August 2023

Recent Supreme Court decisions: impact on future False Claims Act cases

August 22, 20239 min

BY Rossanna J. Madrigal, Senior Attorney, Brown & Fortunato The U.S. Supreme Court (Court) heard and opined on a pair of False Claims Act (FCA) cases in June 2023 that could have lasting impacts on how providers defend against FCA cases. The FCA imposes liability on a person that knowingly presents a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval. To violate the FCA, one must submit a false claim and, importantly, know...

Financial Perspectives

Debt forgiveness hopes gone. Now what? Practical steps to pay down student loans

August 22, 20238 min

BY Catherine Lightfoot, CPA, CHBC, Director, Healthcare, EEPB The wait is over. The US Supreme Court voted 6-3 against President Bidens’ broad student loan forgiveness plan on Friday, June 30, 2023. During the forbearance, which began in March 2020, federal student loan payments were not required to be paid and interest did not accrue. Three years and nine extensions later, student debt bills could come as a shock to approximately 44 million borrowers. And borrowers...

Technology

In pursuit of accuracy: A novel approach to incorporating clinical complexity in centralized ambulatory patient scheduling

August 22, 20239 min

BY Ayal Bitton, Advisory Managing Director, and Alex Obenauf, Advisory Managing Director, Customer and Operations Health & Government, KPMG For many provider organizations, one of the most challenging aspects of centralizing patient scheduling is systematizing accurate appointment scheduling. In decentralized (practice) settings, providers’ diverse preferences for how, when and how long a patient ought to be scheduled are often accommodated by localized knowledge and proximity to providers. The scheduling of the same service within...

THA

Hard work continues on behalf of rural hospitals

August 22, 20237 min

BY John Hawkins, President and CEO, THA For some time, rural hospitals – the facilities in our state facing the greatest threat to their existence – have needed help. This year, in several key ways, the Texas Legislature provided a helping hand. But there remains work to do. Ensuring continued access to care in rural communities – from payment programs to the successful implementation of the new federal Rural Emergency Hospital designation –...

Integrative Medicine

What are the health benefits of Plant Based Milk?

August 22, 20239 min

BY Samuel Mathis, MD, Assistant Professor, UTMB One common question asked during nutritional counseling is about the nutritional value of plant-based milk. These milk substitutes are derived from plants such as oats, coconut, almonds, soy, or even hemp. In the grocery store, these kinds of milk are promoted as being healthier than their dairy counterparts. But what does the research show about these milk products? Are they any healthier than cow or goat milk?...

Moving On Up

MD Anderson names Christopher Flowers, M.D., Division Head of Cancer Medicine

August 22, 20237 min

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced that Christopher Flowers, M.D., an internationally recognized physician-scientist and leader in oncology, has been selected as Division Head of Cancer Medicine after a competitive national search. The Division of Cancer Medicine is the largest academic division at MD Anderson, including 13 clinical academic departments, three research academic departments and numerous programs, laboratories and patient care centers involving more than 300 faculty and over 2,000 staff. “Chris is...

Moving On Up

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital welcomes rheumatologist Quratul Ain Raja, M.D.

August 22, 20232 min

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is pleased to welcome rheumatologist Quratul Ain Raja, M.D. Raja will join Angela McCain, M.D., and Latifa Fakoya, D.O. at Houston Methodist Rheumatology Associates in Medical Office Building 2 on the Houston Methodist Sugar Land campus. Raja earned her medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, before completing her residency in Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. She completed...

Moving On Up

Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital welcomes endocrinologist Schola Nwachukwu, M.D.

August 22, 20232 min

Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital is pleased to welcome endocrinologist Dr. Schola Nwachukwu, who is serving patients at 18123 Upper Bay Road, in the medical office building 4, suite 400, Houston, 77058. Nwachukwu is a board-certified, fellowship-trained endocrinologist. Her expertise includes adrenal disorders, diabetes, hypoglycemia, lipid disorders, male hypogonadism, osteoporosis, parathyroid disorders, pituitary disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. “As an endocrinologist, I’m passionate about patient education,” Nwachukwu said. “I believe that knowledge is empowering,...

Hospital Headlines

New AI technology shows promise in early detecting diabetes using X-rays and medical records

August 22, 20234 min

A groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch reveals exciting progress in using artificial intelligence to predict type 2 diabetes early on. The study shows that an advanced deep learning system, trained with large sets of X-rays and medical records, effectively detected type 2 diabetes with high accuracy. “Early detection and interventions are crucial in managing type 2 diabetes and preventing complications,” said Dr. Jorge Rodriguez Fernandez, co-author, and professor...

Hospital Headlines

MD Anderson receives nearly $4.9 million in CPRIT funding for cancer prevention programs and recruitment

August 22, 20233 min

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was awarded four grants totaling nearly $4.9 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support the expansion of physical activity programs for survivors, the dissemination of targeted tobacco cessation programs and the recruitment of a first-time, tenure-track faculty member. MD Anderson’s Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) program received continued funding from CPRIT via two grants totaling $2,448,643 to support broader dissemination and implementation in...

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