Law Firm Resources & News

Well – I heard an interesting story today. A nursing home refusing to take a patient back into their care (re-admission) unless the family signed an arbitration agreement. Do you know what an arbitration agreement is? It is a binding contract wherein one party agrees to waive their right to a trial in state or…

Illinois State police are investigating the Woodstock Residence, a nursing home located in northern Illinois, and its employees. According to published reports citing unnamed sources, the inquiry focuses on allegations that a former employee at the 115-bed nursing and rehabilitation center in Woodstock gave several residents fatal doses of morphine. Unidentified sources told The (Crystal…

The average cost for nursing home care in the U.S. increased significantly in 2006, according to the results of a study by New York Life Insurance Co.’s long-term care division. Costs for both private and semiprivate care were 6 percent higher than in 2005. The average cost of a private room with a single occupant…

Teleradiology is the practice by hospitals of hiring off-site doctors to view and interpret radiologic studies. It is done via the Internet and cyberspace. Nighthawk Radiology Services is a prime example of this type of service. Teleradiology’s popularity began in the 1990’s in response to a shortage of radiologists and an increasing demand for radiological…

Residents of nursing home suffer decubitus ulcers, malnutrition, dehydration, and broken bones from falls. What happens when they are transferred to the local hospital for medical care? Well, 85% of the time the doctors and nurses at the receiving hospital not provided with necessary and important information about the patient according to a recent study.…

I didn’t make that up. Read this article from The Boston Globe– The State of New York recently performed an in house audit of State Medicaid payments – who received them, why, etc. The audit found the agency had paid MILLIONS for services, to those who had already been deceased. How does that happen –…

Obesity is at epic levels in America due to our poor diet and lack of exercise. Obesity is associated with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and other medical problems. Bariatrics is the field of medicine that specializes in treating obesity and bariatric surgery is the term for operations to help…

Hey – check this article out:http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-11-14T222155Z_01_N14293203_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-INFECTIONS.XML “WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) – More than 19,000 patients came down with an infection in 2005 in Pennsylvania hospitals, the state reported on Tuesday as it became the first in the United States to divulge infection data for individual hospitals.” The article continues – stating“Consumer advocates hailed the report…

4 weeks ago – DON’T EAT THE SPINACH appearred on grocery shelves across the country. Then there was a rumor about E Coli in lettuce as well. This week – pain killers are the subject of scrutiny. A manufacturer of generic acetaminophen recalled 11 million bottles of the pain-relieving pills Thursday after discovering some were…

We have all received the “junk email” from internet pharmacies promising the fast and convenient delivery of inexpensive medications. With the ridiculous pricing of drugs in the US, it is no wonder these internet pharmacies have become very popular. However, and as Elmer Fudd used to say, “be very, very careful.” The Governmental Accountability Office…

Three premature infants in Indiana died after being accidentally given and adult-sized dose of blood thinner in a hospital. An adult dose of heparin, a drug routinely given to premature babies, was given to the premature infants. They were given the drug, often used to prevent blood clots which could clog intravenous tubes, after a…

I voted today, did you? Today’s elections have caused a stir across the nation – and have you ever wondered why most people vote the way they do? This week – the Kaiser Family Foundation published a very interesting and timely article on TODAY’S ELECTION, and HEALTH CARE ISSUES. Link to the article – http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/pomr102306pkg.cfm…