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Bio-IS and HSS sign 5-year partnership to deliver Bio-Intervention Disinfection Service to hospitals

Bio-Intervention Specialists (Bio-IS) and HSS Inc. (HSS) announced today that their companies have signed a five-year partnership to deliver the Bio-Intervention Disinfection Service to hospitals across the United States.

17 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 17, 2010

Today's headlines highlight major health policy developments, including action in a Florida courtroom regarding the 20-state challenge to the health law and the Food and Drug Administration's curb on Avastin for the treatment of breast cancer.

17 Dec 2010

Home health, hospice patients need to have face-to-face encounter with physician: New Medicare rule

A new federal regulation issued by Medicare in November will create a crisis for approximately 4.5 million home health and hospice service patients. Starting on January 1, homebound elderly and disabled patients as well as hospice patients will now need to have a "face-to-face encounter" with a physician or nurse practitioner if they want to receive care under Medicare.

17 Dec 2010

RMHC of the Philadelphia Region grants to support programs that aim to improve well-being of children

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region, Inc. today announced that more than $269,000 in grants has been awarded to local non-profit organizations throughout 2010. These grants provided support to programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of children throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region.

17 Dec 2010

ACP and AARP develop consumer-friendly guide about health care law in English and Spanish

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today made a guide to help inform consumers about the health care law available free for ordering and distribution. Consumer Guide to Understanding Health System Reform is an educational guide written in English and Spanish and organized in a way that clearly explains what the law has changed, why these changes were made and when the changes will take effect. It was developed by ACP and AARP, the country's largest consumer-representative organization.

17 Dec 2010

Electronic medical records appear to have varying effects on primary care physicians: UC Davis study

The introduction of electronic medical records in hospitals and clinics—dubbed the "silver bullet" of health care reform—appears to have varying effects on different types of primary care physicians, a UC Davis study has found.

17 Dec 2010

U.N. says it will investigate source of Haitian cholera epidemic as death toll rises

The U.N. is looking into establishing an independent commission to identify the source of Haiti's cholera epidemic, Alain Le Roy, the U.N. under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, said on Wednesday, the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. "We are urging and we are calling for what we could call an international panel," Le Roy said at a news conference at the U.N. headquarters in New York. "We are in discussions with (the U.N. World Health Organization) to find the best experts to be in a panel to be completely independent," he added.

17 Dec 2010

Cancer Treatment Centers of America deploys Intel's personal health system solution

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is deploying the Intel® Health Guide - a next-generation personal health system solution that allows physicians and clinicians to proactively monitor their patients' care at home - as part of its commitment to provide patients with the information and resources they need to make educated decisions about their cancer care.

17 Dec 2010

City Tech Nursing Professor provides community-based care plan to study difference in health outcomes

Patients with diabetes who follow a self-care regimen generally have success in controlling their disease. But what about patients whose other health conditions, such as cognitive impairment and/or depression, create barriers to effective treatment?

17 Dec 2010

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota praises fix of orphan drug discount under 340B program

Families who were facing the prospect of huge increases in the cost of life-saving drugs for their children can breath easier thanks to a new law that will preserve discounts on specialized, so-called "orphan drugs."

17 Dec 2010

Global Fund approves 79 grants with two-year commitment of $1.7B

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Board of Directors on Wednesday approved 79 grants with a two-year commitment of "$1.7 billion dollars for projects against the diseases, amid warnings that some hard-hit African countries were being left out," Agence France-Presse reports. The commitment, according to Ethiopian Health Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who chairs the Global Fund's board, "shows that even in hard economic times, we can continue to expand the fight against the three diseases" (12/15).

17 Dec 2010

Researchers discover new molecular mechanism of Alzheimer's disease through protein interaction

Through a complex analysis of protein interactions, researchers from IRB Barcelona and the Joint Programme IRB-BSC have discovered new molecular mechanisms that may be involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

17 Dec 2010

President signs one-year 'pay-fix'; Medicare tests competitive bidding for common medical equipment

The Kansas City Star reports on a new Medicare program that will apply competitive bidding to common medical equipment and supplies. Meanwhile, President Obama signed into law yesterday a one-year delay in Medicare payment cuts for physicians.

17 Dec 2010

U.S., South Africa sign PEPFAR partnership agreement

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on Tuesday signed a "partnership agreement that will guide efforts on fighting HIV/AIDS in the African nation," Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports (Wessels, 12/15).

17 Dec 2010

White House to hold meetings with stakeholders on overhaul implementation

News outlets offer reports about action on the implementation front, including White House stakeholder meetings and a vote by state insurance officials regarding the information health plans should provide consumers.

17 Dec 2010

Iowa moves forward on health exchange; Texas medical school highlights geriatrics; Concerns grow about prisoners' mental health needs

Republican lawmakers on the state level are largely against the new health reform law—but they aren't against all of the behemoth legislation. Virginia dominated headlines this week when a federal judge ruled the individual mandate to buy insurance unconstitutional on Monday. Much less noticed: the very next day, a task force appointed by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell recommended that the state implement a health insurance exchange earlier than federal guidelines require (Kliff, 12/16).

17 Dec 2010

Florida Judge hears arguments in 20-state health law challenge; says ruling will take time

The Associated Press: Attorneys for 20 states involved in a challenge to the new health law argued Thursday morning before U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson that it will "expand the government's powers in dangerous and unintended ways." The states were seeking "a summary judgment throwing out the health care law without a full trial. They argue it violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties."

17 Dec 2010

Collaboration seeks to uncover the best strategies to improve health care, lower costs

A group of health care organizations are joining forces to compile evidence on the strategies the work best to address a variety of common, and usually expensive, medical conditions. Meanwhile, the nation's new Medicare chief is hitting the road to hear ideas about improving the health care system.

17 Dec 2010

Holder, Sebelius convene day-long summit on health care fraud

High-ranking Obama administration officials are convening a day-long meeting in Massachusetts to brainstorm about ways to prevent health care fraud and abuse. In other news, a federal district judge upholds the prohibition on three former executives from the company that made the painkiller OxyContin — they will continue to be barred from involvement with any government-financed health care program.

17 Dec 2010

Vertical Health acquires prominent pain journal

Vertical Health, a leading health information company focused on pain management, musculoskeletal diseases and endocrine diseases, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Practical Pain Management, the most prominent pain journal for the practicing pain physician. This acquisition marks the next phase in Vertical Health's mission to serve the health information needs of patients suffering from pain and the physicians who treat them.

17 Dec 2010

Health Care News and Research

Bio-IS and HSS sign 5-year partnership to deliver Bio-Intervention Disinfection Service to hospitals

First Edition: December 17, 2010

Home health, hospice patients need to have face-to-face encounter with physician: New Medicare rule

RMHC of the Philadelphia Region grants to support programs that aim to improve well-being of children

ACP and AARP develop consumer-friendly guide about health care law in English and Spanish

Electronic medical records appear to have varying effects on primary care physicians: UC Davis study

U.N. says it will investigate source of Haitian cholera epidemic as death toll rises

Cancer Treatment Centers of America deploys Intel's personal health system solution

City Tech Nursing Professor provides community-based care plan to study difference in health outcomes

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota praises fix of orphan drug discount under 340B program

Global Fund approves 79 grants with two-year commitment of $1.7B

Researchers discover new molecular mechanism of Alzheimer's disease through protein interaction

President signs one-year 'pay-fix'; Medicare tests competitive bidding for common medical equipment

U.S., South Africa sign PEPFAR partnership agreement

White House to hold meetings with stakeholders on overhaul implementation

Iowa moves forward on health exchange; Texas medical school highlights geriatrics; Concerns grow about prisoners' mental health needs

Florida Judge hears arguments in 20-state health law challenge; says ruling will take time

Collaboration seeks to uncover the best strategies to improve health care, lower costs

Holder, Sebelius convene day-long summit on health care fraud

Vertical Health acquires prominent pain journal

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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