Business group releases Report on Diabetes
The Texas Business Group on Health released its 2009 Report on Diabetes, which assesses the disease and its effects throughout the state’s metropolitan areas.
“Unfortunately, the findings indicate that once again treatment costs for diabetes care are higher in Texas than most of the nation and the number of diagnoses continues to increase at an alarming rate,” said Marianne Fazen, president and CEO of the TBGH and executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health.
Statewide, the cost of treating commercially-insured Type 2 diabetes patients in 2008 exceeded national averages, no matter if the treatment was done on an inpatient, outpatient or emergency room setting. Inpatient charges were 11 percent higher in Texas in 2008 than in 2007, but the lowest cost market was Fort Worth/Arlington, where inpatient charges were $52,243, a 10 percent decrease from 2007. Physician charges for hospital inpatient care in the Fort Worth-Arlington area declined 13 percent during the year to $4,618, making the charges the lowest in the cities included. Office and clinic-based care costs were also the lowest in the state in Fort Worth and Arlington, totaling $1,578 per patient in 2008.
Despite the drops in cost, patients in Fort Worth were the least likely to continue filling their insulin prescriptions over the yearlong study, with only 55 percent filling prescriptions in month 12.
The entire report can be found at DFWBGH.org/documents/DiabetesReport2009.pdf.
City Council approves health changes
The Fort Worth City Council approved its 2010 fiscal year budget on Sept. 15, closing a $59 million budget gap.
The entire budget totals $1.2 billion, and several health related changes were made toward fixing the shortfall. MedStar Emergency Medical Services, which provides ambulance and emergency health services to the city, received a $3.6 million subsidy to lower the cost of Fort Worth residents’ services in 2009, but it will go back to $1.6 million for 2010, the same subsidy that was given in 2008.
The city used a $1 million workers’ compensation excess fund balance to establish a city employee health clinic and fitness facility on a pilot basis. Employee group health insurance premiums were increased by 12 percent for 2010, an average of 1 percent of employee pay, and the Select Plan was eliminated from the Health Benefits Plan. An additional $5 million was put toward the long-term liability of the Retiree Healthcare Plan, and city-paid benefits to those eligible to retire after the 2020 fiscal year were eliminated.
Huguley, INCompass join forces
Huguley Memorial Medical Center announced it is forming a partnership with INCompass Health Inc., which will provide hospitalist physicians to the hospital around the clock.
Six INCompass physicians will be at Huguley, with at least one on campus at all times. Hospitalist physicians focus their practice on the care of hospitalized patients and unique aspects that come with a hospital stay. They are often more readily available to inpatients than physicians who maintain traditional practices.
INCompass physicians at Huguley will admit and attend all unassigned emergency department admissions as well as patients of community physicians who request INCompass to cover them. Consultations are also available.
Texas Health ranked on most
innovative list
Texas Health Resources was ranked No. 211 on InformationWeek’s 2009 listing of the most innovative business technology organizations.
Texas Health has appeared on the list, which emphasized innovation rather than the most dollars spent, for nine consecutive years. The health system’s work includes using surface computing applications to demonstrate and discuss medical procedures in everyday language for potential use with patients, as well as implementing a system-wide electronic health record.
KidsFests gains youth forum
The National Youth Forum will visit KidsFest at the Will Rogers Memorial Center thanks to a partnership between the American Heart Association and the Greater Tarrant County YMCA.
The event will be from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 26, and the National Youth Forum will begin at 2 p.m. Youth panelists and a youth mediator will focus on topics including healthy eating and exercise, and both local organizations will be at the event to provide activities and giveaways.
The National Youth Forum is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Healthy Month. For more information, call 817-698-5400 or go to www.AmericanHeart.org/FortWorth.
Komen for the Cure hosts
‘Smart Women’
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tarrant County Affiliate will honor Gynna Harlin, 2010 chair for the annual Race for the Cure fund-raiser, at the “Smart Women: Discussions on Women’s Cancer Prevention” event at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitor’s Center on the campus of Texas Christian University.
The “Smart Women” event is free and open to the public but requires registration. Sara Pirazdeh, certified genetic counselor with Moncrief Cancer Resources, will discuss cancer prevention and genetics, and Mary Jo Rapini, a psychotherapist, will discuss intimacy in relationships. Chef Jon Bonnell, of Bonnell’s restaurant, will service complimentary hors d’oeurves prior to the event.
To register, call 817-257-6731 or e-mail s.j.barr@tcu.edu.
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