A Look Inside the Digital Hospital “Nobody could build this today. That’s why it’s an asset to the state of Alabama, a fabulous asset,” says Bill Heburn, CEO of Trinity Medical Center, as he begins the tour of the Digital Hospital. Trinity is currently vying for a Certificate of Need (CON) to allow them to move into the building. Jane Ehrhardt

MASA Leaders Speak Out on Healthcare Reform “We’re still going to be talking about reform in January, even if Congress passed a bill in November,” said the president of to the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA), Jorge Alsip, MD. Jane Ehrhardt

ENT Physicians Treat Variety of Otolaryngologic Ddisorders ENT Associates of Alabama, P.C. added two partners in 2009, Drs. Scott Elledge and Stephen Favrot, and acquired two new locations in the process. The group of twelve physicians offers otolaryngology services in eight locations, focusing on general ear, nose and throat treatment, head and neck diseases and surgeries, voice disorders, allergies, and cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. While all of the physicians are board certified and qualified to practice all aspects of otolaryngology, some are more interested in certain sub-specialties than others. Cathy DeLozier

Integrated Modalities Generate Stellar Outcomes at Birmingham Clinic “Like all good medicine, this is all evidence-based and outcomes-oriented,” says James E. McMinn, MD, about his unique practice in Homewood focused on wellness and utilizing a variety of medical modalities. Currently, the McMinn Clinic has a month-long waiting list. “We would not be so successful if we didn’t have great outcomes.” Jane Ehrhardt

One Nineteen Melds Wellness and Medicine A Growing Medical Campus Flourishes alongside a Gym and Spa“Wellness has a lot of pieces to it,” says Steven Sims, director of clinical services at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Health and Wellness. “Our approach is to address all the aspects of holistic care and what goes into a healthy lifestyle.” So the facility offers a buffet of choices to support wellness, including a state-of-the-art gym, a saline lap pool, certified dietician, and luxury spa. Jane Ehrhardt

The Flavor of Compassion Dr. Luis Pineda and Cooking with Cancer The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated. - Plato Matthew Parker, MD

Providers Beware: RAC Program May Get Worse The proposed Senate health care reform bill, which proposes the expansion of the existing RAC program, comes on the heels of a November 18, 2009, report by the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) revealing that the federal government made $98 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2009, an increase of 37.5% since 2008. Of that amount, the OMB found that there were $24 billion in improper Medicare fee-for-service payments, $18 billion in improper payments made by the Medicaid program, and $12 billion in improper payments made by the Medicaid Advantage program... Robin Franco