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Hospital acquired infections on the increase

Despite being reported over a decade ago, little has been done in America to reduce hospital born infections as per a Health and Human Services department quality report for 2009 to Congress. Hospital acquired infections seem to be on the increase according to the report when compared with statistics available for 2007. The situation is being seen as critical by many health care experts.

14 Apr 2010

Anticonvulsants increase suicide risk

Dr. Elisabetta Patorno, a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston has published a study this week in the Journal of American Medical Association which found that taking anticonvulsant drugs raise thoughts of suicide and risks of actually trying to commit suicide by two times the norm. The study was sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health and HealthCore, a research subsidiary of WellPoint. WellPoint is a health benefits company that serves the Blue Cross Blue Shield network.

14 Apr 2010

Healthcare reform debate at its peak before the COAG meeting on Monday

Following the fall out between Premiers on Prime Minister Rudd’s health care reforms more debates have come up. South Australian Premier Mike Rann also urged Victorian Premier John Brumby to come to an agreement with the Prime Minister’s plans. Earlier Mr. Brumby had suggested a 50-50 sharing model in healthcare compared to the model suggested by the PM. He has said that that the federal government's grab for 30 per cent of the states' GST would damage co-operative federalism. Mr. Brumby is expected to outline his reasons at a National Press Club address on Wednesday, April 14th 2010.

14 Apr 2010

Noncompetitive ''win-win'' relationship between gynecologist and radiologist benefits patients

Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (JMIG) has published a study in its March/April issue which concluded that establishing a referral relationship with an interventional radiologist for comprehensive uterine myoma (fibroid) treatment supports a trusting, collaborative, long-term, noncompetitive ''win-win'' relationship between the gynecologist and radiologist.

13 Apr 2010

Provista, ARMSRx form partnership to provide pharmacy benefit services

Provista, LLC announced today that it has partnered with Administered Risk Management Services Rx, LLC (ARMSRx), a pharmacy benefit consulting firm that specializes in delivering superior results and ongoing support to the administration and management of prescription drug benefit programs and afford Provista members with the highest-quality pharmaceutical care at the lowest possible cost.

13 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 13, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the Senate's procedural vote to extend COBRA subsidies, a ruling by a Massachusetts court rejecting a bid by health insurers to raise premiums and how some states are fretting over health insurance scams.

13 Apr 2010

NaviNet to discuss on the use and adoption of HIT at World Health Care Congress 2010

NaviNet, America's largest real-time healthcare communications network, today announced that Kim Labow, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, will participate in a panel discussion about innovative approaches to achieve meaningful use and adoption of health information technology.

13 Apr 2010

Common sense gun laws needed to stem crippling costs of gun violence

After a spate of random shootings and gun homicides, Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, along with doctors and medical professionals, convened at Children's Memorial Hospital to send an urgent plea to state lawmakers to require background checks on all handgun sales in order save lives and reduce escalating health care costs related to gun violence.

13 Apr 2010

Hospital quality needs significant improvement: 2009 Leapfrog Hospital Survey

According to new results from the 2009 Leapfrog Hospital Survey released today at the World Health Congress in Washington, DC, hospital quality needs significant improvement and waste remains rampant. One encouraging sign: steady improvements over time, supporting the value of hundreds of purchasers' growing efforts to use Leapfrog performance data in decision-making, contracting, pay for performance, and benefits design.

13 Apr 2010

Eliza to participate in a panel discussion at 2010 World Health Care Congress

Eliza Corporation, the leading provider of integrated healthcare communication strategies, will participate in a moderated discussion at the 2010 World Health Care Congress. The panel, entitled "Redesign for the New Consumer Customer," will explore the drivers that increase healthcare consumer satisfaction and address these consumer values to foster changes in health care design and delivery.

13 Apr 2010

Health care professionals urge Congress to support nation's chemical regulatory reform

On the eve of legislation slated to be introduced this month to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act, almost two dozen organizations representing health care professionals, along with health sector businesses sent letters to Congress urging the passage of strong reform of our nation's chemical regulatory system.

13 Apr 2010

'Mindfulness' for reducing aggressive behaviour in people with developmental disabilities

A very ancient and effective practice - mindfulness - is being given a new and surprising application. For the first time ever, mindfulness is being used to reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour in people with developmental disabilities as well as mental health problems.

13 Apr 2010

$15M grant to support research and development of new health care IT infrastructure

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School will lead the efforts of a $15 million grant recently announced from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the Department of Health and Human Services to support research and development of a new health care information technology infrastructure.

13 Apr 2010

GHG selects INetU as dedicated managed hosting provider for Valencia

Gorman Health Group announced today that they have chosen INetU as the dedicated managed hosting provider for their healthcare software platform, Valencia.

13 Apr 2010

Yearly flu shots recommended for adults in 50-64 age group

The proportion of Americans with diabetes ages 18 to 64 who reported getting flu shots the previous year rose from 40 percent to 50.5 percent between 2000 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

13 Apr 2010

Transparent Health Network adds MPG to provider network

Transparent Health Network today announced the addition of Manhattan's Physician Group (MPG), the largest multi-specialty group in New York City, to its provider network. A new health care access plan that advocates for the working uninsured by negotiating dramatically reduced fees that are 35 to 60% lower than the "retail" fees typically charged to patients without insurance, Transparent Health Network is not insurance. In exchange for the reduced fees, members pay providers directly when they receive care.

13 Apr 2010

SCAN Health Plan honors Monarch HealthCare of Orange County with Wave award

Monarch HealthCare of Orange County has been named this year's recipient of SCAN Health Plan's "Wave" award, presented annually to a medical group that combines "high levels of performance or improvement in the field of geriatrics" with a "strong commitment to care for seniors and SCAN members."

13 Apr 2010

New website for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Industries practice

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP today launched a new website for their Health Industries practice – www.pwc.com/healthreform – which will serve as a central point of access for PricewaterhouseCoopers' latest insight and analysis on the implications of health reform for health organizations including insurers, physicians, hospitals and other providers, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies and employers.

13 Apr 2010

Implanting blue light-filtering IOLs during cataract surgery may help preserve retina health

Implanting blue light-filtering intraocular lenses during cataract surgery helps maintain visual function and may preserve the health of the retina, specifically in disease states such as age-related macular degeneration, according to a comprehensive review published in the May/June 2010 edition of Survey of Ophthalmology.

13 Apr 2010

Boston Globe examines how PEPFAR budget pressures are affecting AIDS clinics in Africa

"U.S. officials have asked some AIDS clinics overseas to stop enrolling new patients in a U.S.-sponsored program that provides lifesaving antiretroviral drugs, in a bid to stem the rising costs of one of the most ambitious US assistance programs, according to interviews with doctors and official correspondence," the Boston Globe reports.

13 Apr 2010