When President Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law this past February, allotting $19 billion to accelerate the nationwide adoption of electronic health records, he welcomed a new era in American healthcare: the age of connectivity.

Cardiovascular care, like other areas of medicine, is feeling the pinch of the economic tourniquet applied to stop the hemorrhaging of dollars and the potential closure of life-saving services. Interestingly, the pulse of electrophysiology is anything but flatlined, and vendors and CFOs are all a-flutter at the staggering growth of EPestimated to be between 12 and 15 percent annually.

The American College of Cardiology held its successful 58th Annual Scientific Session in Orlando, Fla., in March. The event featured exciting science, quality improvement programming and critical networking opportunities for the entire cardiovascular community. In addition, the meeting provided an opportunity for the college to re-affirm its commitment to leading healthcare reform.

A compendium of the business intelligence required to launch a CCTA service

Breast cancer rates increased significantly in four Norwegian counties after women there began undergoing mammography every two years, according to a report in Mondays issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Health system reform is imminent. If you travel anywhere in the United States, you will find physician and patient satisfaction levels decreasing as a result of inconsistent quality, lack of coordinated care and medical liability concerns. Combine these factors with 47 million uninsured Americans, and you have a system primed for reform.

In today’s healthcare reimbursement scene, reimbursement in cardiology per procedure code tends to be declining. Along with flat or declining volumes and increasing overhead costs, many shareholders are experiencing a downslope in income. Thousands of dollars can be recouped, as well as costly penalties avoided, by paying close attention to billing and coding.

Today’s uncertain healthcare environment has spurred a new wave of medical practice buy-outs, mergers and purchases. Cardiology practices, which were previously perceived as being impervious to purchase offers by hospitals, are now becoming targets for purchase.