News in brief - Aug. 8, 2011

Computer virus may have exposed data of Beth Israel patients - Practice manager compensation stable

Computer virus may have exposed data of Beth Israel patients

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is notifying more than 2,000 patients of a potential data breach that occurred when a vendor failed to restore security controls after performing maintenance on a hospital computer.

The computer had the names, genders and dates of birth of 2,021 patients stored on it, as well as the dates and details of radiology procedures they underwent. No Social Security numbers or financial data were stored on the computer. The computer was transmitting data to an unknown location when it was infected by a virus following a routine maintenance visit.

The virus was removed from the computer, the software was reinstalled, and updated security controls were activated to prevent future viruses. The patients whose information was stored on the computer have been offered one year of identity protection services.

Practice manager compensation stable

Practice administrator pay remained about the same in 2010 as it did in 2009, although administrators at larger offices fared better than counterparts at smaller practices, according to the most survey data released July 25 from the Medical Group Management Assn.

Median compensation dropped by nearly 4% for administrators at small practices with six or fewer physicians, from $90,000 in 2009 to $86,459 in 2010. Administrators at midsize practices with seven to 25 physicians made about the same in 2009 and 2010. The median rose from $114,680 to $115,000. Median compensation was 11.6% higher in 2010 for those managing practices with 25 or more physicians, at $150,756 compared with $134,992 in 2009.

The midsize practice figure was a slight increase -- about 0.28% -- from 2009.

MGMA President and CEO William Jessee, MD, attributed the static compensation levels to the struggling economy and job market. The survey was based on voluntarily submitted data from 7,240 managers at 1,287 medical practices (www.mgma.com/2011-mgma-medical-practice-manager-compensation-survey-results).