Month: February 2012

Despite growing losses, Aurora Health Care will keep Aurora Sinai Medical Center open and continue to provide the same services, including operating its emergency department at its current capacity. "I said that Aurora would find a way to do the right thing, as we have for many years," Nick Turkal, a physician and president and chief executive of Aurora, said in a statement. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/24)

The state Department of Health Services has increased its scrutiny of a Madison-based elderly advocacy group after an audit found it had weak fiscal controls and poor documentation of travel and entertainment expenses by its director. Another major funder was scheduled to review its financial support for Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups at a meeting Friday because of questions raised by the audit and concerns about the firing of an employee who had sharply criticized the coalition’s executive director, Nino Amato. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 2/24)

State Sen. Pam Galloway, R-Wausau, plans to introduce an amendment to a proposed youth-athlete concussion bill that would provide for more local control over the issue while making other parts of the current proposal more strict. Galloway described the amendment, which she said still is being drafted, in an exclusive interview with the News-Herald on Wednesday. (MARSHFIELD NEWS HERALD, 2/23)

A Monona man is suing Dean Health System, saying he contracted hepatitis C from a diabetes nurse educator who potentially exposed more than 2,000 patients to hepatitis or HIV. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 2/23)

Building health takes strong partnerships, says Gundersen Lutheran CEO Jeff Thompson. And it starts in the business community. Thompson spoke Tuesday at Western Technical College for the 7 Rivers Alliance annual meeting and outlined a strategy for solving health challenges through partnerships in business, health care and education. (LA CROSSE TRIBUNE, 2/22)

In his recent financial disclosure statement, filed last month, Thompson disclosed that he was a director of a company called Evofem from July 2005 until he resigned last month. Thompson also disclosed that he had been paid at least $5,000 by Evofem for consulting services. Evofem, according to its website, is developing technologies in the field of women's reproductive health. One of its drugs, Amphora, is being evaluated as a microbicide to protect women from pregnancy. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/22)

Health care costs for commercial insurers rose 7.11% last year and could rise at a faster pace this year, according to Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. The increase was down slightly from 7.52% in 2010 based on the S&P Healthcare Economic Commercial Index. But it also was up sharply from the 5.65% increase in 2009. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/21)

American Family Children's Hospital announced plans for a $32 million expansion Monday. The hospital is adding 26 beds, including 14 in a new high-acuity surgical neonatal intensive care unit. (WHN, 2/21)

Officials behind a proposed Wausau osteopathic medical college have kicked off a capital campaign to raise millions of dollars needed to get the school off the ground. (WAUSAU DAILY HERALD, 2/21)