Western Pennsylvania Healthcare News

Covering healthcare news in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.

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Mount Nittany Health names Michael Martz as Chief Information Officer

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Michael Martz, Mount Nittany HealthMount Nittany Health is pleased to announce that Michael Martz, CHCIO, MBA, has been selected as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the organization. Martz joins the health system with over 20 years of information services leadership experience and nearly 10 years of healthcare experience.

Martz earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and his Master of Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. He is a member of the College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME), a national professional association for healthcare CIOs, and currently serves on its board of directors.
[Read more…]

Conemaugh Welcomes Pain and Neurology Provider

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Harold Partsch, Conemaugh Physician GroupConemaugh Physician Group recently added Harold Partsch, CRNP to its pain and neurology teams. Partsch will see patients at Conemaugh East Hills Outpatient Center in the pain clinic, and will assist with Conemaugh’s Concussion Clinic.

“I enjoy helping patients,” says Partsch. “There are various options for pain management without the use of narcotics. We can help patients lead productive and fulfilling lives through proper treatment.” In addition to pain management, Partsch has experience assisting Penn State University athletes who suffered from concussion.

Originally from Johnstown, Partsch is excited to return to Conemaugh’s team. After earning his nursing degree from Mount Aloysius College, Partsch worked as a Registered Nurse in Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit. He continued his career in North Carolina as an RN for telemetry, medical intermediate unit, and gastroenterology. He then returned to school and earned his Masters of Nursing degree from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania.

When not seeing patients, Partsch enjoys helping on the family farm, working outside, and reading.

Conemaugh Physician Group, a member of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, is a growing multi-specialty group, physician-led and professionally managed with more than 120 primary care and physician specialists dedicated to outstanding patient care and clinical outcomes. Conemaugh Physician Group proudly cares for patients in more than 40 locations throughout a five county region. To learn more log on to www.conemaugh.org.

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Hosts Five Wishes Workshop

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Presbyterian SeniorCare Network is hosting an event at its Oakmont campus.  

Event title:  Five Wishes Workshop

WHEN: Thursday, June 21, 2018
Dinner & Registration: 5:30 p.m.
Presentation: 6:00—7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, The Atrium at Westminster Place, 1215 Hulton Road, Oakmont, PA 15139

Seating is limited! Register by June 18 by calling 412-435-8955 or by emailing OakmontEvent@SrCare.org.

ABOUT THE EVENT: Learn how to plan for care in advance of a crisis at the Five Wishes Workshop.

Five Wishes is an advance care planning tool that is written in everyday language. It addresses the emotional, spiritual, and personal aspects of care. Five Wishes supports values-based conversations between clinicians, patients, and families about what matters to you most. Five Wishes is the only advance directive that invites people to consider and identify what brings them comfort, how they want to be treated, and what they want their loved ones and others to know.

Learn more at the Workshop, which is led by Hilary Kramer, LSW, ACHP-SW of Family Hospice and Palliative Care. You’ll also receive an advance care planning kit to take home with you.

This event is free and open to the public.

Allegheny Health Network Names Allan Klapper, MD, President of New Wexford Hospital

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Allan S Klapper, MD Obstetrics and GynecologyExpected to open in 2021, 160-bed facility will be integrated architecturally and programmatically with AHN’s Health + Wellness Pavilion in Pine Township

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today that one of its top clinical leaders will take the helm at a new full-service hospital it plans to open in Pine Township in 2021.  Allan Klapper, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who currently serves as chair of AHN’s Women’s & Children’s Institute, has been appointed as president of the new 160-bed facility that will be integrated with AHN’s existing Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion.  AHN received approval on its plans this week from the Pine Township Board of Supervisors and expects to break ground on the hospital this summer.

Like the Health + Wellness Pavilion, AHN’s Wexford Hospital will serve an area with a population of more than 215,000 people. The hospital will offer a wide array of clinical services, including many that community residents are currently traveling into Pittsburgh to receive. The facility will complement the network’s many outpatient services in the market, including those at the Pavilion, AHN’s nearby Pediatric Orthopaedic Institute, and other facilities and physician offices.

“The appointment of Dr. Klapper to this important role is another example of AHN’s commitment to cultivating and empowering strong physician leaders to drive our patient-centered mission and vision,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN President and CEO.  [Read more…]

Electronic Claims Transactions Help Healthcare Providers Cut Administrative Costs, Improve Cash Flow

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By Dr. William DeGasperis

Today’s healthcare providers now understand the many advantages of sharing health information electronically and its value in delivering higher quality, safer patient care. At the same time, the advent of electronic information exchange is also benefitting provider practices, with electronic processing of medical bills and claims, better known as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), translating into greater efficiency and profitability. 

As the industry shifts from paper-based to electronic transaction processing, amid an array of demanding new laws and regulations in some states that require electronic transactions, Providers will reap the many benefits:

• Faster reimbursement 

• No paper claims to stock and complete

• Simplified record keeping by eliminating lost claims paperwork

• Reduced clerical time and the costs to process and mail paper claims

Providers will find it helpful to understand how EDI works, be informed about best practices, and know what to look for when it comes to choosing an EDI clearinghouse partner to ensure seamless implementation.  [Read more…]

Combining Clinical Know-How and Management Skills to Improve Healthcare  

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By Kim Bassett

I have been a nurse for over 30 years.  I started my career knowing nursing was the only job for me.  I loved being at the bedside working with patients and families.  Helping others was my passion.  My career turned from direct patient care 20 years ago when I became a Chief Nurse and then, again, 13 years ago when I became a hospital CEO. I am often asked how and why I made the change from nursing to hospital leadership.  I always start by saying the same thing, “I rely more on my nursing background when managing my hospital than my MBA.” 

Merging clinical background with management know-how has definitely improved my decision-making abilities and thus effectively improving patient care.  Although you don’t have to be a nurse or have clinical background to be a hospital executive, I certainly encourage healthcare providers to consider healthcare administration.     [Read more…]

How to Double or Triple the Size of Your Urgent Care Practice

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By Luis de la Prida

You probably got into medicine because you wanted to make a difference in the world.  You recognized that urgent care fills a gap in the healthcare market.  You get to interact with a diverse range of patients, fulfilling your own vision of how healthcare should be done.

Now that you’ve been up and running for a while, the administrative burden is keeping you from what you love: practicing medicine.  It’s time to decide whether to hold and maintain or grow. How do you take your practice to the next level?

Growth takes risk and thinking strategically. If you find yourself at the point of wanting to grow, but not quite sure how to do it, then you’ll want to read further.

Current Landscape for Urgent Care Practices

Before figuring out how to create a growth plan or implementing an acquisition strategy, it is important to know the lay of the land.  Knowing who’s buying and why is an important step toward effective negotiating.  Knowing why practices are selling can position you to make an attractive offer that beats out your larger competitors. [Read more…]

Gov. Tom Wolf Vetoes Bill Limiting Prescription Drugs For Injured Workers

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Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recently vetoed a bill which sought to limit the type and amount of prescription drugs workers could access. Senate Bill 936 essentially gave employers greater discretion in terms of medications. Its aim was supposed to curtail prescription medication abuse, yet as noted by Wolf, “ Make no mistake, Senate Bill 936 is not a bill designed to fight the opioid crisis. It is wrong to sacrifice health care for our first responders to protect the bottom-line for insurance companies and corporations.”

What did Senate Bill 936 require?

Senate Bill 936 called for a drastic law to compensation law in Pennsylvania. It sought to establish a pre-approved list of prescription medications for every injured employee. In other words, if a doctor prescribed a specific drug that was not present in the list, insurance companies could effectively overrule what doctors deem fit. According to The Morning Call, “This legislation is a less-than-candid effort by health insurers and large employers to cut costs at the expense of injured workers.” [Read more…]

Event Showcases Talent and Creativity of At-Risk Youth

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Adelphoi, a community-based organization providing therapeutic treatment and behavioral health services to at-risk youth and families, held a Showcase of Stars and Groundbreaking event on May 17 at its main campus in Latrobe, PA.  Attended by Adelphoi staff, board, donors and supporters, the event served two purposes:  celebrating the talent, creativity and achievement of its student stars and breaking ground on a new Youth and Family Center and Welcome Center.

The Showcase of Stars event featured youth from Adelphoi’s programs, which include group homes, foster care and adoption, educational services and mental health programs, to serve as “stars” for the evening, as they demonstrated their skills and accomplishments as part of Adephoi’s Career Readiness Program.  The event featured a special performance by theater students, artwork created by the STEAM students, demonstrations by Career Exploration students and hors-d’oeuvres provided by the culinary arts students.

According to Karyn Pratt, Director of Marketing and Development, “The Showcase of Stars was an opportunity for our youth to shine.  We were excited to show the community what our youth have learned and how they are preparing for their future.” [Read more…]

Pennsylvania is Feeling the Effects of the State-Wide Nurse Shortage

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The nursing shortage isn’t unique to Pennsylvania, and the problem has been slowly worsening over time. However, Pennsylvania is feeling the effects of a state-wide nurse shortage. Let’s look at the factors contributing to the nursing shortage and the impact this has on society at large. We’ll also share the hard data that brought this trend to light.

The Hard Data

Pennsylvania has over 180,000 nurses in its official registry. However, that number isn’t static. Existing nurses retire or quit, and they may or may not be replaced by people entering the profession.

A 2009 report found that enrolment in nursing schools was below the levels necessary to meet increasing demand due to an aging population, and the incoming talent may soon be outstripped by retirements. The average age of registered nurses is increasing since there are fewer young nurses coming in to replace those who retire or leave the profession. Approximately two-thirds of nurses surveyed were found to have been nurses for fifteen years or more. Another sixth had been nurses for three to eight years.

Nor could nursing schools simply expand enrolment to train new nurses since nursing schools themselves were struggling to fill faculty positions. Nationwide, nursing schools turned away almost eighty thousand potential bachelor and advanced degree applicants due to faculty shortages. Ironically, this hurts the faculty shortage since you need an advanced nursing degree to become a nursing faculty member. [Read more…]