News in brief - April 13, 2009

AMA updates on Twitter

The American Medical Association launched a Twitter profile on April 1 as a way to keep physicians informed on important issues.

Twitter is a micro-blogging site designed to facilitate communication through the use of one question: What are you doing? Users post short blogs of 140 characters or fewer, called "tweets."

The AMA plans to use the site to provide up-to-date information on professional and public health issues it is working on for its physician members. The first AMA tweet announced the launch of the AMA's online e-prescribing learning center, created to help guide physicians through implementing an e-prescribing system.

AMA's Twitter profile name is AmerMedicalAssn. Those with a Twitter account can also access AMA's Twitter news online (twitter.com/AmerMedicalAssn).

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Kaiser employees caught snooping at medical records of octuplets' mom

Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center has disciplined several employees for snooping at the medical records of the woman who, in January, gave birth to octuplets.

The hospital said it fired 15 hospital workers and took other disciplinary action against eight other workers from various departments who accessed Nadya Suleman's medical records without permission or authority. Hospital officials said it didn't appear any information had been leaked beyond what was already public knowledge. The breach was discovered through the hospital's network monitoring.

This is the first high-profile case for the Bellflower, Calif., facility since the state's new snooping laws went into effect Jan. 1. The new laws made way for penalties on hospitals that do not notify patients of breaches. The laws also open the door for patients to sue medical facilities when their records are inappropriately accessed, even if there are no damages. As of yet, no lawsuit has been filed against Kaiser Bellflower as a result of the snooping.

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For-profit Hawaiian hospital system files bankruptcy plan

Hawaii's only for-profit hospital system plans to convert its HMC East hospital in Liliha to a nonprofit later this year as it tries to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its other hospital, the more profitable HMC West in Ewa Beach, will remain a for-profit.

On March 30, HMC asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu to reduce the $46 million it owes to St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii for the two hospitals and $14 million for the land lease. HMC purchased the hospitals from St. Francis in January 2007 for $67.9 million. It filed bankruptcy in August 2008 after its lender refused to extend existing loan agreements for the two hospitals.

HMC is a partnership of CHA Hawaii, an affiliate of Cardiovascular Hospitals of America, a hospital management company, and the more than 130 physicians in Hawaii Physician Group LLC.

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Community Health Systems adding hospitals

Community Health Systems Inc., a for-profit hospital company based in Franklin, Tenn., is acquiring medical facilities in Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

Community announced on April 1 that it purchased SHARE Foundation's 50% joint venture interest in MCSA LLC, which owns and operates the 166-bed Medical Center of South Arkansas in El Dorado, Ark. The transaction makes Community the sole owner of the hospital. Community also acquired the foundation's 50% interest in South Arkansas Physician Services LLC.

A separate Community subsidiary has executed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Wyoming Valley Health Care System Inc. in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The system includes the 410-bed Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, First Hospital Wyoming Valley in Kingston and other outpatient and ancillary services. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Community owns, leases or operates 121 hospitals in 29 states.

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