Best Practices for Practices
It should come as no surprise that running a thriving medical practice is growing more difficult, as groups confront declining reimbursement, increasing operational costs and labor-intensive paperwork and red tape. The Medical Group Management Association surveyed physician groups across the nation to determine what made some groups more successful than others in four categories: profitability and cost management; productivity, capacity and staffing; accounts receivable and collections; and patient satisfaction. The resulting report, Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2007 Report Based on 2006 Data, shows what the better performing groups have in common.

In general, better performing groups are more likely to:

--Have formal policies and processes for patient safety.
--Make investments in the practice, such as purchasing new lab equipment, expanding their facilities or adding ancillary services.
--Have implemented electronic health records.

The report also finds that better performing groups succeeded in other areas as well. For example, significantly more of them use an automated telephone-reminder call system for patients and they tended to rely on the Internet and public relations outreach programs to market their practices, rather than rely on more traditional marketing tactics.

For more information on these findings or to hear some of the better performing practices discuss their strategies, go to the MGMA website at www.mgma.com.

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Just Don't Breathe the Air
As Southern Californians, we like to pride ourselves on the quality of life we have here. But when it comes to air quality, we certainly don't have bragging rights. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently tightened the amount of ozone (aka smog) that is allowed in the air from 80 parts per billion to no more than 75 parts per billion.

Out of 700 counties monitored, 345 fell below the new standard. But the real news for Southern Californians is that San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles have the worst air quality in the country at 121, 112 and 112 parts per billion, respectively. Compare that with San Francisco, which is well under the limit at 45 parts per billion. For a state that prides itself on health and activity, we've clearly got some cleaning up to do. 

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Especially for Kids
Everyone knows that the Internet offers a wealth of resources on just about any topic you can think of (and many you probably would never dream up). But sometimes it can be difficult to find just the right resource or to separate the good stuff from the bad. This can be especially true when it comes to complex subjects such as health and medicine.

Researchers in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have taken a step in solving that issue by creating a Web-based portal (www.SearchHope.org) that will assist cancer patients and their families in finding accurate information about their conditions, as well as helpful resources. Funded by The Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, the colorful site uses friendly cartoon-like drawings and a simple interface to guide patients and their families to the right information. The site includes tips for parents on how to use the Hope Portal with their children, as well as a welcome page for healthcare professionals. Users can search for specific topics, sort information by user rating, reading level or technical detail and more. The creators welcome feedback from both patients and the medical community.

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4,000 adolescents try their first cigarette every day.
--AMA Alliance Screen Out!