by James Mandell, MD, CEO on March 16, 2010
A Boston Globe article this morning brought the cost of care here at Children’s Hospital Boston into question, saying, among other things, that “Children’s charges the highest fees for both outpatient and inpatient care.” It’s based on data by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) that we don’t feel accurately reflects the care that we provide.
While the writer, Liz Kowalczyk, did say that because about 30 percent of our patients are on Medicaid, we have to “make up the lost revenue from private insurers,” I don’t think she went far enough in explaining why our costs tend to be higher than other hospitals in the state. [click to continue…]
by Claire McCarthy, MD on December 29, 2009
From swine flu to obesity to dangerous plastics, many issues that affect children’s health garnered media attention in the year 2009. Here’s a rundown of the some of the biggest and most important stories:
H1N1
This is the story that caught the most attention—for good reason. Not only is the H1N1 influenza virus very contagious, it appears to particularly affect young people. H1N1 caused more pediatric hospitalizations and deaths than we usually see with the seasonal influenza virus, which is very scary for parents (and pediatricians!). The virus led to countless school closings—sometimes to control the spread, and sometimes because there weren’t enough teachers left to teach! [click to continue…]
by Children's Hospital Boston staff on December 1, 2009
By Robert Troug, MD, executive director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice and director of Clinical Ethics in the Division of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. 
Last week, I wrote a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine on recent guidelines for routine mammography screening published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In it I described why the concept of rationing, which has been a dirty word in the American health care debate, is actually essential if we are to develop a health care care system that makes sense, is affordable and delivers the best possible health care to all of our citizens.
In their guidelines, the Taskforce recommended that routine mammography screening for women should begin at age 50 rather than the previously recommended age 40. As I read the report and reviewed the data, I was drawn toward what seemed to be contradictory conclusions. [click to continue…]
by Children's Hospital Boston staff on November 8, 2009
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
Read why the days of jumping back into a game after a possible concussion are over. A new study shows that adult survivors of childhood cancer are much more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than their peers. Children’s expert Ellen Hanson, PhD, questions whether autism really is on the rise. An experimental heart valve saves a child with H1N1. Children’s has established and unprecedented partnership with the state’s largest health plans. The HealthMap team gives its weekly H1N1 update. Children’s Dennis Rosen, MD, questions whether sleeping late can keep your child slim and Joanne Cox, MD, answers parents’ questions about H1N1. Our resident mediatrician tackles the question of graphic violent and sexual images in the media and a teen guest blogger writes about teens and self-esteem.
by Judy Palfrey on October 22, 2009
Judy Palfrey, MD, FAAP, has been a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston since 1974. She is a general pediatrician and child advocate. She was chief of Children’s General Pediatrics Division from 1986 to 2008 and currently directs the Children’s International Pediatric Center.
Dr. Palfrey is the new president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which is the nation’s largest pediatric organization, with a membership of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists.
Here, she writes on the important issues discussed at last weekend’s annual AAP meeting, and she’ll be writing for Thrive regularly about issues important to health care providers, parents and children. [click to continue…]
by James Mandell, MD, CEO on October 9, 2009
The debates around federal health reform continue to involve complex decisions, and many of them originate from an “adult medicine” perspective.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals have taken leadership roles to assure that child health needs are appropriately recognized in the final legislation. Judy Palfrey, MD, Children’s Hospital Boston’s longtime chief of General Pediatrics, has been an eloquent and engaged voice for pediatric care and has spent a great deal of time in Washington recently in her role as president-elect of the AAP. Her recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine lays out some of the critical issues we have been watching and working as a child-health community.
by James Mandell, MD, CEO on September 15, 2009
As many of you know, we have been committed to ensuring that health care reform guarantees that children have access to high quality care. I’m writing now from Washington, DC, as we personally deliver this message to the senators and congressmen representing all the New England states.
Lawrence McAndrews, the president and chief executive National Association of Children’s Hospitals and I wrote this editorial in response to and in support of the op ed by former Senators Tom Daschle and John Danforth.
When we return, I’ll let you know how the trip went and what the prospects look like for reform that will protect the health of the nation’s children.
by James Mandell, MD, CEO on August 17, 2009
Given that there has been a lot of conversation about cost control in the health care debate, I’d like to talk a little bit about how we at Children’s Hospital Boston view as our responsibility in controlling costs.
We necessarily are focused on providing safe and effective care for the most severely ill children in our region. Most of those kids and families rely on Children’s for both acute and chronic care for difficult, life-long problems. We also have become the largest primary care providers for the underserved pediatric population of Boston and its surrounds. Still others come here for less serious conditions to see the pediatric specialists not available throughout the state or anywhere else in New England. [click to continue…]
