Hallmark and Tufts combine: I’m quoted

From the Boston Globe:

The parent company of Tufts Medical Center plans to expand its hospital network with the addition of Hallmark Health System, a merger that will help both sides compete in a market dominated by bigger institutions…

“Both of these systems were undersized to be able to compete effectively, so it’s a good matchup from that standpoint,” said David E. Williams, president of the Boston-based consultancy Health Business Group. “It’s unlikely that there will be any serious regulatory opposition to this. If anything, I think the regulators will look favorably on this. I think it will help create more competition with Partners than if these companies just stayed on their own.”

This seems like a pretty good outcome for the institutions involved and for the healthcare market in Eastern Massachusetts.

I’m just back from vacation and look forwarding to jumping back into the blog!

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

from Health Business Blog https://healthbusinessblog.com/2016/07/01/hallmark-and-tufts-combine-im-quoted/
via A Health Business Blog

Health Wonk Review is up at Health Affairs Blog

Check out the latest edition of the Health Wonk Review, posted today on Health Affairs Blog. It’s a Pot Luck edition so you’ll get a little bit of everything.

from Health Business Blog https://healthbusinessblog.com/2016/06/16/health-wonk-review-is-p-at-health-affairs-blog/
via A Health Business Blog

Staying away from substance abuse on campus

Safe at home

The opioid epidemic is truly devastating. Drug overdoses (mostly opioids) are a leading cause of death in the US, topping guns and car crashes. People don’t want to become addicted to drugs or die from overdoses, so why does it happen so often?

It often starts with a doctor writing a prescription for someone complaining of chronic or acute pain or following a surgical procedure. Little thought is given to the number of pills prescribed; extra pills are either consumed by the patient or left lying around in the medicine cabinet where they may be taken by family members or house guests who have developed a habit. When prescription pills run out and the cost of buying them on the black market is too high, users shift quickly to heroin, which is cheap, potent and readily available. The downward spiral can be steep.

Thankfully, the country is starting to get a grip on the opioid crisis. Health insurers are tightening up on opioid coverage, doctors are trying alternative therapies (like massage) or being more conservative in their prescribing. TV and newspaper stories are pointing out the perils.

Awareness is spreading, including to the younger generation. I’m really pleased to see that some colleges are offering “sober dorms” for students committed to a substance-free lifestyle. The idea is not brand new –a Rutgers program dates back to 1988—but it seems to be gaining traction as more schools try out the approach.

A number of schools offer housing for people in recovery, designed to prevent relapse. New Jersey has a new law requiring any college with more than one quarter of students living on campus to offer sober housing. Other schools are starting to offer sober dorms to students who are looking for a clean lifestyle, whether they are in recovery or not.

It’s also my impression that college administrators are doing more than they used to to enforce alcohol and drug laws, regardless of a dorm’s official designation.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

from Health Business Blog https://healthbusinessblog.com/2016/06/15/staying-away-from-substance-abuse-on-campus/
via A Health Business Blog

Biotech Buzz: ASCO Winners and Losers and Biogen's Discouraging Failure *** INDUSTRY FOCUS ***

from The Motley Fool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmBM7BBpVsQ
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Consumer Goods: Unicorns, Giants, and the Rideshare Industry *** INDUSTRY FOCUS ***

from The Motley Fool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EthRLJRGitk
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The Basics of Traditional and Roth 401(k)s

from The Motley Fool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-eIwk9cLS8
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How Your Heirs Can Inherit Your IRA

from The Motley Fool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQWr1LZe54
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