Morning Headlines 12/16/14

Senate confirms Vivek Murthy as surgeon general

The Senate confirms Vivek Murthy, MD as the next US Surgeon General. Murthy previously worked as a Brigham and Women’s internal medicine physician.

The Antidote to Fragmented Health Care

A Harvard Business Review article describes the problems patients experience when receiving care in poorly coordinated health care systems and then calls for payment reform, a shift toward promoting wellness, and a universal EHR as key steps that could help the problem.

Personal Health Record Reach in the Veterans Health Administration: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Researchers measuring the reach of the VA’s patient portal find that 19 percent of all veterans that receive healthcare from the VA had registered for the portal, 11 percent had refilled prescriptions via the portal, and two percent had sent secure messages to providers. However, the study also found that patients with certain mental disorders, a history of alcohol or drug abuse, or a history of stroke had lower rates of adoption.

Tennessee Governor Moves To Expand Medicaid Coverage

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will expand Medicaid coverage to low-income residents using federal funds made available through the Affordable Care Act. Tennessee is the third state to expand Medicaid coverage since last month’s midterm elections.