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First Edition: April 22, 2011

Today's headlines include a variety of reports about the political reactions to the Democratic and Republican deficit proposals as well as plans for Medicare.

22 Apr 2011

ESHRE's Guide for CBRC aims to ensure high-quality assisted reproduction treatment

The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology is setting the first ever standards in Cross Border Reproductive Care. The safety of patients, gamete donors, surrogates and future children take centre stage in ESHRE's Good Practice Guide for Cross Border Reproductive Care.

22 Apr 2011

Longer looks: Tommy Thompson on Medicare; Was WSJ Pulitzer undeserved?; IPAB and cost cutting

The law contains Medicare cuts, but the savings achieved are then used to pay for new federal spending, such as the Medicaid expansion and new subsidies to purchase health care in state-based exchanges.

22 Apr 2011

Ochsner, Take Care Health announce new relationship

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens, and Ochsner Health System today announced a new relationship which will increase opportunities for clinical collaboration and improve patient access to high-quality, convenient and affordable health care options in the greater New Orleans region.

22 Apr 2011

Latest advancements in telemedicine to be presented at ATA 2011

The latest technologies, research and applications in telemedicine will be presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the American Telemedicine Association, which will take place Sunday, May 1 - Tuesday, May 3, 2011, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.

22 Apr 2011

Health IT creates demand for new group of employees — 'Medical scribes'

The rise in electronic medical records has given Brittany Fera, a premed student at Temple University, an "awesome" job that she had no idea existed before she saw an ad last year.

22 Apr 2011

At Facebook appearance, Obama calls GOP plan for Medicare 'radical'

Although President Barack Obama used strong and critical language to describe the Republican proposals to change Medicare and Medicaid, he also indicated that he expected to reach a deal to reduce the deficit without transforming these programs.

22 Apr 2011

Hospitals to host Earth Day events emphasizing link between health, environment

Hospitals and other members of the health care sector will be marking Earth Day 2011 with a wide variety of events showcasing their efforts to develop sustainable operations and reduce their environmental footprint.

22 Apr 2011

Obama administration urges new graduates to understand their health insurance options

Administration officials sent letters to college and university presidents and student body leaders reminding them to communicate to students about how, because of changes resulting from the health overhaul, they can remain on a parent's plan until age 26. In other health reform news, President Obama says that he is flexible on health reform, and the AP reports on how the absence of one Supreme Court justice on certain legal questions has been "no big deal."

22 Apr 2011

Study identifies major osteoporosis knowledge gaps for some patient groups

A fracture in a person over the age of 50 can be a sign of osteoporosis, yet some patient populations have little knowledge of the disease. According to a groundbreaking study published in a recent Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), male and non-English speaking patients tend to have the least knowledge of osteoporosis, putting them at high risk for a subsequent fracture.

22 Apr 2011

NPR: 3 in 4 prescriptions are for generic drugs

The brand-name pharmaceutical industry has a drug problem. All 10 of the most prescribed medicines in the U.S. last year were generics, led by the defending champion generic equivalents of Vicodin.

22 Apr 2011

Trillium registered nurses choose ONA to become members of the union

Registered nurses employed at Trillium Health Centre have overwhelmingly voted yes to join the Ontario Nurses' Association, the largest nurses' union in Canada.

22 Apr 2011

China releases first report on foreign aid

China on Thursday released its first report on the country's investment in foreign aid over the past few decades and its impact on developing countries, noting that "its rise as an aid donor is a good development at a time when the global financial crisis is straining most other countries' spending," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.

22 Apr 2011

Employers looking for ways to reduce high blood pressure in the workplace

A group of nine Kansas City employers, their broker consultant Lockton Companies, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Centers for Disease and Prevention Control, and Thomson Reuters are looking for ways to reduce high blood pressure or hypertension in the workplace.

22 Apr 2011

New working group of clinicians to promote e-Prescribing in Canada

A new working group of clinicians from various disciplines will help shape the future of e-Prescribing in Canada, announced Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway.

22 Apr 2011

Ontario's doctors commend government announcement on contraband cigarettes

Ontario's doctors commend today's announcement by the provincial government which cracks down on contraband cigarettes and enhances support for people who want to quit smoking.

22 Apr 2011

Also in global health news: Nuclear accidents; measles outbreak in Europe; funding shortfall in Zimbabwe; drinking water in Pakistan; agricultural development in S. Asia

The world must prepare for more major nuclear accidents, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday at a Kiev conference marking the explosion of a reactor at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear reactor 25 years ago, the Associated Press reports.

22 Apr 2011

Umass Lowell establishes new Health and Social Sciences Building

UMass Lowell broke ground today on a new $40 million, 69,000-square-foot academic building that will be home to three of the university's most popular majors in health and social sciences and represents the second major construction project underway on campus.

22 Apr 2011

Political discourse regarding Planned Parenthood moves to states

Media outlets report on state-level action regarding Planned Parenthood and abortion issues.

22 Apr 2011

SAVE THE PATIENT hosts special community health show on CAN-TV

Celebrating its fifth year on CAN-TV, SAVE THE PATIENT is hosting a special community health show to reinforce the importance of positive, proactive and "preventative" interactions between patients and their health care resources—ranging from physicians to surgeons, nurses to advocates, pharmacists to educators, clinics to hospitals.

22 Apr 2011