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MMS Annual Awards Nomination Deadline is Dec. 2 

 

Nomination applications now being accepted through Dec. 2 for the following annual awards: MMS Lifetime Achievement Award; Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service; Award for Distinguished Service to the Massachusetts Medical Society; Grant V. Rodkey, MD, Award for Outstanding Contributions to Medical Education; and the Henry Ingersoll Bowditch Award for Excellence in Public Health. These awards will be presented at the MMS Annual Meeting in 2015.

Amidst Ebola Worries, Nomination for Surgeon General Languishes 

 

Nearly a year after President Obama chose a Brookline doctor to be the next surgeon general, the 37-year-old nominee is still waiting to be confirmed by the Senate, even as the administration seeks public health leadership amid the Ebola scare.  Related News: Surgeon General Nominee Murthy Loses Support of Key Backers (WBUR.org; text and audio of 3:51)

 

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Mass Hospitals' Emergency Room Waiting Times Fourth Worst in US 

 

It takes about 40 minutes for patients at Massachusetts emergency room to see a doctor, making the Commonwealth the fourth worst in the nation for wait times, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

 

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Deal Completed, Tufts, Lowell General Look to Expand 

 

So far, the parent company, named Wellforce, includes just the two hospitals, but executives said the company's future acquisitions may include hospitals, doctors' groups, or other health care businesses. 

 

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Mass. General in Talks to Build Hospital in China 

 

Massachusetts General Hospital is in early discussions with two partners to build a full-service hospital with 500 to 1,000 beds in China, a country that is struggling to meet growing demand from its 1.4 billion citizens for top-quality medical care.   

 

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Appeals Court Orders Review of Liposuction Death at Milton Hospital 

 

The family of a woman who died during a liposuction procedure at the former Milton Hospital in 2011 has won a second chance to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against her doctor. 

 

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Massachusetts Makes the Biggest Push Yet to Make Health-Care Prices Public 

 

Massachusetts' effort to publicize prices is the most comprehensive of any state, so far. But some health care advocates say it's more important for patients to have information on the quality of care. 

    

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Harrington Nears Opening of New ER in Webster 

 

The renovation will allow the emergency department to accommodate increased patient traffic Harrington expects in the near future. The emergency department currently handles 12,000 cases a year, a number that is expected to grow to 15,000 within the next three years. 

 

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Documents Show $415 Million Gap Between State, Federal Health Insurance 

 

Confidential draft documents from the state's health care waiver negotiations show the state and federal government are millions of dollars apart in federal funding expectations for the state's health care subsidy program. 

 

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Mass. General Featured in New Medical Reality Series 

 

Massachusetts General Hospital is the subject of another Boston-based medical TV show, with ABC News filming "Golden Hour" through December. Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Medical Center will also play a role in the show, which will feature patients suffering from strokes, myocardial infarctions, respiratory distress and other traumas.