When I joined this magazine 21 years ago, one of my first assignments was to cover a state convention. It was a real eye-opener.
Here’s what the jury saw
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2011
Small fortunes are spent each year trying to figure out how juries reach their verdicts in malpractice cases.
Having just served on such a panel, I can probably offer some helpful insights. These may come...
Getting older and wider
Aug 02, 2011
I have a friend who says America is the only country where poor people are fat. Well, it’s not just the poor anymore.
The next time you are in a public place — say a restaurant or a mall — take...
The big picture: More Medicaid woes?
By
John O'Connor
Jul 01, 2011
When Congress repealed a budgetary provision known as the Boren Amendment back in 1997, I wrote that providers had lost a significant legal protection. It appears that the full force of that loss may soon...
A unique perspective
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2011
Michael Hargrave watches the eldercare field from a unique vantage point. He does it as the leader of NIC MAP. That’s shorthand for the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry’s...
This year I promise to…
By
John O'Connor
Jan 03, 2011
It’s very possible that as you are reading this, you have already abandoned those sincere New Year’s promises you made to yourself as 2011 was ringing in. If so, you’re hardly alone.
The BIG Picture: Let’s take out the trash
By
John O'Connor
Dec 01, 2010
In the song “Red Shoes,” Elvis Costello famously sings: “I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused.” Although the lyrics were recorded back in 1976, they provide an appropriate...
The BIG Picture: They like to talk—and do
By
John O'Connor
Nov 01, 2010
I had the good fortune to speak with two uniquely qualified insiders during the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry conference.
The BIG Picture: a sense of entitlement
By
John O'Connor
Apr 01, 2010
We’re so accustomed to deficit spending, the mounting numbers have essentially lost most of their shock value.
The BIG Picture: five-star survey system to the rescue?
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2010
Want to raise a colleague’s blood pressure? Just casually mention the government’s five-star rating system.