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Healthcare and Insurance

Coping with COVID: KU Health reports third consecutive decline in hospitalized COVID patients

The number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System shows another drop today. Sixty people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 64 yesterday. As of Friday, Jan. 8, the COVID-19 patient count… more

Coping with COVID: Mo. hospitalizations tally above U.S. average, Kan. below national average

Only five states are considered to have reached dangerous levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations per 1 million. The COVID Tracking Project updated by The Atlantic shows four levels that indicated where each state lies in terms of COVID-19 hospitalizations ranging from… more

Burns & McDonnell to Design $232 Million Addition for MU Health in Columbia

University of Missouri Health Care (MU Health Care) has selected Burns & McDonnell to plan and design a new $232 million hospital for women and children on its main hospital campus. Officials say the new facility will create a centralized… more

Nursing homes get COVID-19 vaccine through national program

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) issued a statement Wednesday reported positive progress in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine at long-term care homes and facilities across the U.S. through the pharmacy partership program.… more

Missouri health system noted for strong operations, finances

Among 14 health systems across the U.S. rated in terms of operational metrics and financial positions by Fitch Ratings, St. Louis-based Ascension made the top of the list. Ascension has an "AA+" rating and stable outlook with Fitch and an… more

Expanded partnership to deliver new digital program to Blue KC individual, ACA members

Kansas City-based not-for-profit health insurer Blue KC has announced an expanded partnership with HealthMine, a technology-enabled member engagement and rewards company. As Blue KC begins its re-entrance into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) market in 2021, the expansion will help to… more

Insurance Insights with Claude Thau

A 2019 Harvard report opens “American companies are facing a caregiving crisis—they just refuse to acknowledge it.”1  Various studies indicate that 75%-80% of employees providing care for adults say caregiving has a negative impact on their job performance.1,2 About 20%… more

Coping with COVID: National ranking shows Kansas lagging in number of COVID-19 vaccine shots given

Kansas is last in the nation when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gov. Laura Kelly blames the issue on reporting problems and lack of proper training. Kansas has vaccinated just over… more

Coping with COVID: Booster shots of Pfizer vaccine begin this week for workers at KC area hospitals

Hospitals in the Kansas City metro began administering the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to frontline workers who received their initial doses last month. The second dose - or booster - is said to be essential to the vaccine’s effectiveness. However,… more

Kansas to increase testing, detect COVID-19 strains

The state of Kansas plans to increase genetic testing of COVID-19 positive patients to identify strains of the virus. Kansas currently tests around 1 percent of COVID-19 patients with genetic testing, according to Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health… more