The Walker Company - Website Links

Website Links

The websites below provide valuable and varied information about specific health care topics. The links are sorted by:

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) (www.aphsa.org): APHSA provides information on current health and human service legislation, as well as links to government sites with status indicators on topics such as childcare, housing, and health care.

Center for Studying Health System Change (www.hschange.com/index.cgi): Provides incisive, timely analyses about the effects of health system change to inform the thinking and decisions of policy makers in government and industry.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (www.cbpp.org): Reports by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a range of government policies and programs, with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate-income people.

Department of Health and Human Services, Administrative Simplification (http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/admnsimp/index.shtml): Information about administrative simplification in the healthcare industry, including compliance with HIPAA transactions.

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) (http://oig.hhs.gov): The official OIG Web site, providing information about federal register notifications, publications and reports, as well as insights into fraud prevention and detection.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (www.dea.gov): Includes DEA news, briefs and background information about current issues.

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov): This government agency concerns itself with issues affecting the viability and success of rural hospitals. Publications on various aspects of rural health care delivery are available.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (www.fda.gov): Includes news, activities and current information surrounding products regulated by the FDA, including food, drugs, medical devices and biologics, such as vaccines and blood products.

Health Affairs (www.projhope.org): Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) provides health education and health policy research. You can also access Health Affairs’ current issue from this site.

Health Policy-Recommended Links (www.movingideas.org): Up-to-the-minute information on news releases from member organizations and the latest columns and editorials from policy debate shapers. The goal is to provide policy analysis to the general public, so that readers can easily keep pace with the latest research and goings-on in Washington and beyond.

RAND (www.rand.org): RAND is a nonprofit organization that conducts research to guide policy making. While not solely focused on health care, many reports on the industry, including clinical outcomes, managed care, and medical technology, are available.

AHA Online Data (www.ahadata.com): Source for purchasing information about health care providers and industry decision makers online. For use for health professionals in sales & marketing, research, health care consulting, or government.

Atlantic Information Services (www.aishealth.com): Atlantic Information Services (AIS) develops targeted news, data and strategic information. Free newsletters include Business News, E-Health Business, MD Practices Alert, and Government News.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov): Statistics on a large number of topics, from how much people earn to the unemployment rate.

Center for Healthcare Information (www.dorlandhealth.com): Provides unique print and Internet publications, market research reports, databases and mailing lists covering health care and managed care organizations.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (www.cms.hhs.gov): Data on Medicare reimbursement and financing is presented on the HCFA website, along with information about managed care organization participation in Medicare.

Congressional Budget Office (www.cbo.gov): Provides timely updates on the forecasted impacts of current and proposed legislation on national health expenditures and Medicare spending.

E-Care Management News (www.bhtinfo.com/pastissues.htm): This monthly e-newsletter focuses on the paradigm shift from managed care to care management, with feature articles involving business, technology and clinical issues.

Families USA (www.familiesusa.org): A broad, comprehensive site that contains information on the uninsured, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, child health, and managed care basics.

FEDSTATS Homepage (www.fedstats.gov): Sponsored by the U.S. Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, the site provides access to data from 70 federal agencies.

Government Printing Office Publications (www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html): This site provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government, including the Federal Register.

HcPro, Inc (www.hcpro.com/services/corhealth/index.cfm): Information on health care marketing and leadership, including free e-newsletters about healthcare trends and subscriptions to newsletters about mission-critical healthcare issues.

Healthleaders.com (www.healthleaders.com): A free membership site. Members can sign up for a daily email with the latest health care business news headlines and links to article summaries. Each summary includes a path to the original article. Also includes sections highlighting specific areas such as business, government, pharmaceuticals, trends, managed care, technology, legal and legislative issues.

HRSA State Health Workforce Profiles, Bureau of Health Professionals, National Center for Health Workforce Information and Analysis, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December 2000 (http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/profiles/): The State Health Workforce profiles compile accurate and current data on supply, demand, distribution, education and use of health personnel. Estimated numbers of workers indicate the size of the state’s health workforce. Per capita ratios facilitate comparisons with other states and the nation. Each profile has three sections: 1) Brief overview of residents’ health status and health services that influence supply of and demand for health workers; 2) Health care employment by place of work, including hospitals, nursing homes and other settings; and 3) Health care employment in more than 25 health professions and occupations.

Ideas in Action: Health Care Workforce, AHA Commission on Workforce for Hospitals and Health Systems (www.healthcareworkforce.org): Includes over 500 case examples, recommending bold, innovative changes that hospitals and their leaders must make in order to avert limitations in necessary health care services now and in the future. The page also includes a toolkit for hospital leaders addressing workforce issues.

Medical Industry Today (www.medtechinsight.com/mdiredirect.html): This newsletter mainly covers developments in the devices and biotechnology arenas, but also covers Medicare and Medicaid issues.

Medicare (www.medicare.gov): The official U.S. government site of Medicare information. Includes managed care information and databases to compare health plan rates.

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) (www.medpac.gov): MedPac advises congress on Medicare issues, and its Web site includes information about publications, upcoming meetings and areas of research.

National Healthcare Expenditures Projections (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData): An accumulation of projections or estimates of spending for health care in the U.S. for the years 2002-2012. The projections are presented by type of service delivered (hospital care, physician services, nursing home care, etc.) and by source of funding for those services (private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, out-of-pocket spending, etc.).

Solucient (www.solucient.com): This site has a very comprehensive health care information repository. It includes articles and reports, a publication library, and much more.

State Information Search (www.nascio.org): A topical clearinghouse to state government information on the Internet. There are over 2,200 entries in 32 categories.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org): The Kaiser Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization that reports on health and welfare in the U.S. Topics explored by the foundation have included prescription drug prices, the uninsured, and BBA impacts.

The Value of Investment in Health Care (http://www.hospitalconnect.com/aha/value/index.html): A study of American health care spending released in January 2004 that found that every dollar spent on health care nets a return of $2.40 - $3.00 in health gains. Although health care spending increased by $2,254 per capita between 1980 and 2000, the overall death rate declined by 16%, life expectancy increased by 3.2 years, disability rates declined by 25% for people over age 65, and Americans spent an 56% fewer days in the hospital. The findings illustrate the value of America's increasing investment in health care.

To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, The Institute of Medicine, 2000 (www.iom.edu/?id=12735): The entire book by the IOM is available online, and can be viewed by category, searched, or printed.

Trends of Internet Use for Health Purposes, Health on the Net Foundation, March 2001 (www.hon.ch/Survey/FebMar2001/survey.html): This Web page provides results of an international survey about Internet usage for health purposes. The responses of over 3,000 participants are shown graphically, including their profiles, usage, and the Internet’s impact on them.

U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov): A government site that contains information on local population trends and other demographic indicators.

U.S. Department of Commerce (www.commerce.gov): Information on all areas of commerce, such as how to obtain grants, laws and regulations on economic development, and statistics and research, among others.

What is e-Health? Journal of Medical Internet Research Editorial, April-June 2001. (www.jmir.org/2001/2/e20): A quick, concise overview of what e-health is. Includes a list of definitions: The 10 e’s in “e-health.”

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahcpr.gov): Information on a variety of topics for physicians and consumers. Physicians can research the latest in evidence-based practice, while consumers can find information on smoking cessation and other health-related topics.

Association for Community Health Improvement (www.healthycommunities.org): The Association for Community Health Improvement convenes and support leaders from the health care, public health, community and philanthropic sectors to help achieve shared community health goals, and work with hundreds of members to strengthen community health through education, peer networking and the dissemination of practical tools. Their site includes community health news, resources, and upcoming conferences and education.

Bureau of Primary Healthcare (http://bphc.hrsa.gov): Maintains profiles of all the states from a primary care perspective, includes demographic and health status data.

Community Health Status Indicators Project (www.phf.org/data-infra.htm): Health information for all 3,082 counties in the U.S. Each report offers information on a variety of topics. The reports can be downloaded in printable and viewable formats.

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (http://hcup.ahrq.gov/HCUPnet.asp): Provides access to a large amount of health care data. Data includes consumer ratings, clinical performance measures, guides to health care management programs, and statistics on hospital deaths.

National Center for Health Statistics (www.cdc.gov/nchs): A vast repository of government health statistics covering everything from Alzheimer's to teen pregnancy to whooping cough.

National Civic League (www.ncl.org): While not specifically a health care site, the Healthy Communities programs will be helpful to trustees interested in designing and implementing community health improvement initiatives.

NCHS Atlas of United States Mortality (www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/other/atlas/atlas.htm): Data concerning the leading causes of death in various areas of the United States.

NCHS Publications and Information Products (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products.htm): Developed by NCHS to provide users easy electronic access to data from Health, United States. This homepage contains electronic versions of the latest edition of Health, United States and previous editions back to 1993. Users may download a complete copy of Health, United States or selected sections, such as the chartbook, or individual tables.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (www.rwjf.org): The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a philanthropic organization that reports on health status indicators in the U.S. Topics explored by the foundation have included end-of-life care, tobacco use, and clinical care management.

The Urban Institute (www.urban.org): The Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization that monitors the social and economic well-being of society. Important research on the uninsured can be found on this site.

Trust for America’s Health (http://healthyamericans.org): Provides state-specific health information as well as articles and resources about major public health trends.

AARP Guide to Managed Care (www.aarp.org): Consumers of all ages can use this online guide to learn more about managed care plans and what distinguishes managed care from traditional fee-for-service insurance plans.

Employee Benefit Research Institute Online (www.ebri.org): Useful demographic information about employment benefits is provided, along with research reports on health spending and government health expenditures.

Managed Care Magazine (www.managedcaremag.com): A guide for managed care executives, physicians and other health professionals covering capitation, compensation, disease management, NCQA accreditation & HEDIS, contracting, ethics, practice management, formulary development, and other health insurance issues.

Medscape Managed Care (www.medscape.com): A free-registration resource of managed care news and feature articles used by a wide variety of health professionals, including executives, physicians, and trustees.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org): This site provides information regarding insurance regulations to regulators, producers, companies, consumers, or employees, as well as general insurance information.

American Accreditation Healthcare Commission/URAC (www.urac.org): URAC is independent, nonprofit organization committed to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and other quality improvement activities. Their Web site provides information about accreditation, education and programs and services.

Doing What Counts for Patient Safety: Federal Actions to Reduce Medical Errors and Their Impact, A report of the Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force (QuIC) to the President, February 2000. (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/humfac/sandiego3.pdf): The book includes an introduction and four chapters: Chapter 1) Understanding Medical Errors; Chapter 2) Federal Response to the IOM Report; Chapter 3) Beyond the IOM Report: Identifying and Implementing Additional Strategies; and Chapter 4) Working With the Private Sector and State Governments.

Hospital Compare (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov): Hospital Compare is a website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The site allows you to compare the quality of care hospitals provide.

The Joint Commission (Formerly JCAHO) (www.jointcommission.org): The Joint Commission is the premier health care accreditation organization in the U.S. Information about their accreditation process can be found here.

The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org): The Leapfrog Group is a voluntary program aimed at mobilizing employer purchasing power to alert America's health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be rewarded. The site includes information on health care quality so that consumers can compare hospitals, similar to Consumer Reports.

National Committee for Quality Assurance (www.ncqa.org): Annual reports on the state of managed care and individual health plan report cards are important information resources for hospital trustees, and can be found on this well-respected site.

The National Quality Forum (www.qualityforum.org): The National Quality Forum (NQF) is a not-for-profit membership organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting. This site includes quality-related articles and resources, as well as information about NQF’s efforts to promote a common approach to measuring health care quality and fostering system-wide capacity for quality improvement.

American Hospital Association (www.aha.org): The AHA site will keep you up-to-date on legislative activity affecting hospitals and advocacy efforts undertaken by the AHA.

Governance FAQs (www.boardsource.org): Operated by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, this list of frequently asked questions covers all the basics of being a trustee, with emphasis on roles and responsibilities.

Trustee Magazine (www.trusteemag.com): A magazine exclusively devoted to hospital trustees, this site provides strategies for dealing with contemporary challenges and presents information about current trends in the health care marketplace.

Hospitals and Health Networks (H&HN) (www.hhnmag.com): Current and previous articles of H&HN, published by Health Forum, Inc., an American Hospital Association information company.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (www.jama.ama-assn.org): Current and past issues of the well-known medical journal, providing resources for physicians, health professionals and patients.

Medical Journals (www.webmedlit.com): Easy access to the best medical journals on the web in an easy-to-search scheme.

Modern Healthcare (www.modernhealthcare.com): Targets health care executives to keep them current with news and trends in the field. Major areas of coverage are finance, managed care, integrated delivery systems, physician issues, marketing, information systems, technology, politics, plus developments in Washington, state legislatures, regulatory agencies and the courts that affect health care providers.

Modern Physician Magazine (www.modernphysician.com): While targeted at practicing physicians, information on topics of relevance to trustees can also be found. Feature articles deal with topics such as changes in Medicare reimbursement, health care trends, and physician compensation, and more.

American Bar Association Health Law Section (www.abanet.org/health/home.html): Provides current news stories and resources about legal issues in health care, as well as information about upcoming conferences.

Health Hippo (http://hippo.findlaw.com): A useful collection of health care related policy statements and regulatory material.

National Health Law Program (www.healthlaw.org): The National Health Law Program advocates for low income individuals, and its Web site includes information about Medicaid, federal and state advocacy, publications and research surrounding access to health are for low income individuals.

Thomas—Legislative Information on the Internet (http://thomas.loc.gov): Acting under the directive of the leadership of the 104th Congress to make Federal legislative information freely available to the Internet public, a Library of Congress team brought the THOMAS World Wide Web system online in January 1995. The Site provides information about legislation, congressional records, committee information, and is searchable by key word or bill number.

American Hospital Directory (www.ahd.com): The American Hospital Directory provides online data for over 6,000 hospitals.

Health Privacy Project (www.healthprivacy.org): Provides information about general health privacy issues, HIPAA compliance, federal and state laws, and a consumer coalition actively engaged in the debate about health privacy.

Hospital Web (http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/hospitalweb.shtml): A useful Site providing links to national and global hospitals as well as relevant medical companies and organizations.

Library of Congress (www.lcweb.loc.gov): A collection of more than 119 million items, more than two-thirds of which are in media other than books.

National Council for Reliable Health Information (www.ncahf.org): A useful guide to identifying health information that you can trust. Also lists some ways to identify questionable and fraudulent health practices and information resources.

Office of Management and Budget (www.whitehouse.gov/omb): Information about the current federal budget, the president’s agenda, and legal and regulatory issues.

Social Security On-Line (www.ssa.gov): The official Web site of the Social Security Administration.

State Board Directory (www.mhsource.com/resource/board.html): A comprehensive list of medical boards throughout the nation, as well as information about continuing medical education and information resources.