryCorps, Sylvia, now 16, tells her dad how she's processed the loss. "I guess I'm stronger than I think I am," she says.

(Image credit: Courtesy of the Grosvold and Weiner family)

* This article was originally published here

Partners dissolves into Mass General Brigham. I’m quoted in the Boston Globe

Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital joined together as Partners HealthCare 25 years ago. Now they’re changing the name to Mass General Brigham, spending up to $100 million in the process. I’m quoted on the subject in a recent front page Boston Globe article (In major rebranding, Partners HealthCare to change name to Mass General Brigham).

What’s in a name, you may ask? In this case it’s worth parsing the change and exploring the history.

What does Partners mean anyway?

Partners HealthCare never had much brand equity. The word “partners” really described the decision of the two hospitals to partner with one another to offset the power of managed care organizations to play them off against one another. All HMOs needed one of those hospitals in their network, but not both. With Partners it was all or nothing. Partners had no problem playing “take it or leave it” right from the get go, nearly bringing Tufts Health Plan to its knees in the late 90s.

So unlike your typical business combination, which relies on elimination of duplication and other efficiencies to be successful, Partners succeeded right away by virtue of its enhanced market power and high pricing. Duplication remained –and remains to this day. MGH and the Brigham continued to move forward on their own while a new Partners overhead was introduced. No one –not patients, not doctors, not nurses– developed any attachment to Partners as an entity.

Why keep General?

Massachusetts General Hospital has kept the same name since its charter was granted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1811. It’s a proud name, and maybe sometimes a little too proud. (Some say MGH stands for Man’s Greatest Hospital.)

“Massachusetts” is shortened and “Hospital” is omitted from the new name. Of all the words to keep, why was “General” left intact? It seems so… generic. But it also reminds us of the grand era of American industry. General Motors. General Electric. General Atomics. (Remember that one.) The idea was that the one General company could dominate the industry and we’d all be the better for it.

Outside of this state, errr… Commonwealth, “Mass” doesn’t necessarily mean Massachusetts. It could mean a Catholic Mass or a big pile of something. But MGH is so often referred to here and abroad as Mass General that it must have seemed safe to trim it down officially, since the whole name is long anyway.

Where did the Women go?

How did Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) get its name? Unlike MGH, BWH went through some name changes, although none recently. The Boston Lying in Hospital was founded in 1832 and the Free Hospital for Women came about in 1875. They merged in 1966 to become the Boston Hospital for Women. (Apparently that name didn’t stick right away, since I was always told I was born in the Lying in Hospital –even though I was born after the merger.)

In 1980, the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Robert Breck Brigham Hospital and Boston Hospital for Women merged (not partnered) to become BWH.

If they had called it the Women’s and Brigham the Women’s name might have survived the latest consolidation rather than being unceremoniously lopped off.

GSK not G SK

Back in the 1980s and 1990s a lot of big pharmaceutical companies merged. It was typical for them to drop the last name of their multiword names when they did. For example, SmithKline & French became SmithKline Beckman after merging with Beckman and then SmithKline Beecham after merging with Beecham.

When Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham came together they followed a similar path. But you may notice they went with GlaxoSmithKline rather than Glaxo SmithKline, because the SmithKline people thought that would make it harder to get rid of their name later on. That’s a true story. I was there.

The stratagem has worked so far.

I wonder whether the BWH folks lobbied for MassGeneralBrigham to avoid a similar fate down the road.

When did Hospital become a bad word?

Remember when there were doctors and hospitals? Now it’s providers, medical centers and health systems. Hospitals still dominate economically and politically, but there is a general (and welcome) shift to lower acuity settings of care. Meanwhile Partners has vacuumed up so many other hospitals, physicians and other players that “hospital” no longer belongs in the name.

An interesting marker of the new company’s brand equity and name recognition is that unlike virtually every other new healthcare organization or company, it omits the word “health” from its name. People already understand it’s a healthcare organization.

What about Harvard?

MGH and BWH are both Harvard hospitals. So why not just call it the Harvard Hospital System or Harvard Health System? The use of the Harvard name could be a topic for its own post (Harvard Pilgrim –originally Harvard Community Health Plan and soon to merge with Tufts but with no name announced yet– is a great example) but the simple answer is that while MGH and BWH are Harvard hospitals, there are others like Beth Israel Deaconess and Boston Children’s that are also affiliated with the University.

——

By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

The post Partners dissolves into Mass General Brigham. I’m quoted in the Boston Globe appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

For HIV-Positive Babies, New Evidence Favors Starting Drug Treatment Just After Birth

Doctors used to worry that antiretroviral drugs were too powerful for HIV-positive newborns. More evidence is emerging that, in fact, early treatment can be safe and effective.

(Image credit: Andrew Aitchison/Pictures Ltd./Corbis/Getty Images)

* This article was originally published here

Making higher-energy light to fight cancer

Researchers have achieved photon up-conversion, the emission of light with energy higher than the one that excites the material, using carefully designed structures containing silicon nanocrystals and specialized organic molecules. The accomplishment brings scientists one step closer to developing minimally invasive photodynamic treatments for cancer. The advance could also hasten new technologies for solar-energy conversion, quantum information, and near-infrared driven photocatalysis.

* This article was originally published here

What Happens After Quartz Countertops Leave The Factory

Some workers are sick — some even died — after cutting stone countertops for kitchens and bathrooms. The material is cut to order in thousands of shops that may not understand the dangers.

* This article was originally published here

Cheesy and Buttery Green Beans Almondine

Ready in under 10 minutes, these Vegan Cheesy and Buttery Green Beans Almondine are so rich and scrumptious, they’re the perfect side dish for any occasion, from the casual get together to the most elaborate of dinners…

Are you all green-beaned out yet? Of course not… that’s a silly question. For I mean, seriously… is it even possible to ever have your quota of green beans?

Not for me, anyway… I love green beans that much (although that hasn’t always been the case but hey, things change, right?). They are pretty fantastic on their own, if you ask me, with just a little bit of evoo, salt and pepper. But something definitely has to be said for combining them with toasted almonds, lemon and butter. Add a little bit of cheesiness to that, in the form of nutritional yeast, and you get a dish that tastes like it was elaborated for royalty. Except it’s so easy to make, even kids could very easily whip it up!

I’m telling you, there’s nothing not to like about this dish! Me, I could totally sit myself down with this entire plate and wolf the whole thing down, no help required!

Hey, who says you can’t have only green beans for dinner?

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The post Cheesy and Buttery Green Beans Almondine appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Opinion: Emergency Rooms Shouldn't Be Parking Lots For Patients

Patients in hospital ERs can wait hours for inpatient beds to open up. The delays can be maddening. A solution for this longstanding problem has been elusive in the U.S., despite progress elsewhere.

(Image credit: UpperCut Images/Getty Images)

* This article was originally published here

Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits

Biscuits are an undeniable classic American treat and a must-have on your Thanksgiving table. Those Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits are a lot easier to make than you might think, and much healthier, too!

It is my understanding that no Thanksgiving feast would be complete without some warm, fluffy biscuits on the table.

I can totally understand why: those light, puffy and airy little pastries are so crazy delicious and just so much better than your old plain rolls… Totally fit for the occasion!

Whatever you do, though, if you’re gonna serve some to your guests, don’t settle for store-bought… biscuits are so easy, and fairly quick to make at home, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you’ll want to make them all the time.

Plus, yours are gonna be so much healthier!

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* This article was originally published here

Vegan Pot Pie

This Vegan Pot Pie topped with Whole Wheat Biscuits is not only a super fun variation on this great classic comfort dish, but it’s also much quicker and easier to make, too!

Can you think of a dish that’s more comforting than Chicken Pot Pie? Well… there might be a few, but this one certainly ranks very high on the list. Not only that, but it also happens to be a very popular addition to Thanksgiving menus!

If you’re anything like me, though, you probably tend to stay as far away as you can from any dish that requires you to make / handle pie crust. I don’t know why, but there is something about pie crust… it takes forever to make, usually will leave the entire kitchen covered in flour by the time all is said and done, and will drive you completely insane by tearing and breaking all kinds when you try and roll it down to a neat, thin circle. Argh! I’ll gladly pass, thanks!

Well, this super fun vegan version, which is topped with biscuits instead of pie crust is just as tasty as the real deal — if not more if you ask me — and so much easier to make, too! No fancy crust to roll, no flour everywhere (well, ok, maybe a little bit…) and no tears and breaks. Plus, biscuits are so much better to eat than pie crust, and much healthier, too!

For me, it’s a no-brainer. Vegan Pot Pie topped with biscuits instead of crust is totally the way to go!

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The post Vegan Pot Pie appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Life, liberty -- and access to microbes?

Poverty increases the risk for numerous diseases by limiting people's access to healthy food, environments and stress-free conditions. Researchers argue that poverty also compromises health by creating unequal access to beneficial microorganisms.

* This article was originally published here

After Complaints, BYU-Idaho Reverses Medicaid Decision

Brigham Young University-Idaho faced a backlash after it introduced a policy barring students from using Medicaid to meet requirements for health coverage to enroll in the school.

* This article was originally published here

Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding – The richest and creamiest!

This Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding is crazy thick and creamy and has a decadently rich and intense chocolate flavor. Yet, it’s loaded with wholesome ingredients and is actually good for you! Oh, and did I tell you it was stupid easy to make? I think I’m in love…

A quick search on Google will probably yield hundreds of results for Chocolate Chia Pudding. So why on earth would I want to add another one on top of that pile? (or well, probably at the very bottom, but hey…)

Quite simply because I like to rethink and reinvent recipes… And while there are indeed hundreds of variations on this very subject, I think that no two are the same, and none uses the ingredients that I chose to use…

Quite frankly, this combination resulted in the richest, creamiest, dreamiest chocolate chia pudding that I’ve ever eaten. It’s so heavenly, there is simply no way that while eating it, you may ever imagine, let alone realize, that this actually is healthy and good for you.

But really, it is… so much so that you could totally have it as a snack, or even as part of breakfast…

It’s most fantastic as a dessert, though, if you ask me. And one that’s so easy to whip up, you’ll want to make it all the time…

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The post Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding – The richest and creamiest! appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Don’t worry, be happy with your health plan!

The Likes have it

Joe Biden said in a recent debate, “one hundred sixty million people like their private insurance.” I agree with Biden’s assessment that it’s foolish to advocate scrapping insurance companies as his rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want. It’s stupid politically to take such an extreme view and it’s also worth noting that other countries with nationalized health insurance (like the UK and Germany) have private insurers, too.

Still, what does it mean to say people like their private health insurance? I suppose I would be counted in that number. And, by and large I would say I do “like” my insurance, which is with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. They cover the doctors and hospitals I want to use and the drugs my family takes. Their customer service is good. Their website is ok. They’re flexible in their approach to enforcing policies.

The problem is the cost, which soared to about $2800 per month for family coverage, even for a high-deductible plan. At a colleague’s suggestion, I switched to an even higher deductible plan –which is also one where you have to pay for your own prescription drugs within that deductible instead of the first-dollar coverage I had previously. So while the premium dropped by several hundred dollars a month, I ended up with a co-pay on a generic drug of over $1000 –which would have been $100 before.

And did I mention that since it’s an HMO I needed to buy separate insurance for a dependent who’s at school out of state? And that the out-of-state insurance doesn’t cover expenses arising from participation in college sports? So I had to buy a third policy.

I don’t really blame my health insurer for the high and rising premiums. The main driver is the price of healthcare procedures, which continue to go up. I’ve been healthy, but still routinely see bills for my care in the thousands of dollars that would cost hundreds at most in other places. Some of that cost is attributable to the paperwork burdens imposed by the plans.

Warren and Sanders have a point about problems with health insurers and the lack of universal coverage. But in my view, the real way to address problems in the US healthcare system is to build on Obamacare, focusing not just on coverage (which Obamacare provides, especially if Medicaid expansion is fully implemented), but also on the cost, efficiency, and appropriateness of the care provided.

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

 

 

The post Don’t worry, be happy with your health plan! appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here

Tiny devices made of DNA detect cancer with fewer false alarms

A new cancer-detecting tool uses tiny circuits made of DNA to identify cancer cells by the molecular signature on their surface. The circuits work by attaching to the outside of a cell and analyzing it for proteins that are more abundant on some cell types than others. The devices distinguish cell types with higher specificity than previous methods, giving researchers hope their work could improve diagnosis, or give cancer therapies better aim.

* This article was originally published here

How an AI solution can design new tuberculosis drug regimens

With a shortage of new tuberculosis drugs in the pipeline, a software tool can predict how current drugs--including unlikely candidates -- can be combined in new ways to create more effective treatments.

* This article was originally published here

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

These Vegan Mashed Potatoes are so good, creamy and buttery, no one will ever guess that they’re not “the real deal”. No need to tell them… that’ll be your little secret!

When I first decided to go Vegan, I remember thinking that I would never again be able to eat decent mashed potatoes… and I was devastated there for a while. For seriously, how can one hope to make real good mashed potatoes without milk, butter, sour cream, or even chicken stock?

Well, as it turns out, the answer to that question is pretty simple: nutritional yeast!! You would not believe the amount of flavor and richness that a little bit of nutritional yeast confers to the mash!

To be honest, the addition of vegan butter helps too, in adding yet another level of depth and creaminess to this comforting side dish, but the nutritional yeast alone adds so much flavor, I wonder how I ever did without it!

Of course, there are also a few other rules to follow if you’re hoping to whip up a memorable mash, but I can guarantee you that adding tons of cream and butter aren’t one of them…

Let me prove that to you, if you will…

(more…)

The post Vegan Mashed Potatoes appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Technique identifies T cells primed for certain allergies or infections

Researchers can now identify T cells reactive to a particular target from a patient's cells, and to perform high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing of those cells.

* This article was originally published here

Switching to renewable energy could save thousands of lives in Africa

New research finds that if Africa chooses a future powered by fossil fuels, nearly 50,000 people could die prematurely each year from fossil fuel emissions by 2030, mostly in South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi.

* This article was originally published here

For Supporters Of Abortion Access, Troubling Trends In Texas

Three years after winning a big legal battle, abortion providers still find themselves losing the ground war when it comes to keeping clinics open across the huge, populous state.

(Image credit: Gabriel C. Pérez/KUT)

* This article was originally published here

A Young Immigrant Has Mental Illness, And That's Raising His Risk of Being Deported

Behavioral problems, criminal arrests and limited access to health care leave a father worried that his 21-year-old son will be deported to Mexico.

(Image credit: Hokyoung Kim for NPR)

* This article was originally published here

Polio Vaccine May Stall The End Of Polio

Health officials have long known that virus from the oral vaccine can contaminate water supplies; they underestimated how big a problem this would be.

(Image credit: Sunday Alamba/AP)

* This article was originally published here

Why Even Universal Health Coverage Isn't Enough

As U.S. presidential candidates prep for their next debate, a doctor-to-be asks them, and us all, to remember that even universal access to health care won't fix other disparities that hurt health.

(Image credit: John Minchillo/AP)

* This article was originally published here

30 Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

A roundup of 30 Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes to help you plan your menu and keep things healthy and cruelty free this Holiday Season!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: as a French Canadian, I don’t ever get to celebrate Thanksgiving, so I can’t pretend to say that I know much of anything about what goes on and especially what gets eaten on that much celebrated Holiday… I do know, however, that food totally gets a prime spot on that day! 

From what I understand, Thanksgiving is also, and mostly, about giving thanks and telling people that you love them… Well, what better way to thank the animals and let them know just how much you love them than by leaving them off your plates?  I know, I know… easier said than done. This can be a little intimidating, especially given the fact that traditionally, the star of the menu is a whole roasted turkey, and that most of the other items on the menu also typically contain lots of dairy and / or more meat. But really, there are TONS of scrumptious recipes out there that are entirely cruelty-free AND that still scream of Thanksgiving. 

I’ve scoured the Net in search of the best vegan Thanksgiving recipes and put them together here, in this roundup. Hopefully these will inspire you to create a fabulous Holiday feast that everyone will remember… and will totally want to repeat, too! 

And also maybe, discover a new vegan blog or two that you’ll want to follow… 

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The post 30 Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.

* This article was originally published here

Why only some post-stroke survivors can 'copy what I say'

Researchers report that the left lateral temporal cortex must be intact in stroke patients with aphasia if they are to have their speech entrained. In speech entrainment, stroke survivors practice fluent speech production by following along with another speaker.

* This article was originally published here

Use of locum doctors rising despite limited evidence on quality and safety

There is little hard evidence to support the widely held perception that locum doctors present a greater risk of causing harm to patients.

* This article was originally published here

Meditation Reduced The Opioid Dose She Needs To Ease Chronic Pain By 75%

For some patients in pain, opioids are still part of the long-term solution, doctors say. But by adding meditation, hypnosis or other treatments, the opioid dose can be reduced.

(Image credit: Jessica Tezak for NPR)

* This article was originally published here

The healthcare cost revolution will not be televised either

Coming to a TV near you

The quote at the end of yesterday’s Boston Globe article (Consumers struggle to find information on health care costs, poll shows) made me laugh.

“We’re seeing more and more consumer awareness every year,” [an insurance executive] told the Globe. “It’s a revolution that’s occurring, but it occurs over time.”

When I read about this ‘revolution’ it brought to mind an expression/poem/song from long ago: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised! The timeframe for the healthcare cost ‘revolution’ is on the order of decades, and I don’t think anyone will be able to sit still for a TV show of that length!

Not surprisingly, the Pioneer Institute’s survey demonstrated that while people with commercial insurance are interested in obtaining  price information before receiving a healthcare service, they don’t often get it. Only 2 to 7 percent of people check costs on insurers’ websites, according to the Attorney General.

Although that number seems crazily low, it’s actually easy to understand once you consider the multitude of the barriers:

1. Patients don’t know what services they’re going to need
2. Choice of provider often trumps cost as a factor
3. Their health plans may not reward or punish them for saving or spending more money
4. Next year’s insurance premiums are unaffected by what they do this year
5. Those with a high deductible plan are likely to blow through the deductible anyway if they have serious medical expenses
6. Insurers’ cost estimators aren’t easy to use
7. The estimates may not be accurate anyway
8. People haven’t heard about the available tools

I’m an educated consumer with a high deductible plan but I don’t try to check the costs ahead of time.

So there’s no need to be glued to your TV (or other device) watching this ‘revolution.’

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

The post The healthcare cost revolution will not be televised either appeared first on Health Business Group.

* This article was originally published here