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State roundup: N.Y.'s retiree health benefits crisis; Colorado referendum

The New York Times: "The cities, counties and authorities of New York have promised more than $200 billion worth of health benefits to their retirees while setting aside almost nothing, putting the public work force on a collision course with the taxpayers who are expected to foot the bill. … The total cost appears in a report to be issued on Wednesday by the Empire Center for New York State Policy, a research organization that studies fiscal policy.

14 Oct 2010

Today's Opeds: Individual mandate in court, on ballot and in campaigns

The first federal court decision on the constitutionality of the new health care reform law upheld its validity and dealt a well-deserved setback to opponents who are trying to overturn it.

14 Oct 2010

Antidepressant Reboxetine ineffective: Review

According to a new study, an antidepressant prescribed over the last 13 years is ineffective and potentially harmful. The drug in question is called Reboxetine and is available under the name of Edronax. The study showed that it works no better than a placebo.

13 Oct 2010

Agfa HealthCare to install first DX-D 500n direct radiography system in Canada at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that it will be installing its DX-D 500n Direct Radiography X-Ray Suite at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Building upon Agfa HealthCare's expertise and history in imaging, the DX-D 500n completes Agfa HealthCare's digital imaging portfolio.

13 Oct 2010

NCQA reports two new findings on nation's health care

The new State of Health Care Quality report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has two new findings about the nation's health care.

13 Oct 2010

Studies highlight high Medicare costs for people in nursing homes

Kaiser Health News staff writer Aimee Miles reports on three new studies exploring Medicare costs for beneficiaries living in long-term care facilities.

13 Oct 2010

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awards HP $26M task order to maintain IDR

HP Enterprise Services today announced it has been awarded a task order worth up to $26 million by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to maintain its Integrated Data Repository (IDR) and provide data quality services to improve the accuracy of Medicare payment data.

13 Oct 2010

Hospitals lure doctors away from private practice

Kaiser Health News writer Jenny Gold, in collaboration with NPR, examines the growing trend of doctors opting not to open a private practice but work instead for a hospital.

13 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 13, 2010

Today's early morning highlights from major news organizations looks at the number of people denied health coverage by major insurers, arguments before the Supreme Court on the right to sue vaccine makers, concerns about the FDA's plans on reviewing medical devices and doctors moving from private practice to hospital work.

13 Oct 2010

KHN column: Changes wrought by health reform? Well, maybe not.

In his latest KHN column, Jonathan Cohn writes: "So far, the big McDonald's controversy is turning out to be a big nothingburger. ... But that hasn't stopped the McDonald's story from becoming propaganda in the campaign to discredit and, eventually, repeal health care reform" (10/13).

13 Oct 2010

Beryl technology improves relationship between health care providers and consumers

Amongst the many priorities spelled out in the healthcare reform law, one is that hospitals will need to find ways to forge closer relationships with patients. One way to accomplish this is by proactively managing care outside of the hospital setting. Hundreds of hospitals nationwide are using Beryl, a technology-focused patient experience services company dedicated to improving relationships between health care providers and consumers, to proactively contact former and potential patients to encourage them to access free screenings, new service offerings and to schedule annual exams.

13 Oct 2010

Collaboration between different specialties needed to realize potential of Patient Centered Medical Home

In order to realize the full potential of the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model of patient care to improve coordination and integration, the cooperation of subspecialist physicians and other health care professionals must be ensured, says a new policy paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP).

13 Oct 2010

IOM report recommends sweeping changes for improving the nursing profession

Still hampered by workforce shortages and barriers that impede their ranks from delivering health care to the full extent of their education and training, nurses may have gotten the much-needed shot in the arm they need to transform their profession with the release of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommending sweeping changes for improving their profession.

13 Oct 2010

2010 edition of The AHLA/BVR Guide to Healthcare Valuation

Business Valuation Resources (BVR) and the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) are pleased to announce The AHLA/BVR Guide to Healthcare Valuation, 2010 Edition, edited by Mark Dietrich, CPA, ABV.

13 Oct 2010

Fourth annual luncheon benefits MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital

Golf great Jack Nicklaus and veteran CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz take the stage Oct. 19 at the Hilton Americas-Houston for the 2010 Houston A Conversation With a Living Legend benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The fourth annual luncheon, featuring an exclusive onstage interview, benefits the MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital and already has raised more than $472,000.

13 Oct 2010

Secure Tracks launches innovative new patient support system

Weight bearing gait aides such as conventional walkers and belts could quickly become a thing of the past in rehabilitation centers of hospitals as Secure Tracks today announced the launch of its innovative new patient support system. Customized for each hospital's unique needs, Secure Tracks is a purely mechanical system that consists of a ceiling-mounted monorail track, an exclusive trolley and a U-shaped support device that allows patients to stand completely upright and walk with a natural gait without the need for a harness.

13 Oct 2010

Study finds wide variability in use of blood transfusions for coronary artery bypass graft surgery

A study that includes data on more than 100,000 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery finds that there is wide variability among hospitals in the U.S. on the use of blood transfusions, without a large difference in the rate of death, suggesting that many transfusions may be unnecessary, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA. Another study in this issue of JAMA examines the effect of a restrictive transfusion strategy on outcomes after cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2010

Medical Exchange announces next generation of continuing medical education events

Medical Exchange, an innovative provider of medical education solutions for the health care industry, today announced the next generation of continuing medical education events with the launch of collaborativeCARE Conference (C3).

13 Oct 2010

MetLife study finds Adult Day Services centers are increasing in the U.S.

There has been significant growth in the number of Adult Day Services centers in the U.S. over the past eight years, according to a new study by the MetLife Mature Market Institute. As reported in "The MetLife National Study of Adult Day Services: Providing Support to Individuals and Their Family Caregivers," there are more than 4,600 Adult Day Services (ADS) centers nationwide, a 35% increase since 2002.

13 Oct 2010

Study finds variations at state and national levels in children's health insurance coverage

Children's health insurance coverage still varies significantly at both the state and national levels, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH). In particular, researchers found gaps in coverage that vary across states by age, race/ethnicity and income.

13 Oct 2010