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FCC to step up rural broadband for health care

"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission took the first step Thursday toward reworking a US$400 million-a-year program to subsidize telecommunications services to rural health-care facilities, with the new emphasis on broadband. The commission voted unanimously to approve a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM, designed to bring affordable broadband connectivity to more than 2,000 rural hospitals and clinics across the U.S. The purpose of an NPRM is to ask members of the public whether they agree with the proposed changes" (Gross, 7/15).

17 Jul 2010

Research Roundups: Health IT progress; Telecare and cancer pain; State exchanges; Adults with no medical care

eHealth/Commonwealth Fund: National Progress Report On eHealth - This extensive report examines changes in the adoption and use of health information technology (HIT) since 2007, as assessed by a group of more than 100 experts.

17 Jul 2010

Also in Global Health News: WHO reacts to Amnesty's N. Korea report; Universal flu vaccine; Malaria-resistant mosquitoes

The WHO is questioning the validity of the findings of a recent Amnesty International report which highlighted the dire needs of North Korea's health system, "contradict[ing] the rosier picture given by WHO chief Margaret Chan after her April trip there," the Associated Press reports. Although WHO spokesman Paul Garwood "insisted he wasn't criticizing Amnesty's work … he said Thursday's report was anecdotal, with stories dating back to 2001," which "[h]e contrasted … with WHO's science-based approach" (7/16).

17 Jul 2010

First in a series of day-long regional health care fraud prevention summits kicked-off in Miami

Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today kicked-off the first in a series of regional health care fraud prevention summits in Miami. The summit brought together a wide-array of federal, state and local partners, beneficiaries, providers and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system.

17 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Shift entitlement spending to the states; The lack of a GOP health plan; Battling tobacco

The U.S. fiscal path is unsustainable, primarily because of out-of-control entitlement spending. … At some point, therefore, the economy is due to crash unless Washington reins in spending. One way to avoid this outcome would be to transfer entitlement programs to the states ... failure to slash entitlements could mean a bankrupt economy. When that happens, it's sure to be the poor who suffer the most (Jeffrey Miron, 7/16).

17 Jul 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

As part of a series in advance of AIDS 2010, the "Science Speaks" blog features an interview with U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby "about his expectations for the conference, what was behind the Uganda problem with shortages of AIDS medicine, and whether The New York Times was right when it reported in May that the Ugandan drug shortfall was 'the first example … of how the war on AIDS is falling apart.'"

16 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 16, 2010

Indiana's Medicaid chief told lawmakers Thursday that the federal government has largely left states in the dark on implementing the federal health care overhaul because it hasn't yet provided needed guidelines (The Associated Press).

16 Jul 2010

Joint statement to help patients, physicians make informed decisions about use of rosiglitazone

The Endocrine Society, American Diabetes Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists issue joint statement in response to an FDA panel's recommendation to keep rosiglitazone (Avandia) on the market

16 Jul 2010

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Next week the city of Philadelphia will host the 52nd annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology.

16 Jul 2010

Picis commends inclusion of ED in final rules for ARRA HITECH meaningful use criteria

Picis executives today weighed in on the final rules for the ARRA HITECH meaningful use criteria issued this week. The company commends policy makers for their comprehensive and diligent work to create a flexible, workable solution that lays the foundation for a strong electronic health record (EHR) plan for the future of U.S. health care.

16 Jul 2010

Johns Hopkins Hospital takes top spot in annual rankings of American hospitals for 20th year in a row

Once more — and for the 20th year in a row — The Johns Hopkins Hospital has taken the top spot in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of American hospitals, placing first in five medical specialties and in the top five in 10 others.

16 Jul 2010

Current global economic crisis finds few bright spots in mental health spending: Study

As the current global economic crisis drives up the demand for mental health care services, cash-strapped agencies are slashing mental health budgets, according to a new Brandeis University study out this month in the International Journal of Mental Health. However, while most nations are cutting spending, a handful of countries are earmarking funding to meet the anticipated growth in mental health problems.

16 Jul 2010

Anesthesiologists use different chemicals to lessen their carbon footprint

The Sacramento Bee/The Seattle Times: The "choices that anesthesiologists make at a midsize hospital can have the carbon footprint of a small fleet of automobiles, according to a physician who calculated the effects of different options." Anesthesiologists as a result are trying to lessen the environmental impact of the tools of their trade.

16 Jul 2010

New poverty index finds more poor people in Indian states than in poorest African countries

There is a higher number of poor people in eight Indian states than in 26 of the poorest African countries, according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index, which was developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with support from the U.N., the BBC reports (7/13).

16 Jul 2010

VCU Medical Center ranked in 2010-2011 Best Hospitals

The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center on Thursday was ranked in the 2010-2011 Best Hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report, making it one of 152 medical centers nationwide selected out of nearly 2,000 eligible institutions.

16 Jul 2010

Federal advisory panel with reservations, recommends keeping Avandia on the Market

Federal advisers delivered a mixed verdict Wednesday on the diabetes drug Avandia,with a significant number of experts voting to recommend that it be pulled from the market because of safety concerns but a majority urging to keep it available, perhaps with tough new restrictions and new warnings.Avandia was once the world's most popular diabetes drugs but has become the focus of intense debate because of concerns that it increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

16 Jul 2010

N.C. firms show health sector jobs not as recession-proof as advertised

Are health jobs recession proof? Try recession resistant. The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal reports, "Health-care jobs might not be as recession-proof as was once thought, but they are still safer than jobs in many other fields, employment experts said yesterday, after Forsyth Medical Center announced a day earlier that 48 people would lose their jobs through layoffs… Large layoffs in the health-care industry have taken place elsewhere. In January, for example, Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton laid off 112 employees" (Graff, 7/15).

16 Jul 2010

ANA, HealthStream partner to expand and deliver online continuing education

HealthStream, Inc., a leading provider of learning and research solutions for the health care industry, today announced that the American Nurses Association (ANA) has partnered with HealthStream to expand the offering and streamline the delivery of its online continuing education (CE).

16 Jul 2010

WHO releases guidelines for countries on how to attract, retain doctors, health care workers to rural areas

BMJ News reports on the WHO's recent release of a set of recommendations for countries on how to attract and retain doctors and other health care workers in rural areas (Zarocostas, 7/14).

16 Jul 2010

AU summit meetings to focus on maternal, child health

African Union (AU) summit delegates have started arriving in Uganda for a series of meetings ahead of the 15th AU Summit, which takes place July 19-27 in the capital of Kampala, the New Vision reports (Musoke, 7/14).

16 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

FCC to step up rural broadband for health care

Research Roundups: Health IT progress; Telecare and cancer pain; State exchanges; Adults with no medical care

Also in Global Health News: WHO reacts to Amnesty's N. Korea report; Universal flu vaccine; Malaria-resistant mosquitoes

First in a series of day-long regional health care fraud prevention summits kicked-off in Miami

Today's OpEds: Shift entitlement spending to the states; The lack of a GOP health plan; Battling tobacco

Recent releases in Global Health

First Edition: July 16, 2010

Joint statement to help patients, physicians make informed decisions about use of rosiglitazone

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Picis commends inclusion of ED in final rules for ARRA HITECH meaningful use criteria

Johns Hopkins Hospital takes top spot in annual rankings of American hospitals for 20th year in a row

Current global economic crisis finds few bright spots in mental health spending: Study

Anesthesiologists use different chemicals to lessen their carbon footprint

New poverty index finds more poor people in Indian states than in poorest African countries

VCU Medical Center ranked in 2010-2011 Best Hospitals

Federal advisory panel with reservations, recommends keeping Avandia on the Market

N.C. firms show health sector jobs not as recession-proof as advertised

ANA, HealthStream partner to expand and deliver online continuing education

WHO releases guidelines for countries on how to attract, retain doctors, health care workers to rural areas

AU summit meetings to focus on maternal, child health

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

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