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Alliance fourth quarter revenue decreases to $117.7 million

Alliance HealthCare Services, Inc., a leading national provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy services, announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010.

9 Mar 2011

MHQP reports significant differences in quality of care delivered by Massachusetts medical groups

Massachusetts Health Quality Partners announced today that despite improvement, there are significant differences in the quality of care delivered by medical groups in Massachusetts, according to its annual Quality Insights: Clinical Quality in Primary Care report.

9 Mar 2011

Innovative interprofessional training for students can improve healthcare for patients

The University of Leicester, De Montfort University and University of Northampton are celebrating a major milestone in innovative interprofessional training for health and social care students, which will lead to improved healthcare for patients.

9 Mar 2011

New study shows excess hospitalization costs for homeless people

Homeless patients cost about $2,500 more per hospital stay than the average patient, according to a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

9 Mar 2011

Optimism stems from Humana's focus on Medicare plans - but don't expect a dividend soon

With its focus on Medicare plans for the elderly, Humana Inc believes it can grow with the wave of aging baby boomers without moving far afield from its main customer base of seniors.

9 Mar 2011

U.S. providing $30m for situation in Libya as U.N. appeals for $160m for humanitarian needs

The U.S. will provide an additional $15 million to relief groups helping people who are stuck or fleeing the unrest in Libya, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Monday, Sapa-Agence France-Presse/Times LIVE reports.

9 Mar 2011

Health care reform changes make colonoscopy more affordable

To encourage adults age 50 and older to get a colonoscopy, experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center highlight resources and health care reform changes that now make this lifesaving exam more affordable.

9 Mar 2011

NCCN, SNM enter cancer imaging research collaboration

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network- (NCCN-), and the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) are pleased to announce a collaboration to advance research for cancer imaging and therapies. Specifically, NCCN will work with SNM to qualify imaging sites for upcoming research projects utilizing molecular imaging in clinical trials.

9 Mar 2011

SMArt platform to support flexible health IT environment, promote innovation

Through a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School have developed a first-of-its kind platform architecture to support a flexible health information technology environment and promote innovation.

9 Mar 2011

Also in global health news: Rights abuses in Myanmar; Indian malnutrition; Mali Global Fund grant; shift in USAID's programs in Afghanistan; Gates Foundation grant for vaccines

Human Rights Abuses Impacting Health Situation In Parts Of Myanmar, Study Says.

9 Mar 2011

Health law policy disputes central to congressional spending fight

As lawmakers tussle over how much spending should be cut in this year's budget, these key policy questions related to the health law and other regulatory issues are a flashpoint. In addition, House Republicans are stepping up their strategies to defund the overhaul.

9 Mar 2011

Senate 'Gang of six' launches public campaign for deficit reduction

Their effort focuses on educating the public about the importance of overhauling Medicare and other entitlement programs if the national debt is to be tamed.

9 Mar 2011

Heated debate surrounds Physician Compare database

Physician Compare might not seem like the kind of tool that would spark a divisive policy debate. It's a website, recently launched by Medicare officials, that allows patients to find a cardiologist, a pediatrician, or other Medicare provider in their zip code.

9 Mar 2011

HHS unveils format for consumer notices of insurance rate increases

Meanwhile, in other policy news related to the health law, Stateline examines how, for some states, waivers really are a big deal.

9 Mar 2011

Study: Mass. health law has not staunched medical bankruptcies

The 2006 Massachusetts law that required nearly everyone to buy health insurance has not significantly staunched residents' pain from medical bankruptcies, according to a new study.

9 Mar 2011

New report outlines positive impact of ending poverty

According to a new report released by the Health Promotion Clearinghouse, ending poverty is not only possible, it is necessary. "The report outlines the positive impact that ending poverty would have for everybody," says Caroline Ploem, Executive Director of the Health Promotion Clearinghouse.

9 Mar 2011

Opinion pieces address International Women's Day

Government and business leaders worldwide should "see investing in women as a strategy for job creation and economic growth," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton writes in a Bloomberg Businessweek opinion piece, supporting her statement by noting "there are more than 200 million women entrepreneurs worldwide," women's incomes are expected to increase to more than $15 trillion annually over the next few years, and "women's incomes are growing faster than men's" in many developing countries.

9 Mar 2011

Several states weigh new rules on abortion

Legislatures in several states, including Georgia, Texas and Minnesota, are considering new measures on abortion.

9 Mar 2011

Cardin, Coakley stake out political positions using health law

News outlets report on how these elected officials are using health care messages to their advantage, and a fact-checker goes to work on recent statements by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

9 Mar 2011

Study: Americans experience higher rates of chronic disease than their English counterparts

Researchers announced today in the American Journal of Epidemiology that despite the high level of spending on healthcare in the United States compared to England, Americans experience higher rates of chronic disease and markers of disease than their English counterparts at all ages.

9 Mar 2011