January 2011

Due primarily to sharp reimbursement cuts, independent cardiovascular practices are increasingly integrating with hospitals and health systems for stablization and security. In fact, 60 percent of cardiovascular practices reported that they participated in merger talks with hospitals and other practices, based on the American College of Cardiologys (ACC) Cardiovascular Practice Census, issued in October. Sponsored by an educational grant from Verto Education.

In unblocking chronic total occlusions (CTOs), experience helps, but only a handful of U.S. interventional cardiologists perform approximately 150 CTO recanalizations annually. Richard R. Heuser, MD, chief of cardiology and chief of the cardiac cath lab at St. Lukes Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, is one of them.

Approximately 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation (AF). Warfarin has been the standard of care for more than 50 years in the U.S. and Canada to prevent and treat thromboemboli. However, dabigatran was approved in the second half of 2010 and could be a game changer.

The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) continues to increase and more AF patients than ever are being referred for ablation. Reimbursement, however, has not kept up with the procedures complexity, time-consuming nature and relatively expensive technology.

Introduced in 1967 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) described the concept of designating a central location for archiving a childs medical record. In the mid 1990s, the PCMH concept re-emerged as a way to re-invigorate the role of primary care in the U.S. Currently, there are hopes it will reduce costs, improve access to care, enhance quality and re-establish the focus on patient-centered care.