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HHS to give states $25 million for HIV drugs; Researchers identify antibodies that may help in AIDS vaccine research

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday "that she would provide $25 million more to help states buy life-saving medications for people with H.I.V. or AIDS. Advocates for patients said the money was not nearly enough to eliminate waiting lists, which have surged to record levels as people have lost health insurance, along with their jobs, and states have cut their budgets. Ms. Sebelius said she was 'reallocating and transferring $25 million in existing resources' to provide medicines for people on waiting lists.

9 Jul 2010

Merck to lay off 15 percent of workers, close plants, research facilities

Drugmaker Merck announced it is closing eight research centers and eight manufacturing plants and laying off 15,000 people from its worldwide operations during the next two years because of its merger with Schering-Plough. "The restructuring is expected to save $2.7 billion to $3.1 billion in 2012, the company said. Meanwhile, the pretax cost of the initial phase of the cost-cutting program is expected to range from $3.5 billion to $4.3 billion, much of it in severance packages for employees."

9 Jul 2010

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

"The Obama administration is sending $250 checks to more than 300,000 older Americans who paid higher drug costs in the Medicare coverage gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' officials announced Thursday. The one-time, tax-free checks are the first tangible benefit of the health care package that became law this year."

9 Jul 2010

Initiatives launched to increase transparency, strengthen oversight in health care group purchasing industry

The Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative, an organization dedicated to promoting the highest ethical standards and practices in the health care group purchasing industry, today announced the launch of two major initiatives to further increase transparency and strengthen oversight in the health care group purchasing industry.

9 Jul 2010

Merck details global restructuring program

Merck & Co., Inc., known outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD, today provided further detail on integration plans for the company's research and development, manufacturing and other business operations as part of a global restructuring program announced following the November 2009 merger of Merck and Schering-Plough.

9 Jul 2010

Colgate-Palmolive teams up with a trio of Saints to champion good oral health among Gulf Coast children

Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures national campaign to improve children's oral health joins Super Bowl champions Jonathan Vilma, Pierre Thomas, and Marques Colston and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, to host festivals highlighting the importance of maintaining good oral health. More than 600 children in New Orleans and Mississippi's Hancock and Harrison Counties will receive free dental screenings, oral health education and treatment referrals this weekend. They will also join New Orleans Saints Vilma, Thomas, and Colston in a brush-a-thon to promote oral health awareness.

9 Jul 2010

Aetna offers premium payments, file claims extensions to customers affected by storms

Aetna is offering fully insured health plan customers, including Medicare members, in Ohio's Wood, Ottawa and Fulton counties an extra two months to make premium payments and file claims, among other assistance. People in those counties were affected by tornados and severe weather in early June.

9 Jul 2010

AHF: 15 Zambian health care professionals to train HIV Medics

Graduation ceremonies will be held Saturday, July 10th in Lukasa for 15 Zambian health care professionals from several districts throughout the country who have completed an educational training program administered by AIDS Healthcare Foundation. This will enable the graduates to train classes of HIV Medics to work in the country's growing fight against HIV/AIDS.

9 Jul 2010

Healthways honored for providing healthier lifestyles for their employees

The National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of large employers, has honored Healthways, Inc. for its commitment and dedication to promoting a healthy workplace and encouraging their colleagues and families to support and maintain healthy lifestyles.

9 Jul 2010

PTSD disability claims for veterans become easier with new VA regulations

While The American Legion welcomed new VA regulations that make it easier for veterans to claim disabilities from post-traumatic stress disorder, it also urged the agency to allow private practitioners to diagnose and treat the condition.

9 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 9, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include news about some little-known health reform provisions and how the Obama administration is using technology to help consumers navigate changes resulting from the health overhaul.

9 Jul 2010

Opinions: Coordinate debris removal in Haiti; Focus on sustainability to feed Africa; G20's role in health, development; Role of health workers in reducing maternal deaths

Marking the six-month anniversary since the earthquake in Haiti, Reginald DesRoches, Ozlem Ergun and Julie Swann, all of the Georgia Institute of Technology, call for increased attention to be paid towards efforts to remove the "[t]wenty million to 25 million cubic yards of debris [that] fill the streets, yards, sidewalks and canals of Port-au-Prince" in a New York Times opinion piece.

9 Jul 2010

HIGPA issues statement on adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures

Curtis Rooney, President of the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association, today issued the following statement on the adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures by the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative. The new initiatives were developed earlier this year with input from leading ethicists and Congressional staff at the fifth annual HGPII Best Practices Forum in Washington, D.C., and officially adopted this week.

9 Jul 2010

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

In an effort to accelerate the control of malaria and help eliminate it worldwide, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced approximately $14 million in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers around the world.

9 Jul 2010

WHO report examines donors response to developing countries during H1N1 pandemic

CIDRAP News examines a recently-released WHO report on how donor countries and organizations have responded to the needs of developing countries during the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic. In September, the WHO estimated the "64 'least-resourced countries' needed a total of $1.48 billion of aid for vaccine, medicines and supplies, laboratory and surveillance services, communications capacity, and other activities to respond to the pandemic," according to the news service.

9 Jul 2010

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease prefer dopamine agonists, shows review

Of the three main types of oral drugs commonly added to levodopa therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, one might be the most effective, according to a new review.

9 Jul 2010

Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores wins Gold Quill Award of Merit

The Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences won a Gold Quill Award of Merit in the category of Brand Communication from the International Association of Business Communicators for the organization's rebranding project, A New Brand for a New Era.

9 Jul 2010

Women's eNews examines progress towards MDGs in Bangladesh

Though Bangladesh is "on track" to meet most of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets laid out by the U.N., "many female-focused targets, including maternal mortality are lagging far behind," writes Women's eNews, adding that "progress has stalled" at 351 deaths per 100,000, "a point far above the 2014 target figure of 144."

9 Jul 2010

Cigarette smoking declines slowly among high school students: CDC survey

The latest survey of high school smoking rates, released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that the nation continues to make gradual progress in reducing youth smoking, but declines have slowed significantly since 2003 and nearly one in five high school students still smoke.

9 Jul 2010

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas named Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is the first hospital in Texas — and one of only three in the United States — to be named a Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery by the American Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

9 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

HHS to give states $25 million for HIV drugs; Researchers identify antibodies that may help in AIDS vaccine research

Merck to lay off 15 percent of workers, close plants, research facilities

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

Initiatives launched to increase transparency, strengthen oversight in health care group purchasing industry

Merck details global restructuring program

Colgate-Palmolive teams up with a trio of Saints to champion good oral health among Gulf Coast children

Aetna offers premium payments, file claims extensions to customers affected by storms

AHF: 15 Zambian health care professionals to train HIV Medics

Healthways honored for providing healthier lifestyles for their employees

PTSD disability claims for veterans become easier with new VA regulations

First Edition: July 9, 2010

Opinions: Coordinate debris removal in Haiti; Focus on sustainability to feed Africa; G20's role in health, development; Role of health workers in reducing maternal deaths

HIGPA issues statement on adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

WHO report examines donors response to developing countries during H1N1 pandemic

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease prefer dopamine agonists, shows review

Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores wins Gold Quill Award of Merit

Women's eNews examines progress towards MDGs in Bangladesh

Cigarette smoking declines slowly among high school students: CDC survey

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas named Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery

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