Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) first came to the attention of health care providers as a nosocomial pathogen.1 More recently, MSRA has emerged as an important community-acquired pathogen2 and has been a cause of infection in men who have sex with men (MSM)3,4 and in persons with HIV-1 infection.5-7 Other reports include clusters of MRSA infection in prison inmates,8 military...

To achieve the potential of bundled pricing, and thereby help align the incentives of your medical staff and hospital, keep in mind the following points: *Balancing risk, reward, and control; *Aligning responsibility with control; *Linking costs and features; *Developing appropriate information.

Medicare+Choice (M+C) was conceived to bring managed care and competitive forces to bear on Medicare. Ultimately, M+C could not thrive under the conditions of the marketplace and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Here I review what went wrong and the lessons from the experience, concluding that M+C is a tool, not a strategy. While managed care in a multiple-choice environment may have the potent...

While each sector of medical practice and academic medicine confronts the reality of a changing economic environment driven by managed care, psychiatry faces some of the most difficult challenges in defining the future roles and training of psychiatrists. In this paper we describe the challenges and opportunities for psychiatry in this new era, as well as some of the unique problems facing acad...

is a vice president of The Camden Group. Ms. Witt's expertise is in medical group and integrated delivery system development and management, including physician-hospital relationships, practice management, performance improvement, physician compensation, managed care, and strategic planning. is a senior vice president of The Camden Group. Ms. Jacobs's expertise is in the areas of physician-hosp...

This article explores the key issues involved in understanding the impact of Medicare preemption on state laws affecting the federal purchase of managed care products, as a consideration in future Medicare reform. Author Commander Jackonis argues that any further Medicare reform must address the impact of federal preemption on quality and quantity of care purchased in order to ensure the existe...