After an August 2007 eight-week internal investigation into its billing practices, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center recently notified government agencies about potential irregularities at one of the center's clinical services, the Valley News reported on Nov. 7. In a statement to the Valley News, DHMC spokesman David Evancich said, "legal counsel advised us that there was sufficient evidence to indicate some concerns were justified. Legal counsel advised DHMC leadership to report the matter to the appropriate agency and to immediately initiate a more comprehensive internal review." Evancich said that the subsequent review will be overseen by DHMC's office of compliance and audit services, as well as the hospital's attorneys.
Famed screenwriter and author Peter Viertel '41 died this Sunday of lymphoma, the New York Times reported. Viertel wrote at least nine critically acclaimed novels as well as several screenplays, including ones for famous films such as Alfred Hitchcock's "Saboteur" (1942) and adaptations of Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (1957) and "The Old Man and the Sea" (1958). Viertel also served as the on-scene script doctor for "The African Queen" (1951). He was preceded in death by wife Deborah Kerr, who died three weeks ago, and is survived by his daughter, Christine, and brother, Thomas.
The social networking site Facebook.com introduced a new marketing system on Nov. 6 whereby ad space is shown next to pictures of individuals who purchased or expressed opinions about the products in the advertisement, The New York Times reported. Advertisers will also now be allowed to create private profiles. Web users who shop online may be asked whether they would like their consumer choices to be broadcast to their friends on Facebook. In a recent meeting of advertising executives and reporters, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said that this advertising move will make the site seem more personal, as advertisements will be accompanied by recommendations by a user's friends.
