Doctor Acquisitions Spiked Amid The Pandemic Nearly 70% of America's physicians were employed by hospitals or corporations by the end of 2020, and nearly half of physician practices were owned by them, according to a new analysis released by the Physicians Advocacy Institute. Why it matters: The health care industry is becoming increasingly consolidated, which studies suggest will lead to even higher prices. Flashback: "The coronavirus is shriveling the businesses of doctors' practices, which serve as the home base for most patients," Axios' Bob Herman reported last spring. "Small and independent groups that are facing the most severe cash crunches eventually may ... July 6, 2021 Physician Workforce health care, hospital, physicianemployment, physicians 0 0 Comment Read More »
Public Health Update on COVID-19 Vaccine and PREP/PEP Treatments to Prevent HIV The CDC recommends that individuals who are HIV positive receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Those who are negative but taking the drug Truvada as part of a PREP or PEP HIV prevention strategy should also receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no known negative interaction with any of the three vaccines and HIV medications. This information comes from individuals who were taking Truvada during the vaccines’ trials, as well as those vaccinated since authorization. The use of the HIV medication Truvada as a form of Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or Post-exposure prophylaxis ... June 28, 2021 COVID19, Public Health HIV, Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »
Community Physicians Critical to Next Phase of COVID-19 Vaccination Effort Many people have already taken advantage of the availability of COVID-19 vaccine at large community sites. However, some patients have expressed the desire to wait until their own doctor can provide the vaccine and discuss concerns they have about the vaccine. Surveys have shown that people trust their own doctor to help them to make important decisions about their health. Physicians can now easily enroll as a COVID-19 vaccine provider and offer the vaccination in their own office. Many physicians and their office staff are already promoting COVID-19 vaccination as ... June 28, 2021 COVID19, Public Health Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »
New AMA report on physician practice ownership and other practice attributes A recent report by the AMA describes changes in physician employment status and practice size, type, and ownership between 2012 and 2020. The content of the report is based on the AMA’s Physician Practice Benchmark Survey. Although the 2020 data are consistent with earlier trends, the size of the changes since 2018 suggest that the shifts toward larger practices and away from physician-owned (private) practices have accelerated. 2020 was the first year in which less than half (49.1%) of patient care physicians worked in a private practice, a drop ... May 24, 2021 AMA, Physician Workforce Employment Status, Physician Employment, Practice 0 0 Comment Read More »
Success in Vaccinating County Residents and Low COVID-19 Rates Allow New, More Focused Local Order Today, County Health Officer, Dr. Sara Cody, issued a new, more focused local Health Order related to COVID-19. County officials announced that Santa Clara County has made excellent progress in the fight against COVID-19. Case rates have declined to some of their lowest levels at any point in the pandemic, and test positivity rates have hit an all-time low. The county’s vaccination rates are also among the very highest in the nation, as more than 75% of county residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. On ... May 18, 2021 COVID19, Public Health COVID-19, Pandemic, Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »
