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National, continental health center coordination lacking in E. coli outbreak response

During the handling of the E. coli outbreak in Germany, "coordination of the German public health response seems to have been utterly absent," a Lancet editorial states, adding, "But one should also ask: where was the European Centres of Disease Prevention and Control? … From the public's point of view, no visible collaboration seems to have taken place."

13 Jun 2011

S. African government program reduced MTCT HIV transmission rate to 3.5%, study shows

The South African government's program to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV has reduced the rate of virus transmission to about 3.5 percent, "potentially sparing some 67,000 babies from HIV infection," according to research presented on Wednesday by the Medical Research Council at the 5th South African AIDS Conference in Durban, Health-e/allAfrica.com reports.

13 Jun 2011

Huffington Post AIDS commentaries

The Huffington Post has several commentaries about the 30th anniversary of AIDS and other issues surrounding the epidemic.

13 Jun 2011

Governments need to address disability to achieve MDGs, WHO/World Bank report says

More than one billion people worldwide live with a physical or mental disability, with 80 percent of those people living in developing countries, according to the first world report on disability, published by the WHO and World Bank on Thursday, the Guardian reports.

13 Jun 2011

The U.S. and the GAVI Alliance

This fact sheet from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the GAVI Alliance and the role the U.S. government plays in supporting the partnership. Created in 1999, GAVI began operations in January 2000 and by the end of 2010 had received over $5 billion in donor financing and disbursed over $2.8 billion to support immunization programs in 76 low- and middle-income countries.

13 Jun 2011

Pawlenty rips Romney's health plan; other GOP candidates get ready to rumble

In advance of Monday night's GOP presidential contenders' debate, news outlets covered candidates ramping up the rhetoric on health care.

13 Jun 2011

The U.S. commitment to GAVI

In a post on the Center for Global Development's "Global Health Policy" blog, Amanda Glassman, CGD's director of global health policy, discusses the U.S. pledge for the GAVI Alliance and outlines why providing $450 million over three years to GAVI "is both compassionate and cost-effective".

13 Jun 2011

VCU Medical Center is new headquarters for Pan American Trauma Society

The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is the new headquarters for the Pan American Trauma Society - the lead organization for the advancement of trauma care systems in the Americas.

10 Jun 2011

MHS wins EPA's 2011 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management

Centene Corporation announced today that Managed Health Services (MHS), its Indiana subsidiary, won the 2011 National Environmental Leadership Award (Health Plan Division) in Asthma Management from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

10 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on medical errors; Lieberman on Medicare; The Massachusetts track record

There is no doubt that America has the world's most skilled doctors and nurses and its finest hospitals. Every day, many Americans receive care that is as good as or better than any in the world. But far too often, we fall short of that high standard when good people get trapped in flawed systems (Kathleen Sebelius and Sue Currin, 6/10).

10 Jun 2011

Research Roundup: Depression disparities; Parents' views of vaccines

Archives Of Pediatrics And Adolescent Medicine: Hospital-Based Programs For Children With Special Health Care Needs: Implications Of Health Care Reform -- This study looks at 33 hospital-based comprehensive care programs for children with special needs to evaluate their effectiveness.

10 Jun 2011

Medicare politics trigger concerns in debt-deal talks

The Hill reports that some Republican lawmakers are growing "wary" that, in regard to Medicare, a recent Democratic upset in a New York special congressional election is a "canary in the coalmine." Meanwhile, Democrats are working to position themselves as the Medicare protectors -- even as a fact-checker questions some of their comments.

10 Jun 2011

GOP senators ask HHS to let Indiana cut Planned Parenthood funding

Twenty-eight Republican senators said Thursday that the Obama administration should not stop the state of Indiana from implementing a new law designed to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Earlier this month, the federal Medicaid agency denied Indiana's proposal to prevent state residents from using Medicaid at any entity that provides abortions.

10 Jun 2011

State news: Mass. immigrant care; Pension benefit changes in Calif. cities

Thousands of legal immigrants may have to wait weeks longer to find out whether the state's highest court will order Massachusetts to restore their full health insurance benefits. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Robert J. Cordy today ordered lawyers for the state to file their motions by June 23.

10 Jun 2011

Large medical groups urge OMB to be careful with ACO budget expectations

The American Group Management Association asked the Obama administration to scale back the anticipated savings that are expected from the creation of accountable care organizations. Setting the savings bar too high, the organizations said, could cause the ACO program to be unsuccessful.

10 Jun 2011

States make progress setting up exchanges

Even governors who are opposed to the federal health law appear to be taking steps to comply with the health overhaul's exchanges provision. Meanwhile, in Oregon, the governor is expected to sign the exchange legislation passed by the legislature earlier this week.

10 Jun 2011

For docs, quality bonuses are few and far between

Talk to anyone for very long about how to improve health care in the U.S. and you eventually hear something along the lines of: "We have to start paying physicians for getting and keeping people healthy instead of for doing as many procedures and tests as possible" (Hobson, 6/9).

10 Jun 2011