This accreditation assures the adequacy and quality of ACM’s health utilization management program through evaluation against broadly recognized standards and measures. ACM provides medical management services to domestic and international insurance carriers, self-insured employers and third party administrators. These services include utilization review, large case management, emergency medical evacuations, discharge planning and medical bill review, all designed to provide appropriate, cost-effective patient care.

URAC’s Health Utilization Management Standards establish consistency in UM processes. The standards ensure that appropriately trained clinical personnel conduct and oversee the utilization review process, that a reasonable and timely appeals process is in place, and that medical decisions are based on valid clinical criteria.

As practices automate their billing processes with outside service providers, and digitize their recordkeeping with electronic health records systems, they reported big drops in their employment of medical billers, billing managers, and medical records clerks. Those positions declined by 25 percent, 23 percent, and 37 percent, respectively, since 2011.

As practices adapt to wrenching changes in their industry by retooling their staffs, they’re challenged to find ways to keep the staff they do have motivated.

But new jobs are being created as healthcare providers become increasingly accountable to drive positive patient outcomes. More than one in five practices now employ care coordinators—professionals whose role is to help patients access diverse services needed to maintain their health, from nutrition counselors to social workers and more. This is the first year that Physicians Practice asked about care coordinators, a position that had previously been almost unheard-of outside of large institutions or health insurance companies. Another employment trend: when it comes to non-physician healthcare providers, critical private practices are increasingly employing nurse practitioners over physician assistants, with employment of the latter declining by 26 percent in the last two years. However, that may be driven by labor shortages among PAs.

Staff salaries, meanwhile, have remained flat or declined in most areas, with one important exception: nurse managers are earning 10 percent on average more than they were two years, even as their ranks swelled at practices by 25 percent during the same period.

Physicians Practice surveyed nearly 1,000 practices during the fourth quarter of 2012 for its fourth annual Staff Salary Survey.

The 208,000 square foot building at Five Crescent Drive represents an $80 million investment by Liberty Property/Synterra, and an investment of approximately $70 million by GSK. GSK has signed a 15.5-year lease at the building, which includes a four-story central atrium, a monumental stairway, a coffee shop, cafeteria, fitness center, meeting centers and a large multi-purpose room.

– 4-story, 208,000 rentable square feet, inclusive of over 53,000 square feet of amenity space

– The first double LEED®® Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council in Philadelphia
(Core & Shell™ and Commercial Interiors™).

– Project developed on a rehabilitated brownfield site within The Navy Yard Corporate Center fronting the beautifully landscaped 3.5-acre Crescent Park and Rouse Boulevard.

– 80-foot high central atrium with dramatic architectural lighting and a 4-story monumental stained maple veneer stair

– Amenities include cafeteria, coffee bar, central pantries, fitness center, health clinic, virtual bank teller, conference center, quiet rooms, production studio, a help lounge, roof garden, and a company store.

– 10,300-square-foot cafeteria with fresh offerings from a salad bar, deli, grille, chef’s table and a coffee kiosk 900 parking spaces on site and additional on-street parking.

– Five Standards (Dazzle), a dynamic exterior sculpture by Philadelphia native Virgil Marti commissioned by the Mural Arts Program

– Timeline: Construction commenced June 2011; initial occupancy February 2013; grand opening April 6, 2013

The four-story, glass-encased building with an open floor plan and grand central staircase has been awarded both Core & Shell™ and Commercial Interiors™ LEED® Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the first double LEED® Platinum building in Philadelphia. It is anticipated that the innovative building systems will save as much as 30% of energy use when compared to a traditional building.

These substantial energy savings are the result of the state-of-the-art building facade and high-performance glass which maximize daylight in winter while reducing heat gain and providing shading in summer. ENERGY STAR®-rated lighting and equipment, as well as an astronomical time clock and cloud sensor program, activate the automatic shades on windows to control glare. In addition smart meters track and monitor the building’s energy and water use and provide ongoing accountability for utility consumption and performance.

Health and laughter
There is widespread agreement among scientists that humor in general, and laughter in particular, are very good for us. In fact, laughter provides a number of very powerful physical and emotional health benefits.

Ten powerful physical and emotional benefits of laughter:
1. Reduces pain and allows us to put up with discomfort
2. Improves oxygen flow to the brain and heart
3. Reduced blood sugar levels
4. Helps blood vessels work better
5. Helps bereaving people deal with grief
6. Dampens negative emotions like anger
7. Serves as a distancing mechanism in coping with adversity
8. Helps to achieve a sense of satisfaction with life
9. Provides higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression
10. Releases stress and anxiety

Laughter, work and relationships
In addition to these wonderful physical and emotional health benefits, laughter also improves your job performance, especially if you are called on to be creative or solve complex problems. It also strengthens marriages and other relationships between people. It literally synchronizes the brains of two people talking so that they are emotionally tuned in to each other. For more information on the benefits of laughter, check out this link: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200504/laughter-the-best-medicine

Laughter does a body good
Scientists are just beginning to understand how laughter affects us physically, but studies have already shown that laughter does as much good to arteries as strong aerobic activity. This doesn’t mean that you should laugh instead of exercise, but it does suggest that you try to laugh regularly. One of the more amazing recent findings is that laughing helps to regulate blood flow and assists the blood’s ability to form clots and coagulate. In addition, it causes our bodies to secrete healthy chemicals in response to infection. Finally, studies have shown that laughter can help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers don’t clearly understand how laughter generates these heart benefits. It’s possible that they come from the forceful movement of the diaphragm as you laugh. In addition, laughter might activate the brain’s release of hormones like endorphins, which have a positive effect on blood vessels, organs and other body parts.

Prescription for health
Medical experts studying the health benefits of laughter suggest a simple prescription to improve your health: thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, coupled with fifteen minutes of daily laughter.

Moving forward
It’s clear that laughter is very good for the body as well as the soul. So what should we do with this newfound information about the benefits of laughter? Well, we suggest you start by checking out local comedy venues. To find comedy events near you, please visit: http://www.comedyworld.com

About the author
Bill Hartzer is a freelance writer based in Texas, and writes for Health Plan News.

Strangely enough, treadmills were also used in prisons as punishment. Inmates were made to walk on a large vertical wheel like a paddle wheel. They’d walk in drudgery for up to eight hours per day, which equated to climbing 10,000 vertical feet or more. To learn more: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi374.htm

Treadmill health benefits
Running or walking on a treadmill is one of the healthiest activities anyone can do, especially if it’s done consistently. Some people prefer to run or walk outside because they’re in the fresh air and they might soak up some sunshine. But when all is said and done there are more good reasons for running or walking on a treadmill than doing the same thing outside.

Here are eight good reasons for using a treadmill:
1. Less dangerous. The user isn’t exposed to cars and other obstacles, making running safer.
2. Smooth surface. Running on a consistent surface is easier than running on trails or streets.
3. Weather no obstacle. The user can exercise regularly regardless of the weather.
4. More control. Settings on a treadmill allow for more controlled pacing than running outside.
5. Easier to focus when running on a treadmill because you’re not worried about traffic, obstacles, etc.
6. More fun. Treadmill users can watch TV or read, making walking or running more fun.
7. Lower impact. Treadmills are cushioned, providing lower impact than streets or trails.
8. It’s all uphill. Treadmills can be adjusted for all uphill running, providing a more beneficial run.

In fact, the advantages of using a treadmill are so great that once people start using one they are more inclined to stick with it, meaning they’ll get more consistent health benefits from this very aerobic exercise.

Common health benefits of using a treadmill:

Cardiovascular Benefits
Using a treadmill strengthens your cardiovascular system, making your lungs and heart stronger. Working out on the treadmill three to five times each week for at least 30 minutes each time, can lower your risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and other health problems.

Bone Density Benefits
Weight bearing exercise is best for strengthening bones and preventing and managing osteoporosis. A treadmill is a wonderful way to get this much needed weight bearing exercise on a very consistent basis, without being put off by the weather.

Weight Loss
Working out on a treadmill at the right intensity will burn calories as fast as or faster than the same workout outside, especially if you have the treadmill on more difficult settings.

Improves Range of Motion
A mild walking or light jogging program on a treadmill will assist in loosening joints and regaining flexibility.

Combats Depression and Insomnia
The aerobics gained from using a treadmill helps combat depression and insomnia.
With so many positives, it’s hard to ignore the benefits of using a treadmill. Being able to run and walk in any weather while staying out of traffic is a huge plus. And when you couple this with the excellent cardiovascular and other health benefits, it makes treadmills the obvious choice of active, healthy people.

About the author
Bill Hartzer is a freelance writer based in Texas, and writes for Health Plan News.

More than 500 primary care and specialty care physicians practice within MetroHealth. Each year, MetroHealth provides nearly one million inpatient and outpatient visits, with revenue of more than $700 million. MetroHealth’s network of health centers incorporates a patient-centered medical home team-care approach to optimize patient outcomes through chronic disease management. The system’s major medical center is a leader in trauma, emergency and critical care; women’s and children’s services, including high-risk obstetrical care and neonatal intensive care; comprehensive medical and surgical subspecialties; heart and vascular care; cancer care; senior health; stroke and rehabilitative health care services.

Press Ganey and MetroHealth will be able to identify areas of opportunity and implement targeted action plans to enhance the patient experience. MetroHealth is one of the largest, most comprehensive providers in Northeast Ohio, serving the greater Cleveland community for more than 175 years.

The Emirates Group chose ESKADENIA’s Medical System due to its powerful claims audit tools and efficient network management that gives full details on the medical providers (Doctors, Pharmacies, Laboratories, and Hospitals) used by the Group.

ESKADENIA’s Medical Insurance System was customized to handle its employees’ medical claims in the most efficient and comprehensive manner. The Emirates employees can access their medical profile online and monitor their benefits, limits and utilization. In addition, they can submit claims directly from the web, request for medical approvals, and appeal for rejected claims.

It is worth to mention that ESKADENIA Medical Insurance system works for both individuals and groups, also it complies with governmental regulations, which makes it an easy to- use tool for the recording and manipulation of insurance policy production, medical networks, claims, policy renewals, and reinsurance operations.

Jefferies & Company, Inc. is acting as sole book-running manager in the offering and Leerink Swann LLC is acting as co-manager.

Fiscal Nine Months 2013 Financial Results

For the nine-month period ended December 31, 2012, sales grew 13% to $16.9 million, reflecting a 25% increase in U.S. sales and an 11% decrease in sales outside the U.S. In the U.S., sales of Urgent PC increased 45% to $8.0 million and Macroplastique sales increased 1% to $4.3 million. At December 31, 2012, cash, cash equivalents and cash investments totaled $15.6 million

KP Select Purchase Agreement and Additional Expanded Coverage

The recently-completed purchase agreement with KP Select, Inc. for sales of Urgent PC and Macroplastique to Kaiser Permanente is a three-year contract and begins on March 1, 2013. Kaiser Permanente provides services to more than nine million members in 10 states through 37 hospitals and 611 medical offices and clinics, though not all locations treat urinary incontinence.

The new facility will be renamed Montefiore Westchester Square. The plan is to have a full-service emergency department, an ambulatory surgery center and, over time, comprehensive primary and specialty care services.