Lumetra Healthcare Solutions

“A person can develop La Grippe”

–‘Adelaide’s Lament’ from Guys and Dolls

August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month, with the worthy goal of increasing awareness about immunizations across all ages, from infants to the elderly. And it’s the right time for everyone to catch up on his or her vaccinations. Children are enrolling in school; young adults are entering college, and healthcare workers are getting ready for the upcoming influenza season.

Immunizations: a public health triumph

The 20th century witnessed significant public health achievements through the employment of immunizations. Smallpox and the poliovirus have virtually been eliminated, and the numbers of measles, diphtheria, rubella, and pertussis cases have been drastically reduced. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has materials and resources for providers to customize for their patients, including immunization schedules for infants, children, adolescents, and adults.

A new challenge

This past spring the world was confronted with a new flu virus… Read More

In 2007 the Commonwealth Fund issued a report entitled “Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance.” In that report, California ranked last among all states for patients receiving the right care, e.g. consistent use of best practices in the prevention and/or treatment of chronic diseases.

As a result of this report, the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) jointly launched the Right Care Initiative (RCI) with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) at the first annual clinical quality improvement Leadership Summit in March 2008. The Summit was held on the UCLA campus and sponsored by the Deans of UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Public Health. It was geared to obtain participation from California’s leading health plans and medical group medical directors, as well as from healthcare industry leaders in evidence-based medicine.

Through periodic meetings, research, and collaborative action, the goal of the Right Care Initiative is to reach… Read More

The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research Report to the President and The Congress opens with the following questions: “What is the best pain management regimen for disabling arthritis in an elderly African-American woman with heart disease? For neurologically impaired children with special health care needs, what care coordination approach is most effective at preventing hospital readmissions? What treatments are most beneficial for patients with depression who have other medical illnesses? Can physicians tailor therapy to specific groups of patients using their history or special diagnostic tests? What interventions work best to prevent obesity or tobacco use?”

Unfortunately, the authors continue, the answer to such comparative, patient-centered questions is often, “We don’t really know.” To address this fundamental lack of understanding, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) – known as the “stimulus package” – allocates $1.1 billion to support “the development and dissemination of research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments… Read More

Lumetra, a fully accredited Independent Review Organization (IRO) by URAC, is seeking physician partners to serve as peer reviewers for a variety of national and international clients. Physician peer reviewers examine medical files and provide feedback on whether the care provided meets professional standards and evidence-based practices.

Lumetra offers competitive and generous reimbursement for case review. Through participation in Lumetra’s Peer Review Program, physicians are involved in the work of medical review: sharpening clinical skills through oversight of care by peers around the country and beyond. No liability or litigation is involved. According to Mousa Shamonki, MD, who practices obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA, “It is a pleasure to work with Lumetra. They make the process so, so easy for Physician Reviewers.”

Requirements for participation

• Active clinical practice (full-time or part-time)
• Hospital privileges
• Medical license
• Affiliation with an academic center
• Knowledge of Workers Compensation, disability insurance guidelines (optional)

Note: All reviews are time-sensitive, and – as such – require commitment… Read More

For several years, Lumetra has promoted the teamwork training system, TeamSTEPPS, as a powerful solution for improving patient safety within healthcare organizations. It was developed by the Department of Defense’s Patient Safety Program in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based system designed to improve communication and teamwork skills among healthcare professionals and includes ready-to-use materials and a training curriculum to successfully integrate teamwork principles into all areas of your organization.

Since the development of the program, AHRQ has endeavored to introduce the training to hospital systems and other healthcare organizations across the country and overseas as well. Organizations as diverse as the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, University of North Carolina Health Care, a Critical Access Hospital in Nebraska (Butler County Health Care Center), Georgia’s Quality Improvement Organization, and the South Australia Department of Health have undergone TeamSTEPPS training and have reported their success in a series… Read More

Lumetra has won several contracts recently that call for the review expertise of a number of healthcare professionals, especially psychologists, psychiatrists, dentists, as well as those who are Board Certified in Internal Medicine. This consultant work involves health plan audits for quality of care issues.

Lumetra offers a competitive reimbursement for healthcare reviewers. By participating, physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals can stay involved by sharpening clinical skills through oversight of care by peers and healthcare organizations in California. On occasion, travel may be involved and require the commitment of several days to a project. For this reason, recently retired healthcare professionals are encouraged to apply. No liability or litigation is involved.

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae to bmcdougall@lumetrasolutions.com, and write HEALTHCARE REVIEWER in the Subject line.