Becker's ASC Review

February 2017 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

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40 HEALTHCARE NEWS The 5 Healthiest and Unhealthiest States in America By Ayla Ellison A lthough Americans made substantial improvements on some key health indicators in the past year, the coun- try still faces significant health challenges, ac- cording to United Health Foundation's 27th annual America's Health Rankings. "We have made important strides across the country against public health challenges; however, we are at a crossroads between a healthier future as a nation and a future in which troubling public health measurements become increasingly common," said Reed Tuckson, MD, external senior medical adviser to United Health Foundation. Dr. Tuckson said the cardiovascular death rate is of particular concern. For the first time in the rankings' 27-year history, the cardiovascu- lar death rate increased in the past year. Obesity was another major health challenge highlighted in the report. e prevalence of obesity among adults has increased 157 per- cent since 1990. The report also noted long-term improve- ments the country has made across key health indicators. Since 1990, smoking among adults has fallen by 41 percent. Over the past 10 years, preventable hospitaliza- tions have decreased by 35 percent, includ- ing a 13 percent decline in the past year, ac- cording to the report. America's Health Rankings analyzes 34 mea- sures of behaviors, community and environ- ment, policies and clinical care data to provide a holistic view of the nation's health. Based on those measures, the following are the five healthiest states in the U.S. 1. Hawaii 2. Massachusetts 3. Connecticut 4. Minnesota 5. Vermont e following are the five unhealthiest states. 50. Mississippi 49. Louisiana 48. Arkansas 47. Alabama 46. Oklahoma n UHS Stock Tumbles 12% After BuzzFeed Investigative Report By Ayla Ellison S hares of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services fell 12 percent to $111.30 Dec. 7, 2016, after BuzzFeed published an investigative story alleging the company's psychiatric hospitals put profits ahead of patients, according to Barron's. UHS' stock plunged Dec. 7 while the S&P 500 rose 1.1 percent, hitting a new all-time high of $2,241.35. The for-profit hospital operator's stock price was up for the day at 3:10 p.m. on Dec. 7, when the BuzzFeed story went live. The sell-off began about five minutes later. BuzzFeed's story, which is based on internal documents and interviews with 175 current and former UHS staff and more than 120 patients, government investigators and other experts, was the result of a yearlong BuzzFeed News investigation. It alleges UHS psychiatric hospitals kept patients longer than necessary and against their will to maximize reimbursement from insurers. The re- port also raised questions about the quality of care pro- vided at the psychiatric hospitals. UHS has denied the allegations in the BuzzFeed story. UHS' stock went up 1.01 percent during trading on Thurs- day, with the company's share price hitting $112.48. n Surgeons Rank as #1 Highest-Paying Job in These 16 States By Mary Rechtoris T hroughout the nation, anesthesiologists rank as the highest-paid job with surgeons trailing closely behind with an average annual salary of $247,520. Yahoo! News lists the following 16 states where surgeons rank as the highest-paid occupation, on average: 1. Nevada 2. Arizona 3. Florida 4. Georgia 5. Tennessee 6. South Carolina 7. North Carolina 8. Virginia 9. Kentucky 10. Illinois 11. Wisconsin 12. Michigan 13. New Jersey 14. Vermont 15. Kansas 16. Nebraska n

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