"Health & Medical News"

The Bush administration wants to pour billions into fighting drugs in Mexico after doing the same in Colombia, but some Central American nations are complaining that they are not getting their share of the antidrug cash, the Washington Post reported Nov. 29.

“Central American officials feel that they will not be able to confront threats effectively without more assistance,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.? ”They fear that gang members and drug traffickers will flee Mexico for Central America, where it will be easier to operate.”

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Large physician groups have long had a head start on solo and small practices in the medical marketplace because they can negotiate better health plan contracts. Now, a rising tide of evidence indicates that size also confers a quality advantage.

Researchers admit that the medical literature emerging on the relationship between group size and quality is far from a slam dunk. They argue, however, that bigger physician groups can pool capital to pay for electronic medical records systems and other quality initiatives that help them more reliably deliver guideline-based care.

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