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Free health clinic planned for D.C. area; University of Kansas to study Indian health; Ga. weighs health needs of older prisoners

In the run-up to this week's giant free clinic in the District, Nicole Lamoureux, the lead organizer, could tell that hearts were racing, blood pressure was increasing and tension was rising. Calls from patients scheduling appointments were starting to pour into her office, but there weren't enough volunteer medical workers to see them.

3 Aug 2010

Federal judge says Virginia challenge to health reform law may proceed

USA Today On Deadline Blog: "A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the state of Virginia that challenges the new health care reform act, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports." The suit, filed by Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia's state attorney general, "challenged a provision of the health care act that requires individuals to buy health insurance or pay a penalty" (Stanglin, 8/2).

3 Aug 2010

NCI awards LSUHSC-NOLA Louisiana Tumor Registry $12 million SEER contract

The Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health has been awarded a $12 million contract over seven years by the National Cancer Institute to continue its work as a SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) Program-designated cancer registry. There are 18 competitively awarded SEER cancer registries in the United States.

3 Aug 2010

Senate FMAP vote expected this evening

CQ:An administration official was making last-minute calls Monday "in the lead-up to an evening vote on a stand-alone bill to extend increased Medicaid payments to states and provide $10 billion for educators' jobs." The measure, with a $26.1 billion price tag, contains the Medicaid and education provisions that were "struck a from other bills despite heavy lobbying by state and local officials."

3 Aug 2010

Patients' requests to doctors receive varied responses

USA Today: According to a study appearing in the Journal Of Emergency Medicine, "Emergency room patients who ask to be seen by a physician of their same gender, race or religious background are not always treated equally, U.S. researchers find. The request is most often granted when the patient is a woman, a racial minority, or a Muslim.

3 Aug 2010

Vanguard signs definitive agreement to acquire Arizona Heart Institute

Vanguard Health Systems and Arizona Heart Institute (AHI) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement for Vanguard to acquire Arizona Heart Institute, one of the world's leading providers of cardiovascular care. Through this agreement, AHI will align with Abrazo Health Care, a Phoenix-based subsidiary of Vanguard, to become part of its distributive cardiovascular network of community-based physicians, providing future opportunities to greatly expand cardiovascular services and patient base throughout the region.

3 Aug 2010

World Breastfeeding Week highlights benefits to infant, child nutrition, health

Kicking off World Breastfeeding Week Sunday, the WHO together with UNICEF emphasized the importance of the agencies' 10 steps to successful breastfeeding to improve health of infants and children around the world, VOA News reports (Schlein, 8/1).

3 Aug 2010

East Africa declared polio-free again after outbreak

"Eastern Africa is free of polio again, with four countries - Ethiopia , Kenya, Sudan and Uganda - having reported no cases of the crippling disease for more than a year, U.N. and other aid agencies said on Friday," Reuters reports (7/30). The WHO "said the region had responded fast to the outbreak," according to the Daily Monitor. The article reports that the four countries now "join neighbouring Somalia which has been polio free for the last three years" (Lirri, 8/2).

3 Aug 2010

Percutaneous heart valve replacement may be an alternative for open heart surgery

A newer, less invasive method of heart valve replacement shows promise and may be appropriate for patients who cannot tolerate traditional open heart surgery, but research is needed to understand its potential risks and benefits, according to a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

3 Aug 2010

'Medical homes' bolster primary care and cut emergency costs

Several news outlets look at efforts to manage care for Medicaid patients and the uninsured better.

3 Aug 2010

Doctor discounts for the asking

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, Lisa Zamosky writes: "Looking to save money on healthcare? Consider asking your doctor for a discount.

3 Aug 2010

As e-prescribing becomes more popular, hurdles to adoption persist

The [Gary, IN] Post-Tribune: "While the trend toward e-prescribing has picked up steam in recent years, some doctors "said there continue to be barriers to widespread acceptance of a technology that could save thousands of lives.

3 Aug 2010

Researchers develop techniques to identify evolution of drug resistance strains of malaria

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed techniques to quickly identify evolution of drug resistance in strains of malaria. Their goal is to enable the medical community to react quickly to inevitable resistance and thereby save lives while increasing the lifespan of drugs used against the disease.Currently, disease monitoring requires months of clinical trials. The new methods can provide more information in just days, and far cheaper.

3 Aug 2010

Pakistani officials fear cholera outbreak after massive flooding

After floods in northwest Pakistan have "already killed up to 1,200 people" and forced 2 million from their homes, authorities are now concerned about disease spread, the Associated Press reports.

2 Aug 2010

Hospitals seek new ways to streamline care

News outlets report on hospital issues, including the differences between for-profit and nonprofit hospitals and efforts to streamline care.

2 Aug 2010

Tips for caregivers to better manage their loved one's health care

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people in the United States serve as informal caregivers, typically for family members. This equates to more than one out of every four people serving as unpaid caregivers.

2 Aug 2010

Senate may vote today on extending extra Medicaid funds

"The Senate votes tonight on a cloture motion on a $26.1 billion domestic spending package that includes $10 billion in funding to avert teacher layoffs and $16.1 billion in Medicaid aid by extending Federal Medical Assistance Percentage reimbursements. That vote is a nod to House Democrats who are irked that senators stripped the funding from other bills and to governors who are lobbying for the funds" (Friedman, 8/2).

2 Aug 2010

OHSU acquires BSD-500 Hyperthermia System

BSD Medical Corporation is pleased to announce that Oregon Health & Science University has acquired a BSD-500 Hyperthermia System. OHSU is a leading university that provides world-class treatment for the most complex health care needs. OHSU has been ranked in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings as one of America's Best Hospitals for 15 consecutive years and has been recognized in the medical specialties of cancer and endocrinology.

2 Aug 2010

Today's OpEds: Medicaid and the safety net; Health reform law's impact on long-term care and health costs

Late last week, the federal government provided a road map [for how to help those with little access to care] by extending an existing agreement that allows up to $25 million in Medicaid payments to hospitals to be diverted instead to clinics that serve the uninsured. You might think that would be a hard sell for hospitals; after all, they're experiencing sharp growth in the number of uninsured patients they serve. But St. Louis-area hospitals willingly have been sharing those payments with clinics for a decade. Without them, there simply wouldn't be a health care safety net to meet the region's needs (8/1).

2 Aug 2010

Take Care Health Systems applauds US Senate for declaration of National Convenient Care Clinic Week

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens and the nation's largest and most comprehensive manager of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers, today praised the US Senate for its declaration of August 2-8 as "National Convenient Care Clinic Week". The resolution was introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

2 Aug 2010