Hospitals

The current health care system focuses too often on financial incentives over health or science, says Elisabeth Rosenthal in her new book, An American Sickness.

How U.S. Health Care Became Big Business

1:26pm April 10, 2017

by Terry Gross

Writer Elisabeth Rosenthal has worked as a physician and says it's far more lucrative in the U.S. health system to provide a lifetime of treatments than a cure. Her new book is An American Sickness.

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Emergency Room Doctors Are Picking Noses — For Drug Delivery, That Is

4:58pm April 05, 2017

by Jessica Boddy

Nasal versions of sedatives and overdose drugs are increasingly popular in emergency departments. Doctors like that they act quickly and don't require an IV to administer.

Of the million or so Americans a year who get sepsis, roughly 300,000 die. Unfortunately, many treatments for the condition have looked promising in small, preliminary studies, only to fail in follow-up research.

Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis

9:15am March 23, 2017

by Richard Harris

Research hasn't yet confirmed the early hints that a mix of IV vitamins and steroids might stop the fatal organ failure of sepsis. But an effective treatment for sepsis would be a really big deal.

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Wounds infected with antibiotic-resistant staph often heal, but the bacteria can remain inside a person's body and cause future infections.

My Unlovely Lady Lump: When MRSA Is Ugly, But Not Life-Threatening

5:00am March 18, 2017

by Cassandra Willyard

Antibiotic-resistant staph infections don't always start in hospitals, and they aren't always particularly dangerous. But, even after a MRSA-infected wound heals, the bacteria often remain.

Medical worker in scrubs, sitting in a locker room.

Rookie Doctors Will Soon Be Allowed To Work Up To 28 Hours Straight

5:09pm March 10, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The group that sets rules for training doctors is scrapping a 16-hour cap on shifts worked by first-year medical residents. The move, which will be implemented in July, has its fair share of critics.

With financial incentives from the ACA, the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston signed agreements with physicians and insurers to create an accountable care organization, in hopes of reducing health care's cost in the long run. But achieving those sa

Hospitals Worry Repeal Of Obamacare Would Jeopardize Innovations In Care

7:31am January 27, 2017

by Kristin Gourlay

One part of the federal health law gave hospitals financial incentives to improve patient care. Some invested big to make those changes and are worried about what losing that support would mean.

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Illustration of a young doctor trapped in a snowglobe by Katherine Streeter for NPR.

How Working On Christmas Became A Privilege For 2 Young Doctors

5:00am December 25, 2016

by John Henning Schumann

By the end of December, medical interns are nearing the midpoint of their first year of intense, hands-on work with patients. The holiday season marks a special challenge.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles has been penalized in all three years since the creation of a Medicare program to reduce patient-safety issues in hospitals.

Medicare Penalizes Hospitals In Crackdown On Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

12:24pm December 22, 2016

by Jordan Rau

For the first time, Medicare penalties against hospitals with too many avoidable patient safety complications include fines tied to the prevalence of two types of bacteria resistant to drugs.

This month, the last four functioning hospitals in eastern Aleppo, including the one pictured above, were hit by airstrikes and ceased operations.

Health & Safety

The Last Hospital In Eastern Aleppo Is No More

4:03pm November 28, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

With the fall of Omar Bin Abdul Aziz hospital, the remaining civilians have nowhere to seek treatment for injuries or illness.

Laura Rees (left) and her sister Nancy Fee sit with their father, Joseph Fee, while holding a photo of his late wife, Elizabeth.

Rule Change Could Push Hospitals To Tell Patients About Nursing Home Quality

10:10am November 27, 2016

by Jordan Rau

Hospitals often shy away from offering quality assessments about skilled nursing care because of a Medicare requirement not to restrict choice. Federal officials are weighing changes to that rule.