Joint Commission study examines policy adoption nationwideOAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Aug. 20 — A new study from The Joint Commission projects that a majority of U.S. hospitals will have a smoke-free campus by the end of 2009. The study, “The Adoption of Smoke-Free Hospital Campuses in the United States,” appears in the latest online issue of Tobacco Control, a British Medical Journal Group publication.
Author: Chris Schmidt
Improvement in business conditions tempered by a leveling off in project inquiriesWashington, D.C. — August 19 — Exhibiting a welcome rebound following a 5-point dip the month prior, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was up almost 6 points in July. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the July ABI rating was 43.1, up noticeably from 37.7 the previous month. This score, however, still indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above…
Total Margins, Liquidity Increase Significantly From Third Quarter of 2008; 30 Percent of Hospitals Remain Unprofitable ANN ARBOR, MI. — Aug. 19 — The median profit margin of U.S. hospitals increased from 0.17 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009, according to an analysis of hospital finances published today by Thomson Reuters.The study tracks two dozen key financial indicators, using proprietary and public data to dissect the balance sheets of more than 400 hospitals nationwide. It evaluates trends in revenue and profit, employment levels, closures, inpatient volume, days cash on hand,…
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Aug. 18 — EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination, which the firms expect to take effect by September 1, 2009, will create the Delaware Valley’s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.
Six Contracts Improve, Expand Health Care ServicesWASHINGTON, D.C. — On August 12, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that six contracts worth $153.7 million were awarded to build new health care facilities and expand existing services that provide care to Veterans in the Biloxi, Miss., area.
The partnership will bridge diabetes and obesity research and treatmentORLANDO, FL — Aug. 17 — Florida Hospital and Burnham Institute for Medical Research at Lake Nona have taken another giant step in advancing Orlando as a hub for medical research. Today, officials from Florida Hospital and Burnham Institute came together to announce the appointment of Dr. Steven R. Smith, an internationally-renowned diabetes and obesity researcher, as the new executive director of the Florida Hospital – Burnham Clinical Research Institute that focuses on the study of diabetes, obesity and the metabolic origins of cardiovascular disease.
A group of investors led by a South Korean hospital is considering building a medical facility to meet the health care needs of the Korean community in Gwinnett, one of Georgia’s most diverse and populous counties.On Aug. 11, leaders from Hanyeo Expo Hospital, a 250-bed facility in the southwestern Korean city of Yeosu, toured Duluth, a suburban town of about 28,000 people where Korean grocery stores and businesses occupy entire developments and Korean churches dot the main roads leading into the city.
The Valley Health Board of Directors approved the issuance of $200 million in bonds August 4 to support major construction and expansion projects at Winchester Medical Center, Hampshire Memorial Hospital in Romney, West Virginia, and Morgan County War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
In a major setback for Seattle Children’s Hospital, a city hearing examiner has ruled expansion plans would bring out-of-scale buildings and too much traffic to a residential neighborhood. The hospital says it could be forced to move out of the city.The ruling is a victory for the Laurelhurst Community Club. The neighborhood, about a mile east of the University of Washington, has been fighting Children’s Hospital for the past two years, through more than 26 public hearings.
