Mr. Laurion wins, Dr. McKee loses.
The Minnesota Supreme Court agrees with Mr. Laurion that patients have a right to report on the Internet their observations regarding the behavior of doctors. Patients also have the right to report their opinions to medical groups. I don't know what country Dr. McKee thought he was living in. I believe Dr. McKee proved that he has a bad attitude by hounding Mr. Laurion.
See post: Can you tag your doctor a 'tool' online?
See Doctors Silencing Patients on Thank Heaven for Insurance Companies blog.
Read the decision HERE.
Showing posts with label rating health care providers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rating health care providers. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Kaiser Permanente violated the law to help a public agency that buys employee health coverage; did it a nice return on the investment?
In fact, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego has lower survival rates than other hospitals in San Diego which did not get recognition from Leapfrog Group. Why would this be? Is it possible that Leapgfrog Group is looking to save money on health insurance for employees, not to ensure the survival of their employees?
Recently I sent a letter to Jeffrey Weisz, executive medical director of Southern California Permanente Medical Group, telling him that certain Kaiser doctors had inappropriate links with public agencies that buy employee health coverage. I can prove that Kaiser violated the law to help an employer who was being sued by a Kaiser patient. I told Dr. Weisz I'd hand over documentation if the San Diego head of SCPMG, James Malone, would meet with me. I received no response.
So I'm not surprised that "public agencies that buy employee health coverage" would vote for Kaiser. They are getting more from Kaiser than is readily apparent.
"A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability."
UCSD, Kaiser San Diego named national Top Hospitals
Janet Lavelle
SDUT
Dec. 6, 2011
UCSD Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center were among 65 hospitals nationwide and the only ones in the county to be named a 2011 “Top Hospital” by the influential Leapfrog Group on Tuesday.
A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability.
Nearly 1,200 hospitals voluntarily submitted performance data and participated in Leapfrog’s annual survey, which uses nationally standardized measures so consumers can compare hospitals nationwide.
The survey focused on three areas: patient outcomes, resources used to care for patients, and management practices promoting safety and quality, according to Leapfrog. The organization looked at what hospitals do to prevent medical errors, reduce deaths in high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reduce hospital readmissions for conditions such as pneumonia and heart attack.
Locally, Alvarado, Paradise Valley and Pomerado hospitals did not participate. Among the 65 award winners nationwide, 21 were in California and 18 of those were Kaiser Permanente hospitals. For more information and to view The Leapfrog Group hospital ratings, visit www.leapfroggroup.org.
Other organizations also provide data for consumers to compare hospital safety and quality.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a nationwide "Hospital Compare" ratings website.
The nonprofit California HealthCare Foundation provides a "Cal Hospital Compare" ratings website just for California hospitals.
[Maura Larkins comment: Warning! The "Cal Hospital Compare" site only looks at how the hospital treats you, not how your doctor treats you. If the doctors are giving poor diagnosis and treatment, you won't see that reflected in this site. You'll only find out about infections and accidents in the hospital. The truth is that Kaiser is rated far lower than UCSD and many other San Diego hospitals as far as overall survival for patients. It is bizarre that Kaiser is given a position alongside UCSD by Leapfrog Group. The motive of Leapfrog Group does not seem to be to ensure the best healthcare for employees. Still don't believe that Kaiser is getting special handling from Leapfrog Group? Look at the list below.]
The Leapfrog Group’s Top Performing Hospitals of 2011
By Khoffman
healthcareerweb.com
December 6, 2011
Leapfrog Group Best Hospitals 2011
Its the end of 2011, which means that the best of 2011 list are coming out. The Leapfrog Group continued their eleven year tradition and have recognized 65 top performing hospitals of 2011.
“The Leapfrog Group survey focuses on three critical areas: (1) how patients fare, (2) resources used to care for patients, and (3) management practices that promote safety and quality. In each of the three areas, Leapfrog asks hospitals to report on nationally standardized measures so healthcare consumers can compare hospitals in their community and across the country.”
Leapfrog Group’s full list of the top performing hospitals of 2011:
2011 Leapfrog Top Hospitals
Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center (CA)
Mills-Peninsula Health Services (CA)
Stanford Hospital and Clinics (CA)
UC San Diego Health System, Hillcrest (CA)
Baptist Health South Florida Homestead Hospital (FL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Evanston Hospital (IL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Glenbrook Hospital (IL)
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (IL)
Rush University Medical Center (IL)
Baystate Medical Center (MA)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (MA)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (MA)
Anne Arundel Medical Center (MD)
University of Maryland Medical Center (MD)
Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center (MI)
Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital (MI)
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital (MI)
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (MI)
University of Michigan Health System (MI)
Regions Hospital (MN)
St. Mary’s Hospital of Rochester (MN)
University of North Carolina Hospitals (NC)
Hackensack University Medical Center (NJ)
The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood(NJ)
Presbyterian Hospital (NM)
Montefiore Medical Center, Weiler Division (NY)
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (NY)
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OH)
The Christ Hospital of Cincinnati (OH)
University Hospitals Case Medical Center (OH)
Lehigh Valley Hospital (PA)
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System – Downtown (SC)
Vanderbilt University Hospital (TN)
Swedish Medical Center First Hill Campus (WA)
Virginia Mason Medical Center (WA)
Recently I sent a letter to Jeffrey Weisz, executive medical director of Southern California Permanente Medical Group, telling him that certain Kaiser doctors had inappropriate links with public agencies that buy employee health coverage. I can prove that Kaiser violated the law to help an employer who was being sued by a Kaiser patient. I told Dr. Weisz I'd hand over documentation if the San Diego head of SCPMG, James Malone, would meet with me. I received no response.
So I'm not surprised that "public agencies that buy employee health coverage" would vote for Kaiser. They are getting more from Kaiser than is readily apparent.
"A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability."
UCSD, Kaiser San Diego named national Top Hospitals
Janet Lavelle
SDUT
Dec. 6, 2011
UCSD Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center were among 65 hospitals nationwide and the only ones in the county to be named a 2011 “Top Hospital” by the influential Leapfrog Group on Tuesday.
A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability.
Nearly 1,200 hospitals voluntarily submitted performance data and participated in Leapfrog’s annual survey, which uses nationally standardized measures so consumers can compare hospitals nationwide.
The survey focused on three areas: patient outcomes, resources used to care for patients, and management practices promoting safety and quality, according to Leapfrog. The organization looked at what hospitals do to prevent medical errors, reduce deaths in high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reduce hospital readmissions for conditions such as pneumonia and heart attack.
Locally, Alvarado, Paradise Valley and Pomerado hospitals did not participate. Among the 65 award winners nationwide, 21 were in California and 18 of those were Kaiser Permanente hospitals. For more information and to view The Leapfrog Group hospital ratings, visit www.leapfroggroup.org.
Other organizations also provide data for consumers to compare hospital safety and quality.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a nationwide "Hospital Compare" ratings website.
The nonprofit California HealthCare Foundation provides a "Cal Hospital Compare" ratings website just for California hospitals.
[Maura Larkins comment: Warning! The "Cal Hospital Compare" site only looks at how the hospital treats you, not how your doctor treats you. If the doctors are giving poor diagnosis and treatment, you won't see that reflected in this site. You'll only find out about infections and accidents in the hospital. The truth is that Kaiser is rated far lower than UCSD and many other San Diego hospitals as far as overall survival for patients. It is bizarre that Kaiser is given a position alongside UCSD by Leapfrog Group. The motive of Leapfrog Group does not seem to be to ensure the best healthcare for employees. Still don't believe that Kaiser is getting special handling from Leapfrog Group? Look at the list below.]
The Leapfrog Group’s Top Performing Hospitals of 2011
By Khoffman
healthcareerweb.com
December 6, 2011
Leapfrog Group Best Hospitals 2011
Its the end of 2011, which means that the best of 2011 list are coming out. The Leapfrog Group continued their eleven year tradition and have recognized 65 top performing hospitals of 2011.
“The Leapfrog Group survey focuses on three critical areas: (1) how patients fare, (2) resources used to care for patients, and (3) management practices that promote safety and quality. In each of the three areas, Leapfrog asks hospitals to report on nationally standardized measures so healthcare consumers can compare hospitals in their community and across the country.”
Leapfrog Group’s full list of the top performing hospitals of 2011:
2011 Leapfrog Top Hospitals
Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center (CA)
Mills-Peninsula Health Services (CA)
Stanford Hospital and Clinics (CA)
UC San Diego Health System, Hillcrest (CA)
Baptist Health South Florida Homestead Hospital (FL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Evanston Hospital (IL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Glenbrook Hospital (IL)
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (IL)
Rush University Medical Center (IL)
Baystate Medical Center (MA)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (MA)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (MA)
Anne Arundel Medical Center (MD)
University of Maryland Medical Center (MD)
Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center (MI)
Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital (MI)
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital (MI)
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (MI)
University of Michigan Health System (MI)
Regions Hospital (MN)
St. Mary’s Hospital of Rochester (MN)
University of North Carolina Hospitals (NC)
Hackensack University Medical Center (NJ)
The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood(NJ)
Presbyterian Hospital (NM)
Montefiore Medical Center, Weiler Division (NY)
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (NY)
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OH)
The Christ Hospital of Cincinnati (OH)
University Hospitals Case Medical Center (OH)
Lehigh Valley Hospital (PA)
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System – Downtown (SC)
Vanderbilt University Hospital (TN)
Swedish Medical Center First Hill Campus (WA)
Virginia Mason Medical Center (WA)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Survey Reveals Problems With Mental Health Care At Kaiser Permanente
Who sits on the boards of those "independent rating agencies" and State of California offices that "recognize the quality" of Kaiser Permanente's mental health services? And who sits on the boards of "independent" agencies who rate other aspects of Kaiser's medicalcare? Kaiser doctors and administrators!
Survey Reveals Problems With Mental Health Care At Kaiser Permanente
November 14, 2011
By Kenny Goldberg
KPBS
SAN DIEGO — A union-backed survey of providers at Kaiser Permanente shows widespread dissatisfaction with the HMOs' mental health services. The union representing mental health professionals has been negotiating a new contract.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers surveyed more than 300 mental-health providers at Kaiser facilities in California. Many said they're not given enough time to evaluate patients, and they're not able to schedule return appointments in a timely way.
Jim Clifford has been a therapist at Kaiser's outpatient clinic in Otay Mesa for 10 years. He said mental-health care has gotten short shrift.
"We're trained to know what adequate care is and to provide it," he said. "And it's very troubling ethically to be in a position due to poor staffing not to be able to provide that. And it's been a chronic situation at Kaiser."
Clifford said Kaiser has refused to beef up staffing so that mental-health patients can get better care.
In a written statement, Kaiser officials said the quality of their mental health services has been recognized by independent rating agencies, and the state of California. The HMO said the NUHW survey was inaccurate and biased.
Long Wait Times The Norm At Kaiser Mental Health, Study Finds
Says company posting record profits while patients being denied the care they need.
Suisun City Patch
By Karina Ioffee
Nov. 15, 2011
Patients who seek mental health services at Kaiser Permanente have to wait for weeks for appointments, are routed into group therapy even when they need individual attention and are not given proper initial evaluations, according to a new report by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, that represents some 2,500 mental health clinicians.
The study is based on a survey of over 300 Kaiser mental health professionals practicing at 57 Kaiser facilities in Northern and Southern California, along with dozens of open-ended interviews with clinicians and patients.
Among its findings:
Kaiser mental health clinics are insufficiently staffed, with patients often forced to wait four weeks or longer for return appointments. That’s despite the fact that California state regulations require that patients be seen within ten business days,
Staff conduct accelerated initial patient evaluations that fall short of recommended clinical standards, which are then miscoded incorrectly in order to avoid penalties,
Patients that are funneled into group therapy even when their diagnoses call for individual therapy,
Falsified patient scheduling records that conceal appointment delays from state regulators, through practices such as "shadow" paper records and deliberately canceling and rescheduling patients' appointments while falsely attributing the cancellation to the patient.
Clinicians interviewed for the study describe a pattern of “deceptive practices by Kaiser administrators that routinely compromise the health and safety of thousands of patients suffering from emotional pain and distress in order to save the company money,” according to the report, titled “Care Delayed, Care Denied.”
Kaiser has more than 6.6 million members and is California's largest HMO. Since 2009, it has reported profits of $5.7 million and last year paid its Chief Executive Officer George Halvorson $6.7 million.
“It’s clear to us that decisions are being made from an accounting standpoint, that Kaiser’s approach to treatment is about making money for Kaiser and basically denying patients the treatment they deserve,” said Jim Clifford, a therapist for Kaiser in San Diego.
Click here to listen to interviews with Kaiser mental healthcare providers and patients
In an issued statement, Kaiser said the findings of the study were inconsistent with its patient and provider survey data and that the HMO regularly performs better than the standards set by the state of California.
“We are disappointed that the NUHW is going to such effort to attempt to discredit the great work performed every day by our clinicians and mental health therapists,” the company said. “They (therapists) provide timely, high-quality mental health care services to our patients, day in and day out, and whenever emergencies arise.”
The company went on to say that it offers Urgent Services where patients in crisis can get same-day or next-day appointments along with consultations for patients who have been admitted to a hospital or those who arrive in the emergency room. In addition, Kaiser says it offers a mix of individual and group therapy and defends the latter as a proven and effective method for mental health treatment.
Now, NUHW is demanding an investigation by the California Department of Managed Health Care, that regulates Kaiser's HMO plans and the Department of Insurance, which regulates the company's fee-for-service offerings.
They also want the Attorney General's office to look into potential unfair business practices at Kaiser mental health.
Survey Reveals Problems With Mental Health Care At Kaiser Permanente
November 14, 2011
By Kenny Goldberg
KPBS
SAN DIEGO — A union-backed survey of providers at Kaiser Permanente shows widespread dissatisfaction with the HMOs' mental health services. The union representing mental health professionals has been negotiating a new contract.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers surveyed more than 300 mental-health providers at Kaiser facilities in California. Many said they're not given enough time to evaluate patients, and they're not able to schedule return appointments in a timely way.
Jim Clifford has been a therapist at Kaiser's outpatient clinic in Otay Mesa for 10 years. He said mental-health care has gotten short shrift.
"We're trained to know what adequate care is and to provide it," he said. "And it's very troubling ethically to be in a position due to poor staffing not to be able to provide that. And it's been a chronic situation at Kaiser."
Clifford said Kaiser has refused to beef up staffing so that mental-health patients can get better care.
In a written statement, Kaiser officials said the quality of their mental health services has been recognized by independent rating agencies, and the state of California. The HMO said the NUHW survey was inaccurate and biased.
Long Wait Times The Norm At Kaiser Mental Health, Study Finds
Says company posting record profits while patients being denied the care they need.
Suisun City Patch
By Karina Ioffee
Nov. 15, 2011
Patients who seek mental health services at Kaiser Permanente have to wait for weeks for appointments, are routed into group therapy even when they need individual attention and are not given proper initial evaluations, according to a new report by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, that represents some 2,500 mental health clinicians.
The study is based on a survey of over 300 Kaiser mental health professionals practicing at 57 Kaiser facilities in Northern and Southern California, along with dozens of open-ended interviews with clinicians and patients.
Among its findings:
Kaiser mental health clinics are insufficiently staffed, with patients often forced to wait four weeks or longer for return appointments. That’s despite the fact that California state regulations require that patients be seen within ten business days,
Staff conduct accelerated initial patient evaluations that fall short of recommended clinical standards, which are then miscoded incorrectly in order to avoid penalties,
Patients that are funneled into group therapy even when their diagnoses call for individual therapy,
Falsified patient scheduling records that conceal appointment delays from state regulators, through practices such as "shadow" paper records and deliberately canceling and rescheduling patients' appointments while falsely attributing the cancellation to the patient.
Clinicians interviewed for the study describe a pattern of “deceptive practices by Kaiser administrators that routinely compromise the health and safety of thousands of patients suffering from emotional pain and distress in order to save the company money,” according to the report, titled “Care Delayed, Care Denied.”
Kaiser has more than 6.6 million members and is California's largest HMO. Since 2009, it has reported profits of $5.7 million and last year paid its Chief Executive Officer George Halvorson $6.7 million.
“It’s clear to us that decisions are being made from an accounting standpoint, that Kaiser’s approach to treatment is about making money for Kaiser and basically denying patients the treatment they deserve,” said Jim Clifford, a therapist for Kaiser in San Diego.
Click here to listen to interviews with Kaiser mental healthcare providers and patients
In an issued statement, Kaiser said the findings of the study were inconsistent with its patient and provider survey data and that the HMO regularly performs better than the standards set by the state of California.
“We are disappointed that the NUHW is going to such effort to attempt to discredit the great work performed every day by our clinicians and mental health therapists,” the company said. “They (therapists) provide timely, high-quality mental health care services to our patients, day in and day out, and whenever emergencies arise.”
The company went on to say that it offers Urgent Services where patients in crisis can get same-day or next-day appointments along with consultations for patients who have been admitted to a hospital or those who arrive in the emergency room. In addition, Kaiser says it offers a mix of individual and group therapy and defends the latter as a proven and effective method for mental health treatment.
Now, NUHW is demanding an investigation by the California Department of Managed Health Care, that regulates Kaiser's HMO plans and the Department of Insurance, which regulates the company's fee-for-service offerings.
They also want the Attorney General's office to look into potential unfair business practices at Kaiser mental health.
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