Videos

Bharath Krishnamurthy, a director of Health Policy and Analytics at the American Hospital Association (AHA), explains the financial impact of the growing healthcare staffing shortage.

Healthcare staffing shortages leading to financial instability

Bharath Krishnamurthy, a director of health policy and analytics at the American Hospital Association, explains the financial impact of current healthcare staffing shortages.

Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR, the new CEO of the American College of Radiology (ACR), explains with the ongoing 2024 election, it is very unlikely there will be any serious reform to the Medicare payment system this year. She said further Medicare cuts set for 2025 also further threaten patient access to care.

Meaningful Medicare reform unlikely in 2024

New American College of Radiology CEO Dana Smetherman, MD, discusses the impact of reimbursement cuts, issues with staffing costs and prior authorization. 

Anne Kroman, DO, MUSC, explains efforts to increasing female representation in electrophysiology. #GLOWE #HRS #HRS24 #WomeninEP

Efforts to get more women involved in electrophysiology and why it is important

Anne Kroman, DO, PhD, assistant professor at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), explains mentoring efforts for women in EP and why it is important for patients to see more female electrophysiologists to help overcome barriers.

Jason Wasfy, MD, associate professor at the Harvard Medical School and director of quality and outcomes research, Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, spoke at the Heart Rhythm Society 2024 meeting in the business of cardiology sessions about the current and future models of value based payments.

Value-based care gives cardiology practices an opportunity to thrive

Value-based payments can impact cardiology practices in many ways, helping cardiologists acquire new technology and boost patient care.

Zachary Kon, MD, surgical director, advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Hofstra/Northwell, explains the current standard for collecting and preserving organs and a the new concept of thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (NRP)

Advances in heart transplantation: Normothermic regional perfusion and beyond

Zachary Kon, MD, discussed the current standard for preserving organs and how NRP could lead to even better outcomes.

Denise Busman from MedAxoim explains importance of the business management model in cardiology departments. She presented in a business of cardiology session at ACC 2024. #Medaxoim #ACC #ACC2024

Why your cardiology department's leadership structure matters

The way a cardiology department's management is organized can have a direct impact on physician satisfaction and patient care. "Without good governance and leadership, nothing else matters," one expert said. 

Peter Monteleone, MD, an interventional cardiologist, national director of cardiovascular research at Ascension Health, and assistant professor, UT Austin Dell School of Medicine, explained the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to independently identify an emergency stroke or pulmonary embolism (PE) finding on a CT scan and automatically alert critical care team members. His health system uses this type of AI for earlier activation of the pulmonary embolism response team (PERT).

AI critical care software revolutionizes emergency response

Ascension Health in Texas uses AI that can read CT scans for stroke and pulmonary embolism to activate care teams before the images even get into the PACS.

There has been a growing shortage of cardiologists the past several years, but this has accelerated due to burnout from the pandemic, falling reimbursements and increasing administrative burdens. This prompted a joint session on this topic with the ACC and the Heart Rhythm Society at HRS 2024, with ACC President Cathie Biga, MSN, FACC, president and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, former ACC president Ed Fry, MD, chair of the Ascension National Cardiovascular Service Line, and EP Parin Patel.

Addressing staffing shortages in cardiology

ACC President Cathie Biga, MSN, RN, Edward Fry, MD, and electrophysiologist Parin Patel, MD, discuss the growing cardiologist shortage.

Around the web

HHS has thought through the ways AI can and should become an integral part of healthcare, human services and public health. Last Friday—possibly just days ahead of seating a new secretary—the agency released a detailed plan for getting there from here.

Philips is recalling the software associated with its Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry devices after certain high-risk ECG events were never routed to trained cardiology technicians as intended. The issue, which lasted for two years, has been linked to more than 100 injuries. 

Heart Rhythm Society President Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD, detailed a new advocacy group focused on improving EP reimbursements, patient care and access. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu," he said.