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WHO Western Pacific meeting to address maternal health, rise in dengue

Maternal health and dengue fever are among the issues that will be discussed at the 61st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Bernama reports.

12 Oct 2010

Most men with prostate cancer not referred to hospice care early enough

More than half of men dying of prostate cancer use hospice care - a significant increase over the last two decades - but most wait too long to enroll so they can't take full advantage of the palliative care that could make their deaths easier, a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found.

12 Oct 2010

Soldier suicides still high depite Army's prevention program

The New York Times reports that "nearly 20 months after the Army began strengthening its suicide prevention program and working to remove the stigma attached to seeking psychological counseling, the suicide rate among active service members remains high and shows little sign of improvement.

12 Oct 2010

Committee on World Food Security meeting begins in Rome

A high-level meeting of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on World Food Security aimed at addressing food insecurity, price rises and the purchase of large amounts of agricultural land in developing countries started in Rome on Monday, Agence France-Presse/Capital FM reports.

12 Oct 2010

Physical and psychological factors contribute to somatic symptoms: Report

Patients with cancer who experience pain or depression also have a high rate of physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, according to a report in the October 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Canada, U.S., International Finance Corporation agree to contribute $100M for private-sector agricultural program

An agreement to contribute $100 million for a private-sector program to increase agricultural output in poor countries was announced by Canada, the U.S. and the [World Bank's] International Finance Corp [IFC] on Friday, Reuters reports

12 Oct 2010

HHS awards $727 million to community health centers as part of new law

The Obama administration late last week announced it is awarding $727 million to community health centers around the nation to help them build new clinics and improve the safety net, The Washington Post reports.

12 Oct 2010

Urgent care clinics find place in market, other health care industry news

Florida Today/USA Today reports that urgent care clinics, "in a growing trend," are seeing consumers increasingly turn to walk-in clinics "and urgent care centers for treatment of minor ailments and injuries instead of trying to squeeze in an appointment with a primary care provider or waiting at a crowded emergency room.

12 Oct 2010

Mammography, vaccines still raise questions in consumers' minds

NPR reports on two preventive measures that, despite years of research, still have consumers wondering what to do.

12 Oct 2010

Study finds link between malnutrition and prolonged hospital stay

Hospital patients admitted with malnutrition or who don't eat for several days are at greater risk of a prolonged hospital stay, according to a study published in CMAJ.

12 Oct 2010

Health overhaul rhetoric intensifies on campaign trail

In a debate Friday, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., "accused Republican challenger Ron Johnson of wanting to replace the program with a system that puts insurance companies in control," The Associated Press reports. "Johnson, who calls the health care law an assault on personal freedoms, countered that the nation's health care system was already the finest in the world, and needed only minor tweaks to become even better.

12 Oct 2010

Microsoft to shift part of health care costs to workers

Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal: "Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the world's largest software company, said on Friday it will trim its generous healthcare benefits for employees starting in 2013 because of rising coverage costs. In a staff meeting, the Redmond, Wash. company told employees they will be required to contribute some portion of their annual healthcare insurance premiums, although it didn't detail what portion staff members would be asked to shoulder.

12 Oct 2010

Loyola continues mandatory employee flu-vaccination policy for second straight year

The best way to prevent the spread of the flu to patients in a medical setting would be to require all health-care workers to get an annual flu shot, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

12 Oct 2010

HHS awards $5 million grant to support teen pregnancy prevention programs

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS), in partnership with three community-based organizations, has been awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the Department of Heath and Human Service's (HHS) Office of Adolescent Health. This grant is part of a $155 million commitment by HHS to support the replication of teen pregnancy prevention programs that have been shown to be effective through rigorous research as well as the testing of new, innovative approaches to combating teen pregnancy.

12 Oct 2010

Arizona struggles with severe Medicaid cuts; Medicaid fraud task force targets abuse in Iowa

Doctors and health advocates are up in arms over significant cuts to Arizona's Medicaid program to save $27 million, but the worst is yet to come: A $1 billion budget shortfall is expected next year.

12 Oct 2010

Family-centered care approach may improve children's care

As physicians and scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital work to find new insights into pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases, a central tenant of any treatment plan is to keep families at the center of children's care.

12 Oct 2010

Physician shortage expected to balloon to 91,500 in 2020

News outlets report on workforce issues, including the doctor shortage, Medicaid pay cuts and the effects of long work hours on medical residents.

12 Oct 2010

Doctors pushing hard for Medicare pay fix

The Hill: "Capitol Hill and K Street are starting to wonder if a Republican victory in the House or Senate could be good news for doctors in 2011. ... Physicians are asking for a 13-month fix to the problem, and sources say a Republican victory could create momentum for that to happen in November" (Pecquet, 10/9).

12 Oct 2010

Health premiums climb

Buffalo (N.Y.) News: "Two of the region's three dominant health insurers intend to raise premiums on average by double digits for next year, and the third wants a double-digit increase for plans not structured as health maintenance organizations. The premium for one insurance plan could rise almost 36 percent. The insurers cite rising costs of medical care and federal health care reforms." The increases must be approved by the state (Epstein, 10/10).

12 Oct 2010

Obesity treatments falter, but researchers announce gene links

The Wall Street Journal: "An international research consortium says it has identified 18 new gene sites linked to obesity and 13 others associated with how fat is distributed in the body, advances that shed new light on the complex biology underlying one of the world's most pressing public-health problems. The findings are based on studies involving nearly 250,000 people, making the effort the largest so far to unravel the genetic basis of common human traits, researchers said.

11 Oct 2010