Latest news with #CommunityHealth
Business Insider
16-07-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
CMS announces proposed rules for hospital payments in 2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the 2026 hospital outpatient prospective payment system and ambulatory surgical center payment system proposed rule. This proposal introduces 'a series of patient-focused reforms that would modernize payments, expand access to care, and enhance hospital accountability,' the agency said in a statement. CMS says the proposed changes are designed to: Reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries; Expand choices in where patients can receive care; Increase hospital accountability and transparency; and Safeguard the Medicare Trust Fund from waste and abuse. 'CMS seeks to equalize payments for certain services delivered in hospitals and off-campus facilities, helping ensure beneficiaries aren't penalized with additional copays simply based on where they receive care. The rule also proposes phasing out the inpatient-only list, which would give physicians greater flexibility to determine the most clinically appropriate setting for care and allow more patients to choose outpatient surgical options,' it added. Publicly traded companies in the hospitals space include Community Health (CYH), HCA Healthcare (HCA), Tenet Healthcare (THC) and Universal Health (UHS). Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with , delivered to your inbox every week.
Chicago Tribune
03-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
After nearly a quarter century helping run the La Grange library, a chapter is ending for longtime trustee
After dedicating her entire working life to libraries, La Grange Library Trustee Becky Spratford has decided that after 24 years, it's time to end the chapter and retire. Spratford is no longer a librarian and is retiring from her board role, but she said she's still committed to serving the community. 'I feel really good about stepping away,' Spratford said. 'I'm going to stay involved because I love the library. I'm very involved with Pillars (Community Health), my husband and I are extremely involved, both financially and with our time.' Spratford was born in New Jersey and went to Amherst College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies and met her husband, Eric Spratford, now a doctor practicing out of Westchester. They married in 1998 and moved to La Grange the same year, where she began working for the law libraries of two separate law firms in Chicago. 'It was a really fun time to be in law libraries because it was the end of the Twentieth Century,' Spratford said. 'Westlaw, Lexis, all the databases for them to use … it was the switching from doing the book research to computer research and we were the ones that had to do it for them. So we were involved in all the fun stuff. It was a great training ground when I went to Dominican to get my masters degree in Library Information Science.' In the Summer of 2000, Spratford got her first official job as a certified librarian at the Berwyn Public Library. But she was also looking for an opportunity to give back to the community, which led her to throw her hat into the ring for an open seat on the La Grange library's Board of Trustees. 'I was looking for places to volunteer,' she said. 'I noticed in the fall that the Citizens Council was looking for someone to run for the Library Board, and I thought, well, I'm going to try this. I never thought of myself as a politician, but I'm not a politician if I'm helping the library.' In 2001, she won her first of six terms, serving at different times as trustee, board secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. Spratford is also a member of the Illinois Library Association and the La Grange board's liaison to that organization, as well as the Reaching Across Illinois Library Association and a member of the American Library Association. She also previously served on the ILA Conference Planning Committee and participated in training for the Illinois Trustee Forum. No matter what office she held, she always took time to serve on the Finance Committee. 'My goal was to always be efficient and effective with everyone's money,' Spratford said. 'Efficient without ever going over (budget), but also effective, because I understood that when staff would come and say 'we need this,' I was able to ask questions that really got to the heart of the service for the patrons.' Over the years, Spratford kept running for reelection because, as she said, because 'either no one was running, or something big was happening.' Some of those big things involved participating in searches for three new library directors, as well as several strategic planning processes. Another was the process and construction of a new library building in 2007. 'Our building was small and our community was growing,' Spratford said. 'La Grange had been going through some down times, and we were coming back. It wasn't just that the old library was tired, it was too small.' A new building required a significant infusion of cash, which, due to the Illinois property tax cap, required a referendum. Spratford said she was proud that during the time the main building was closed, she was in charge of the relocation of services to a location on Shawmut Avenue and the library operated without a break in service. 'We were able to relocate the library and have every book come there and every service still go,' she said. Spratford stressed the financial efficiency of the board in the roughly 20 years since the building opened. 'For those first 20 years we made sure we saved some money, so that's how we renovated the first floor,' she said. 'We're looking now at doing some renovations on the second floor. 'One of the things I made sure we did was we did an assessment of every system here and we have enough money that if every single system failed, the roof, the boiler, all the systems, we can fix it. You can't forget about those things … our job is to keep this building open and running.' Spratford said that she wanted to serve on the Board until the original building bonds were paid off, which happened earlier this year, saying 'it was my time to go when the building was paid off.' She might be retiring from the Board of Trustees, but she will definitely stay busy with freelance writing and her business. The roots of Spratford's business — RA for All — date back to when she was first hired as a full-time librarian at the Berwyn Public Library. 'I started at the Berwyn Public Library in a department called Readers Advisory,' she said. 'It's basically reading recommendations for adults. Spratford's web page, announces the business's purpose on its main page: 'Training Library Workers to Help Leisure Readers.' Spratford also edited a book coming out shortly, 'Why I Love Horror,' a collection of essays from 16 of the country's most distinguished writers of horror fiction. And, just in case she's not busy enough, there's also one final library matter she wants to address. 'One of the things we're missing here that other libraries of our prestige and size and use have, is that we don't have a foundation,' Spratford said. Separate from the Friends of the Library, she said a foundation would be a 'next step; it's a larger thing. It's more of an endowing organization that ensures the financial health of the library. The director and I have already had talks with local people who are involved with foundations. We'd love to have that start in 2027, at the twentieth year anniversary of opening the building … it's going to be a multi-year process.'
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
Steel businessman, wife, daughter & driver killed in car crash on Jhansi-Kanpur highway
Lucknow: Four people, a steel businessman, his wife, their daughter, and the driver, were killed in a high-speed car crash on the Jhansi-Kanpur highway near Khilli village late Wednesday. The businessman's father and three children were seriously injured in the accident and are currently undergoing treatment. The accident occurred when an XUV700 vehicle, travelling at an estimated speed of 80–90 km/h, lost control and rammed into a divider before overturning. The family was returning to Maharashtra after celebrating Bakrid in their hometown Siddharthnagar. The deceased have been identified as Ubaidur Rahman (43), a Maharashtra-based steel businessman, his wife Ashma (40), their daughter Usna Parveen (15), and their driver Amir (45). According to eyewitnesses, the impact was so severe that the vehicle was crushed, leaving all eight occupants trapped inside. Local residents, alerted by the cries for help, rushed to the spot and attempted to rescue the family. Driver Amir was found critically wedged between the steering wheel and bonnet. Despite frantic efforts and the arrival of a JCB machine to break open the car, Amir succumbed after nearly an hour of being trapped. Meanwhile, the injured — Ubaidur's father Shahbuddin (70), sons Abdullah Bahadur Rahman (10) and Aneedur Rahman (8), and daughter Eshya (6) — were rushed to a nearby Community Health Centre (CHC). Their condition is stated to be serious but stable. The bodies of the deceased were kept at the hospital morgue awaiting the arrival of family members. SP, Jhansi, BBGTS Murthy, said that preliminary investigations suggest the accident may have been caused by driver's fatigue. Ubaidur's friend Mahbulla, who was travelling in a separate vehicle towards Mumbai, said, "I was ahead of them in my car. I suspect the driver might have dozed off. I've informed the family — they're on their way." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
FairPrice shoppers can buy discounted essentials, electronics with over 400 vouchers until September
The return of the campaign is part of the group's its ongoing celebrations to commemorate SG60. PHOTO: ST FILE FairPrice shoppers can buy discounted essentials, electronics with over 400 vouchers until September SINGAPORE - Consumers can purchase selected daily essentials and electronics at discounted prices at FairPrice outlets from June 12 to Sept 10 with the return of its Save Every Day campaign. Over the next three months, shoppers can save more than $1,000 by using over 400 vouchers on the FairPrice Group (FPG) app, the supermarket giant said in a statement on June 12. Physical vouchers are also available for collection at all FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra and Unity outlets. The return of the campaign is part of the group's ongoing celebrations to commemorate SG60 . There are over 100 SG60 vouchers which cover items such as rice, oil, milk and chocolates. The supermarket giant has also curated exclusive online vouchers for electronics from popular brands like Samsung, Xiaomi and Jisulife. To enjoy the discounts, customers need to apply the digital vouchers when making payment using the FPG app, or scan the barcode on physical vouchers at check-out. There is no limit on the number of voucher redemptions per customer, and multiple vouchers can be used in a single transaction throughout the 13-week campaign period. All vouchers can be combined with existing discounts, including the supermarket giant's weekly discount schemes for Seniors, Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation, and Community Health Assist Scheme Blue and Orange cardholders. In 2024, the Save Every Day Campaign delivered close to $1.4 million in savings to customers, the highest savings since its launch in 2021. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Zawya
09-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Liberia: The Ministry of Health (MOH), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Launch Community Health Structure Orientation in Three Counties
The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its Community Health Program and in collaboration with UNICEF, has launched a comprehensive orientation for the reactivation and activation of Community Health Structures in Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Grand Cape Mount Counties. The program spans 431 communities and is focused on strengthening Community Health Committees (CHCs) and Health Facility Development Committees (HFDCs). The goal is to improve community-based healthcare delivery and ensure access to essential health services in the most remote parts of these counties. At the official launch ceremony, Gbarpolu County Health Officer (CHO), Dr. Kezelebah S. Goyah, expressed his appreciation and underscored the importance of the initiative. 'On behalf of the Gbarpolu County Health Team, I want to welcome you all and thank you for attending this activity,' Dr. Goyah stated. 'It is an honor to officially open this orientation on the reactivation and activation of our community health structures. The Community Health Program is vital to the health sector, as it enables us to reach people in the most remote areas of the county. Ensuring the program is functional and that everyone understands the structure is key. Once again, I declare this activity officially open.' Representing UNICEF, Madame Jestina K. Dennis reiterated the agency's commitment to supporting Liberia's healthcare system through the Ministry of Health. 'On behalf of UNICEF, I want to thank the Gbarpolu County Health Team and the Ministry of Health,' she said. 'UNICEF's role is to support the government through the Ministry—not by giving money to individuals, but by backing structured efforts. Our mission centers around the well-being of children, who are at the heart of every community. I appreciate the collaboration with the County Health Team and commend the Community Health Program for launching this important session.' Delivering remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Madame Joyce Junius, Deputy Director – Community Health Program, emphasized the purpose and significance of the orientation. 'We are here to reactivate and activate community health structures in the various Community Health Assistant (CHA) communities,' Junius stated. 'Our team will work alongside you to ensure these structures are fully functional. As the CHO said, this program is unique and essential in reducing sickness in our communities. These structures, CHCs and HFDCs, are very effective when operational. They support local efforts and save lives. When CHAs are unavailable, these committees will step in to carry out critical roles.' She added, 'Some of you may be hearing about CHCs and HFDCs for the first time. Each has specific roles at both the community and facility levels, which we'll cover in our presentations. We are not here because we know everything, we are here for interactive learning and to correct misunderstandings for these structures to truly work for the people.' The orientation is expected to enhance grassroot health governance and improve the quality of health services by reactivating and activating community health structures throughout Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Grand Cape Mount Counties. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia.
