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The article discusses developments in the physical therapy industry in the U.S. as of early August 2013. It features Randy Frieser, who returned to the sector when he partnered with Frederic Wolner to establish the company, Revolution Physical Therapy Weight Loss, which initially offered weight-loss counseling and personal training services. Frieser is also the founder of the rehabilitation chain Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers in the Chicago area in Illinois.

The article reports on the low number of primary care physicians coming from teaching hospitals in the Chicago area in Illinois despite the increased need for primary care as of 2013. Some of the well-known teaching hospitals in the area produced the fewest primary care physicians compared with those from other states between 2006 and 2008 based on a study. Medicare is identified as one factor contributing to the shortage in primary care physicians, but high number of specialists in the area.

The article reports on the state of the medical liability industry in Illinois as of June 2013. Medical malpractice insurance carrier ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co. posted a high net income in 2012 and has committed a 17 million U.S. dollar dividend to its 12,000 members. An overview of the liability landscape is also presented.

The article reports that the University of Chicago Medicine (U of C) in Illinois is requesting Chicago authorities in June 2013 to reopen inpatients beds in order to address its crowding problem. It mentions that the beds were shut down when the Hyde Park medical center launched its hospital. It also offers information on the crowding issue prevailing at the emergency room of U of C for adult patients.

The article reports on the efforts of hospitals in Chicago, Illinois to cut the waiting times in their emergency departments. It mentions that the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has implemented efficient strategies to lessen patients' waiting times. According to the author, one of the factors that affect the long waiting times in the departments is the responsibility of hospitals to accept all patients with different conditions and who need immediate medical help.

The article reports on the plan of Vista Health System in Waukegan, Illinois to build a 131 million U.S. dollars hospital in Lindenhurst, an affluent area of Lake County. Vista Health chief executive officer (CEO) Barbara Martin explains that the 132-bed hospital would boosts the finances of the Waukegan location which uses less than 50 percent of its 336 licensed beds. However, some community activists are opposing the proposed hospital expansion.

The article reports on the initiative of the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) to launch a new venture-capital fund aiming to provide early-stage capital that is particularly scarce amid the weak local economy.

The article focuses on the looming pension fund gap in 2013 confronting many hospital chief executive officers (CEOs) who are already caught between flattening revenues and rising costs. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' study of 550 health systems revealed that University of Chicago and Resurrection Health Care Corp. were among the most underfunded pension funds for U.S. hospitals. The deficit is due to investment portfolios that have not returned to pre-recession levels.

The article reports on the financial statement of Health Care Service Corp., the fourth-largest health insurer with a 46% increased in net income in the third quarter of 2012. It mentions that the revenue of the company rose to $15.36 billion during the first three quarters. It notes that Health Care Service Corp. is the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

The article reports that Northwestern Memorial HealthCare posts nearly $24 million first quarterly operating loss in 2012, which reflects the declining revenue and increasing expenses. It says that the quarterly operating losses are rare for health care networks. It also mentions that the operating loss in the fourth quarter was a result of planned expenses happened in the final quarter of the fiscal year.

The article focuses on 38-year-old Nina Nashif, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sandbox Industries and Healthbox LLC in Chicago, Illinois. It says that the pressure to find opportunities in uncharted place and to innovate fits Nashif as she tries to start healthcare entrepreneurship in the city. It also mentions that Nashif and her staff distinguish promising startups and provide them with resources and mentorship through an intense 10-week accelerator program.

The article features Arvind Goyal, medical director at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services' Division of Medical Programs in Chicago, Illinois. He took his medical degree at Punjabi University's Government Medical College in Patiala, India, where he graduated in 1970. The opinion of cardiovascular and thoraric surgeon Aladin Mariano on Goyal is also cited.

The article discusses the Association of University Technology Managers' data which shows Northwestern University in Illinois as the leading college in terms of revenue from inventions since 2008. The university's gross intellectual property revenue increased due to royalties from Lyrica, an anti-seizure drug developed by a chemistry professor. Illinois ranks third among all states in terms of total university licensing revenue from 2002 to 2011.

The article features Chad Mirkin, renowned in the world of nanotechnology who started three companies. He earned his doctorate in chemistry at Penn State University in 1989. His first venture in 1999 was Nano-sphere Inc. that produces diagnostics equipment for proteins and nucleic acids. NanoInk Inc. produces dip-pen nanolithography technology with pharmaceutical applications. His newest venture is AuraSense Therapeutics LLC that commercializes new gene regulation therapies.

This article reports that Illinois state records found that urologist Sam Lipshitz is one of the highest-paid Medicaid doctors in part by billing for group psychotherapy sessions.

The article reports on how the fundraising for the University of Chicago (U of C) Medicine was affected by the death of James Tyree, chief executive officer (CEO) of Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. It states that after Tyree's death at the U of C medical center, its fundraising for a hospital is almost 80 million dollars behind. Meanwhile, it mentions that the donations for the hospital were expected to amount for nearly one-seventh of the total cost.

The article reports that the Illinois Medicaid inspector general is investigating Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. medical director Medicaid billing practices. According to the state records investigation, doctor Caroline Hoke was reimbursed more than three million dollars by Medicaid in the 2009 fiscal year, making her the program's second-largest-paid doctors. It also mentions that Medicaid officials suspended payments only when additional payments would be improper.

The article reports that the top doctors at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois was not licensed to practice medicine. It mentions that doctor Leighton Smith left his position in June 2012 as chief medical officer (CMO), wherein he had held the post for nearly eight years, although state records show that his license expired in 1999. It states that having an unlicensed CMO could complicate the hospital's defense against lawsuits.

The article offers information on the Illinois Medicaid program in relation to the annual payment rates of Medicaid doctors. It says that the Medicaid budget to reduce a 2.7 billion annual deficit in the healthcare program in Springfield, Illinois would not help to relief the serious storage of doctors who are willing to treat patients at the lowest rate. It states that doctor fees are one of the reasons why many specialists in Chicago area do not make appointments with Medicaid patients.

The article reports that high technology entrepreneur Glen Tullman fights to save the merger between Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. and Eclipsys Corp. worth 1.3 billion dollars in the U.S. It mentions that two years he made a merger deal with Eclipsys, the stock price of Allscripts decreased by 34%. Meanwhile in April 2010, the board of directors give Tullman vote of confidence because they believed that Tullman can work things out.

The article reports on the 4.4 billion-dollar acquisition of Walgreen Co. by SXC Health Solutions Corp. It says that Lisle-based SXC would double its annual revenue by 13 billion dollars by merging with Rockville, Maryland-based Catalyst Health Solutions Inc. It states the SXC is confident to compete against CVS Caremark Corp. and Express Scripts Inc.

The article reports on the speculation that the U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Law critics believe that the law would increase the budget deficit and health care costs. The impact of the reform on the health care industry and the reaction of the health care executives are also explored.

The article reports on the plan of NorthShore University HealthSystem chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Neaman to renovate the Skokie hospital in Illinois. It states that the hospital was acquired by Northwestern Memorial HealthCare for 160 million dollar to convert it into a state-of-the-art medical center by turning operating rooms into spacious suites. Furthermore, Neaman also mentions the significant changes of the hospital to better serve the patients.

The article focuses on the lowering of Medicare revenue due to high readmission rates. Under the new federal health care law, Illinois hospitals face Medicare cuts amounting to 19 million dollars as many of their patients are being readmitted. The readmission data from 2008-2011 will be evaluated for pneumonia, heart attacks and heart failure. As shown by state data, 27 hospitals received an average of 27 percent of patient revenues from Medicare in 2010.

The article presents information on Mark Frey, president of Alexian Brothers Health System Inc., a network of hospitals and clinics in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Alexian was acquired by St. Louis, Missouri-based Ascension Health in December 2011. 56-year old Frey has worked in various positions at Alexian Brothers, and currently he is involved in managing the integration of Alexian into Ascension Health.

The article reports that the Illinois Medical District Commission which is posting losses since 2004, is focusing on projects aimed more at generating badly needed revenue than fulfilling its primary purpose of promoting health care-related development. The agency is trying to avoid a default on 40 million dollars in bonds issued in 2006 to support construction of laboratory space for medical research. Executive director Sam Pruett is now considering commercial projects to generate revenue.

The article focuses on the fundraising of Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago, Illinois for its 915 million dollars hospital building that will open on June 9, 2012. It mentions that the fundraising was launched before the 2008 financial crisis and recession. It states that the hospital raised 166 million dollars including 100 million dollars from is former critical nurse Ann Lurie. Furthermore, it discusses the net and operational income of the hospital from 2007 to 2011.

The article offers information on the deal between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois and Rush University Medical Center's Near West Side teaching hospital. It states that the deal began when Blue cross stopped one health maintenance organization HMO contract with Rush. Rush chief executive officer (CEO) Larry Goodman says that the building of the center will keep pace with other academic medical centers in Chicago, Illinois, but will have some financial strain in the long-term debt.

The article discusses the discontentment of Hospira Inc. executive chairman Christopher Begley with regards to his relations with their investors. It notes that Begley mentions his disappointments when John Rogers Jr. of Ariel Investments LLC questioned his leadership and the overall financial performance of the company. In addition, the company's stock has plunged to 28.19 dollars per share from 49%, ranking them as the worst performer among large medical device companies.

The article focuses on a legal dispute between investors over control of Chicago, Illinois-based Shield Technologies Corp., supplier of covers for howitzers, rocket launchers and other military equipment. A group of investors, including a former insurance executive, a turnaround expert and the owner of a Chicago plating company, is fighting with Samuel Sax, founder of Shield. Sax is supported by another Shield investor James Donnelley.