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Childhood cancer survivors may face high risk of late GI complications after therapy

Patients who received therapy for cancer during childhood have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal complications later in life, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.

5 May 2011

Secretary of State Clinton launches collaborative mobile application to advance maternal health

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday launched the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, a "mobile application development partnership aimed at delivering free health care information and tips to pregnant women and mothers around the world via cell phone," Federal Computer Week reports.

5 May 2011

House GOP votes to defund state exchanges in health law

The legislation, which was approved Tuesday, passed mostly along party lines, though five Democrats voted with the Republicans in favor of cutting funds for state health exchanges. The measure is not likely to fare well in the Senate.

5 May 2011

Drinking from bottle beyond infancy may contribute to obesity

Experts agree that obesity prevention should begin before children enter school. But due to a lack of conclusive data, health care providers often have trouble advising parents about which interventions are the most beneficial. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that limiting prolonged bottle use in children may be an effective way to help prevent obesity.

5 May 2011

Targeting mosquito larvae and not adults could worsen dengue epidemics, study says

Targeting only mosquito larvae and not adult insects in insecticide-based dengue control programs could increase mosquito resistance and decrease human immunity to the disease, particularly in urban areas, according to a study published online in the Lancet on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

5 May 2011

Roundup: Vt. universal care bill advances; Duluth, Minn., seeking to change retiree health benefits; Texas steps back from plan to close centers for disabled

Dr. James Mongan, a physician with a specialty in politics who for decades helped shape the health care debate in Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth, and who formerly served as president of Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare, died in MGH yesterday.

5 May 2011

TGen licenses ONCO-101 cancer drug to Syracuse

The Translational Genomics Research Institute has licensed its first drug, a unique compound that targets cancer tumors by modifying the actions of proteins.

5 May 2011

ACOs, employer mandate continue to draw attention

The Hill reports that the Internal Revenue Service is seeking public comment on the health law's employer mandate while PBS NewsHour "decodes" accountable care organizations.

5 May 2011

Viewpoints: Basic benefits package budget buster?; Colorado CHIP cuts; pharma's public image

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims for a delicate balance that even its champions acknowledge as highly challenging: Making medical services affordable for tens of millions of uninsured Americans, and yet restraining the expenditures needed to vastly expand coverage. To grasp why the reform bill risks missing both goals -- and why the measure's margin for error is so perilously narrow -- it's crucial to follow the debate over its central provision, what it calls the "Essential Health Benefits" package.

5 May 2011

Congress returns to face health program costs, budget issues

News outlets report that lawmakers are returning to work after a two-week recess, during which they faced emotional challenges from constituents regarding the deficit and the nation's entitlement programs.

4 May 2011

ACO rule draws tough questions, highlights system's shortcomings

CQ HealthBeat reports that federal officials are considering the public criticism and comments they are receiving in response to the proposed rule issued regarding the health law's accountable care organizations. One expert, for instance, tells Politico Pro that data collection challenges could impede the formation of ACOs.

4 May 2011

Lack of insurance interferes with cervical cancer prevention, treatment

In her early 20s, Tamika Felder skipped seeing her gynecologist and getting Pap smears for a few years because she couldn't afford health insurance. ... In 2001, at age 25, Felder learned that she had cervical cancer.

4 May 2011

Japan pledges to maintain aid to Africa despite rebuilding costs

Japan will maintain its aid pledges to African nations, despite reconstruction costs following an earthquake and tsunami, a senior government official said on Sunday at a development conference in Dakar, Senegal, Agence France-Presse reports.

4 May 2011

An in-depth look at how a Medicaid block grant would work

Kansas Health Institute News published a package of stories detailing how the block grant concept works, the pros and cons of this approach, and the history of such proposals.

4 May 2011

House Republicans continue health law defunding push

More bills will move through the House this week designed to strip funding from specific provisions of the health law. The Obama administration has made clear its opposition - even threatened vetoes.

4 May 2011

New CDC data on World Asthma Day highlights importance of air quality standards

The simple act of taking a breath is a challenge for three million Hispanics with asthma," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

4 May 2011

New reports predict impending doctor shortage

In addition, researchers find that where there are more family physicians, readmission rates are lower.

4 May 2011

Coronary artery bypass graft surgeries have declined by 30% between 2001 and 2008

Between 2001 and 2008, the annual rate of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries performed in the United States decreased by more than 30 percent, but rates of percutaneous coronary interventions did not change significantly, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

4 May 2011

UW School of Pharmacy receives Dohmen donation to enhance students' education

Dohmen Company CEO Cynthia LaConte announced today that the Dohmen Company Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the 153-year-old healthcare services company, has donated $100,000 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.

4 May 2011

Aleris reaches agreement to acquire Proxima

Aleris, an operating subsidiary to Investor, has reached an agreement to acquire Swedish healthcare provider Proxima Intressenter AB for an enterprise value of SEK 1,080 m.

4 May 2011