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Texas' problem with prescription drug abuse; Vermont's plans for single payer

University of California regents approved controversial rollbacks in pension and retiree health benefits Monday, including raising the earliest retirement age for future employees to 55, to help plug huge financial gaps in the university's plans (Gordon, 12/14).

15 Dec 2010

Nine months after passage, public remains divided on health overhaul

Nearly nine months after its passage, the health care law still remains controversial, according to two new polls released Monday that show the public is torn in their views of the measure. ... Support for the law is down to 43 percent of respondents in the ABC News/Washington Post poll, which is one percentage point lower than any previous result since the groups began polling on that issue in 2009.

15 Dec 2010

New study finds health law will aid those close to retirement age

News outlets track how the health law is impacting seniors and older working-age adults.

15 Dec 2010

Davita launches online tool for dialysis patients

DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease, today announced the launch of MyDaVita, an online tool intended to help patients connect with one another for friendship, support and educational information.

15 Dec 2010

Medicaid budget challenges continue to plague states, threaten safety net

States across the country continue to face challenges related to their Medicaid budgets and their abilities to provide care to a growing population of poor and disabled people.

15 Dec 2010

Accidental ingestion of Tessalon could be dangerous for young children, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children younger than 10 years can result in serious side effects or death.

15 Dec 2010

Also in Global Health News: Drought in Middle East; HIV/AIDS, TB in Indonesia; MSF warnings over needs of HIV/AIDS patients; Non-profit at work in Uganda

Inter Press Service examines the effects a "devastating drought this fall" has had on farmers in the Middle East, particularly those living in Syria. Once "[a] large wheat exporter, the drought's impact has now forced the agriculturally self-reliant Syrian government to import the staple to meet local consumption," the news service writes.

15 Dec 2010

OpEds: Assessing Judge Hudson's decision on individual mandate

In March, New Hampshire preschool teacher Gail O'Brien, who was unable to obtain health insurance through her employer, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Her subsequent applications for health insurance were rejected because of her condition. With each round of chemotherapy costing $16,000, she delayed treatment because she knew her savings wouldn't last (Eric H. Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, 12/14).

14 Dec 2010

Provectus commences PH-10 Phase 2c trial for psoriasis

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has initiated a Phase 2c clinical trial of PH-10 for psoriasis. This multicenter, randomized controlled Phase 2c study is expected to enroll up to 90 subjects at four different sites, beginning in late December.

14 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 14, 2010

Today's headlines detail yesterday's ruling by a federal court judge in Virginia that strikes at a key part of the health law.

14 Dec 2010

Study explores meaning of respect in medical student education

Along with integrity and compassion, respect for patients, colleagues and other team members is an essential attribute of medical professionalism. A new study examines how medical students learn respectful or disrespectful professional behavior.

14 Dec 2010

Implementation and strong management support crucial for successful worksite health programs

To meet their goal of lowering health care costs, worksite health promotion programs must be well implemented and have strong management support, reports the December Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

14 Dec 2010

Workplace interactions may educate people about organ donation process

Face-to-face workplace interactions may be the best way to educate and encourage people to consider becoming organ donors, according to new research from Purdue University.

14 Dec 2010

Strength training exercise program for seniors provides sustained cognitive, economic benefits

A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the healthcare system. The research, conducted at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, is published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Dec 2010

Series of papers highlights challenges with moving African-developed drugs, technology forward

"Africa is struggling to turn local discoveries into drugs and other health care inventions," according to studies published in Science and BMC International Health and Human Rights, Nature News reports (Nordling, 12/12).

14 Dec 2010

NIST publishes guides to support EHR system developers

Two new publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are intended to help developers of software and computer systems for doctors' offices, clinics, and hospitals improve the ease of use of electronic health records (EHRs). These publications are part of a federal effort, led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to help providers adopt and use EHRs that can bring about broad quality improvements and cost savings in the health care system.

14 Dec 2010

CMA launches national initiative on future of Canada's health care system

On Monday, Dec. 13, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) will launch a national initiative related to the future of Canada's health care system.

14 Dec 2010

Scientists perform metagenomic analysis of bacterial immune system for personalized oral health care

The human body is home to a complex ecosystem of microbes increasingly recognized as having a critical role in both health and disease.

14 Dec 2010

Mexican Americans more likely to require resources to manage their health conditions

A new study shows that Mexican Americans most integrated into the culture -- including those born in the United States -- are more likely to require resources to manage their health conditions than more recent immigrants to the U.S., according to researchers at Duke University, Rice University and the University of Colorado Denver.

14 Dec 2010

GAVI Alliance launches pneumonia vaccine project in Nicaragua

"A new vaccine against the most deadly forms of pneumonia, one of the world's biggest killers of children, [was] launched in Nicaragua [on Sunday] as part of an effort to prevent 700,000 deaths in poorer countries by 2015," Reuters reports (Kelland, 12/10).

14 Dec 2010

Health Care News and Research

Texas' problem with prescription drug abuse; Vermont's plans for single payer

Nine months after passage, public remains divided on health overhaul

New study finds health law will aid those close to retirement age

Davita launches online tool for dialysis patients

Medicaid budget challenges continue to plague states, threaten safety net

Accidental ingestion of Tessalon could be dangerous for young children, FDA warns

Also in Global Health News: Drought in Middle East; HIV/AIDS, TB in Indonesia; MSF warnings over needs of HIV/AIDS patients; Non-profit at work in Uganda

OpEds: Assessing Judge Hudson's decision on individual mandate

Provectus commences PH-10 Phase 2c trial for psoriasis

First Edition: December 14, 2010

Study explores meaning of respect in medical student education

Implementation and strong management support crucial for successful worksite health programs

Workplace interactions may educate people about organ donation process

Strength training exercise program for seniors provides sustained cognitive, economic benefits

Series of papers highlights challenges with moving African-developed drugs, technology forward

NIST publishes guides to support EHR system developers

CMA launches national initiative on future of Canada's health care system

Scientists perform metagenomic analysis of bacterial immune system for personalized oral health care

Mexican Americans more likely to require resources to manage their health conditions

GAVI Alliance launches pneumonia vaccine project in Nicaragua

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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