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Obama taps White House chief of staff to head Treasury department

News outlets report that although Jack Lew is known as a deficit hawk, he has been a defender of Medicaid and other safety net programs.

11 Jan 2013

New Congress brings changes in leadership, expertise

Politico offers insights regarding the leadership style and health law attitudes of Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., who will chair the House Labor, HHS appropriations subcommittee. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports that two physicians were sworn in yesterday -- doubling the number of doctors in the Democratic caucus.

7 Jan 2013

California Nurses Association, National Union Of Healthcare Workers join forces

The move could change the scope of labor battles statewide and renew a rivalry between the nurses organization and the Service Employees International Union, according to media reports.

7 Jan 2013

NEJM begins series of review articles on global health

The January 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine "includes the first article in a series of review articles on global health," Harvey Fineberg of the Institute of Medicine and David Hunter of the Harvard School of Public Health write in an NEJM editorial.

4 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: McConnell says spending cuts are coming; Plea to Kan. governor to rethink insurance exchange

Predictably, the President is already claiming that his tax hike on the "rich" isn't enough. I have news for him: the moment that he and virtually every elected Democrat in Washington signed off on the terms of the current arrangement, it was the last word on taxes.

4 Jan 2013

New technique can precisely add or delete genes in living cells

Researchers at MIT, the Broad Institute and Rockefeller University have developed a new technique for precisely altering the genomes of living cells by adding or deleting genes.

4 Jan 2013

Hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies face changing marketplace

A report by federal health care inspectors in November said the U.S. nursing home industry overbills Medicare $1.5 billion a year for treatments patients don't need or never receive.

3 Jan 2013

As fiscal cliff nears, there's a 'flurry of activity,' but hope for a deal is still slim

News outlets report that a patch to prevent a scheduled cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients is among the items that could wind up in a last-minute fiscal deal.

29 Dec 2012

Not all hospitals play fair in reporting first baby of the new year

"The race to have the first baby is something all hospitals share enthusiasm for, especially in large cities like Chicago, and, unfortunately, not all hospitals play fair," said Karen Deighan, MD, OB/GYN, director of OB/GYN at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System. Loyola has welcomed the first baby of the new year for Chicago twice in the past three years.

27 Dec 2012

USAID releases Action Plan on Children in Adversity

On Wednesday, USAID, "along with representatives from seven government agencies and departments, launched the first-ever, whole-of-government strategic guidance on international assistance for children in adversity," a USAID press release reports.

21 Dec 2012

Many uninsured still don't understand health law's benefits while employers remain concerned about costs

The New York Times examines efforts by a nonprofit group to explain the overhaul's provisions to the uninsured. And the Wall Street Journal looks at an employer's efforts to keep the number of workers low so he can avoid the law.

21 Dec 2012

Science supports early interventions for children in adversity

Neil Boothby, U.S. government special adviser and senior coordinator to the USAID administrator on children in adversity, writes in a USAID "IMPACTblog" post that the international community has scientific evidence and empirical data "that sho[w] investments made early in the lives of children yield greater returns than at any other point in the life cycle."

20 Dec 2012

Today is deciding time for states on health exchanges

The Associated Press reports that 19 states have turned down the idea of running health insurance exchanges, creating a daunting task for the federal government.

15 Dec 2012

Administration of N2O + ISO appears to have negative effect on fetal development

An anesthetic regimen typically used during surgery on pregnant mothers appears to have a negative effect on the development of the fetus, according to a new study on mice conducted by neurobiologists from the National Center for Toxicological Research, in Arizona.

14 Dec 2012

In shadow of fiscal cliff, other congressional activity on health care goes on

On Capitol Hill, various members and committees are writing letters to the administration or proposing legislation.

14 Dec 2012

Madagascar traditional midwives recruited to bring women in labor to clinics for care

IRIN examines efforts to recruit Madagascar's traditional midwives, called "matronnes," to "a campaign to get women to deliver in clinics or hospitals, part of a move to lower maternal and newborn death rates."

13 Dec 2012

Vaccines serve as 'engine for economic growth'

Vaccines "save lives by protecting people against disease," but they "also are an engine for economic growth -- far beyond their health benefits," GAVI Alliance CEO Seth Berkley writes in a CNN opinion piece.

11 Dec 2012

Study calls for reform of Medicare reimbursement rates and hospice eligibility requirements

In the first national survey of enrollment policies at hospices, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Yale University have found that the vast majority of hospices in the United States have at least one enrollment policy that could restrict access for terminally ill Medicare patients with high-cost medical needs.

5 Dec 2012

Roe, Gingrey to lead GOP doctors caucus

Meanwhile, The Hill reports that House Republicans are likely to embrace the same Medicare cuts that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had assailed President Barack Obama over, but which are likely to be included again in the House Republican budget. And Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., is getting encouragement to head the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

4 Dec 2012

Leaders, policymakers recognize World AIDS Day

On Saturday, December 1, "United Nations officials [marked] World AIDS Day with a call for building on recent successes and pressing ahead to get to zero -- zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths -- by 2015," the U.N. News Centre reports.

4 Dec 2012