I did not wait in line to get my new iPhone 5; I ordered it online and it arrived exactly when they said it would. The battery was charged when I got it out of the package, and it took all of about 10 minutes to transfer (using the “cloud”) all of the stuff from my antiquated iPhone 3GS.
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Eli Lilly and Co.’s Alzheimer’s drug slowed cognitive decline 34 percent in patients with mild forms of the disease, according to an analysis of Lilly’s clinical trial data released Monday. Lilly’s share price jumped more than 5 percent on the news.
New health insurance coverage created by the 2010 health reform law will attract a lower-income, less-educated and more diverse set of customers than the insurance markets that exist today, according to a new analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers. And that could create challenges for doctors and hospitals trying to care for those patients.
Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc.’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Virginia-based Amerigroup Corp. is expected to be approved Oct. 23 after Amerigroup officials agreed to delay a shareholder vote for two weeks to resolve investors’ claims they were being shortchanged in the deal, according to Bloomberg News and Dow Jones Newswires. Amerigroup officials said they would consider new offers to buy the company, but with shareholder advisory groups Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Co. both endorsing the deal, new offers are not expected to materialize. The acquisition, announced July 9, would make WellPoint–already the second-largest U.S. health insurer–the largest private provider of Medicaid plans for low-income patients. Amerigroup helps states manage health coverage for the poor. Some investors sued Amerigroup’s board in August alleging directors, along with financial adviser Goldman Sachs Group Inc., put their own interests ahead of shareholders by backing the WellPoint offer when there was a second suitor that had expressed interest.
WellPoint Inc.’s National Government Services unit will add more than 100 jobs in Indianapolis beginning late this year or early in 2013 after the health insurance giant won a new contract with the federal Medicare program. The contract, awarded in late September, makes WellPoint’s NGS unit the administrator for hospital and physician bills racked up by 2.7 million seniors on Medicare in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It also puts NGS in charge of home health and hospice bills for Medicare recipients in 13 states and five U.S. territories. If NGS keeps the contract for its maximum five-year term, the deal will bring in an estimated $318 million in revenue and account for roughly 20 percent of all NGS revenue. In May, WellPoint was forced to lay off 112 local workers after it lost a separate Medicare contract for Indiana and Michigan. WellPoint officials said a “large majority” of those employees will be asked back to work on the new contract. The new contract will add 200 to 300 workers to NGS, with half or more of those jobs being added in Indianapolis. The balance of the new positions will be added at an NGS office in Milwaukee. NGS now employs 2,000 people, including about 500 in Indianapolis. Winning the contract also helps NGS hold on to some workers that it might have had to let go. All told, more than 450 NGS employees will work on the new contract. Those employees will do claims processing, information technology support, and audit and reimbursement reviews of Medicare bills. NGS also will hire nurses to conduct medical reviews of claims.
Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences LLC acquired the assets of California-based Cal/West Seeds, which supplies alfalfa, clover and other crops to seed companies and growers in the United States, Canada and 25 other countries around the world. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. “Cal/West fits our business model–they are not only a technology developer in their industry, but also have a strong genetics program which will strengthen our forages business,” said Rolando Meninato, the global leader of Dow Agro’s seeds, traits and oils business. The Cal/West acquisition will complement another alfalfa company Dow AgroSciences acquired in 2008, called Dairyland Seed, and will give Dow Agro one of the largest forages businesses in the industry. Dow Agro is a subsidiary of Michigan-based Dow Chemical Co.
Indiana Wesleyan University’s School of Health Sciences, which is under construction in Marion, will add graduate degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training and public health. "Many professionals engaged in the health professions may desire to earn graduate or advanced degrees while entry-level positions now require graduate degrees," said Larry Lindsay, founding dean of the School of Health Sciences. "We are responding to the future needs of those students in the health professions. Thus we seek to become a major Christian provider of health and human services at the local, state, national and global level." A new building to house the school is expected to be ready to open in fall 2014. In 2010, Indiana Wesleyan lost out to Marian University as the site of a new medical school in Indiana. Indiana Wesleyan is an evangelical Christian university of The Wesleyan Church, founded in 1920. It enrolls more than 3,000 students on its campus in Marion and more than 12,000 at satellite education centers in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and over the Internet.
The Franciscan Alliance hospital system has absorbed Medical Specialists, a 55-physician practice in northwest Indiana. The group of primary care providers and specialists is now called Franciscan Medical Specialists, and provides care in such fields as endocrinology, OB-GYN, orthopedics, pulmonary medicine and rheumatology. It has offices in Munster, Dyer, Hammond, Hobart, La Porte, Merrillville, Michigan City, Schererville and Valparaiso. Franciscan Alliance, which is headquartered in Mishawaka, operates 13 hospitals in Indiana and Illinois, including three in the Indianapolis area.
Sam Odle, a former longtime executive of Methodist Hospital and Indiana University Health, is joining the Indianapolis-based lobbying firm Bose Public Affairs Group LLC. As a senior policy adviser, Odle will work mostly with clients in the health care and life sciences industries. Odle, 63, most recently served as chief operating officer at IU Health and CEO of Methodist and University hospitals before retiring in July. Replacing Odle as the head of Methodist and University hospitals will be Jim Terwilliger. He joined IU Health in June 2011 as vice president for cancer services after serving as executive vice president for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Centers in Pittsburgh.
Dr. Esther Adade, a family physician, has joined Community Physician Network in Greenwood. She received a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of California and completed her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Neal Ipema, an OB/GYN physician, has joined Community Physician Network on the south side of Indianapolis. He received his medical degree at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago.
Dr. Kalen Miskel, an internist, has joined Community Physician Network in Carmel. She did her medical training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Dr. Jennifer Walker, a pediatrician, has joined Community Physician Network on the east side of Indianapolis. She has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, a master of science in physiology and biophysics from Georgetown University, and a medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.
Trista Stormer, a nurse practitioner for OB/GYN patients, has joined Community Physician Network on the south side of Indianapolis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Purdue University and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Indianapolis.
Three area hospital groups—St. Vincent Health, Community Health Network and Suburban Health Organization—have agreed to join forces to manage patients’ health and strike new kinds of contracts with employers and health insurers.
WALL: One of the big changes coming out of the 2010 health reform law is a push for health care providers to provide care more based on value, a little less based on volume of services. One concept toward that goal is this accountable care organization concept. It’s similar in many ways to health maintenance […]
Indianapolis Business Journal convened a panel of experts at its Health Care & Benefits Power Breakfast on Sept. 28 to talk about industry issues including Medicaid, on-site health clinics and narrow networks. Panelists included Robert J. Brody, president and CEO of Franciscan St. Francis Health; Michael N. Heaton, partner, Katz Sapper & Miller; Dr. Gregory N. Larkin, commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health; Vicki F. Perry, president, CEO, Advantage Health Solutions Inc.; Dr. Ram Yeleti, president, Community Physician Network. The following is the unedited transcript of the discussion.
WellPoint Inc.’s National Government Services unit will add more than 100 jobs in Indianapolis beginning late this year or early next after the health insurance giant won a new contract with the federal Medicare program.
It would be “absurd” and a “travesty” for Indiana not to expand its Medicaid program, according to two local hospital officials. And yet other health care leaders do not expect expanded Medicaid coverage to provide nearly as much help to uninsured Hoosiers as hoped.
Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia and will miss some of the team’s upcoming games, the team announced Monday morning.
Joyce Irwin has been named CEO of Community Health Network Foundation, the charitable arm of the Indianapolis-based Community Health Network hospital system. On Oct. 22, Irwin will replace Dr. Jeffrey Boester, who has served as interim CEO since June, following the departure of Michele Dole. Irwin was most recently national director of state government affairs, regulatory and public policy at Roche Diagnostics Corp. in Indianapolis. Before Roche, Irwin worked as a consultant on corporate public policy for Eli Lilly and Co. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Indiana University.
AIT Laboratories has named Paula Conroy its chief financial officer. Conroy most recently operated her own consulting business specializing in CFO services for privately held companies. Conroy previously worked at the U.S. Securites & Exchange Commission and Ernst & Young LLP. She holds both a bachelor’s in management and an MBA from Purdue University and is a certified public accountant.
Dr. Sarah Ali, an oncologist and hematologist, has joined Franciscan Physician Network Oncology & Hematology Specialists on the south side. Ali earned her medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies, and completed a hematology-oncology fellowship at Michigan State University.
Sean Fallon has been named chief technology officer for CNO Financial Group Inc. He most recently worked at Lincoln Financial Group, where he served as vice president for application development in its group protection division. Fallon holds a bachelor’s degree in business and finance from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a master’s in finance from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
The Fishers-based Behavior Analysis Center for Autism hired psychologist Genae Hall as its new research director and consultant. She currently serves as the co-director of Behavior Analysis and Intervention Services. A native of California, Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a master’s in psychology from Western Michigan University, and a doctorate in psychology from West Virginia University.
With health insurance premiums continuing to outstrip inflation, some health insurers and hospital systems are considering bringing back an old strategy: limiting patient access to a “narrow” network of doctors and hospitals.
There will be health care rationing. The only question is who will do the rationing—the government, health care providers, or you and me. The odds are good there will be some rationing from all those sources
As we began looking at accountable care organizations, we clearly understood that this new model complemented our existing approach and had potential to significantly affect care, leading to better communication, better coordination of care, and better outcomes for patients.
Regenstrief study finds many visit two different facilities within year’s time.
Dr. Kristina Whitesell, a pediatrician, has established a practice with Franciscan Physician Network Heartland Crossing Pediatrics in Camby. Whitesell earned her medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and also earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.
Indianapolis law firm Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman has hired attorney Janelle McIntyre as part of its Indianapolis litigation group. McIntyre completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University and earned her law degree at IU McKinney School of Law.
After nearly 30 years as an attorney at Indianapolis law firm Riley, Bennett & Egloff, Mary Reeder has accepted a position as in-house general counsel at Reid Hospital & Health Care Services in Richmond.
Victor Vinci has joined Bloomington-based Cook Pharmica as chief scientific officer. Prior to joining Cook, Vinci worked many years at Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis. He also spent six years at Merck & Co. Inc. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in microbiology from The Ohio State University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and microbiology from Bowling Green State University.
You know things are bad in the fiercely competitive pharma industry when drugmakers start turning to each other for help. But that’s exactly what happened last week when 10 major drug companies—including Eli Lilly and Co.—joined forces to cut costs out of clinical trials.
