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Discrimination against LGBT population undermining HIV prevention efforts in Guatemala, IPS reports

Inter Press Service examines discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Guatemala, where advocates and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say such discrimination is undermining HIV prevention and treatment. Carolos Valdez of the NGO Proyecto Unidos "said the country has taken 'few steps' for preventing the spread of HIV among vulnerable groups," including "opening five clinics catering to members of sexual minorities," IPS writes.

15 Dec 2011

ASN joins ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign

The American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world's leading kidney organization, joins the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, eight other leading national medical specialty societies and Consumer Reports in the Choosing Wisely campaign. This campaign will help physicians, patients and other health care professionals address overuse of health care resources in the United States.

15 Dec 2011

Scientists evaluate toxicity of Peruvian plant species in traditional medicine

Many developing countries rely on traditional medicine as an accessible and affordable treatment option for human maladies. However, until now, scientific data has not existed to evaluate the potential toxicity of medicinal plant species in Peru. Scientists from the William L. Brown Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis led a study using brine shrimp to determine the toxicity of 341 Northern Peruvian plant species commonly ingested in traditional medicine.

15 Dec 2011

Ron Paul takes strong stand on government's role in health care; Obama asks supporters to 'stick with him'

While GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul told his supporters that Medicare and Medicaid have no basis in the Constitution, President Barack Obama asked his backers to stay with him in the upcoming election.

15 Dec 2011

Thousands of diabetes-related deaths could be avoided with better care: UK Report

According to a new report up to 24,000 diabetes-related deaths could be avoided in England each year, if patients and doctors better managed the condition. This is the first-ever audit of patient deaths from diabetes. It says that basic health checks, a good diet and regular medication could prevent most of the deaths.

15 Dec 2011

Debate on freedom of speech regarding vaccines at Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival is one of Australia's largest and most popular festivals with approximately 130,000 people attending over six days and six nights. On this year's speakers list is anti-vaccine lobbyist Meryl Dorey, spokesperson for the Northern NSW-based Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).

15 Dec 2011

Health Canada approves Positron's Attrius system

Positron Corporation, a leading molecular imaging company specializing in the field of nuclear cardiology is pleased to announce today that on December 12, 2011, the Company's Positron Emission Tomography Scanner(s) Attrius & Attrius L have received approval for sale in Canada.

15 Dec 2011

Molecular signature indicative of hypoxia predicts progression to AD

A study led by Research Professor Matej Ore-ič from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland suggests that Alzheimer's disease is preceded by a molecular signature indicative of hypoxia and up-regulated pentose phosphate pathway.

15 Dec 2011

Roundup: Nonprofits get big money in disabled payments; Calif. budget problems bring additional Medicaid cutbacks

Spending on this little-known home care program, called Community Habilitation, has soared in recent years, creating multimillion-dollar surpluses at some nonprofit agencies and eye-popping salaries and benefits for those who run them. And it helps explain how New York's costs of caring for developmentally disabled people have ballooned in recent years, creating the nation's most generous system of Medicaid-financed programs, with little scrutiny of its efficiency or result.

15 Dec 2011

CSIS High-Level Forum discusses vaccines

The Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) blog SmartGlobalHealth.org describes the second CSIS High-Level Forum on U.S. Leadership in Global Health, which "placed a focus on vaccines as instruments of U.S. global leadership in pursuit of security and economic interests at home and abroad, in close enduring partnerships with corporations, foundations, multilateral organizations, and other countries."

15 Dec 2011

Cancer screening: Is it necessary in the elderly?

There is a long ongoing debate on whether the elderly need to be routinely screened for cancers. A new survey shows that the majority of nearly 19 million Americans over age 75 dutifully get screened for breast, prostate, and colon cancers each year.

14 Dec 2011

Use of rapid male circumcision tool will help Africa reach HIV prevention goals

In order for Rwanda to reach its HIV prevention goals, the country "need[s] to reach two million men in two years to benefit from the protective effect of [voluntary medical male circumcision] in order to achieve this as part of a comprehensive, combination HIV prevention strategy," Agnes Binagwahois, Rwanda's minister of health, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

14 Dec 2011

Bill that forces prompt payments from Medicaid advances in House; Grassley challenges CMS on hedge funds

Modern Healthcare reports that Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., have introduced legislation to require Medicaid to pay its bills promptly. Also in the news, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Monday that he believes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may have given special treatment to information requests from hedge funds and political intelligence brokers.

14 Dec 2011

House vote scheduled on payroll tax reduction package

The bill, which also would extend a number of other expiring measures and includes "must-pass" provisions such as the Medicare "doc fix," has drawn opposition. Hospitals groups have blasted it because it includes billions of dollars in cuts to hospital payments.

14 Dec 2011

Health policy issues draw headlines for Romney and Gingrich

News outlets fact check the policy question behind GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's $10,000 bet. Meanwhile, other stories focus on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's support for the Medicare Part D drug program.

14 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 14, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about progress -- or lack thereof -- as the House and Senate work to come to terms on the year's must-pass legislation.

14 Dec 2011

ICFH to implement EHRs for behavioral health services

Institute for Child and Family Health (ICFH) has received a $100,000 grant from Health Foundation of South Florida to implement electronic health records for the organization's behavioral health services.

14 Dec 2011

Study: High cancer screening rates seen among elderly adults

Adults older than 75 years continue to have regular screenings for colorectal, breast, cervical, and prostate cancer despite guidelines that recommend against such routine screenings in this population, according to a study by Keith M. Bellizzi, MD, MPH, from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and colleagues.

14 Dec 2011

Capsules: Hospitals clash with House Republicans on Medicare cuts

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Mary Agnes Carey reports: "Hospitals have come out swinging against payment cuts to their industry included in the House Republican plan to stop a scheduled Medicare physician payment cut next January. And the House GOP is swinging right back."

14 Dec 2011

Calif. revamping mental health services

California has begun transitioning its mental health services program to concentrate care on the most serious patients residing in state mental hospitals and prisons, but the cost-cutting move is raising concerns about patient care from state workers. The state announced last week it will hand off more responsibility for public mental health programs to counties as part of Gov. Jerry Brown's ongoing push to move services to California's local governments.

14 Dec 2011