Fewer than half of individuals who have "non-specific" chest pain (not explained by a well-known condition) experience relief from symptoms following standard medical care, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, one-tenth of those with persistent chest pain undergo potentially unnecessary diagnostic testing. [More]

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center announced a $300,000 grant from OneWest Foundation to support the Community Outreach Assistance for Children’s Health (COACH) program. The grant will fund the delivery of free, high-quality healthcare in a mobile medical clinic that reaches out to underserved children and their families in Los Angeles. [More]

Today, the three Colleges that regulate nursing in the Province of Alberta, the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA), released Knowledge and Education at Entry to Nursing Practice in Alberta (2009), a report that identifies the similarities and differences in educational preparation among the nursing professions. [More]

Virginian-Pilot: Area hospitals are preparing "for a round of Medicaid spending cuts that executives say could be the worst in decades and lead to more cutbacks in their organizations. Rising health care costs and a surge in the number of Medicaid patients have increased the state's obligation to the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled by $777.7 million over two years. [More]

The Wall Street Journal reports that insurers are bringing their insurance plans in compliance with new rules and laws that make mental health and substance abuse insurance coverage available to millions of Americans. [More]

Mental health professionals have long-known that gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) teens face significantly elevated risks of mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. However, a group of McGill University researchers in Montreal has now come to the conclusion that self-identity is the crucial risk-factor, rather than actual sexual behaviours. Their results were published in February in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. [More]

Health Affairs: Prices Don't Drive Regional Medicare Spending Variations - "Per capita Medicare spending is more than twice as high in New York City and Miami than in places like Salem, Oregon. [More]

The Associated Press reports that, according to Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., "The Defense Department will investigate complaints of substandard mental health care for Marines at Camp Lejeune. ... Public questions about the quality of mental health care provided by a private contractor at the base were raised last year by the September firing of Dr. Kernan Manion, a brain trauma specialist who had complained to commanders about poor facilities, inadequate care programs and weak security. [More]

The American Psychological Association urged both the Pentagon and Congress today to move swiftly to end the restrictions on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, noting that there are decades of scientific research demonstrating no threat to military readiness or morale. [More]

An estimated 3 million full-time workers in America without health insurance (16.3 percent of all full-time workers without health care insurance) needed substance use treatment in the past year according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Levels of need were particularly high among those in this category who were aged 18 to 25 (24.4 percent) and males (19.2 percent). [More]

Children who are especially reactive to stress are more vulnerable to adversity and have more behavior and health problems than their peers. But a new longitudinal study suggests that highly reactive children are also more likely to do well when they're raised in supportive environments. [More]

News outlets report on health care developments in Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Iowa, Maryland, Maine and Michigan. [More]

"Forty percent of the 12 million people diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year could avert the killer disease by protecting themselves against infections and changing their lifestyles, experts said on Tuesday," Reuters reports. [More]

Alkermes, Inc. today announced that it has developed a novel, proprietary LinkeRx™ technology platform to enable the creation of injectable extended-release versions of antipsychotics and other central nervous system (CNS) therapies. [More]

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9f8531/forensic_mental_he) has announced the addition of the "Forensic Mental Health Nursing Bundle" report to their offering. [More]