The healthcare industry faces many regulatory changes in the coming years—ICD-10, HIPAA 5010, Meaningful Use and other information technology (IT) updates. However, the industry needs to be aware of another fast-approaching, lesser-known set of regulations regarding disclosure of financial conflicts of interest (FCOI).
In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its final rule on FCOI. The regulations are a significant update on the initial rules published in 1995 and demand greater accountability and transparency for research institutions that receive Public Health Service (PHS) funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The compliance deadline is August 24, 2012, so institutions need to be aggressively preparing for the new disclosure process.
Bill Sacks, vice president at Dodge client HCCS, outlines some best practices institutions should implement in the midst of the tougher FCOI disclosure requirements. (more…)
Quick—name the coffee company that was founded in the 
1970s in Seattle and has hundreds of locations worldwide. Did you guess Starbucks? You’re wrong. It’s Seattle’s Best.
Here, try another. What company helps do-it-yourself movers and has expanded from a three-location rental business to a multibillion-dollar transportation services company? Bet you guessed U-Haul. Wrong again. It’s Penske.
In the world of healthcare IT, which brand would you say is more dominant: NextGen or AllScripts? Epic or Siemens? Intel or IBM? Which brands always seem to have the spotlight and which brands get over-looked?
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Over the past few weeks, much of the country has been directly or indirectly affected by the tornadoes that have torn through cities such as Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo. Towns have been devastated by the damage, and the storms have left many residents with nothing. Though no one can be fully prepared for the magnitude of storms like these or the damage they create, there are precautions that can be taken to be kept as safe as possible. Companies and organizations can learn a few lessons from and be reminded of the importance of a crisis communications plan from these recent storms. Learning how other companies and organizations handle crisis situations can also be very helpful.
While the cities affected by the tornadoes and strong storms may not have been able to fully prepare for what was coming, many were prepared to seek shelter and listen to weather advisories. Most Florida residents, who brace for hurricanes each year, have become quite good at preparing for storms. These residents, who take many precautions, serve as a good example for a company when creating a crisis communications plan.
- Listen to the warnings: Hurricanes are fairly easy for meteorologists to predict because of the weather patterns they follow. The same applies to certain communication storms such as the resignation of an executive, bad press in the local newspaper, negative comments on a Facebook page, or misinterpreted advertising. All companies have faced similar problems before, and many have done so very successfully. Take time to learn about crisis communication best practices when developing your own plan. (more…)
