Umms

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center loses about $400,000 every day it's not certified by Medicare to collect payments from the federal health care program. The big question is how much that will ultimately cost the Towson hospital. Tens of millions of dollars could be at stake. The University of Maryland Medical System voluntary gave up the Medicare certification when it bought St. Joseph from Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives in a $206.3 million deal that closed in December.

The University of Maryland Medical System said yesterday that it will become the parent company of Maryland General Health Systems in an "affiliation" that would preserve the two hospital systems as separate entities, while reducing their operating costs.No money will change hands, except for a contribution by UMMS for capital improvements at Maryland General, officials said at a news conference at Maryland General.Each system will retain its name and board of directors, but they will pool some medical resources and develop a joint referral system.

Often lost in the deluge of ideas on how to create new jobs, and in particular unskilled jobs in areas where unemployment is high, is this easily overlooked one: Have the leading institutions within a city bring their power and influence to the task of attracting job-creating businesses.A recent case in point is the experience of Baxter International. This company is the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of health care products and services for use in health care settings.Only recently, with the help of the University of Maryland Medical Systems, Baxter chose to locate a plant, a sterilization and processing facility, in Baltimore City.

Linda Teixeira, of Laurel, is no stranger to emergency rooms. Her daughter is on dialysis and has other related health issues that require emergency care on a regular basis. What is new for Teixeira is that on this particular evening, she's waiting for her daughter in Laurel Regional Hospital's waiting room. "We live up the street and could walk here, but she was here a couple of times in the past and the service wasn't good, so we had been going to Howard General," Teixeira said.

Thanks to Wall Street bonuses and government bailouts, the size of the federal debt, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and other recent scandals, U.S. politicians have learned to express outrage as reflexively as some of us say "ouch" even before the doctor inserts the needle. Just watch the cable networks or read the blogosphere: It pays to be angry these days, and the less rational the better. But sometimes knee-jerk populist indignation comes off as, well, knee-jerk populist indignation.

The University of Maryland Medical System, which operates the University of Maryland Hospital, has purchased Deaton Specialty Hospital & Home, a long-term care facility located on South Charles Street at the Inner Harbor.The purchase price for the 370-bed facility, located next to the Harbor Court Hotel, was not disclosed. State tax assessment records show the Deaton property and its building improvements were valued at $11.7 million in January 1994.The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS)

St. Joseph Medical Center officially became part of the University of Maryland Medical System this past weekend, and it's difficult not to see this development as a victory for all involved. The hospital had been rocked by a malpractice scandal — and hundreds of lawsuits — involving unnecessary surgeries conducted by its cardiology department, and the new ownership would seem to give the institution and its employees a fresh start. For several years, St. Joseph has been operating under a cloud left behind by Dr. Mark Midei and the stent procedures of questionable merit.

The troubles at the University of Maryland Medical System started long before one-third of the board, including its chairman, resigned a week and a half ago. And it predates the dispute over how to replace outgoing Chief Executive Officer Edmond F. Notebaert, who announced his retirement in July. Tensions at the medical system have been building for years, and critics who now lambaste Gov. Martin O'Malley for intervening in the matter have it exactly wrong. The problem is not that the governor took recent action but that he did not step in much earlier when it was clear that UMMS leadership had become dysfunctional.

The man tapped Thursday as the CEO of the newly created University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center is known for his work in oncology, but for the last few years has been working toward a career on the administrative side of the hospital business. Radiation oncologist Dr. Mohan Suntha will take over as president and CEO of the Towson hospital Dec. 1, when the University of Maryland Medical System is expected to complete its acquisition of St. Joseph Medical Center from Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives.

 The obstetrics unit at Maryland General will close June 30th displacing 10 to 15 doctors and midwives. The news was first reported in the Baltimore Business Journal. The University of Maryland Medical System, which owns Maryland General, made the decision to stop the services because of a declining number of deliveries at the hospital, said spokeswoman Mary Lynn Carver. The hospital delivered about 1,200 babies annually five years ago and now delivers about 400 each year.