The Senate confirmed Robert McDonald to head the Department of Veterans Affairs last week, just after congressional leaders put together a $17 billion funding bill to help reform the agency. 

In an NPR story, some professional societies and associations expressed concern over a new report from the Insitute of Medicine that calls for more accountability in the distribution of funding for medical graduate education. 

The current physician piecemeal reimbursement model ultimately drives up the costs of healthcare according to Sandeep Jauhar, MD. In a New York Times editorial he explains that while overutilization is certainly a factor, cutting payments to physicians is a self-defeating strategy, forcing them to increase the number of patients they see, which reduces the amount of time spent with each one. Busy doctors call on others to help with the patient load, often times specialists who may order more tests, driving up costs. "There is no more wasteful entity in medicine than a rushed doctor," says Jauhar.  

 FUJIFILM MEDICAL SYSTEMS U.S.A., INC. DEMONSTRATES LATEST INNOVATIONS IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IMAGE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING AT THE 25th ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY Stamford, Conn., June 19, 2014 (Booth #301) – FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc. will demonstrate the next generation of Synapse Cardiovascular, that will allow cardiologists and clinical professionals to enhance patient care through advanced reporting applications  at the 25th Annual Scientific Session of the American Society of Echocardiography in Portland, Oregon. “With Synapse, our users are able to perform their job more efficiently and ultimately allow them to concentrate more on the patient and improve patient outcomes,” said Jim Morgan, vice president of Medical Informatics, FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc. “At ASE, we will demonstrate an upcoming clinical reporting platform that will feature a new user interface and layout options that has the potential to benefit your entire practice.” Following is a summary of offerings:Synapse Cardiovascular helps cardiologists in a variety of clinical areas efficiently and confidently interpret images and compose structured reports with a streamlined workflow. The system has powerful capabilities designed specifically for, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization and invasive peripheral vascular, nuclear cardiology, vascular ultrasound, ECG management, CT, and Cardiac MRI workflows. Fujifilm's Synapse Cardiovascular is an essential addition to any clinical workplace.  At the show, attendees will also be able to see a works-in-progress demonstration of Synapse Cardiovascular 6.0*, which will showcase intended future functionality for echocardiography. Fujifilm will also share the benefits of its zero footprint mobile application, Synapse Mobility. The application enables access to Fujifilm’s suite of Synapse products from hand-held devices, in addition to browser independence. Access to non-DICOM information from the Synapse VNA has been added to complete the universal viewing capability from EMRs such as Epic Hyperspace.  Synapse Mobility continues to demonstrate its diagnostic capability for both browser and mobile versions. To register for a demonstration at ASE 2014, please visit: http://www.fujimed.com/gateway/ase/2014/registration.html.  *Synapse Cardiovascular 6.0 will be made commercially available in the U.S. upon receipt of FDA clearance For more information about Synapse, please visit: http://cardiovascular.fujimed.com/

ATLANTA, June 3, 2014 – Gonzales Healthcare Systems in Gonzales, Texas has implemented a wide range of medical imaging solutions from McKesson. Following a competitive evaluation process, the hospital chose McKesson for its proven ability to rapidly deploy integrated healthcare IT solutions with enhanced functionality that better integrate patient data, test results and images, while streamlining workflow, increasing collaboration and enhancing productivity for providers. The systems are designed to help enhance clinician productivity and foster better coordinated, more efficient patient care.

An article posted on the FoxBusiness website reports that for more than half of Americans, Obamacare isn't worth it. Bankrate.com, a personal finance site, found that more than 7 in 10 people surveyed say the Affordable Care Act has not been worth it.

Radiographic imaging of pediatric patients presents a number of unique challenges compared to the imaging of adults. Learn more.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - (May 19, 2014) - Zotec Partners (Zotec), an industry-leading provider of radiology billing and practice management services, announces an exclusive revenue cycle management (RCM) partnership with Radiology & Imaging Consultants, P.C. (RIC), a provider of radiology and imaging services in Colorado Springs, Colo. Under the new agreement, Zotec will support RIC with comprehensive RCM technology and services designed to minimize days in A/R, reduce compliance risk and increase collections.