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American College of Gastroenterology to hold special briefing for journalists

The American College of Gastroenterology will hold a special briefing for journalists at its 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC highlighting new clinical science that explores the role of the "gut microbiota" - the bacterial composition of the GI tract - and the efficacy of probiotics in treating various GI conditions, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and bloating.

28 Oct 2011

Swapping IV medications with oral equivalents may save millions

Switching hospitalized patients able to take medication by mouth from intravenous to pill forms of the same drugs could safely save millions of dollars a year, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

28 Oct 2011

U.N. report calls for investment in health, education as world population approaches 7 billion

"Instead of worrying about sheer numbers when the world's population hits seven billion next week, we should think about how to make the planet a better place for people to live in, the United Nations said" in its report, "The State of World Population 2011," released Wednesday, Reuters reports.

28 Oct 2011

Medi-Cal payment rates back in the news; N.C. Medicaid program faces $140 million shortfall

Meanwhile, in Kansas, a working group met for the first time to figure out how the state's Medicaid program could interact with a health insurance exchange.

28 Oct 2011

Virtual platform for intellectual property sharing aims to speed development of drug treatments

"The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched a consortium on Wednesday that would allow the public and private sector to share intellectual property to promote the development of new drugs to treat diseases such as malaria," Reuters reports.

28 Oct 2011

Seasonal rains, flooding lead to cholera outbreak in Nigeria

"Seasonal rains cause massive damage and disease throughout Nigeria each year, and this year's onslaught comes as international experts warn West Africa is suffering from its worst cholera outbreaks in years," the Associated Press/ABC News reports.

28 Oct 2011

IFPA event to raise awareness of psoriasis on Oct. 29

Psoriasis can be a truly devastating disease, as it not only affects your health but can also have a severe impact on how you live your life. Many people with psoriasis experience social stigmatization and discrimination on a more or less daily basis, in a wide range of settings; at school, at work, at the gym, in public bath houses.

28 Oct 2011

IHA recognizes UCSD as 'Top Overall Physician Performing Organization'

UC San Diego Health System has been recognized by the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) as a "Top Overall Physician Performing Organization" in California.

28 Oct 2011

Global Post interviews former U.N. General Assembly president on role of water, sanitation in family planning

GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog interviewed Ambassador Jan Eliasson, former president of the U.N. General Assembly and Sweden's former minister for foreign affairs, on how water and sanitation play a part in family planning, as the world's population approaches seven billion.

28 Oct 2011

UCLA's TIES for Families program receives $5,000 Disneyland grant

For the ninth year, the Disneyland Resort Cast Community Fund has awarded a $5,000 grant to UCLA's TIES (Training, Intervention, Education and Services) for Families program for its services and achievement. The UCLA-based program is dedicated to preparing and supporting adoptive families of children from foster care.

28 Oct 2011

WHO releases updated NTD report

The WHO has released an updated version of its first report on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which was released last year.

28 Oct 2011

CRC Press publishes fourth edition of 'Alternative Sweeteners' book

The Calorie Control Council has announced the publication of "Alternative Sweeteners, Fourth Edition," the updated textbook edited by well-known sweetener authority Lyn O'Brien Nabors. The book has just been released by CRC Press in hardback.

28 Oct 2011

Longer looks: Looking for the inventor of the individual mandate, Miss. abortion referendum may have wider effects

In the course of defending the health care bill he passed in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney told Newt Gingrich that he got the idea for the individual mandate -- a rule dictating that everyone must buy health insurance or pay a penalty -- from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank. Is it really responsible for creating the policy that is now so anathema to conservatives?

28 Oct 2011

Health insurance may lead to increased asthma diagnosis in children

Providing health insurance to more children could lead to diagnosing additional cases of mild or intermittent asthma, a new study shows. Some who treat childhood asthma say this could increase the number of kids receiving medication to control their asthma symptoms and seeking care for asthma flares.

28 Oct 2011

IDSA conference panel addresses cholera outbreak in Haiti

In a two-part series, the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog summarizes the presentations of a panel of experts at the Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA) 49th Annual Meeting in Boston Sunday, who examined the origins of and responses to the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

28 Oct 2011

First-ever study of chronic postoperative pain in children

Are children suffering needlessly after surgery? UC Irvine anesthesiologists who specialize in pediatric care believe so. An operation can be one of the most traumatic events children face, and according to a UCI study, many of them experience unnecessary postsurgical pain lasting weeks or months.

28 Oct 2011

Super committee Dems ready 'grand bargain' with $400 billion Medicare plan; Republicans reject approach

As Republicans and Democrats on the congressional super committee swapped plans to reduce the federal deficit, the ideas they advanced demonstrated that the parties remain at odds over increasing taxes and making deep spending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

28 Oct 2011

Dems offer mixed views on CLASS Act's demise

But during a Wednesday congressional hearing, Department of Health and Human Services officials made clear that they really have stopped implementing the health law's long-term care insurance program, despite continuing pleas to give it another chance.

28 Oct 2011

NIDRR selects BMC as Spinal Cord Injury Model System site

The New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center at Boston Medical Center (BMC) has been selected as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

28 Oct 2011

CINJ experts available to discuss risk factors of pancreatic cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cancer killer in the country, with nearly 44,000 new cases expected in 2011 and more than 37,600 deaths by year's end. In New Jersey alone, an estimated 1,100 deaths are predicted this year due to the disease. The death of Steve Jobs, who suffered from a form of pancreatic cancer, has brought increased attention to the disease in recent weeks.

28 Oct 2011