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February 2, 2012 KCURInstead of offering big salaries and other perks, the CEO of tiny Ashland Health Clinic, in southwest Kansas, lures physicians with "a job that matters." In addition to meeting a real need on a daily basis in Ashland, doctors also get eight weeks off to do missionary work overseas.

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January 31, 2012 Hospitals see a huge drop in drug mistakes when doctors use a computer to write prescriptions, instead of pen and paper. Software can correct miscalculations, warn of allergic reactions and eliminate doctors' notoriously poor handwriting. But few hospitals have adopted the technology so far.

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January 24, 2012 KHNTo attract and keep new patients, hospitals are offering a range of special benefits, including free or low-cost health screenings and educational sessions on diet and exercise. There's also free valet parking for a lucky few.

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January 6, 2012 More hospitals are watching and waiting instead of operating on some patients with gunshot or stab wounds, a new study finds. Exploratory surgery, long the norm in such cases, may be safely skipped some of the time.

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January 4, 2012 In the U.S., hospitalized heart attack patients go home sooner than in other countries. They are also more likely to return to the hospital within a month of being discharged.

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January 3, 2012 KHNMost hospitals make little effort to screen patients for tobacco use or to help smokers kick the habit permanently. That's a missed opportunity. Starting this month, though, hospitals can choose to adopt tobacco-cessation measures to help them comply with accreditation standards.

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December 29, 2011 Surgeons make full-face transplants a reality for people with severely disfigured faces. Three such operations were performed successfully in Boston this year, a turning point in the field.

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December 27, 2011 KHNHospitals may be the only places in America that aren't crazy for iPads. Security issues and incompatibility with hospital systems are two big reasons why tablet computers haven't caught on. But some doctors and patients say they're great for explaining complex medical issues.

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December 15, 2011 Hospitals have financial incentives to avoid autopsies. And a decline in the number of postmortem examinations performed means lost opportunities for improving medical care and distortions in health care statistics.

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December 9, 2011 A ferocious fire at the largest hospital in Hartford, Conn., killed 16 people 50 years ago. The results of an investigation into the blaze led stricter fire codes and construction standards for hospitals across the country.

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December 8, 2011 KHNEfforts to cut federal spending are targeting a program that gives higher Medicare reimbursements to small hospitals in rural areas. Some observers say the program has gotten so big, it's propping up hospitals that are neither critical to a community nor isolated.

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November 23, 2011 Plumbers and emergency room doctors have plenty of business come Thanksgiving. An ER doctor has some useful tips for steering clear of her and her colleagues over the holiday.

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