Latest news with #NorthwesternMemorial
CBS News
27-06-2025
- CBS News
Man seriously injured in Streeterville stabbing, Chicago police say
Chicago police said a man was seriously injured in a stabbing in the city's Streeterville neighborhood Friday afternoon. Police said around 1 p.m. a 56-year-old man became involved in an argument with someone who is known to CPD. The suspect pulled out a sharp object and stabbed the man multiple times in his body, then ran away. Police said the 56-year-old was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and was initially listed in serious condition. No further details about the victim were available. No one is currently in custody. An investigation by Chicago police is ongoing. Police have not given out further information about the suspect.
CBS News
22-06-2025
- CBS News
Boat catches fire near The Playpen in Chicago a day after multiple rescues in Lake Michigan
Firefighters were busy on Lake Michigan again Sunday amid the blazing heat, responding to a boat fire near The Playpen close to Ohio Street Beach. CBS News Chicago was there as the call came out. Fire officials said the blaze was electrical in nature, and at least 20 people were on the boat at the time. No one ended up in the water, and no one was hurt. This came only a day after rescue crews pulled multiple people from Lake Michigan as crowds packed the beach. "When something bad happens out in the water, water is unforgiving," said Chicago Fire Department dive coordinator Jason Lock. At least three people were sent to hospitals after being pulled out of Lake Michigan on Saturday — and one of them died. Another person was still missing a day after ending up in the water. Back at The Playpen on Saturday, a man was sent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition after he lost part of his foot in the water. Lock said this happened after two boats got too close to each other. "A gentleman was hanging on the side of the boat, couldn't get on to his vessel fast enough, and the boats hit side by side and he amputated part of his foot off," said Lock. And at Navy Pier, police said a 27-year-old woman identified as Zahrie Walls was pulled from the water around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and taken to Northwestern, where she died. "She was about a mile and a half offshore," said Lock "U.S. Coast Guard actually found her on a missing search pattern and were able to bring her in." At 63rd Street Beach on Saturday, rescue crews urgently searched high and below the surface for a man the Chicago Fire Department said fell off a boat and went missing. One other person who went into the water was rescued. "The boat operator off a 28-foot vessel made an abrupt turn, wasn't sure on the weather, and ejected off of the boat," Lock said. "Nobody else on board knew or understood how to operate the boat." Lock said last year, the Fire Department responded to 480 boats in distress and people in the water. "Weather on this lake can change in a matter of five minutes. We can go from having nice calm days, we can look at this in 10 minutes and we'll have three, four-foot waves out there," said Lock. "People who are inexperienced don't know how to handle that." Lock said he can't preach this enough — everyone should know their capabilities in the water. "If you're not a good swimmer, stay within the guarded beaches," he said. "There's somebody there to assist you. And if the red flags are up, stay out of the water." Fire officials said one person was still missing in Lake Michigan as of late Sunday.
CBS News
17-06-2025
- CBS News
3 men stabbed in Chicago's Grant Park
Three men were stabbed late Tuesday in Chicago's Grant Park. Sources said the stabbing happened in the park at 11th Street and Michigan Avenue. Two of the victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the third to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, sources said. Police set up a crime scene in the park, and a large police presence was on the scene at 5:30 p.m. Their conditions and information from police were not immediately available.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
Woman speaks after being hit by car that sped through Chicago anti-ICE protest
A Chicago woman said she was left with a broken arm, injuries on her face, and follow-up doctor appointments after a car came barreling at her and other protestors Tuesday evening. Heather Blair said Wednesday that she was heading home when the car started accelerating. Around 6:19 p.m. Tuesday, a maroon sedan was seen barreling down the street as the protesters marched at Monroe Street and Wabash Avenue. Police confirmed Wednesday that they were looking for the driver of the car. Meanwhile, Blair talked with CBS News Chicago as she recovered from home Wednesday. "The acceleration is what, that that was shocking — accelerating toward a crowd," Blair said. Blair was injured as she ran from the car. She is not sure how she was hit. "I don't have a memory of it, maybe because I was struck by a car," she said. But CBS News Chicago's cameras caught the driver — a woman in a yellow tank top — among the protesters just minutes before. She had a can of spray paint in her hand as she faced police. CBS News Chicago's Sabrina Franza was reporting live from the scene less than two minutes later when the screaming started. There was a sudden rush to help anyone who may have been injured. Protesters had to jump out of the way, and some tried to get the driver to stop, while others helped Blair. Blair would be taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment. She said she has a broken arm, another fracture, injuries to her face and mouth requiring further treatment. City leaders are now strategizing to prevent future injuries. "We already had a morning this meeting with some of our team on additional resources we will need in place," said Chicago Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood. "We've been in contact directly with the Governor's office about some of the support they can provide as well." CBS Skywatch followed the maroon car for more than six minutes as the driver left the scene. She drove into oncoming traffic and made turns in front of other cars. The driver first proceeded east on Monroe Street to Michigan Avenue, and drove past an unsuspecting Divvy bike. A witness, protester Dr. Howard Ehrman, said the car sped up as the driver fled. "They continued to accelerate. It started off at State Street about 30 miles an hour," Ehrman said. "By the time it got to Michigan [Avenue], it was going 50 miles an hour." The driver of the maroon car stopped only after her vehicle broke down on State Street in the South Loop. She got out, and then got right back behind the wheel. Police said they are still investigating. As for Blair, she had planned to be at the upcoming "No Kings" protest against the Trump administration on Saturday — but with her injuries, she will hand off her poster to a friend.
Medscape
06-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Medicare Physician GI Procedure Pay Fell; Facility Pay Rose
Medicare payments to physicians for common gastrointestinal procedures have declined in recent years, while reimbursement to ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments has increased or held steady, according to a new analysis. These trends may exacerbate concerns that current federal payment policies are favoring consolidation in healthcare, while putting more financial pressure on clinicians in small and individual practices. Dipen Patel, MD In a recent American Journal of Gastroenterology paper, Dipen Patel, MD, of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, and coauthors analyzed trends in Medicare reimbursement from 2018 to 2023 for colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures. They compared changes in Medicare's physician compensation to changes in facility reimbursements for the same procedures. The results of their analysis are summarized below. Physician Fee Schedule (Adjusted for Inflation): Colonoscopy: Reimbursement dropped 22.6%. Nominal (unadjusted): 6.12% decline. Reimbursement dropped 22.6%. Nominal (unadjusted): 6.12% decline. EGD: Reimbursement dropped 22.7%. Nominal: 6.2% decline. Ambulatory Surgical Centers (Adjusted for Inflation): Colonoscopy: Reimbursement changed slightly (0.27% increase). Nominal (unadjusted): 21.7% increase. Reimbursement changed slightly (0.27% increase). Nominal (unadjusted): 21.7% increase. EGD: Reimbursement rose 6.23%. Nominal: 28.9% increase. Hospital Outpatient Departments (Adjusted for Inflation): Colonoscopy: Reimbursement changed slightly (0.65% decrease). Nominal (unadjusted): 20.6% increase. Reimbursement changed slightly (0.65% decrease). Nominal (unadjusted): 20.6% increase. EGD: Reimbursement changed slightly (0.82% increase). Nominal: 22.3% increase. The researchers examined 31 current procedural terminology codes for colonoscopy and 26 for EGD procedures. Patel, who graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine, Galveston, Texas, in 2019, said part of the motivation behind the study was to raise awareness among younger physicians who may not track Medicare policy closely. 'For my generation of physicians who are coming out of training, we don't really know much about these trends,' Patel told Medscape Medical News . 'We don't really know what the policies are or how they are playing out.' Other recent studies have identified similar patterns — where professional fees have declined while facility reimbursement either rose or declined to a lesser degree for common orthopedic procedures such as shoulder surgeries and knee and hip arthroplasty. Policy Ripple Effects Patel and coauthors noted that Medicare has significant influence over US healthcare. It's the largest purchaser of healthcare services, with total annual spending exceeding $1 trillion. Commercial insurers also factor in Medicare's payment rates while setting their own reimbursement for services. The American Medical Association (AMA) has linked physician fee schedule cuts to a shift away from independent practice ownership. In May, the AMA released results from its biennial Physician Practice Benchmark Survey (administered with WebMD/Medscape). Among the findings: An estimated 58% of physicians worked as employees in 2024, up from 42% in 2012, the survey's first year. Push for Inflation-based Updates Members of both parties of Congress have backed proposals to create automatic updates in the base rate for the Medicare physician fee schedule to reflect rising costs. For example, more than 170 members of the House supported a 2023 bipartisan bill that would have created automatic annual updates for the base rate of the physician fee schedule to keep up with inflation. The bill sought increases that would fully reflect the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) , a measure used to estimate changes in costs for clinicians in practice. That bill stalled when the 119th session of Congress began in January. A Republican-led budget package contains a similar ─ but more limited ─ proposal. It would increase the Medicare physician fee schedule's base rate, but by less than the full expected gain in inflation. The House-passed version of this bill would create an initial annual bump equal to 75% of the expected MEI change, with subsequent annual increases would be 10% of that index. The Senate will work this month on the budget package, known as a reconciliation bill, likely making changes to the House-passed measure. In a May letter to top House officials. AMA described the House's MEI proposal as 'a foundational step toward comprehensive Medicare physician payment reform in the 119th Congress,' meaning the current session which ends in January 2027. Consolidations and Consequences Gary Young, PhD, director of the Northeastern University Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Research, told Medscape Medical News that debates about consolidation in healthcare have persisted for decades. 'As far back as the 1970s, some people advocated for uniting hospitals and physician practices, seeing this as a way to reduce fragmentation and create more efficient care,' said Young, who has studied both Medicare's variation in pay for services and the effect on patients of hospital acquisition of practices. 'There are people who say they never really understood why hospitals and physicians were separate to begin with,' Young said. 'Others really lament the idea that the independent physician sector may go away. They ask: 'Do we really want all of our physicians to be under the control of healthcare systems and corporate entities?'' Young also noted that in many cases, physicians initiate buyout discussions with healthcare systems due to financial pressures. 'Many physician practices are struggling, and they approach hospitals sort of as a white knight,' he said. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has made a similar argument, telling lawmakers that its members have offered 'a lifeline' to struggling physician practices ─ especially in rural areas. Last year, the AHA submitted ideas for aiding physicians to the health panel of the Ways and Means Committee. The Ways and Means health committee held a May hearing titled 'The Collapse of Private Practice: Examining the Challenges Facing Independent Medicine.' The AHA recommended: Increasing physician reimbursement through the Medicare fee schedule Reducing insurer-imposed administrative burdens, such as prior authorization. Examining the growing role of commercial health conglomerates, in acquiring physician practices. 'While a disproportionate amount of attention has been placed on hospitals' acquisition of physician practices, the reality is that large commercial insurers including CVS Health and UnitedHealth Group have recently spent billions of dollars to acquire physician practices,' AHA said in its statement. Patel and coauthors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
