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Vanguard signs definitive agreement to acquire Arizona Heart Institute

Vanguard Health Systems and Arizona Heart Institute (AHI) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement for Vanguard to acquire Arizona Heart Institute, one of the world's leading providers of cardiovascular care. Through this agreement, AHI will align with Abrazo Health Care, a Phoenix-based subsidiary of Vanguard, to become part of its distributive cardiovascular network of community-based physicians, providing future opportunities to greatly expand cardiovascular services and patient base throughout the region.

3 Aug 2010

Take Care Health Systems applauds US Senate for declaration of National Convenient Care Clinic Week

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens and the nation's largest and most comprehensive manager of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers, today praised the US Senate for its declaration of August 2-8 as "National Convenient Care Clinic Week". The resolution was introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

2 Aug 2010

An overview of IntraHealth-UNC Summer Fellows Program

Four master's students and one doctoral candidate from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health shared their global health research and insights at the culmination of a 10-week joint fellowship with IntraHealth International this Wednesday during a poster exhibition and discussion with faculty and staff.

2 Aug 2010

Nashville hospitals cut costs to keep up revenues, despite fewer patients

"Over the past year and a half, keeping costs in check has helped the large hospital chains based in the Nashville area to increase quarterly earnings, even when seeing fewer patients come through their doors," The Tennessean reports. "The recent second quarter was no different. Cost controls fueled an 18 percent increase in net income at Franklin-based Community Health Systems, despite a decline in the number of patients. HCA Inc. saw fewer inpatient visits, and higher interest expense kept its pre-tax profits flat.

31 Jul 2010

Blumenthal defends hew health IT rules to Utah leaders

David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health information technology for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "defended the administration's new plans against critics who say the watered-down rules miss an opportunity to lower costs and improve patient care," The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

31 Jul 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Center for Global Development memo offers suggestions for the U.S. to improve its commitment to policies that benefit poor countries after it ranked 17th out of 22 wealthy in the 2009 Commitment to Development Index. Among a set of 20 recommendations, the authors suggest the U.S. "[i]ncrease foreign aid, especially through such vehicles as the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which gives to relatively well-governed countries, or a global 'Cash on Delivery' fund that would pay countries after making confirmed progress toward agreed-upon outcomes, thereby reducing the proliferation of aid projects," the authors write(Prieto/Roodman).

31 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 follow-up coverage: Global HIV/AIDS funding; HIV/AIDS studies, releases

Media outlets continued to reflect on news from the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, which attracted over 19,000 participants from 197 countries to Vienna last week, according to the conference blog.

30 Jul 2010

Toxic chemicals contribute to chronic disease epidemic: Health care sector leaders

Health care sector leaders are urging Congress to move swiftly to pass chemical reform legislation, citing the measure as critical to public health protection. On the eve of tomorrow's hearing on the "Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010," a bill intended to overhaul the nation's chemical regulatory system, the sector is highlighting the link between preventing disease, containing costs, and reforming the law.

29 Jul 2010

Researchers to evaluate effect of RTC program on patient outcomes

Researchers at the Health Quality Council and the University of Saskatchewan will be the first to rigorously evaluate a quality improvement program designed to help nurses and other care providers reduce the time they spend on administrative tasks or retrieving medical supplies, so that they can spend more time with their patients.

29 Jul 2010

African leaders agree to expand maternal health campaign as AU Summit concludes

African leaders participating in the 15th African Union Summit, which concluded on Tuesday, agreed to expand a campaign aimed at curbing maternal mortality on the continent and adopted other "key actions" in an effort to reduce infant and maternal mortality, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.

29 Jul 2010

Community Health Systems second-quarter net operating revenues increase 5.1% to $3.2 billion

Community Health Systems, Inc. today announced financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

29 Jul 2010

At summit, AU leaders discuss funding challenges for maternal, child health

African leaders focused on the theme of the 15th African Union (AU) Summit on Sunday: maternal and infant mortality on the continent, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports (7/26).

28 Jul 2010

VillageReach announces $5.6M program to strengthen national health system in Mozambique

VillageReach, the Seattle-based social enterprise that increases access to healthcare for remote, last mile communities in low-income countries, today announced a $5.6 million program to strengthen the national health system in Mozambique. Contributions for the six-year program total $1.2 million to date.

27 Jul 2010

Addus HomeCare acquires operations, certain assets of Advantage Health Systems

Addus HomeCare Corporation, a provider of comprehensive in-home social and medical services, announced today the acquisition of the operations and certain assets of Advantage Health Systems, Inc., which provides these services in South Carolina and Georgia.

27 Jul 2010

Life-saving interventions can save 11 million African women, children over next five years: Countdown report

In the next five years, 11 million African women and children could be saved by creating near-universal availability of key life-saving interventions, according to The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and the Countdown to 2015 Decade Report (2000-2010).

27 Jul 2010

Glaxosmithkline to implement new compensation program for sales professionals

GlaxoSmithKline today confirmed that it will implement a new system for evaluating and compensating its sales professionals beginning in 2011.Under the new system, bonuses for sales professionals who work directly with healthcare professionals and other customers will no longer be based on individual achievement of sales targets, but will be based primarily on the service they deliver to customers. Bonuses will be determined, in part, by customer feedback, and by a sales professional's adherence to the company values of transparency, integrity, respect and patient-focus.

27 Jul 2010

Aurora Health Care ranked among top 20% of top U.S. health systems

Aurora Health Care has been named among the top health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters. Announced recently in Modern Healthcare, Aurora ranked in the top 20 percent of the list, which was based on clinical performance.

26 Jul 2010

Sec. of State Clinton signs 5-year AIDS control partnership agreement with Vietnam

During her trip to Vietnam, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "engaged in health diplomacy by visiting the Ngoc Lam Pagoda orphanage for AIDS-affected children," Foreign Policy's blog "Madam Secretary" reports.

26 Jul 2010

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Physician Satisfaction With Chronic Care Processes: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Guided Care - The authors randomly assigned teams of physicians and their chronically ill older patients into groups that either provided Guided Care - an educated registered nurse works with a primary care practice team to enhance quality of care - or usual care. One year later, they measured "physicians' satisfaction with chronic care processes, time spent on chronic care, knowledge of their chronically ill older patients, and care coordination provided by physicians and office staff."

26 Jul 2010

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

According to a survey of U.S. hospital executives released today by CSC, steps to meet meaningful use requirements were already a priority for hospitals before the final rules to establish an incentive program for electronic health records were announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 12.

23 Jul 2010

Health Systems News and Research

Vanguard signs definitive agreement to acquire Arizona Heart Institute

Take Care Health Systems applauds US Senate for declaration of National Convenient Care Clinic Week

An overview of IntraHealth-UNC Summer Fellows Program

Nashville hospitals cut costs to keep up revenues, despite fewer patients

Blumenthal defends hew health IT rules to Utah leaders

Recent releases in Global Health

AIDS 2010 follow-up coverage: Global HIV/AIDS funding; HIV/AIDS studies, releases

Toxic chemicals contribute to chronic disease epidemic: Health care sector leaders

Researchers to evaluate effect of RTC program on patient outcomes

African leaders agree to expand maternal health campaign as AU Summit concludes

Community Health Systems second-quarter net operating revenues increase 5.1% to $3.2 billion

At summit, AU leaders discuss funding challenges for maternal, child health

VillageReach announces $5.6M program to strengthen national health system in Mozambique

Addus HomeCare acquires operations, certain assets of Advantage Health Systems

Life-saving interventions can save 11 million African women, children over next five years: Countdown report

Glaxosmithkline to implement new compensation program for sales professionals

Aurora Health Care ranked among top 20% of top U.S. health systems

Sec. of State Clinton signs 5-year AIDS control partnership agreement with Vietnam

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

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How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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