Volume XXVl, No. 6
September 2012
The Independent Medical Business Newspaper
Twin Cities Resident Council Joining forces on hospital handoffs and pagers By Lindsay Byrnes, MD, Sarah Lee, MD, Josh Becker, MD, Nate Scott, MD, and Ruth Thomson, MD
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O
hen the newly formed Twin Cities Resident Council started meeting in the fall of 2011, the members wasted no time: By the close of the second meeting, they had agreed on two topics to target for improvement in metro-area teaching hospitals. By the spring of 2012, efforts were underway to disseminate their findings to the staff at those six hospitals. And now, the council is setting its sights on new ways to improve hospital care and patient safety. The council members, all experienced resident physicians from Twin Cities residency programs, are pioneers in this effort to improve patient care and safety in the metropolitan teaching hospitals. The council’s pur-
Breaking barriers
the Supreme Court largely n June 28, 2012, the What the upheld the law, with few U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaitSupreme Court’s changes. In the closely decided 5–4 opinion, the Supreme Court ed decision on the Patient decision means ruled that the ACA’s individual Protection and Affordable mandate provision was constifor doctors Care Act (often referred to tutional. The court viewed that as the Affordable Care Act and patients requirement as a or the ACA). The decision valid exercise of By Paul Thissen, JD, removes substantial uncerCongress’s constiand Amber Thomas, JD tainty about the future directutional power tion of health care reform in to levy taxes. this country. The court did, however, Prior to the decision, some commentainvalidate a provision requirtors speculated that the so-called individual ing states to expand their mandate, which requires most legal resiMedicaid coverage or risk the dents of the United States to obtain health loss of federal funding. In insurance by Jan. 1, 2014, or pay a penalty effect, the Supreme Court’s tax, would be struck down and, with that, the whole ACA would fall. As it turns out, BARRIERS to page 10
COUNCIL to page 30
MINNESOTA HEALTH CARE ROUNDTABLE Page 18
Detriot Lakes, MN Permit No. 2655
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