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Political cartoon: 'Witchcraft?'

Kaiser Health News provides this fresh take on health policy developments with "Witchcraft?" by Nate Beeler.

29 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 29, 2010

In today's headlines, reports about the continuing politics surrounding the health overhaul, as both parties vie for the loyalty of older voters and First Lady Michelle Obama steps up efforts to promote the new law.

29 Sep 2010

Patients' right to be involved in own medical care

Twelve years ago, then 28-year-old graduate student Brian Zikmund-Fisher was forced into the toughest choice of his life: Die from a blood disorder within a few years or endure a bone marrow transplant that could cure him or kill him in weeks.

29 Sep 2010

Report explores connection between quality of worklife and patient safety in Canadian health organizations

Accreditation Canada's 2010 national report on health care in Canada explores the connection between quality of worklife and patient safety in health organizations. The report also examines the relationship between health care staff perceptions of work climate and patient safety culture in their own organizations, and how those perceptions are useful in identifying patient safety issues.

29 Sep 2010

Lawsuit seeks to stop Blue Cross from limiting provider networks and restricting members' access to health care

A lawsuit filed against Anthem Blue Cross, on behalf of thousands of California doctors, is asking the court to stop Blue Cross from limiting their provider networks and restricting plan members' access to health care, solely for the sake of increasing profits. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin Blue Cross from preventing any physician who is willing to accept the terms of Blue Cross contracts, and meets Blue Cross' eligibility criteria, from becoming a Blue Cross provider.

29 Sep 2010

Individuals who do not speak English at home less likely to receive CRC: Researchers

Researchers from Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Public Health have found that individuals who do not speak English at home are less likely to receive colorectal cancer screenings as compared to those who do speak English at home. The findings, which currently appear on-line in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, suggest that patient-provider language barriers play a role in health-care disparities, and that providers should promote the importance of CRC screening to non-English speaking patients.

29 Sep 2010

New computer program to help young adults manage mental illness

While many young adults will share the details of their daily lives with dozens - sometimes hundreds - of friends on Facebook, communicating with their health care providers about mental illness is another story.

29 Sep 2010

MRSA survivors to share experience at World MRSA Day kickoff event

No one needs to explain to the people who have experienced it the danger posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the antibiotic-defying bacterium commonly known as MRSA. No one needs to explain to the people who have experienced it the danger posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the antibiotic-defying bacterium commonly known as MRSA.

29 Sep 2010

AMIA calls out specific challenges to proposed modifications to HIPAA Privacy and Enforcement Rules

In comments sent to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association) called out 10 specific challenges to proposed modifications to HIPAA Privacy and Enforcement Rules. AMIA's comments, sent on behalf of its membership of 4,000 informatics professionals, detail key issues of concern related to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on HIPAA modifications, along with suggestions for models of change.

29 Sep 2010

Malaria vaccine development meeting begins in Washington

Agence France-Presse reports on a malaria vaccine development meeting that kicks off Tuesday in Washington, D.C.One of the stars at the meeting will be the RTS,S malaria vaccine, which has been developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the news service writes.

29 Sep 2010

ECOWAS forum highlights need for nutrition to be integrated with agriculture

A recent nutrition forum, held by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), looked at how to better incorporate nutrition into agriculture, IRIN reports.

29 Sep 2010

Some Democrats, including Reid, embrace health law as fall campaign battles continue

Politico: Some House Democrats are touting the new health law — and their support of it — as a positive in their fights to keep their seats in midterm elections this fall. The Democrats are "framing key provisions as a 'Patient's Bill of Rights.' Spurred by last week's release of a series of rigid insurance rules, the lawmakers are defying this election season's conventional wisdom placing by health care front and center." Among them are Reps. Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley or Nevada.

29 Sep 2010

HHS Secretary announces $320M ACA grants to strengthen health care workforce

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $320 million in grants under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to strengthen the health care workforce. Of those grants, $253 million will go to improve and expand the primary care workforce under the Prevention and Public Health Fund of the Affordable Care Act.

29 Sep 2010

Insuring your health: Health law calls for breast cancer warnings to young women

In her latest consumer Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Breast cancer is extremely rare in young women. But when it does happen, it can be serious, even deadly.

29 Sep 2010

Most men unaware of breast cancer risk

A study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), revealed that nearly 80% of men are unaware of their breast cancer risk despite having a family history of the disease. One hundred percent of respondents also reported that their healthcare provider did not discuss the disease with them.

29 Sep 2010

Asian countries should increase rice reserves to prevent food insecurity, report says

A report released on Monday by the Asia Society and the International Rice Research Institute recommends that Asian countries should increase rice reserves to help stabilize prices and improve food security in the region which is home to about 65 percent of the world's hungry, Bloomberg reports.

29 Sep 2010

Florida likely to seek waiver on medical loss ratio; Ariz. cuts back Medicaid benefits

The Hill Healthwatch: "Florida's 14-member insurance advisory board has unanimously passed a resolution to seek a waiver from the health law's medical loss ratio. An official with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation tells The Hill that the board's vote means it's a 'done deal' that the state will formally seek some kind of waiver but the board is gathering public input through Oct. 8.

29 Sep 2010

New genetic screening program to reduce risk associated with Plavix

Beginning this month, all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be tested for a genetic variation that can affect their response to Plavix, the most commonly prescribed clot-preventing drug for heart patients and one of the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide.

29 Sep 2010

Health law includes help for young women with breast cancer

Kaiser Health News: "A little-noticed section in the health-care overhaul aims to raise awareness among young women and their doctors about the risk of breast cancer between the ages of 15 and 44. The law directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create education campaigns that will focus on breast cancer and young women, and encourage healthful habits that promote prevention and early detection of the disease.

29 Sep 2010

Mayo Clinic Center forms Social Media Health Network to promote healthcare

The recently formed Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media today announced the formation of the Social Media Health Network, a group dedicated to using social media to promote health, improve health care and fight disease.

29 Sep 2010

Health Care News and Research

Political cartoon: 'Witchcraft?'

First Edition: September 29, 2010

Patients' right to be involved in own medical care

Report explores connection between quality of worklife and patient safety in Canadian health organizations

Lawsuit seeks to stop Blue Cross from limiting provider networks and restricting members' access to health care

Individuals who do not speak English at home less likely to receive CRC: Researchers

New computer program to help young adults manage mental illness

MRSA survivors to share experience at World MRSA Day kickoff event

AMIA calls out specific challenges to proposed modifications to HIPAA Privacy and Enforcement Rules

Malaria vaccine development meeting begins in Washington

ECOWAS forum highlights need for nutrition to be integrated with agriculture

Some Democrats, including Reid, embrace health law as fall campaign battles continue

HHS Secretary announces $320M ACA grants to strengthen health care workforce

Insuring your health: Health law calls for breast cancer warnings to young women

Most men unaware of breast cancer risk

Asian countries should increase rice reserves to prevent food insecurity, report says

Florida likely to seek waiver on medical loss ratio; Ariz. cuts back Medicaid benefits

New genetic screening program to reduce risk associated with Plavix

Health law includes help for young women with breast cancer

Mayo Clinic Center forms Social Media Health Network to promote healthcare

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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