Blog

Introduction Supply chain management has always been highly relevant for the healthcare industry as it defines the quality of the treatment based on the supply chain processes. Additionally, issues like handling life-saving devices, compliance with healthcare rules...

Understanding the "nursing home level of care" is crucial when navigating healthcare options for elderly individuals. This type of care is specifically tailored for those with significant medical needs or who need help with daily tasks. It provides skilled nursing...

A successful purchase involves ensuring the right product or service is delivered on time, meets expected quality standards, and is obtained at a fair price. These potential risks require careful management. Managing procurement risk entails understanding potential...

Is your business overspending recently? Do you need help keeping track of receipts? We understand. Managing expenses can be challenging, especially without efficient resources. Managing your expenses well could save your business money and time in the long run. With a...

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 By Michael Greenfield, CEO, Prime Source It seems that even if you have a license to, literally, print money, it might not be enough in today’s world. As reported recently, the cost of manufacturing both a penny and a nickel is now more...

Tuesday, January 8, 2013 By Michael Greenfield, CEO, Prime Source While long-term care and other healthcare facilities are no longer worrying about milk prices doubling due to the ‘Dairy Cliff’, drought and other factors are predicted to cause food prices to rise...

Sunday, October 21, 2012 By We would like to thank everyone who visited us at the HCANJ show this week. It was a pleasure meeting you! The HCANJ 64th Annual State Healthcare Convention & Expo was attended by over 250 exhibiting businesses and more than 2,500...

Thursday, December 27, 2012 By Prime Source is proud to announce that United Hebrew and Newark Extended Care have selected Prime Source for their purchasing needs. We look forward to serving these two exceptional healthcare organizations. United Hebrew Home is a...

Here is a revolutionary piece of news about Alzheimer’s Disease that you won't forget anytime soon. According to a recent article in Forbes Magazine, a team of researchers at Georgetown University have developed a simple blood test which they say can predict, with 90...

Just how crazy is the following story? You decide. According to Crain's Business Magazine, prominent pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals and a subsidiary have agreed to pay approximately $28 million to the state of Illinois and the United States in a...

Time to punch yet another hole in your money belt - things are getting tighter. The belt buckling and cost-cutting taking place our industry is hitting yet another unprecedented level. According to a recent article in McKnights Magazine, The White House's proposed...

The US Food and Drug Administration announced a proposed regulation on Monday to ban certain ingredients in anti-bacterial soaps if manufacturers cannot prove that these products are safe to use and more effective than plain soap and water for preventing the spread of...

The folks up in Boston are going absolutely crazy - and it's not because the Red Sox won the World Series. According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, an ongoing debate over nursing homes' use of antipsychotics flared during a meeting of the Joint Committee on...

Just when you thought our political leaders couldn't possibly shake up the healthcare industry any more than they already have, politicians in the State of New York figured out how to do just that. An October report released by officials outlines a plan to keep more...

Will Venezuela prove to be the newest battleground for GPOs in the medical supply industry looking to expand market share across the globe? Only time will tell. As Venezuela reels in political and economic crisis, hospitals continue to send sick patients home from a...

The politicians in Washington are keeping the SNF industry on its toes with the new Affordable Healthcare Act and it's complete revamping of the previously predictable marketplace. But that's not the only thing we should be looking at uneasily. An unrelated fight over...

Healthcare workers - particularly nurses, nurses' aides, orderlies, and attendants - suffer more musculoskeletal injuries than those working in any other field, a Public Citizen report found. Those injuries cost the U.S. about $7 billion each year, according to the...

Overall, the cost of care among facility-based providers has increased over the last five years, according to the Genworth 2013 Cost of Care Survey. Nationally, the average price for assisted living care was $41,400, according to Genworth’s findings, while the average...

The average cost of care for a patient with dementia can exceed $50,000 a year, according to new research. A study published April 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine that tracked elderly adults found dementia can represent a significant financial burden not only...

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has merged two petitions calling for a total ban on adult bed rails and will accept comments on the matter through Aug. 5, according to an entry in Tuesday's Federal Register. One petition came from the nonprofit lobbying group...

The occupancy rate for nursing homes was steady at 82% between 2000 and 2011, according to the most recent national health report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC compiles the annual review to comply with the Public Health Service Act....

In the heart of White Plains, The Esplanade Hotel and Corporate Housing is Westchester New York’s most convenient choice for business and leisure travelers. The Esplanade is perfect for getaways, short-stay housing and corporate extended-stay relocation. Recently,...

The CMS said it will not provide widespread coverage of a pricey new test that is used to identify brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it will cover one scan per patient in limited instances. Brain beta-amyloid imaging is used to differentiate...

It is a remarkable story: Long-stay nursing home care by seniors enrolled in Medicaid has been plummeting for 15 years. It is not clear exactly why, but there are probably several reasons. First, state Medicaid programs have been shifting care from nursing facilities...

Like hospital leaders everywhere, the people running Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA, talk frequently about the need to control soaring medical costs. Experts believe that's a good prescription for the entire U.S. health industry, which costs the economy far more...

Hospitals have fretted for years over how to make sure doctors, nurses and staff keep their hands clean, but with only limited success. Now, some are turning to technology -- beepers, buzzers, lights and tracking systems that remind workers to sanitize, and chart...

The Commission on Long-Term Care held its first meeting Thursday on Capitol Hill with some members acknowledging that their late start adds to their challenges in offering Congress recommendations on how to finance the expensive services for seniors and disabled...

Charlotte, N.C. - Health systems continue to focus on engaging and collaborating with physicians to advance purchasing efficiency. While progress is being made, some physicians aren't buying in, according to the Premier healthcare alliance's spring 2013 Economic...

All across the country, hospitals and doctors have been drawing new alliances to create sprawling "accountable care organizations" meant to make it easier for primary care doctors and specialists to work together to keep people healthy and avoid expensive...

Huge list prices charged by hospitals are drawing increased attention, but a federal law meant to limit what patients can be billed doesn't seem to be making much difference. A provision in the healthcare overhaul says most hospitals must charge uninsured patients no...

Medtronic Inc.'s SynchroMed infusion pumps were found to have four flaws that have led to 14 patient deaths, spurring U.S. regulators to issue their most serious recall on the implantable device used to deliver pain and other medications. Medtronic, the world's...

U.S. manufacturers are facing heightened concerns over rising costs and tightened operational regulations, according to a recent report from BDO USA, a professional services firm. Many manufacturing firms were also concerned about changing Environmental Protection...

Skilled nursing facility administrators need to do a complete review of antibiotics to better combat multi-drug resistant organisms, an infection control expert said in May. “If you don't look, you don't know,” warned Gail Bennett, MSN, RN, CIC, co-founder of ICP...

China - An American executive said Monday he has been held hostage for four days at his medical supply plant in Beijing by scores of workers demanding severance packages like those given to 30 co-workers in a phased-out department. Chip Starnes, 42, a co-owner of...

Senior housing occupancy has been edging upward in recent quarters pressured by demand outpacing supply, and the industry is poised for more gains as the overall housing market experiences a similar trend. “In recent years, the housing market acted as a headwind for...

Hospitals and healthcare organizations should brace for a 3 to 4 percent food price increase projected by both the USDA and the American Farm Bureau Federation. Despite one of the worst droughts on record in the Midwest, food prices remained relatively flat last year....

Despite business disruptions from Superstorm Sandy less than one year ago, few people living in coastal areas in the U.S. have taken action to prepare for severe storms, according to a new survey from the American Red Cross. Weather forecasters have predicted a rough...

1. Percentage of electronic data capture If data is not captured electronically and standardized throughout the organization, then the hospital is not capturing data to the level necessary to garner key insights for better decision making, saai Conway. “This includes...

Obesity is still rising, but at a slower pace, which some experts say may be a sign people are finally responding to a smattering of policy initiatives and an outpouring of national concern about its long-term impact on healthcare spending. The Centers for Disease...

At the 11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference on June 15, Amy Gagliardi, vice president of supply chain at Regent Surgical Health, explained how ambulatory surgery centers can maximize their savings through a relationship with group...

Using security cameras and algorithms, researchers at Carnegie Mellon created a nursing home monitoring system that "located individuals within one meter of their actual position 88 percent of the time." That's great news for people who want to be monitored all the...

Senior living has been slow to catch on when it comes to installing commercial-grade wireless technology—by some estimates, less than 10% are up to speed. Yet due to security concerns, a rising demand among residents, and an ongoing shift toward host of web-based...

Hospitals and medical-device makers are being urged by the U.S. government to boost safeguards against computer hackers and malware that can disrupt the use of life-saving technology. There has been a rise in incidents including breaches of hospital networks and...

Assisted living residents have always used pharmacies, but with acuity levels rising across the industry, the need for better integration has reached its boiling point. Des Moines, Iowa-based Life Care Services, an LCS Company that manages senior living communities,...

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin will step down from her position in July, a spokeswoman for HHS confirmed late Wednesday. “The surgeon general announced today that she will be stepping down next month," Dori Salcido of HHS said in an e-mail. "She has served as...

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants hospital construction in flood-prone New York City areas to meet new building, backup power and information technology standards to prepare for extreme weather. Bloomberg said the changes are necessary in a city made increasingly...

Doctors who practice primarily in hospitals might soon enter into unfamiliar waters as a demand grows for skilled nursing facilities (SNF), reports MedPage Today. Coining the term “hospitalists” as a healthcare professional that mainly practices in a hospital, MedPage...

Senior living providers have lagged behind other industries in cultivating a strong online presence, marketing professionals agree. But as online consumer reviews on their communities grow more prevalent, so will the reviews’ impact on their bottom lines—making them...

The future success of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is hanging in the balance, as a recent report found that one-third of operators had a zero total margin or net loss even before sequestration occurred. Net income margin for SNFs was cut nearly in half between...

Prospective senior living residents are far more interested in use of space rather than the amount of space itself, architects in the industry are finding, with average square footage in units remaining relatively stable in the past couple years around 950 square feet...

Included in this edition’s round-up is another batch of senior care technologies that promote independence and support desires to safely age in place. Senior care technology innovations come from all over the world in this week’s lineup. From an Israeli Alzheimer’s...

Hospital executives know they have to get smart about the supply chain if they are to hone strategies to rein in spending. In the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey 2013: Strategic Imperative for an Evolving Industry, 57% of respondents identified expense reduction...

Using ointment and germ-killing soap on all intensive-care unit patients proved more effective than screening patients in reducing bloodstream infections and lowering the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to a study published...

At North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, motion sensors, like those used for burglar alarms, go off every time someone enters an intensive care room. The sensor triggers a video camera, which transmits its images halfway around the world to India, where...

Some of the nation's largest health-care landlords are pulling back from nursing homes on concerns they will be less profitable in an era of steep Medicare and Medicaid cuts. Health Care REIT Inc., which leases to about 250 nursing homes nationwide, and Senior Housing...

Increasing emphasis on wellness and healthier dietary choices leads to new directions in hospital food service Restaurants across the U.S. might serve Wild Alaskan salmon with a side of wheat berries, but at Fletcher Allen Health Care, an academic medical center in...

Healthcare providers have already exceeded the government's 2013 adoption goals for electronic health records, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday. “We have reached a tipping point in adoption of electronic health records,” said HHS...

Recent research by Technomic shows that group purchasing organizations (GPOs) in the foodservice channel continue to grow in size, scope and influence. From 2009 to 2012, foodservice operator purchases made through GPOs significantly outpaced the broader industry...

The top-selling class of blood-pressure drugs is under attack from an unusual source: a senior regulator at the Food and Drug Administration. Bucking his bosses, Thomas A. Marciniak is seeking stronger warnings about the drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers,...

In recent weeks, we have been receiving great feedback from administrators and employees of facilities that have joined the Prime Source Employee Perks Program. Having an employee perks program can deliver widespread benefits for LTC owner-operators. Employee perks...

In New Jersey there currently is a rebate program (it’s a 2012 program that was extended through the second quarter of 2013) that will subsidize up to 100% of the cost to a commercial facility for upgrading their existing light bulbs to energy savings LEDs. Additional...

Three years after Bayonne Medical Center’s new for-profit owners bought the hospital at bankruptcy for the equivalent of $32 million, they sold its land and buildings for $58 million. Then they leased it back and continued to run the hospital — enhancing their profits...

“If you’re not working to save money, you’re losing money,” said Donna Worsham, senior vice president of National Surgical Hospitals in Chicago. During a panel discussion at the Becker’s Hospital Review 4th Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 9, Ms. Worsham, along with...

Funding cuts have turned county-run nursing homes in many states into an endangered species in the past couple of years resulting in multiple facility closures, but one county is taking several steps to keep its nursing home open and, eventually, profitable....

The recession's drag on health spending did not fully explain the recent record slow growth in health spending, according to the latest studies that aim to identify what, if anything, suggests the slowdown may last. The papers, published in the journal Health Affairs,...

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has announced the winners of the ALFA 2013 Hero Awards, which honor extraordinary individuals who serve older adults in senior living communities. Six heroes were chosen as representatives and role models for the tens...

Hospices would receive a $180 million boost from Medicare in the next fiscal year under a proposed rule issued Monday (PDF). The proposed rule would provide a 1.1% increase in fiscal 2014 payments to hospices, which treated more than 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries...

In the Spring 2013 Economic Outlook from provider alliance Premier Inc. that included surveying 530 hospitals and health systems, 43 percent of respondents expect health information technology and telecommunications to be its largest capital investment during the next...

Roper Industries Inc. (ROP), a maker of products from medical imaging to refrigeration valves, agreed to purchase Managed Health Care Associates Inc. for $1 billion in cash, in its second large medical transaction in less than a year. The deal for closely Managed...

In Michigan, new models of patient care target those not ready for hospice Proponents of emerging forms of advanced illness care are banking on new payment models, such as accountable care organizations, to bolster their efforts and provide reliable...

Skilled nursing facilities could soon share responsibility—and accompanying penalties—with hospitals for avoidable readmissions, as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) included the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) recommendation to...

Group purchasing organizations want the Food and Drug Administration to hurry up its timeline for implementing new medical device labels and a tracking system that could make recalling products easier and more efficient, while medical device companies fret that the...

Long-term care providers may want to think twice about including oxygen exposure in the treatment regimen for residents with diabetic foot ulcers. Oxygen treatment does not improve wound healing and may actually be harmful, according to a new study. Researchers at the...

On Thurs., April 18, healthcare supply chain experts from three Chicago-area health systems shared best practices for managing the clinical supply chain in a panel at an educational program hosted by the Chicago Health Executives Forum. Thomas Lubotsky, vice present...

A new survey by researchers at the University of Arkansas indicates that the healthcare industry’s supply chain lags behind the retail industry supply chain and could benefit significantly from adopting several of retail’s best practices. “The retail industry has a...

Scores of elderly Russian immigrants played bingo under the chandeliers of a former funeral parlor in Brooklyn on a recent Monday, with a free dinner and door-to-door transportation from anywhere in the city. Nearby, older people speaking Chinese filled a...

They rarely get the attention paid to never events, such as wrong-site surgery or death from a medication error, but errors involving missed, delayed or incorrect diagnoses are the most common, costly and dangerous mistakes made in the U.S. healthcare system, argue...

The recession and weak recovery are by far the biggest culprits behind recent record-slow growth in health spending, according to a new analysis. The results suggest that any relief enjoyed by employers, households or state and federal budgets as the downturn dampened...

The cost of long-term care in nursing homes and assisted-living sites is increasing at a dramatic pace compared with the cost of in-home care, an annual industry survey finds. The 10th annual “cost of care” report from Genworth Financial, a seller of long-term care...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida Senate panel on Monday advanced a bill aimed at relaxing state rules to allow more nursing homes to be built in large retirement havens. Backed by The Villages, a sprawling retirement community with more than 100,000 residents...

Those awaiting the Obama administration's decision on whether to guarantee home-care workers at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay could be in for a long summer. The Office of Management and Budget's 90-day window to review a final rule on the matter...

Diversified healthcare company Abbott Laboratories (ABT: Quote) Monday announced a voluntary recall of FreeStyle InsuLinx Blood Glucose Meters in the U.S., as it is likely to provide an inaccurate reading at 'extremely high' blood glucose levels. Abbott estimates that...

Annual cost of private room hits a mind boggling $180,000 making Manhattan the second most expensive market Don't even think about getting old and frail in New York! The annual cost of a private room in a nursing home in Manhattan has hit a mind-boggling $180,000 a...

Prime Source is proud to announce that we will be working with several new healthcare facilities in New York and New Jersey. We look forward to providing their long-term care facilities with the highest level of customer service and to helping achieve their business...

By Michael Greenfield New York City – In 2012, Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced his first initiative to reduce the use of plastic-foam in New York. The “Trayless Tuesdays” program launched in city public schools replaced 830,000 disposable food service trays on...

Baby boomers have a lot to answer for. The vast number of births between 1945 and 1964 necessitated an expansion of the education system, a housing boom and infrastructure investment. They helped steer America out of the Great Depression and into a fast growing...

Hospitals located in states that elect not to expand their Medicaid programs could find their bottom lines squeezed in the coming years as they're hit with higher charity-care costs and fewer insured patients. A report from Moody's Investors Service estimated that the...

NEW YORK – The palliative care team at Mount Sinai Hospital gathers on a Thursday morning to exchange the latest information on the patients in their ward. It is a raw, unforgiving day outside, but the weather, the news, most everything beyond these walls are concerns...

President Barack Obama has named the final three members of the Commission on Long-Term Care created as part of January's fiscal cliff deal. Obama chose Henry Claypool, a former Department of Health and Human Services administrator and the current executive vice...

Private Equity (PE) firms allegedly make money by buying companies and restructuring and decreasing workforces to sell them shortly thereafter at a profit. In reality, increased competition has made this model less common. PE firms are holding companies longer and...

The Food and Drug Administration plans to loosen the rules for approving new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs in clinical trial would qualify for approval if people at very early stages of the disease subtly improved their performance on memory or reasoning...

Long-term care is one of seven employment sectors likely to see significant challenges based on health benefits requirements in the Affordable Care Act, according to payroll services provider ADP. Based on payroll and benefits information of 303 companies with at...

A judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating uncertainty for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups...

Food-service contractor Morrison has made a commitment to promote healthier food at hundreds of the hospitals where the company serves food to patients, visitors and employees. The Partnership for a Healthier America, which enrolled 155 hospitals and health systems in...

A measure that would tighten oversight of Florida's 3,000 assisted living facilities and penalize those that abuse or neglect their residents was approved unanimously Thursday by the Senate Health Policy Committee. The bill (SB 646) requires the Agency for Health Care...

Employee perks programs can help nursing home and assisted living owner-operators to attract better workers and to lower turnover. Last fall, the Weiss family visited the Pine Valley Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, a long-term care facility in Spring Valley,...

One of Missouri's largest employers saw a sharp, rapid drop in hospital visits by workers and their families for costly and chronic conditions after insisting employees in its most popular, generous health plan enroll in wellness initiatives. Outpatient costs,...

As medical facilities seek to implement the most cost effective and consistent strategies, they often need to alter their purchasing methods to ensure they don't run low on supplies, have to ration equipment or fail to have the life-saving resources a patient needs in...

Each month, the entire Prime Source staff gathers for an employee appreciation lunch, held in the Prime Source building. According to Michael Greenfield, CEO of Prime Source, “We have an unbelievable team that goes above and beyond for our clients each and everyday....

Office Depot and OfficeMax made it official Wednesday morning, announcing a $1.2 billion all-stock merger to create a company with a combined $18 billion in sales. The news came after the deal was prematurely announced earlier Wednesday, buried in an Office Depot...

Institutionalized dementia patients who received a tailored educational program on good eating habits were less likely to show symptoms of depression 6 months later, results of a Taiwanese study indicated. Mean scores on the Chinese version of the Cornell Scale for...

The rise in drug costs to clinics and hospitals is slowing in 2013 compared with previous years, although costs for medications will still increase by as much 4 percent. Wider availability of less expensive generic products is a primary driver in moderating drug...

If you've been in the long term care business for a while, you've probably had to battle an ant or two inside your facility. You're not alone. In the last three annual Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) member surveys on pest management, ants have...

If you want to resonate with veterinarians running independent practices in today’s fast-changing economy, offer them bargaining power with big corporate vendors and a way to compete financially with chain-owned hospitals and big-box retailers. That’s the hope,...

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking input from industry and the public on the effects of extreme weather and natural disasters on the production and supply of medical devices. The FDA will use the information to identify steps that the agency,...

Dynarex Corporation has introduced their new product - Double Side Slipper Socks. These slipper socks are designed to keep feet warm and dry inside. The anti-skid surface provides enough traction to keep you from sliding on any surface. Additionally, the double sided...

A convergence of regulatory and market influences are triggering a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the long-term care (LTC) industry. This convergence presents new opportunities and considerations for operators of all sizes. The dollar volume in LTC mergers and...

As long-term-care-insurance costs climb, families are turning to continuing-care retirement communities as an alternative. Long-term-care insurance generally pays for home care, assisted living or skilled nursing when a policyholder suffers from dementia or needs help...

Colony collapse disorder has reduced the number of available healthy bees while the number of almond trees has steadily increased. In an almond orchard in California's Central Valley, bee inspector Neil Trent pried open a buzzing hive and pulled out a frame to see if...

WASHINGTON -- The Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative (HGPII) today released its seventh annual Report to the Public, a comprehensive industry review which found that group purchasing organizations (GPOs) consistently maintain high ethical standards and...

Therapy can improve language function and general cognition for seniors who have had aphasia for years, according to a recently published study. To reach their conclusions, researchers at the Research Centre of the University Geriatrics Institute of Montreal performed...

Scientists at the University of Missouri say they have developed a battery-powered device a little smaller than an iPad mini that can generate X-rays and could one day be used to take dental scans or search for dangerous contraband in ports. The 6-inch long device...

The stress and chaos patients experience in the hospital may make them prone to a new illness -- and landing back in the hospital. Nearly one in five seniors discharged from the hospital will be re-admitted within 30 days with a completely different ailment from the...

It started after a contracted HMO providing Medicaid managed care services said it planned to cut rates for personal care assistance. Now, a pending bill would prohibit unauthorized provider reimbursement rate decreases by other managed care organizations, as well as...

The nation's baby boomers are at the forefront of redefining the world around them-from social and political change to health care. By force of numbers alone, baby boomers will almost certainly have a dramatic effect on senior living communities. The nearly 10,000...

Flu season this year has been notably severe and especially hard on the elderly. To help combat spread of the illness, here are 8 tips for senior living communities to help keep residents healthy and keep the Flu at bay. The Flu is attacking the elderly at...

NEW YORK — In Superstorm Sandy's wake, health experts and regulators are warning that thousands of nursing homes nationwide are still ill-prepared for a natural disaster. The late October storm was the latest in a string of disasters to reveal gaps in emergency...

The timing, intensity and track of the storm could still change, but right now New York City is looking to get 6 to 10 inches of snow, while north and west of the city could get more than 1 foot. The heaviest bands of snow in this storm are likely to be seen in New...

Families of nursing-home residents across the state reported overall satisfaction with the care being provided to their loved ones in 2012, according to results of a state study released yesterday. The statewide average satisfaction score of 948 facilities was about...

Litigation or threatened litigation in the senior care space is an ever-present facet of running a senior care business. An online panel discussion addressed ways in which boards of senior care businesses can avoid, or at least manage, legal trouble. “In the face of...

Patients with a life expectancy of less than 10 years derive little benefit from screening for breast or colorectal cancer, a meta-analysis of randomized trials suggested. For every 1,000 women screened for breast cancer, almost 11 years would pass before one breast...

A 150-person negotiating committee representing nearly 7,000 Pennsylvania nursing home workers met on Tuesday with representatives of major operators such as Golden Living, Genesis HealthCare, Reliant Senior Care, Guardian Elder Care and Extendicare to begin working...

ROME, Ga. - One Rome nursing home is brand new, but it's got a decidedly "old school" feel about it. Everything, from the blue-green walls to the dinettes, harkens back to the 1950s and there is a good reason for that. The Harbor at Renaissance Marquis is a special...

When shopping for a major purchase, most people these days turn to the Internet to do research or get crowd-sourced information on the product they’re considering, and that’s becoming increasingly true for senior living boomer consumers. As the baby boomer generation...

Vitamin D supplements had no impact on the pain of knee osteoarthritis (OA), researchers reported. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D supplements also had no effect on disease progression in patients with symptomatic knee OA,...

An excellent piece in Gawker, of all places, titled Journalism is Not Narcissism, tackles a troubling idea in media at large - how easy it is, with the subtlety of a blunt ax, to blog about one's life. In our industry, this can result in columns that take on a "look...

If you were counting the days until you could buy elusive, super sweet HoneyBells off the back of a refrigerated truck, you're out of luck. Grocery store customers may still find the citrus hybrid of a Dancy Tangerine and Duncan Grapefruit, but the fiery orange,...

Older adults who drink sweetened beverages, and artificially sweetened diet drinks in particular, are at increased risk for depression, a large prospective study suggested.Individuals ages 50 to 70 who consumed four cans or cups of sweetened soft drinks each day had a...

As the “baby boom” generation approaches retirement, the demand for senior care services will rise and will drive industry revenue, according to a study from Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based market research firm. Revenues for senior care services are expected...

Influenza activity remains high throughout the country, although it may be waning in certain regions, according to the CDC's latest numbers. In the week ending Jan. 5, geographically widespread flu activity was reported by 47 states, with regional activity in...

In an inconspicuous control room at the Sioux Falls, S.D., headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, nurses keep round-the-clock watch on motion and humidity sensors in the living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms of elderly men and women in five...

The New Year’s Day budget agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff includes two key measures that could be critical to people receiving long-term supports and services and their caregivers. The first repeals the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS)...

There is no worse place to introduce a flu epidemic than in a health care setting. And nursing homes and the flu could be a deadly combination. Here are things to keep in mind for preventing and/or containing the spread of flu in your facility. Staff Vaccinations Not...

Prime Source GPO is delighted to share an exclusive and time-sensitive opportunity for our valued members. Through our strategic affiliation with Premier Inc., we are offering a substantial discount of up to 31.6% on two top-tier Kangaroo™ enteral feeding pumps from...

Prime Source GPO Announces Exciting New Group Buy Opportunity for EnteraLite® Infinity® Enteral Feeding Pumps Prime Source GPO is thrilled to announce a valuable new group buy opportunity in partnership with Premier Inc. This exclusive offer allows members to access...

Without much fanfare, the Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report earlier this month on the subject of how the U.S. is progressing in caring for older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The committee compared health-care infrastructure...

Hundreds of elderly and disabled New Yorkers who were hurriedly evacuated from seaside nursing homes and assisted living residences after Superstorm Sandy are still in a grim limbo two months later, sleeping on cots in temporary quarters without such comforts as...

H&R Healthcare is pleased to offer Prospera Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, available in the PRO-3 for large wounds, and the lightweight, portable PRO-2 for ambulatory and rehab patients. Both gauze and black foam dressing kits are available to accommodate the...

The message that home- and community-based care is more cost effective than institutional care has been touted by federal and local governments and those within the healthcare community, but a new comparative effectiveness review of long-term care of older adults...

Contact precautions for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus led to healthcare workers practicing better hand hygiene, a study has found. Researchers had “secret shoppers” look at employees at four hospitals performing routine care over 19 months....

When the clock strikes twelve on December 31st, people all over the world cheer and wish each other a very Happy New Year. For some, this event is no more than a change of a calendar. For us, let this New Year symbolize the beginning of a better tomorrow. So, if you...

Many nurses and other health workers at Alzheimer's care facilities feel unprepared to tell patients' family members the truth about their loved one's condition, a new study finds. They often have to struggle with the choice of being positive but dishonest, or candid...

Can providing free meals to seniors in failing health prevent some of them from winding up in nursing homes? That was a thought experiment conducted by Brown University researchers in a paper published online earlier this week in the journal Health Services Research....

Research has shown that healthcare organizations with high employee engagement scores tend to have better patient outcomes overall, according to Murat Philippe, principal consultant at Avatar HR Solutions in Chicago. According to Philippe, Avatar HR Solutions provides...

Grapefruit juice can be part of a healthful diet—most of the time. It has vitamin C and potassium—substances your body needs to work properly. But it isn’t good for you when it affects the way your medicines work. Grapefruit juice and fresh grapefruit can interfere...

Transcendental meditation is more effective than health education in reducing heart attacks and strokes among African-Americans with heart disease, new research reveals. Almost half of the 201 study participants were women with an average age 59. Many members of the...

According to the newly released 2012 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services and Home Care Costs, conducted for the tenth year by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, national average rates for long-term care in the U.S. continue to...

OSHA is initiating a regulatory review of its existing safety and health standards in response to the President’s Executive Order 13563, ‘‘Improving Regulations and Regulatory Review’’ (76 FR 38210). The agency conducted similar regulatory reviews of its existing...

Beyer Farms has gone out of business and is not delivering milk as of this morning, December 12th, 2012. For years, Beyer Farms has been the main distributor for Tuscan Dairy Farms, which is owned by Dean Foods. If you use Tuscan/Beyer, please note that Prime Source...

The holiday season is a time when family members are more likely than usual to visit their loved ones in long-term care facilities. Out-of-town relatives may be making their annual visit, or grandchildren off from school might be stopping by to see Grandma or Grandpa....

A nice hot bath is one of life’s simple pleasures. However, bathing a resident with dementia can be a frustrating—and even dangerous—aspect of caregiving. It’s not uncommon for a person with Alzheimer’s or another dementia to argue about needing a bath because he or...

Dear Valued Customers, I would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Chanukah this holiday season. This week, Jewish adults and children alike will join together to light the menorah, spin the dreidel and sneak in an occasional extra piece of doughnut! We...

"As health care is changing, many facilities are training and hiring nurses with higher qualifications due to the trends of patients that are being referred to our skilled-nursing facility or as some refer to as nursing homes," said Melanie Henry, executive director,...

The stability in nursing care market fundamentals continues, as occupancy remains essentially flat. In the third quarter of 2012, nursing care occupancy was 88.0 percent, an increase of 10 basis points from the prior quarter and a 30 basis point decline during the...

Exercise may help older adults stave off heart failure by protecting against early stages of damage, a longitudinal study showed. Compared with the most sedentary seniors, the most physically active were 50% to 70% less likely to see increases in markers of cardiac...

Patients with diabetes are more than twice as likely to have hearing impairment than individuals without, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The study's lead author...

Hurricane Sandy has affected many of you in different ways. A common request which we have been receiving is for a high-quality, temporary solution for outsourcing dietary. We are happy to announce that Prime Source GPO has partnered with several commissaries in NY...

A new study about nursing home evacuations during hurricanes exposes grave consequences suffered by the most vulnerable residents and flaws within government guidelines for the relocations. A 218% increase in the mortality of residents with severe dementia is cited in...

Hostess Brands Inc. attained final approval for its wind-down plans in Bankruptcy court, setting the stage for new owners to take over. The company says it's in talks with more than 110 parties interested in buying its brands including Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos....

A third elderly resident of a Placer County nursing home has died after eating poisonous mushrooms picked and served by a caregiver earlier this month. Four others, apparently including the caregiver, were sickened by the mushrooms, gathered near the Golden Age Villa...

While noise in a hospital may seem a simple nuisance, it can affect patients' health and satisfaction, which in turn can impact hospitals' reimbursement. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey includes a question directly...

Wishing you a warm and joyful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect on all the blessings we’ve received throughout the year. It’s a day to come together with family and friends, sharing not only delicious food but also heartfelt gratitude for the...

One of Prime Source’s bakery suppliers – Hostess Brands, Inc. – is currently embroiled in a union dispute and their workers have gone on strike. According to the latest reports, it is possible that Hostess will be sold or closed. Please note that your Prime Source...

As entire areas of the country continue on with the arduous task of recovering from the impact of Hurricane Sandy and a subsequent storm that plowed into several regions of the United States, a common refrain has emerged that is consistent with most disasters: “It was...

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of society's most vulnerable people — the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill — have been pushed to the brink in the powerless, flood-ravaged neighborhoods struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy. The storm didn't just knock out...

Students returned to classes Wednesday at a New York City high school where more than 200 nursing home evacuees still reside. Brooklyn Technical, considered one of the city's elite high schools, has its cafeteria and several classrooms occupied by refugees from...

Millions of Americans will spend the holiday season as residents in a nursing home or assisted living facility, and nearly all have a disability. Many of these facilities do everything humanly possible to help make their residents happy. But they can do only so much....

Senior housing developers have been ready to go for months—even years, for some—and while there’s no immediate danger of overdevelopment, cautious lenders may function as a safeguard against repeating a boom-and-bust cycle. The annual senior housing inventory growth...

Deep in the inner ear of mammals is a natural battery — a chamber filled with ions that produces an electrical potential to drive neural signals. In today’s issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, a team of researchers from MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear...

Hundreds of nursing home residents in New York City's storm-battered Rockaways section are being evacuated ahead of a storm expected to bring more bad weather to the region. State and city health officials said Tuesday that three nursing homes and an adult care center...

Taking care of the elderly is never an easy job, but doing so in a crisis situation such as the double whammy of super storm Sandy and Wednesday’s nor’easter is particularly challenging. “From the nursing home perspective, one has to do all of the things that you have...

What goes up must come down, except when you’re talking about the cost of long-term care. A study soon to be released by MetLife’s Mature Market Institute says expenses continued to rise faster than inflation in the last year for most long-term care services,...

The overall retention rate for all assisted living employees was 73% in 2011, a new survey from a provider group finds. The average turnover rate for all AL workers was 25%, with the highest rates being in food services (26%) and nursing staff (29%), according to a...

NEW YORK -- The staff and residents of at least five nursing homes on the coastal edge of this storm-battered city were told by New York officials to stay put in advance of Hurricane Sandy, even though the facilities were in a mandatory evacuation zone and are just...

As news of the impending “perfect storm” began to circulate, Prime Source began preparations to help clients get ready to weather the Hurricane. Thanks to the critical measures put in place and the selfless efforts of the entire Prime Source team, the impact of the...

Area-wide disasters such as hurricanes can leave long term care facilities and hospitals out of business indefinitely. If your facility suffered Hurricane related damage or is looking to prepare contingency plans for future events, please contact Prime Source today....

Relationships between healthcare organizations and physicians are a growing trend within the industry as more doctors become employees of hospitals. Building healthy working relationships between the two factions is important, says David Ebel, who retired from the...

Evidence that companies increasingly view their supply chain as a driver of revenue growth and competitive advantage, rather than just operational excellence, is detailed in the annual Chief Supply Chain Officer Report, published today based on research conducted by...

An extremely dangerous storm is approaching the mid-Atlantic to southern New England region. The worst of the storm will be Sunday through Tuesday, but the storm's aftermath may linger days later.   Please make sure all your departments are fully prepared well in...

Israel-based Neuronix, which has developed a non-invasive medical device to help to treat Alzheimer’s disease, expects the system to be approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in late 2014. The device, which combines electromagnetic stimulation with...

While hospitals historically have focused on driving down costs by making improvements in their revenue cycle, nurse productivity and supply chain management efficiency, one area that hasn't received as much attention is the costs associated with the number of assets...

Supplies are one of the two biggest costs for surgery centers; the other is staffing. Ann Geier, RN, MS, CNOR, CASC, senior vice president of operations for ASCOA, says there are many supply chain areas where surgery centers could save more money. Here, she outlines...

While there are different schools of thought on the practice of offering discounts in senior living, many agree it can be a beneficial strategy to increase occupancy in a tough sales environment—as long as it’s done the right way.   Move-in incentives can make...

The founders of DreamWorks, LLC are donating $90 million to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a Hollywood charity that supports a nursing home for retired entertainment industry workers which has teetered on the verge of closure, reports the Los Angeles Times....

Sensor technology is being tested for use with incontinence products. Potential benefits of the SmartBrief include cost savings for long-term care facilities and improved comfort and skin health for seniors managing incontinence. Sensor technology has been applied to...

Produce giant Dole issued a recall on its American Blend bagged salad in 10 states in those two regions, after the Tennessee Department of Health found listeria bacteria in one sample. According to Food Safety News, the recall applies to "12 oz. bags coded A275208A or...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a partnership with 145 nursing homes last weekend as part of seven cooperative agreement awards that will implement the Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents....

A long-term provider group is urging regulators to continue work on fixing the “observation stay loophole” that makes it harder for Medicare beneficiaries to get nursing home care. “We are very appreciative of the renewed interest that CMS [Centers for Medicare &...

In a study, a 6-month exercise program of combined aerobic and resistance training resulted in significant improvements in cognitive function in patients with motor impairments at least 10 weeks post stroke.   Resistance training -- which is often overlooked in...

The market for potential assisted living or skilled nursing facility residents is being depleted by family caregivers who are taking on more and more senior care responsibilities, including medical and nursing tasks once only provided in hospitals, according to a new...

The salmonella outbreak linked to a New Mexico peanut supplier has expanded again with the voluntary recall of thousands of bags of whole peanuts by Hines Nut Co. The Dallas-based company recalled bags of salted jumbo Virginia in-shell peanuts on Monday for possible...

Just after 10 p.m., when most people their age are going to sleep, a group of elderly folks suffering from dementia are just getting started, dancing and shaking tambourines and maracas in a raucous version of "La Bamba." "It's a party," says an 81-year-old woman,...

Hospital and nursing home managers are reaching for the aspirin again. No matter who wins on Nov. 6, most Democrats and Republicans agree in principle that federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid will need to go under the knife, above and beyond the cuts written...

October 03, 2012 | Kaiser Health News Medicare's new readmission penalties for hospitals just got a bit tougher. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has discovered errors in its initial calculations in August. As a result, 1,422 hospitals with...

Medicare's new readmission penalties for hospitals just got a bit tougher. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has discovered errors in its initial calculations in August. As a result, 1,422 hospitals with comparatively high readmission rates will lose...

The Kellogg Company announced Wednesday that it has initiated a voluntary recall of several of its cereals from the shelves of Sam’s Club and Walmart stores due to the possible presence of flexible metal mesh fragments. Those fragments made it in to several types of...

The future of Medicaid -- the state-federal workhorse of the nation's health system that provides health coverage to the poorest and sickest Americans -- hangs in the balance on Election Day. President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney have vastly...

The annual Chief Supply Chain Officer Report was recently revealed, giving new insight as to how companies manage and view their supply chains. Keeping costs down Nearly two-thirds of the executives surveyed revealed that cost reduction was a significant factor in how...

Think the best cities for aging in place are in Arizona and Florida? Think again. Those two states didn’t even make it onto two lists ranking the top cities best prepared for the 65-and-over crowd to age well and the best cities for “successful” aging among the 80+...

Healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) acquisitions and financing deals in senior housing are forcing Fannie Mae to adapt its business strategy and put a focus on working with small to mid-size players in the industry.   “In the past, we’ve done business...

Come visit Prime Source - Booth # 600 - at the HCANJ 64th Annual State Healthcare Convention & EXPO and get a free gift. The event will take place on October 23-25, 2012 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. The HCANJ 64th Annual State...

Despite talks surrounding engagement and helping patients take ownership of their care, issues remain as to why they are simply uninterested. "Anyone in the medical profession knows activated patients are always better, and engaged patients always do better," said...

It turns out Republicans and Democrats do have something they can agree on this election season – they’re worried about how to pay for long-term care when they or a family member can no longer live at home. A new poll released Wednesday by The SCAN Foundation and the...

The outcome of the 2012 presidential races will have a much more profound impact on the future of Medicaid — and nursing home funding — than Medicare, experts say. The candidates' views on Medicare have overshadowed their respective approaches to Medicaid, the New...

BELLE CHASSE, La. -- As water lapped over a levee, officials rushed to evacuate more than 100 nursing home residents from Plaquemines Parish, an area with a reputation for weathering storms and perhaps the hardest place hit by Isaac. In this hardscrabble, mostly rural...

Sixty five percent of healthcare executives globally cite regulatory compliance as their number one supply chain concern, a survey finds. The United Parcel Service (UPS) Pain in the Chain survey, conducted by research company TNS, reveals cost management comes in...

This sounds like common sense: If you work in a nursing home, you wash your hands when you start your shift and again before you leave. You wash your hands (or, in some cases, use an alcohol-based antimicrobial) before and after any direct contact with residents....

Harborside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Baltimore will shut down within the next month.   Nearly 70 elderly patients and vulnerable adults must find new homes because of the planned closure of Harborside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Baltimore, a...

A new online tool that enables consumers to analyze inspection reports for nursing homes across the country is now available. The search engine was created by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit organization devoted to investigative journalism. It is at...

Long-term care facilities are no different than any other business in that they are searching for ways to make their dollars go further while improving their profit margins. But with revenue less of a sure thing than ever, how do you tackle this challenge? One...

Dr. Sikorski from Healthcare Marketing Center recently unveiled 12 case studies about what impact Doctors’ Reputations have on the success of practices, hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers. Here are some compelling statistics 1) 100% of patients “Googled”...

Doctors today get a lot more feedback than they used to. The public rates them on the Web. Payers scrutinize their charges and make controversial adjustments in reimbursement. And power software evaluates their performance through a vast array of analytical...

Security flaws in medical devices that transmit health data on a screen or between patients and physicians could potentially expose consumers to physical harm if hackers gain remote control of the software, according to a new report that urges improved federal...

Developing relationships with potential referral sources is one of the most important duties of a senior living executive. Positioning a senior living facility as a progressive leader in the industry among referral sources can impact an organization’s reputation and,...

Some of the nation's biggest health centers are serving up disease-promoting foods that have outrageous amounts of sodium, fat and cholesterol. You probably wouldn't think to stop into a hospital for an artery-clogging fried chicken sandwich. But it turns out that...

The placement of plastic optical fibers under a carpet or flooring has the potential to greatly reduce falls among nursing home residents, an interdisciplinary team of researchers said at a scientific conference this week. Dubbed “the magic carpet,” researchers at...

MILFORD, Conn. (AP) -- On day 66 of a nursing home strike in Connecticut, Jennifer Musante had plenty to worry about as she joined the picket line. The single mother of two teenagers is struggling to pay her bills, delaying a car payment and credit cards to pay for...

Too many people make the dangerous roundtrip from hospital to nursing facility and back again. These transfers may increase risks of delirium, medication errors, falls, and infection. There is no doubt that some patients die as a result of these transfers. And, they...

The U.S. healthcare system has a lot to learn from businesses in other industries, especially when it comes to process improvement, according to “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America,” a report released online this week by...

Family decisions have far more to do with the 30-day mortality rates of acute stroke victims than the quality of care, according to a new study. The study, published in Neurology journal, examined the medical records of 436 people who had suffered an ischemic stroke....

A new study dispels the misperception that long term care insurance is purchased by and benefits only older individuals who need care as a result of conditions typically associated with aging. According to a just-released American Association for Long-Term Care...

Nurse leaders in Massachusetts celebrated a victory after Gov. Deval Patrick signed a healthcare law that prohibits mandatory overtime for nurses. Studies have shown that mandatory nurse overtime increases risk for errors, endangers patients and adds to the cost of...

Cocoa flavanols have shown some benefits for the heart, but they may also be good for cognitive function in older people, researchers found. In a double-blind study, elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment who consumed high or moderate levels of cocoa...

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), one-third of Americans aged 65 years and older fall each year. Falls are a leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults; moreover, the fear...

Effective October 2012, the Ensure Clinical Strength products will be renamed Ensure Complete. This change is based on consumer and health care professional feedback to help improve ongoing patient compliance. In addition to the name and label change, the Ensure...

A "spray-on skin" developed by scientists could greatly improve recovery from chronic leg ulcers, research suggests. The treatment consists of skin cells suspended in blood clotting proteins which is sprayed on the wound. In a study of 228 patients with venous leg...

There's a tremendous amount of waste occurring in the healthcare industry. In order to address that waste, organizations are moving to lean management because it exposes what and where these wastes are and rethinks the way work is done via value streams. Most...

For thousands of seniors and their families, White Glove Consulting has been a life-saver. White Glove Consulting is a consulting firm that guides families and seniors through the complex process of applying for Medicaid. They focus on helping people secure long term...

From: Healthcare Finance News Between now and March 1, 2013, everyone receiving federal benefits, such as Social Security or Veterans Administration payments, will get their payments via direct deposit rather than by paper check. New federal benefits enrollees since...

From: NPR The national recession may be over, but local governments around the country are still hurting. Core services and programs are being scaled back, cut or privatized. In Upstate New York, county officials are scrambling to sell off nursing homes that have been...

From: NY Times Paulia and Bienne Bastia set two dinner tables in their house in Mount Airy, Pa., each night, one for their three children, and another for themselves and the two older men the children call “Grampa.” The Army veterans Booker Lovett, 79, and Wesley...

For the first time, Consumer Reports has rated U.S. hospitals for safety, combining six key measures into one composite Rating. Overall, Consumer Reports rates 1,159 hospitals in 44 states in four special regional editions of its August issue and online at...

From: McKnight's A recent study highlights a significant decline in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, both in healthcare settings and community environments. Conducted by researchers at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, the study...

From: Wall Street Journal For amputees like John Redfield, shopping for a new pair of shoes used to be a major hassle. Walking up or down an incline was as awkward as wearing ski boots. And going shoeless required performing a constant balancing act.   To achieve...

JOHNSTOWN, Ohio — As the years went by, residents in this Licking County village began to notice a change in their local nursing home. The patients weren’t just elderly people anymore. Some were young. Some were loud. Some were angry.   “An amazing amount of...

A New Jersey man paid a nursing home 5 months of expenses because his uncle accidentally breached the Medicaid assets limit when his Social Security payments accumulated in a bank account. This uncle was childless so his NJ nephew was deemed the closest living...

From: USA Today For years, states have struggled to raise the quality of care in nursing homes by using a regulatory stick — citations, fines and other sanctions — when serious problems are discovered.   Last month, Ohio adopted a distinctly different,...

Washington - People with dementia are far more likely to be hospitalized than other older adults, often for preventable reasons like an infection that wasn’t noticed early enough. Hospitals can be upsetting to anyone, but consider the added fear factor if you can’t...

Millions of pharmaceutical supplies and medical equipment products are mailed daily, with a significant dependence on United Parcel Service Inc., making the company a key player for many supply chains. In addition to the company ensuring safe delivery of products to...

August 10, 2012 - Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina, is expanding its recall to include all of this growing season's cantaloupes and honeydew melons that may remain on the market because they may possibly be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The state's efforts to reduce prescription painkiller theft in nursing homes has met with a cool reception from Ohio's nursing home industry, which says a letter sent by Attorney General Mike DeWine to facilities contains incomplete and a...

Genesis Healthcare, a nursing-home giant based in Kennett Square, is expanding its short-term rehabilitation business with a $30 million facility under construction in Voorhees. Genesis is also converting three of its traditional nursing homes in Southeastern...

Enrique Linares, 28, lost control of his Red Honda on a sharp curve in North Miami Beach, slamming into the wall of a nursing home. The driver was killed and four elderly residents went to the hospital with minor injuries. There was no sign of drugs or alcohol in the...

From: CNN Money The drought that's drying up the Heartland isn't just an American problem. It's causing food prices to surge worldwide. And it could get worse. "This is not some gentle monthly wake-up call, it's the same global alarm that's been screaming at us since...

From Medpagetoday.com A multi-billion dollar federal initiative to move low-income elderly and disabled people from long-term care facilities into the community has fallen far short of its goals, as many states have struggled to cobble together housing and other...

From: Chicago Tribune The $1.6 billion in Medicaid cuts passed by state lawmakers angered a key legislator and some advocates who contend the legislation will undercut nursing home reforms enacted two years ago and delay improved care in the facilities. But state...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls potentially harmful drugs about once every month, but they could be doing a better job of letting doctors and patients know about them, says a new study. Over an eight-year span, researchers found that the FDA failed...

Nineteen of Detroit's 32 nursing homes must upgrade or install sprinkler systems by next summer to be certified and continue to receive the funding they need to stay open, according to a new study on aging, long-term care and dying. The same study, as detailed in...

During the state’s past fiscal year, Ohio’s nursing homes were cited nearly twice as often as in the previous year for putting patients at serious risk of harm. The jump in “immediate jeopardy” citations in the 2011-12 fiscal year coincides with cuts in the...

From: Physiciansnews.com Increased federal investigation into alleged inappropriate arrangements between the pharmaceutical and medical device industries and physicians has led to significant scrutiny over certain “distribution” arrangements. Most recently,...

Huntington Memorial Hospital, a community-focused regional medical center in California, recently implemented changes in order to put the patients first while improving the quality of the service it provides. The hospital - a 625-bed nonprofit - is implementing cost...

The trustee board of the 163-year-old nonprofit that runs the Goddard House Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center announced the closure of the state’s oldest nursing home three weeks ago. The more than 100 patients and the 135 workers who provide them with 24-hour...

question of what to do with Albany County's creaky, costly and embattled nursing home has been in the headlines for months now, but the county is hardly alone. While deciding whether to rebuild or privatize the facility is turning out to be one of the toughest issues...

A supplier of titanium alloy long products called Dynamet Inc. is preparing for a session that it will sponsor, which will highlight the current challenges and future trends of the international medical industry. The 28th annual conference and exhibition was organized...

From: McKnight's It's a snowballing health crisis: Just as the number of obese Americans continues to swell, so do the ranks of those considered severely, or morbidly, obese. And the latter pose new challenges to long-term care operators interested in serving them —...

All healthcare organizations that bill federally funded healthcare programs (Medicaid, Medicare or Child Health Plus) have an obligation to check individuals upon hire, and then on a monthly basis, to ensure that they are not listed on the federal and state excluded...

As widespread drought annihilates crops and sends prices increasingly higher, supply chain managers at healthcare facilities are no doubt eyeing their budgets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling the country’s drought “the most serious situation we’ve had in...

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled its new "Nursing Home Compare" website on Thursday to help people find and evaluate nursing homes across the United States. The site features better navigation and has two other major changes. For the first...

A northern New Jersey nursing home was briefly locked down after the facility received an anonymous threatening letter referencing last week's deadly Colorado theater shootings. New Milford Police Chief Frank Papapietro says officers went to the Woodcrest Health Care...

Daily use of antimicrobial wipes combined with standard bathing helped one facility cut its methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission rate by 82%, a study found. At the start of a study in one 27-bed post-acute care unit, investigators observed an...

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reveals a significant correlation between certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing levels and the risk of falls among newly admitted, short-stay nursing home residents. This study highlights a...

In a collaborative effort between CEOs and senior executives from 11 leading hospitals and health systems across the country, a comprehensive checklist to promote high-value healthcare at reduced costs has recently been developed. The CEO Checklist for High-Value...

A salmonella outbreak that has sickened 33 people in seven states appears to be linked to recalled ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers of illnesses reported in each state are:...

Connecticut's sickest state prison inmates will be released and moved to a nursing home early next year in an effort that state officials say will save millions of dollars in health care costs. As part of its wide-ranging state budget legislation signed into law in...

CLUNETTE, Ind. – Ask Craig Ganshorn how his corn crop is faring and he winces before replying. "Basically, it's burnt up," he says. Ganshorn, 62, who has farmed 500 acres of corn and soybeans here since 1976, is confronting the grim realities of a drought that he says...

On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court upheld a mandate for Barack Obama’s signature health care law for individual insurance referred to as ObamaCare. While U.S. citizens are as divided as the Supreme Court justices (who voted 5-4 in favor of upholding the mandate) in...

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Managers of some Kansas nursing homes say they are concerned that their residents might not have the paperwork required to vote under the state's new voter identification laws. State election officials are working with the nursing homes to help...

The $1.6 billion in Medicaid cuts passed by state lawmakers angered a key legislator and some advocates who contend the legislation will undercut nursing home reforms enacted two years ago and delay improved care in the facilities. But state officials said the 2010...

A major nursing home chain said it no longer will operate in Kentucky because of increased litigation and the 2012 General Assembly's failure to pass a law making it more difficult to file lawsuits against nursing homes. Extendicare Health Services Inc. has entered...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rejected requests to cover virtual colonoscopies in 2009 citing, in part, a lack of evidence of the imaging technique for Medicare-aged patients. But a new study suggests it's as good at finding cancerous growths, and as...

Half of all heart patients made at least one medication-related mistake after leaving the hospital, and guidance from a pharmacist didn't seem to reduce those errors, in a new study. Consequences of mistakes - such as forgetting to take certain drugs or taking the...

For several years, doctors and medical spas around the country have touted a fat-melting device called the LipoTron 3000, or Lipo-Ex, as a revolutionary way for people to slim down. Signature Medical Spa in Tampa, Fla., in an online pitch for its “Lipo-Ex Spring Fling...

A little-noticed change in how Medicare pays for nursing home patients will hit Florida harder than any other state over the next three years. And the burden will be shouldered by facilities that can least afford it: those caring for a higher share of poor residents....

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Attorney General Mike DeWine on Tuesday announced a plan to combat the theft of prescription drugs in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The initiative is one of several state efforts aimed at reducing the abuse of prescription...

County-run nursing homes in New Jersey could be headed for extinction. Four have been sold to private operators in the last 18 months, including Buttonwood Hospital in Burlington County, and Camden County now is considering selling its facility. And some within the...

Bridgeton’s Buona Vita Inc. is recalling 324,770 pounds of meat and poulrty products due to possible contamination with Listeria, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. This was reported on Friday. Here's a complete list...

Combs Produce of Dallas Texas has issued a CLASS 1 recall on Cross Valley Farms and Packer Label whole tomatoes. The product was distributed to 2 of our distribution centers in Texas between June 27th and July 7th, 2012. The recalled product may be identified by lot...

A new category of senior housing may arise as some boomers reject segregated, resort-like senior living communities in favor of remaining in familiar settings right in their hometowns, writes CNBC. Such clusters of age-restricted housing integrated into thriving...

“Seniors” today are getting younger. They are feeling younger, too. Marketing to them requires attention to new details, experts say: their online savvy, story-seeking and independence. And whatever you do, don’t call them “old.” The “boomer” generation Marketers...

While most U.S. nursing homes have adequate written plans for managing natural disasters, many facilities have significant gaps in preparedness and response, a government report finds. In its analysis of federal nursing home compliance data and interviews conducted...

Medical devices like hip implants and heart defibrillators will soon join the ranks of cars and toasters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule that would require each medical device to have a unique code that could improve tracking and...

Martha Jefferson Hospital of Charlottesville, Va., took the top honors in Soliant.com’s recent poll of America’s Most Beautiful Hospitals. The contest, which is in its fourth year, turned this year’s choice over to America and after almost 170,000 votes, Martha...

According to the American Hospital Association’s first quarter RACTrac Survey released last month, hospitals continue to report an increase in Medicare recovery audit contractor (RAC) payment denials. The average hospital facility appealed more than 80 RAC denials and...

Controlling expenses is crucial to running a profitable surgery center. Jessica Nantz, president of Outpatient HealthCare Strategies, discusses five regular actions that help control expenses at an ASC. 1. Understand your cost per case. Ms. Nantz says the first step...

A new study finds that one in five newly admitted nursing home patients has a fall within one month, and that higher levels of staffing with certified nursing assistants reduces the risk of patient falls. The researchers examined Medicare/Medicaid data on more than...

It’s not easy to wrangle the largest players in any industry to give up competitive advantages. But that's what the five largest health care group purchasing organizations (GPOs) in the U.S. did when they agreed to work together on a standardized list of questions for...

Dole Food Co.'s fresh vegetable unit has recalled more than 1,000 cases of bagged salads sold at Kroger and Walmart stores in six states because of the possibility of listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported. A representative for Dole could not be...

According to recent studies, businesses are spending more time on human resources paperwork than ever before. Nursing homes and other healthcare facilities face particularly challenging human resources demands, regulatory compliance responsibilities and complex...

As healthcare providers face reimbursement cuts and other budget constraints, they are paying more attention to and are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their supply chain management in an effort to control costs. More long term care facilities, assisted living...

Nursing homes that foster an environment in which workers feel they are valued contributors to a team of caregivers provide better care to their residents. That is the conclusion of a study out this month in the journal Health Services Research. "We know from other...

Instead of shuttering an aging public nursing home in Burlingame that serves primarily low income and elderly patients, San Mateo County will turn it over to a private company, officials said Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors voted to put Brius LLC, which is known for...

Retirement healthcare costs get regular attention as the biggest unknown expense most of us will face as we age. Yet at least one of those costs—long-term care—stems from a situation that is statistically well-known. About 70 percent of people now age 65 and older...

Healthcare practitioners are discovering that the concepts of ergonomics can provide much value when used to create safer environments in healthcare facilities. Through the application of ergonomic principles, progress has been made in healthcare safety, benefiting...

A new study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine suggests more quality measures to help consumers judge qualityof end-of-life care in nursing homes. By 2020, 40% of Americans will receive end-of-life care in a nursing home, but experts assert that while there is...

At the Premier Breakthroughs conference in Nashville on June 6, representatives from Methodist Health System in Dallas, Texas, chronicled their 18-month effort to significantly reduce supply costs. Methodist Health System operates 1,200 beds in four hospitals – and...

A recent report highlights that many states are ill-prepared to address the growing needs of their aging populations, particularly in terms of housing assistance. As the senior demographic expands, the demand for suitable housing and support services is expected to...

U.S. regulators, retailers and manufacturers are growing increasingly concerned that a surge in the number of products being recalled is resulting in "fatigue" by the public — increasing the chance that consumers could ignore or miss a recall that could ultimately...

Residents in New York City nursing homes experience painful and preventable bedsores at a rate almost 50 percent higher than the national average. In New York City, 16 percent of high-risk residents have one or more of the painful wounds, compared with 11 percent...

Gov. John Kasich signed his broad policy overhaul bill today and, as expected, denied nursing homes an extra $30 million that Republican lawmakers tried to send their way. The $30 million payment, which would have gone to nursing homes that met more than five new...

The Republican-led House of Representatives voted on Thursday to strike down a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices and other parts of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, although the effort is likely to hit a wall in the Democratic-led Senate. More than three...

The Premier healthcare alliance, a hospital-owned performance improvement alliance of more than 2,600 hospitals and 84,000 other care sites, hosts the Innovation Celebration each year to recognize advances in healthcare. This year, the event focused on quality...

From: silve.com After more than four decades in business, the small, family-owned Lily Pond Nursing Home is shutting its doors for good. The exact closing date for the Arrochar facility has yet to be determined, management said. But operations are winding down at Lily...

WASHINGTON – Job growth in healthcare continued to be the trend in May, with the sector adding 33,000 jobs, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Within the industry, employment in ambulatory healthcare services, which includes offices of physicians and...

From: Strategic Sourceror Drug shortages in the U.S. could intensify this year, experts are warning. A number of critically important drugs suffered from shortages in 2011, a problem that grew so acute the U.S. government was prompted to hold a special hearing on the...

Additional government funding is being distributed for a program to keep seniors, disabled individuals and the veterans in their homes, and out of institutionalized long-term care facilities. Nearly every state will receive a piece of the $25 million authorized under...

From WZZM13 DETROIT (WZZM) - When you think of crucial medical equipment that every doctor needs what comes to mind? A stethoscope? The surgical equipment? Definitely a white coat. But an iPad? Staying connected with patients has been proven to help promote a more...

From: Kaiser Health News Believe it or not, there is a silver lining to the massive storm cloud that is Medicare’s spiraling health care costs. The storm cloud, of course, is the out-of-control spending on health care for the elderly. For instance, more than 13...

From: Healthcare Finance News ALEXANDRIA, VA – According to a study released Tuesday by the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA), hospitals see substantial cost savings and greater employee and time efficiencies by maximizing their spend through a...

From: Fox News Jack Faust, a 101-year-old Navy veteran of World War II, is making headlines by competing in the 26th National Veterans Golden Age Games, a sports and recreation competition for former soldiers over the age of 55. Faust, who has won numerous gold and...

According to a number of studies by government agencies, environmental groups and healthcare experts, tap water is safer, healthier and better for the environment than bottled water. In a series of eye-opening tests on five-gallon polycarbonate jugs of water, a high...

Employee Perks Program As a valued client, Prime Source is always on the lookout for savings and other ways to benefit you and your facility. Our goal is to provide with you the most effective and easy to use purchasing solution.,/p> As a member of the Prime Source...

Lumen Supply offers an unbeatable selection of products for virtually every lighting need, with competitive pricing, timely delivery and impeccable customer service. Their aim is to deliver greater value & excellent service to every customer, every time! Founded...

A new study finds an association between an increase in assisted living options, which provide older adults with an array of services such as help with everyday tasks in homelike settings, and a decline in nursing home occupancy. This shift in delivery of care has...

Seniors suffering from virtually any type of infection are more likely to be hospitalized for dangerous blood clots in their deep veins or lungs, a new study finds. People whose infections that develop during a previous nursing home or hospital stay are up to seven...

Cloud technology enables anyone — or anyone authorized — to use the Internet from anywhere to access computing capabilities and data that are hosted somewhere else, as opposed to onsite. The cloud offers considerable benefits to healthcare, which is undergoing...

Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care products, today announced the winners of its 2011 Vendor Recognition Awards to the long-term care marketplace. These annual awards were given to two Medline...

A person's quality of sleep should improve as he or she grows older, a new study published in the journal Sleep suggests. Investigators originally set out to confirm the long-held belief that difficulty sleeping increases with age. But after conducting randomized...

Finding the right nursing home for an elderly loved one is a daunting task. And it's one most of us will face, as two-thirds of people over 65 will need nursing home care, at least temporarily, according to AARP. It's best if you can research facilities in advance,...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' uses a five star rating system to grade nursing homes, based on the following areas: nursing home staffing, quality measures and health inspections. The results of a recent study conducted by the CMS shows that the...

From: WYNT GLENVILLE -- A quick look at Glendale nursing home on Hetcheltown Road in Glenville, you might question why it's being torn down for a new one. But those who run the facility said the building is actually falling apart inside. "Its systems have...

From: Fox News A little more than a year ago, my eye doctor prescribed new disposable contact lenses. My insurance, he explained, would pay for only one six-month supply per year. “I’ll just take six months’ worth then,” I told him. Last week, I called to reorder....

Group purchasing organizations (GPOs) play a very important role in the supply chains for healthcare products. A recent industry survey reports that nearly every U.S. hospital use GPOs for purchasing a wide range of products and services. " U.S. healthcare-product...

From: Forbes Pharmacists serve a very important function in our healthcare system. With their guidance and expertise, they monitor and dispense millions of medications that medical providers prescribe daily. Their expertise regarding drug interactions and dosing...

Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier, the second-largest group purchasing organization (GPO) in U.S. healthcare is urging the IRS to formally block medical device manufacturers from tucking the cost of the impending 2.3 percent excise tax into the prices they charge...

The seniors housing occupancy rate is still seeing a slight recovery in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, although rent growth and construction activity has dipped, new data shows. The recovery for the sector is “slow but steady,” said Michael Hargrave, vice president...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced several weeks ago new Affordable Care Act initiatives aimed at keeping more chronically ill patients at home for care. The Community First Choice program, increases the federal Medicaid funding match by 6...

From: Medpage Today Emerging data show that, in patients who have post-MI rehabilitation, long-term survival may be boosted by as much at 59% compared with patients who are not prescribed rehabilitation. But the benefit of cardiac rehabilitation is often never...

Maintenance of doors – in particular, ensuring that doors that are required to latch do so – is a problem area for many organizations. Doors fail to latch for many reasons, perhaps the door latch is broken or needs to be adjusted, or perhaps the latch has been taped...

From: The Connecticut Mirror Her father's stroke came as a shock to Mimi Galusha. So did what came next. "Life as I know it was totally changed," she said. For years, Galusha's dad had taken care of her mother, who has Parkinson's disease. Galusha helped out, too. But...

Health system members of the Premier healthcare alliance reported a record savings of more than $1.45 billion last year by collaborating to improve performance, integrating and comparing data, and using innovative purchasing practices. These cost achievements are on...

For Hard of Hearing, Clarity Out of the Din From: The NY Times DIGITAL hearing aids can do wonders for faded hearing. But other devices can help, too, as audio technology adds new options to help people converse at a noisy restaurant, or talk quietly with a pharmacist...

A survey of skilled nursing operators was conducted by the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care and Avalere Health. A significant number of participants indicated that they planned to lay off employees, slash benefits and delay building plans due to looming or...

U.S. authorities have charged 107 people, including doctors and nurses, for trying to defraud the federal Medicare healthcare program for the elderly and disabled of about $452 million, the biggest Medicare fraud sweep to date, the Obama administration said on...

A study published In the March issue of the journal Stroke suggested that providers who treat stroke sufferers need to do a better job of screening them for depression. In a study of 1,450 ischemic stroke survivors and 397 transient ischemic attack (TIA) survivors,...

For most people, dealing with needles isn't easy – especially when it comes to facial injections. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of Americans suffer from trypanophobia, the extreme fear of needles. Dr. Jon Turk, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City,...

More hospitals will lower their capital equipment spending this year as they struggle with reimbursement cuts and other budget constraints, according to a group purchasing organization's online survey of member C-suite executives and supply chain managers. In the GPO...

From: HME News PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Recent changes in Medicare reimbursement policy, including competitive bidding, may be contributing to a sharp increase in the number of wheelchair breakdowns, according to a study released this week. About 53% of wheelchair users...

Two West Virginia nursing home nurses were held up at gunpoint by a man dressed as a clown. The man, who authorities say was wearing gray scrub pants, blue Croc shoes and a face covered in clown makeup, broke into the Teays Valley Center, a skilled nursing and...

Roughly 42% of U.S. assisted living residents has Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, and about 70% are women, according to a newly published data brief. Drawing on data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities, researchers at the Centers for...

New jobs in the healthcare sector continued to grow in April, with the sector adding 19,000, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today. April’s growth in healthcare employment was led by gains in ambulatory healthcare services, which includes home healthcare...

A study published in the May issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety indicates that nursing homes that are voluntarily accredited by The Joint Commission are more focused on resident safety than non-accredited facilities. Research – partly...

[4-18-2012] FDA reminds patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals of the importance of appropriate storage, use, application, and disposal of fentanyl patches (including Duragesic and generic products) to prevent potential life-threatening harm from...

From: New York Times There is another, easy-to-achieve, scientifically proven way to make yourself smarter. Go for a walk or a swim. For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise...

The Journal Age and Ageing reports that the age difference between married couples accounts for why women are 40% more likely to become nursing home residents than men, new research reveals. The long-held assumption that men, generally, are more unwilling than women...

From: McKnight's Long Term Care News & Assisted Living Assisted living residents generally are from mid- to high-income households, and the majority can pay for care on their own, a survey released Friday reveals. A survey of 2,617 older adults living in...

From: Kaiser Health News / USA Today Hundreds of the nation's nearly 1,200 federally funded community health centers fall short on key quality of care measures, according to federal data analyzed by Kaiser Health News and USA Today. The centers' performance most often...

The senior advocacy group, AARP, is planning a nationwide campaign called "You've Earned a Say." To launch the yearlong initiative, AARP is gathering small groups in all 50 states to distill a consensus about managing the challenges facing Social Security and...

From: The Wall Street Journal When consumers see brown they think green, say companies that sell products like paper towels, napkins and diapers. Brown napkins, paper towels, coffee filters and even diapers are increasing in popularity as companies play up an image...

From McKnight's Long Term Care News & Assisted Living A New York nursing home that reduced falls by 53% in a year credits program planning, new safeguards and revised resident assessments. Staff members at The Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, NY,...

Kista R. Hamrick is the Vice President of Quality Standards for American Medical Facilities Management’s West Virginia Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers. At the beginning of 2009, the new Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) was being rolled out to nursing homes across...

From: The New York Times The prevailing view of people with Alzheimer’s is often a depressing one: the patient slumped in a chair or parked in front of a television set. But a new book and photo exhibition this month in New York show another side of the disease, one...

From Healthcare Finance News With patent expirations looming and already passing for some of the nation's bestselling name brand drugs, Big Pharma is facing major revenue challenges in 2012. "Patents on a number of the largest-selling drugs will expire in late 2011...

From Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. — State auditors say data problems and information delays at New York's Medicaid claims processing system have caused $36 million in improper payments and another $6.3 million in overpayments. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said...

From Medpage Today Over the past few years, insurers and Medicare officials have fostered the idea that physicians should be reimbursed on a pay for performance (P4P) basis. Many articles, both pro and con, have been written regarding P4P. I have been strongly opposed...

From: Strategic Sourceror Brand-name drugs driving up healthcare costs, study's findings suggest. The unnecessary use of higher-priced medications is a leading cause of waste in the healthcare sector, according to the results of a new study. Pharmacies and hospitals...

Medical experts warn parents to watch for danger signs of young people getting drunk on the over-the-counter cleansers, which have a high percentage of ethyl alcohol. Six teenagers have shown up in two San Fernando Valley emergency rooms in the last few months with...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took action that will allow nursing facilities, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and other health care facilities to install dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub sanitizers in exit corridors under specified...

The Premier healthcare alliance has created a new efficiency dashboard that identifies 15 separate categories where there could likely be savings opportunities for hospitals. According to Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Premier, the dashboard analyzed hospitals...

According to McKnights Long Term Care News, the most common nursing home citations have to do with kitchen sanitation, infection control, management of resident care plans and medication dispensing procedures. State surveyors also have honed in on matters of resident...

Kellogg 1st-qtr profit drops 2 percent as costs rise and weaker demand in Europe hurts sales NEW YORK (AP) -- Food maker Kellogg Co. said Thursday that first-quarter net income fell 2 percent, hurt by declining demand in Europe and higher raw material costs. The...

Proper management of supply chain can reap rewards From: Healthcare Finance News Healthcare provider systems are enduring more financial challenges than ever with lower Medicare reimbursement on the horizon, accountable care organization and pay-for-performance...

As a growing number of hospitals struggle under a glut of unpaid bills, they are turning to companies like Accretive – one of the nation’s largest medical debt-collection companies. Hospitals turn over the management of their front-line staffing — ranging from patient...

This month, Thomson Reuters released its 19th-annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance. The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals study evaluates performance in 10 categories: mortality, medical complications,...

The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas appears to have lived up to its name once again -- claiming a second victim after a customer collapsed while chomping on a so-called "double bypass burger." A woman had been drinking alcohol, eating and smoking when she lost...

Demand for Beef remains a concern again with boxed beef as high fuel prices and a lack of retail features is keeping Beef demand less than expected. Grinds continue to struggle in the wake of the negative press coverage of LTFB (Lean Fine Textured Beef). One producer...

According to a report released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services, patients with Medicare are starting to save money on durable medical equipment (DME) through the Medicare competitive bidding program. As the program expands under the Affordable...

An NPR article, "One Roof, Three Generations, Many Decisions" looks into how some seniors are moving in with their children or grandchildren -- or using community programs -- to help navigate the world of care. In 1950, U.S. life expectancy was just over age 68....

According to a report in HME News, the adult briefs and undergarments is shifting from a bulk-load commodity to a more sophisticated product, tailored for specific types of customers. According to the article, the aging baby boomer population is more discriminating in...

MONTEREY, Calif. – Dole Food Co.'s fresh vegetables division is recalling 756 cases of bagged salad, because they could be contaminated with salmonella. The bags of Seven Lettuces salads were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts,...

A revolutionary new light bulb being introduced across stores in New York City just in time for Earth Day could be the future of energy efficient lighting, experts say. The Philips LED 60-watt replacement bulb uses just 10 watts of energy, has the same color quality...

Premier healthcare alliance announced new agreements for nurse call systems have been awarded to GE of Wauwatosa, Wis.; Hill-Rom Company Inc. of Batesville, Ind.; Jeron Electronic Systems Inc. of Chicago; Rauland-Borg Corp. of Mount Prospect, Ill.; and West-Com Nurse...

Restaurants are raising prices on steak as commodity prices continue to rise. The price increase is a result of lower supply of cattle due to higher feed costs, an increasing amount beef being exported to emerging economies such as China, and higher fuel prices. In...

The average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year. New research is showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer. According to the report, sugar is hidden in virtually...

Having to return to the hospital for another round of treatments for the same medical condition isn't just emotionally draining, potentially dangerous and tough on a patient's wallet. It also costs hospitals a ton of money, according to a report issued today. A...

One in five working New Yorkers is now 55 years or older, according to the latest figures from the US Census Bureau, a sign of both the aging of the baby boom generation and of older workers holding on to jobs longer in the face of savings diminished by the recession....

Over the past several years, hospitals and other healthcare providers have invested a great deal of money in electronic health records programs aimed at improving efficiency and cutting costs. However, the New York Times reported that new research seems to indicate...

Analysts and traders have increasingly bet that agricultural prices will continue to rise as droughts in South America have hurt farmers' yields on corn, soybean and sugar crops. Bloomberg reports that the drought conditions are fueling the prices of many commodities....

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the...

Authorities discovered a meth lab in a resident's room at an Ohio nursing home three weeks ago, after a fiery explosion that fatally burned a man. The case has attracted national media attention. How could a meth lab operate undetected in a nursing home? As odd as it...

In a recent consumer news report, researchers' estimate that the average U.S. family of four spends from $500 to $2,000 a year on food they never eat. “People have started equating throwing food away with throwing away cash," says one expert. Without a well-researched...

Yellow fruits and vegetables, such as squash, corn, mangoes, and tangerines tend to get overlooked in many American’s diets. That’s a shame, because yellow fruits and vegetables offer important food nutrition value. Here’s why you should be adding yellow fruits and...

Despite the industry’s continued efforts to move away from terms like nursing homes, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s facilities and retirement homes, they remain widely used, based on tracking search results data on the web. Many in the industry recognize that...

Many long term care facilities and other healthcare providers in New York State are spending thousands of dollars of sales tax on products and services that are exempt. According to Jonathan Gewirtz, a tax refund specialist, his clients have saved over $1.5 million in...

According to a recent news story, assisted living and other residential care facilities are looking more and more like nursing homes. A large percentage offer skilled nursing services, case management, and physical or occupational therapy. For consumers, this trend...

Group purchasing offers a great opportunity for long term care facilities, assisted living facilities, hospitals and medical practices to cut costs significantly. In a recent article, it was reported that one University Hospital had first-year savings of $6.5 million...

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, elderly female nursing home residents should routinely take Vitamin D supplements. In a study of female nursing home residents in Austria, researchers found that 92.8% of...

Long term care facilities and other healthcare providers that are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs may want to pay closer attention to their supply chain. The supply chain is an area with many cost-savings opportunities that are often overlooked. By...

This past week marked Long Term Care Administrator's Week. Since 1994, The American College of Health Care Administrators has sponsored this national observance each March. Long Term Care Administrator's Week honors and celebrates the important role the administrator...

The new DreamEasy Full Face CPAP Mask from Roscoe Medical offers lightweight design, tight seal, comfort and a 30-day money back guarantee for the low introductory price of $45.99. Roscoe is also offering free shipping on cylinder orders for a limited time. Contact...

Special Offer on Semi-Electric, Single Motor Home Care Beds Roscoe Medical, a leading manufacturer of medical products used in the home care setting is having a special discount offer on Semi-Electric, Single Motor Home Care Beds through March 15, 2012. You must order...

Prime Source has created a large Nationwide Network of companies offering savings in Gas and Electric through your current provider known as ESCO. Ask us about our exclusive contracts offering flat rate programs as well as the most competitive variable rates on the...

Due to rising costs in hay and corn which feeds cattle; along with current droughts, we can expect a big spike in cost of beef. Click on the link below to get a detailed explanation of rising costs in beef. Beef Report

The produce yield comparison calculator will help you answer this question. Just follow the link below and follow these simple instructions: 1. In the top box, enter your labor expense per hour that it would take to clean and process bulk produce. 2. Enter the price...

Prime Source now offers an inner look into the word of GPO's (Group Purchasing Organizations). Look out for future announcements on new programs and affiliations with GPO's, Manufacturers, Distributors and More! Prime Source GPO offers an inner look into the world of...

According to recent industry reports, the hummus category is projected to grow by double digits over the next five years. Prime source is now offering Sabra brand hummus in three different flavors: Classic, Roasted Red Pepper and Babagnoush. Hummus is a delicious,...

Premium Listing Special! - $995 Annual Membership (Regular Rate $1,295) Includes: Your company logo and slogan Link to your website Detailed description Mention on Prime Source Blog Banner Ad Detailed Contact Information Mention in monthly eNewsletter Standard Listing...

At Prime Source, we are exposed to new products and new vendors on a daily basis. We take pride in the fact that one of the valuable services we provide to our clientele is exposing them to purchasing innovation. With this in mind, we thought that the Prime Source...

The World Cheese Company, producer of Haolam and Miller's kosher cheese products, issued a voluntary recall of some shredded cheese packaged in a Wisconsin plant. The plant that was the subject of the voluntary recall is only a packaging facility, and the cheese...

Worker Admits To Stealing Millions From Hospital Last November authorities arrested and charged an employee at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with stealing millions of dollars worth of printer toner from the hospital and selling it on the black market to...

Peanut Butter Prices are getting ready to increase thanks to a peanut shortage. Considering that peanut butter is used daily on most Health Care Facilities menus either as a main dish or more commonly used as sandwiches or snacks, this will create a need to become...

Irving Levin Associates, a publisher of business intelligence for the health care industry, reported in October that spending on mergers and acquisitions in healthcare has risen 44% from the previous quarter. The article’s editor, Sanford Steever, PhD states,...

Dear friends, 2011 is a very exciting time for Prime Source. We have come a long way since we began purchasing for our first nursing home 10 years ago. We now have over 120 satisfied clients in various service capacities including nursing homes, assisted living...

The egg recall this past summer created fears throughout the United States, even though the problem eggs were isolated to a few states.