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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

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Health and Medical Administration

Selected Works

2013

Health Management and Finance Research

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Financial Incentives: Pay For Performance (P4p) And The Chronically Ill Patients, David Conley, Alberto Coustasse Sep 2013

Financial Incentives: Pay For Performance (P4p) And The Chronically Ill Patients, David Conley, Alberto Coustasse

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

P4P is the reimbursement incentive that is based on quality improvement, efficiency, which is dominating the healthcare landscape and CMS. A literature review was conducted to search for and review significant information regarding P4P and how it pertains to chronic conditions and reimbursement methods. This literature review displayed while some programs were able to display a benefit/ profit for those involved such as insurance companies, hospitals, physicians and/or patients, most programs were unable to establish quality measures, cost effectiveness and positive program outcomes worth noting.


Organizational Culture In A Terminally Ill Hospital, Alberto Coustasse, Douglas A. Mains, Kristine Lykens, Sue G. Lurie, Fernando Trevino Jul 2013

Organizational Culture In A Terminally Ill Hospital, Alberto Coustasse, Douglas A. Mains, Kristine Lykens, Sue G. Lurie, Fernando Trevino

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

This study analyzed an organizational culture in a community hospital in Texas to measure organizational culture change and its impact on Patient Satisfaction (PS). The study employed primary and secondary data, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a case study. Participant observation was used and archival data were collected to provide a better understanding of the organizational culture and the context in which change was taking place. This study also applied a “Shared Vision” of the organization as the central process in bringing forth the knowledge shared by members of the community hospital who were both subjects and research participants. …


Cost Of Medical Detoxification Among Drug And Alcohol Users In A Private Texas Hospital, Alberto Coustasse May 2013

Cost Of Medical Detoxification Among Drug And Alcohol Users In A Private Texas Hospital, Alberto Coustasse

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the costs of medical detoxification among patients with alcohol and substance abuse disorders. Design/methodology/approach – The study data was drawn from a medical detoxification program in a community hospital in Texas. Secondary data analysis of 1337 cases from three years was reviewed. Age, gender, race, alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, sedatives, opioids, financial classification, cost, length of stay (LOS) and cost by LOS were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test. Findings – The sample comprised of 42.8 percent women and 57.2 percent males. The mean cost and cost by LOS …


Accountable Care Organization Musical Chairs: Will There Be A Seat Remaining For The Small Group Or Solo Practice?, Amy Vaughan, Alberto Coustasse May 2013

Accountable Care Organization Musical Chairs: Will There Be A Seat Remaining For The Small Group Or Solo Practice?, Amy Vaughan, Alberto Coustasse

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

When it was introduced in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 as the new 2012 payment model for Medicare, an accountable care organization (ACO) was a new and untested concept in healthcare delivery and payment. The authors estimated the likelihood of engagement in ACOs by small group and solo healthcare practitioners. An evaluation of five case studies showed that significant organizational, financial, and technological challenges had to be met in order to launch an ACO. Sufficient resources to meet those challenges were best supplied by large organizations. Small or solo practices participated only through varying levels of integration as salaried …


Uncompensated Care And Quality Assurance Among Rural Hospitals, Doohee Lee, Chris Dixon, Paul Kruszynski, Alberto Coustasse May 2013

Uncompensated Care And Quality Assurance Among Rural Hospitals, Doohee Lee, Chris Dixon, Paul Kruszynski, Alberto Coustasse

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Health care disparities in rural areas remain significant in the U.S. health care industry. Uncompensated care makes health care disparities in rural areas worse, and rural hospitals are unfavorably positioned to compete with urban hospitals in the economic-downturn marketplace. How uncompensated care affects quality care among rural hospitals has been lightly investigated. Given that many rural residents experience difficulty accessing high quality care and given the importance of establishing quality care practice standards in a rural setting, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify some quality-care barriers and opportunities and suggested strategies to strengthen the position of rural hospitals …


Uncompensated Care Cost: A Pilot Study Using Hospitals In A Texas County, Alberto Coustasse, Andrea L. Lorden, Vishal Nemarugommula, Karan P. Singh May 2013

Uncompensated Care Cost: A Pilot Study Using Hospitals In A Texas County, Alberto Coustasse, Andrea L. Lorden, Vishal Nemarugommula, Karan P. Singh

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

The financial ramifications of uncompensated care cost (UCC) on the healthcare industry have been difficult to quantify. With the lack of a standardized definition of uncompensated care and the need to account for the uninsured, indigent, and immigrant populations, the authors identified $190 million of UCC from Southwestern border hospitals for emergency room treatment of undocumented immigrants and $934 million of uncompensated care charges for 23 hospitals in a Texas county, which translated to $353 million of UCC. Although lawmakers passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (2003) to address the growing imbalance, the shortfall of funds highlights …