Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/790284
61 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY Physician Imposter Gains Access to 5 Brigham and Women's ORs By Ayla Ellison A 42-year-old woman dressed in scrubs attended patient rounds and observed operations at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston even though she wasn't a physician, according to the Boston Globe. Cheryl Wang first gained access to restricted areas at Brigham and Women's Hospital in September by requesting to shadow a surgeon while her application with the National Resi- dent Matching Program was pending. A surgeon agreed to let Ms. Wang shadow him not knowing she had been dismissed from a sur- gical residency program at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital in New York City in May and had been reported to the New York Office of Professional Misconduct. It was also later discovered that Ms. Wang forged the three letters of recommendation attached to her application with the National Res- ident Matching Program, according to the report. Ms. Wang returned to the hospital the week of Dec. 5 dressed in scrubs bearing the Brigham and Women's logo. She gained access to five operating rooms over two days. Staff said she observed operations by standing on a stool, which is a common practice among observers. Although Brigham and Women's staff are re- quired to scan their identification badges to enter surgery suites, Ms. Wang slipped into the operating rooms by walking in behind other em- ployees who were holding the door for one an- other during shi changes. A Brigham spokes- woman told the Boston Globe Ms. Chang did not "touch, treat or provide care to a single patient." Hospital security escorted Ms. Wang off of the property Dec. 7 aer she attended patient rounds in thoracic surgery and physicians real- ized she was not authorized to be there. Security emailed an alert to OR staff with a picture of Ms. Wang as well, according to the Boston Globe. On Dec. 8, Ms. Wang attempted to attend a medical staff discussion at Massachusetts Gen- eral Hospital in Boston. Aer being caught and interviewed by investigators from Mass Gener- al and Brigham and Women's, Ms. Wang went to Boston Children's Hospital, which is con- nected to Brigham and Women's, where she was turned away by security. Since the incident, Brigham and Women's has changed its policy for observers in its surgical suites. A physician sponsoring an observer is now required to verify with the student's educational institution that the student is in good standing. n Full Physician-Hospital Integration Rose More Than 10% Between 2008 and 2013, Study Finds By Kelly Gooch H ealthcare organizations are increasingly transitioning to full physician-hospital integration, but this shift is more complex than previously expected, according to a study from Rice Uni- versity's Baker Institute for Public Pol- icy in Houston. The study, released Jan. 30, exam- ines physician-hospital integration over time. Researchers said they looked at 4,727 hospitals using the 2008-2013 American Hospital Asso- ciation annual survey data to desig- nate four forms of integration based on the type of contractual relation- ship a hospital has with physicians. The four forms of integration ex- amined were independent practice associations, open physician-hos- pital organizations, closed physi- cian-hospital organizations and fully integrated organizations. The study found the share of hos- pitals with salaried physicians in- creased from 44 percent in 2008 to 55 percent in 2013. Researchers said looser forms of physician-hospital integration, such as joint contractual networks with managed care orga- nizations, decreased in prominence. Overall, there were 1,525 hospital in- tegration form transitions, according to a news release. However, the aggregate shift toward tighter vertical integration masks the fact many hospitals de-integrated or shifted to less tightly integrated phy- sician-hospital relationships between 2008 and 2013, the authors said. "The shift to tighter physician-hospi- tal integration is more complex than previously expected. Future studies that distinguish between integration types are essential for setting policies that foster integrated care to improve quality and lower costs, instead of raising prices and harming patient 86 Scabies Cases Reported at Ohio Hospital By Heather Punke K ettering (Ohio) Medical Center dealt with a scabies outbreak in January, when 86 cas- es were reported by the end of the month, according to a Springfield News-Sun report. A patient had a crusted scabies infection and passed it on to hospital employees, according to the report. No other patients have been infected. Scabies is caused by the human itch mite, which burrows into the upper layer of the skin and lays eggs there, according to the CDC. Symptoms include itching and a rash. The mites spread easily in crowded conditions where close body contact is common. In hospitals, "outbreaks frequently are the re- sult of a delayed diagnosis and treatment of crusted (Norwegian) scabies in debilitated, im- munocompromised, institutionalized or elder- ly persons," according to the CDC. Affected employees were treated and were not allowed at work until they were no longer contagious, according to the News-Sun. Kettering also contracted with a company to have the hospital deep cleaned, according to the report. n