Law affects hospitals with doctor-held debt
Health care reform put strict limits on physician-owned hospitals, but it seems the law also restricts hospitals that have physician-owned debt.
J.K. Wall
Articles
Q&A
Molecular biologist,David G. Skalnik will become associate dean for research and graduate education at the IUPUI School of Science in January. Since 1991, Skalnick has been a researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine, leading a team of three in the study of epigenetics—factors that influence whether certain genes are turned on or turned off.
Refinancing boosts Bioanalytical Systems
Shares of the West Lafayette-based pharmaceutical-services firm soared after it wriggled out from under a $1.3 million loan that was due in February.
Two more WellPoint executives set to depart
Chief Actuary Cynthia Miller and Chief Strategy Officer Bradley Fluegel—both of whom were prominent during the health reform debate—are leaving the health insurance giant.
IU tries new tack in online education
Traditional colleges like Indiana University know they must shift to more online learning options or else lose students to upstart competitors using digital technology to offer college curriculum at greater convenience.
Credit counselor to merge with Ohio-based network
Momentive Consumer Credit Counseling Service Inc. has agreed to be absorbed by Ohio-based Apprisen Financial Advocates, as financial pressures in the industry push not-for-profit agencies to become larger.
Conner Prairie to open interactive Civil War exhibit
Conner Prairie Interactive History Park will open a Civil War exhibit in June, hoping for a similar bump in membership and ticket sales as it got from its Balloon Voyage rides the past two years.
St. Francis covets Greenwood’s growth
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers is going to build a new ER and medical office complex near Greenwood: The area has been growing over the past decade 10 times faster than the city of Indianapolis.
Contrarians think it’s new day for Lilly
The trouble-free market approval obtained by Eli Lilly and Co. for a new underarm testosterone treatment brightened the company’s outlook—at least for one of the few optimistic analysts covering the company.
CNO Financial looking to refinance bank loans
The Carmel-based life and health insurer says it has started discussions with a group of lenders about refinancing $652.1 million in debt.
Digital textbook startup moving to Indiana
Encompass Media LLC, run by Indianapolis native Scott Watanabe, projects rapid growth for digital textbooks.
St. Francis-WellPoint deal is a sign of the times
St. Francis, which operates three Indianapolis-area hospitals, and WellPoint, the giant health insurer, announced this month that they have agreed to jointly form an accountable care organization.
Brown & Brown acquires Mavum benefits brokerage
Indianapolis-based benefits brokerage Mavum Consulting LLC has sold its assets to Florida-based Brown & Brown Inc., the latest in a wave of broker consolidation in recent years.
Health reform tripping up Indiana wellness incentive
Federal health reform will trump an Indiana law that allows health insurers to offer steep discounts to employers with healthy workers and which institute aggressive wellness programs, but experts say other provisions will motivate small firms.
Study: Indianapolis high-priced hospital market
Indianapolis-area hospitals have negotiated reimbursement rates with private health insurers that are two and three times higher than those paid by the federal Medicare program, suggesting the hospitals have the upper hand over insurers, according to a new study.
Clarian grows market share to 40 percent
Clarian Health has been growing faster than its peers in the Indianapolis market the past five years and is now generating healthy margins, according to a report this month by Moody’s Investors Service.
St. Francis hospitals getting Franciscan Alliance name
The Mishawaka-based health system’s move comes after months of consumer research—and six months after rival system Clarian Health said it would change its name to Indiana University Health.
Company thinks it can make college textbooks obsolete
An Indianapolis company has developed Web-based software that allows college students to read and electronically mark up textbooks, articles, chapters of books, etc. It also has a business model that its owners think will make more money for publishers and slash students’ textbook costs—which average $1,200 a year—in half.
Community, Westview hospitals in ‘strategic alliance’ talks
The form an alliance would take is not clear, but Westview looked for additional resources from city’s four major hospital systems.
Q&A
Les Zwirn, executive director of Better Healthcare for Indiana, talked about his group’s progress on promoting community collaborations to improve health and reduce the cost of care in cities around Indiana. BHI is hosting its third health care summit of Indiana community leaders today at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.