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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

No Time Theft Here: One Practice’s Success Story

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Practitioners at Orthopaedics and Rheumatology of the North Shore, in Skokie, Ill., have implemented practices for hiring and personnel management that help prevent employee time theft. Communication is open, employees are invested in the practice, and managers work to ensure employees are listened to and have clear guidelines to work by…

New York City Hospitals Settle Medicaid Repayment after Fraud Charges

Jonathan Stempel  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Three hospitals in New York’s Mount Sinai Health System will pay $2.95 million to settle Medicaid fraud charges for taking two years to repay more than $844,000 of improper billings that had been flagged by a whistleblower, authorities say on Wednesday. The accord resolves claims that Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St….

Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA

Erin Blakemore  |  

(Reuters Health)—Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are not more beneficial than placebo treatments for patients with knee osteoarthritis, a recent trial suggests. In a double-blind study, researchers investigated the efficacy of a medicine that delivered both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The 164 participants all had osteoarthritis and moderate to severe knee pain. Half the participants…

Can Anything Contain Drug Costs in the U.S.?

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—The U.S., which spends more on drugs than any other country, might contain costs by limiting market exclusivity for brand name medicines and changing coverage requirements for government health plans, some doctors argue. Although brand-name drugs account for only 10% of all dispensed prescriptions in the U.S., they make up 72% of drug spending,…

Tendinitis & Other Weight Training-Related Injuries

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With the increased popularity of CrossFit and other weight-training sports, a recent review examined the risk of injury associated with these activities. Using data from mostly retrospective studies, researchers determined that weight-training sports have a lower risk of injury than team sports, with bodybuilding having the lowest injury rate…

Stop Time Theft: Why Employees Waste Time & the Toll It Takes

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Do your employees waste time during the day or get easily distracted by personal issues? In a rheumatology practice, time equals money and time theft can affect all aspects of the practice—from office morale to patient satisfaction. Here are a few tips for keeping employees and managers on track to create a more effective working environment…

A Morphine Alternative with Less Overdose Risk?

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Scientists are testing an experimental drug that’s designed to have the painkilling power of morphine without some of the side effects that can lead to overdose deaths. Initial results in mice with the compound known for now as PZM21 suggest it might be less addictive than morphine and other opiate painkillers and avoid respiratory…

Aetna CEO Warned It Would Cut Obamacare If Humana Deal Was Blocked

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Aetna Inc.’s CEO said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during the review of its deal to buy rival Humana Inc that the insurer would exit much of the individual Obamacare insurance market if the agency challenged the merger. In the July 5 letter, Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini…