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URAC invites public comment on second set of toolkits for Patient Centered Health Care Home Program

URAC today announced a call for public comment on the second set of toolkits for its new Patient Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH) Program. The program, comprised of an integrated series of three educational toolkits, will help health care practices follow a step-wise process in their journey to becoming a PCHCH.

2 Sep 2010

UnitedHealth Group, CSRHA team up to support Critical Access Hospitals

UnitedHealth Group has announced it will invest $10 million to help California's Critical Access Hospitals improve their health information technology (IT) systems and adopt electronic health records.

2 Sep 2010

Pawlenty instructs Minnesota agencies to snub health law's discretionary funds

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, issued an executive order Tuesday instructing state agencies to reject discretionary federal funds that stem from the health overhaul, The Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Sep 2010

March of Dimes supports Congressional Briefing on infant mortality

Very low birthweight and very preterm infants are more likely to die if they are not born at hospitals with neonatal intensive care units specially equipped to care for seriously ill newborns, in contrast to similar babies born at those specialized facilities.

2 Sep 2010

Involving pharmacists in direct patient care activities has favorable effects: Study

Incorporating pharmacists as members of the health care team in direct patient care roles is a viable solution to help improve U.S. health care, according to the results of a comprehensive, systematic review of the health care literature set to be published in the October 2010 edition of Medical Care.

2 Sep 2010

Forbes: Most profitable hospitals have 25% operating margin

A survey of hospital finances by Forbes found that "some American hospitals make 25 cents or more for every $1 in patient revenue they take in," Forbes reports.

2 Sep 2010

Prevalence of obesity, diabetes high in California: Study

A majority of adults in California are obese or overweight, and more than 2 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

2 Sep 2010

Medicare smoking prevention program could lower costs

A Medicare program that has agreed to pay for counseling for seniors who smoke but are not yet sick could help the program, and America's health system, lower costs.

2 Sep 2010

Calif. allows safety-net coverage cost increase; Georgia illegal immigrant dialysis agreement reached

"As state leaders blast giant health insurers for raising rates, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has quietly allowed hefty increases for thousands of sick or jobless Californians who must rely on expensive safety-net coverage -- if they want insurance at all.

2 Sep 2010

Global agricultural experts meet for FANRPAN regional conference

The meeting will "address African priorities on food security and climate change and its impacts on agricultural development, natural resource management and rural livelihoods," according to a FANRPRAN press release.

2 Sep 2010

Health Reform Politics: Florida Court on ballot question; Repeal campaign touted by Conservatives; Nebraska flap

The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that targeted the new federal-health reform law, ruling that state lawmakers included misleading wording that could not be fixed.

2 Sep 2010

Employers from nearly every sector of economy applying for health overhaul's early retiree subsidies

Seven states that are suing the federal government to throw out the health overhaul are also readying to take subsidies that will help them afford medical costs for retirees, The Associated Press reports. "An administration official said Tuesday seven states suing the federal government are among 16 already approved for subsidies to help with the health care costs of early retirees. The seven are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Nevada."

2 Sep 2010

U.N. Secretary-General, UNAIDS Executive Director highlight role NGOs can play in achieving MDGs

During the 63rd U.N. Department of Public Information/NGO Conference on Monday in Melbourne, Australia, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "call[ed] on delegates to do more to save the lives of mothers and babies," the Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald reports (Alexander/Rose, 8/30).

2 Sep 2010

'Social business fund' could address social problems in Haiti, including health, Nobel Laureate says

At a recent event in Miami, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank, outlined his idea of creating a "social business fund" in Haiti, which would invest money in businesses that aim to address social problems in the country, the Miami Herald reports.

2 Sep 2010

Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Modern Healthcare: Health reform has left "industry executives scrambling to project what will happen to revenue and expenses in the coming decade." Some are using models to guess what will happen when payments change for Medicare and Medicaid. "The models, released or under development by trade groups, including the American Hospital Association, Greater New York Hospital Association, and Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, don't produce reliable projections, but rather a best guess — or many guesses

2 Sep 2010

Indiana reports fewer preventable medical errors; Kansas struggles to meet oral health needs

The Indianapolis Star: "Indiana's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers reported a decrease in preventable medical errors last year -- including a 33 percent drop in the number of bed sores. Overall, 306 facilities reported 94 preventable medical errors in 2009, according to a report released Monday by the Indiana State Department of Health. That's down from 105 errors reported each year in 2008 and 2007. The 22 pressure ulcers, also called bed sores, reported for 2009 were the fewest since the state's medical-error reporting system began four years ago" (Lee, 8/31).

2 Sep 2010

Physicians assistants, nurse practitioners take on more primary care duties

In the final part of a three-part series on primary care, NPR reports on physicians assistants and nurse practitioners taking the place of physicians as deliverers of primary care. "Unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners are on the rise. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, there were 74,100 physician assistants in practice in 2008, the most recent census available.

2 Sep 2010

Companies increasingly use wellness programs to promote health, cut down on costs

Chicago Tribune reports on the rise of wellness programs at various companies that have led to a boost in productivity: "As companies increasingly get creative about holding the line on health care costs, more are turning to inexpensive wellness programs.

2 Sep 2010

Hospitals ill-prepared for move to electronic medical records, survey finds

Government requirements for hospitals to get cash rewards for the "meaningful use" of electronic medical records may be too stringent for many facilities, which lack the tech savvy to meet them, according to Mass Device, a New England-based medical device business newsletter. "A small fraction of U.S. hospitals reported using electronic medical records software last year and even fewer would have met new requirements for 'meaningful use' of the systems in 2009, according to an American Hospital Assn. survey."

2 Sep 2010

Support falls for health overhaul as Obama administration prepares for midterms

Kaiser Health News: Public support for the new health law slipped in August, "a development sure to stir concerns among the Obama administration and congressional Democrats seeking to shore up support for the law in the months leading up to the mid-term elections." The latest poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found 43 percent of Americans viewed the law favorably, which is down from 50 percent in July.

2 Sep 2010

Health Care News and Research

URAC invites public comment on second set of toolkits for Patient Centered Health Care Home Program

UnitedHealth Group, CSRHA team up to support Critical Access Hospitals

Pawlenty instructs Minnesota agencies to snub health law's discretionary funds

March of Dimes supports Congressional Briefing on infant mortality

Involving pharmacists in direct patient care activities has favorable effects: Study

Forbes: Most profitable hospitals have 25% operating margin

Prevalence of obesity, diabetes high in California: Study

Medicare smoking prevention program could lower costs

Calif. allows safety-net coverage cost increase; Georgia illegal immigrant dialysis agreement reached

Global agricultural experts meet for FANRPAN regional conference

Health Reform Politics: Florida Court on ballot question; Repeal campaign touted by Conservatives; Nebraska flap

Employers from nearly every sector of economy applying for health overhaul's early retiree subsidies

U.N. Secretary-General, UNAIDS Executive Director highlight role NGOs can play in achieving MDGs

'Social business fund' could address social problems in Haiti, including health, Nobel Laureate says

Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Indiana reports fewer preventable medical errors; Kansas struggles to meet oral health needs

Physicians assistants, nurse practitioners take on more primary care duties

Companies increasingly use wellness programs to promote health, cut down on costs

Hospitals ill-prepared for move to electronic medical records, survey finds

Support falls for health overhaul as Obama administration prepares for midterms

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