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Children with special health care needs at increased risk of oral diseases

At the beginning of 2010, as many as 17 percent of children in the United States were reported as having special health care needs. Behavioral issues, developmental disorders, cognitive disorders, genetic disorders and systemic diseases may increase a child's risk of developing oral disease, according to an article published in the May/June 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry.

22 Jun 2010

Antibody treatment could significantly improve lives following spinal cord injury: Researchers

The United States Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program has announced a grant of more than a million dollars U.S. to support research at the Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario (Western). The spinal cord injury research team of Gregory Dekaban, Arthur Brown, Lynne Weaver and Paula Foster, in collaboration with Brian Kwon of the University of British Columbia and Kyle Petersen of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center, is working on a new therapy designed to limit the damage caused by inflammation immediately following spinal cord injury.

22 Jun 2010

CIGNA, CareCentrix team up to offer Care Transitions Program to decrease hospital readmissions

According to a recent study, one in five hospital discharges is complicated by an adverse event within 30 days, often leading to emergency care or re-hospitalization. To combat this problem, CIGNA (NYSE:CI) and CareCentrix, Inc., have teamed up to offer the Care Transitions Program to people enrolled in a CIGNA health plan after they've been discharged from the hospital. CareCentrix will provide specialized home nursing services that will help these individuals transition from hospital care to home recovery.

22 Jun 2010

New $20M fund to support Haitian small-, medium-sized businesses announced after first Interim Haiti Reconstruction Committee meeting

Former President Bill Clinton along with Mexican telecom executive Carlos Slim and Frank Guistra, a Canadian "mining magnet," on Thursday announced "a $20 million fund to help support the expansion and creation of small- and medium-size Haitian businesses," the Miami Herald reports.

22 Jun 2010

Research article sheds light on liability concerns and electronic health records systems

Electronic health record systems likely will soon become a fixture in medical settings. Advocates claim they will reduce health care costs and improve medical outcomes, which could be critical since the new health care reform law increases access for millions of Americans. Although benefits of bringing information technology to health records can be substantial, EHR systems also give rise to increased liability risks for health care providers due to possible software or hardware problems or user errors.

22 Jun 2010

Report says G8 countries short $10B on $50B commitment, reveals mixed progress on health goals

An accountability report, prepared by officials in G8 member countries' foreign affairs departments, acknowledges that G8 "countries are $10 billion behind the five-year, $50-billion commitment they made at their 2005 summit in Scotland," the Canadian Press/CTV News reports (6/20).

22 Jun 2010

Lack of tracking of medical devices' performance raises questions about safety and efficacy

"Amid the booming use of artificial joints in the United States, the breakup between Dr. Berger and Zimmer highlights what experts say is a troubling situation for patients and doctors: when disputes arise about orthopedic implant safety, there are no independent referees or sources of information because no one tracks the performance of the devices.

22 Jun 2010

Protesters ask U.S. to boost funding for Global Fund, HIV/AIDS programs in Africa

Thousands of protesters in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday "demand[ed] the U.S. increase its AIDS funding for Africa," the Associated Press reports (Naki, 6/17). The protesters delivered a letter to the consulate saying the U.S. is "cutting funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," which health advocates believe could lead "other countries to follow suit and reduce funding for the fight against HIV," Agence France-Presse writes (6/17).

22 Jun 2010

Extenders bill in limbo, placing COBRA subsidy and Medicaid enhanced funding in even deeper jeopardy

Efforts to renew the COBRA subsidy extension to help workers who have been recently laid off afford to keep their former employer's health insurance remains in limbo as lawmakers work at a measured pace to extend unemployment benefits and a tax package.

22 Jun 2010

Pfizer announces voluntary withdrawal of Mylotarg from U.S. market following FDA request

Pfizer Inc. today announced the voluntary withdrawal from the U.S. market of the drug Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a bone marrow cancer. The company took the action at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after results from a recent clinical trial raised new concerns about the product's safety and the drug failed to demonstrate clinical benefit to patients enrolled in trials.

22 Jun 2010

WHO issues comprehensive recommendations on children's medicines

The WHO on Friday issued "its first-ever guidance on how to use more than 240 essential medicines for children under 13," the Associated Press reports. "The data provide information on use, dosage and side effects of medicines as well as warnings about which children should not take them" and possible complications from interactions from drugs taken together, according to the WHO, the news service reports (6/19).

22 Jun 2010

USAID Administrator shares vision for agency reform

During a speech at the National Press Club on Friday, USAID Administrator Rajiv spoke about ongoing efforts to reform the agency he oversees, noting the importance of improving development strategies targeting women, among other things, All Headline News reports (6/20).

22 Jun 2010

Health leaders formally launch new strategy for polio eradication

Health leaders from around the world gathered on Friday to formally launch a new strategy for eradicating polio, Newsweek's "The Human Condition" blog reports in a post examining the challenges and successes health advocates face in attempting to wipe the virus out completely (Carmichael, 6/18).

22 Jun 2010

Tentative deal raises cigarette taxes in NY; Many Iowa hospitals close inpatient psychiatric units

Harvard Medical School, which has suffered financially due in part to a sharp decline in Harvard University's legendary endowment, has successfully negotiated a deal in which Boston's major teaching hospitals will contribute $36 million to the school over three years. The hospital money is a small portion of the medical school's $580 million annual budget, but it may represent a larger turning point in the unusual relationship between the country's top medical school and its prestigious hospital partners.

22 Jun 2010

Louisiana becomes first state with a Democrat legislature to oppose requirement to purchase health insurance

Last Friday, June 18, 2010, Louisiana became the first state with a Democrat-controlled legislature to oppose a requirement to purchase health insurance—the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's health reform agenda. Louisiana House Bill 1474, which passed the Louisiana Senate with strong bipartisan support, will soon head to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk. The measure is modeled after the American Legislative Exchange Council's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act now introduced or announced in 42 states.

22 Jun 2010

Number of uninsured grew by 3 million in 2009; Health safety net continues to fray

Help from the new health law may not come soon enough for many Americans, according to a report.

22 Jun 2010

Hospitals shift business plans for waning economy, changing government policies

A sluggish economy, changing government regulation and court cases have prompted new business strategies at hospitals, according to news reports.

22 Jun 2010

People who purchase insurance on their own faced premium hike rates around 20 percent, survey finds

People who purchase health insurance on their own were faced with premium increases averaging 20 percent when they last sought to renew their coverage, according to a survey released Monday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

22 Jun 2010

Diabetes disease management program helps Medicare patients reduce cost of medical care: Study

Medicare patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease can significantly reduce both the cost of their medical care and rates of hospitalization by participating in a telephone-based diabetes disease management program, a new study finds. The authors will present their results Monday at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

22 Jun 2010

Walgreens will stay in Caremark's prescription network

Los Angeles Times: Walgreens and Caremark announced Friday "they had settled a dispute that threatened to prevent thousands of people from filling their prescriptions at Walgreens stores." Caremark runs CVS stores and pharmacies. "At issue: the way Caremark, one of the nation's biggest prescription-plan operators, prices discounts for prescriptions filled at Walgreens pharmacies, which often compete fiercely with nearby CVS stores nationwide.

22 Jun 2010

Health Care News and Research

Children with special health care needs at increased risk of oral diseases

Antibody treatment could significantly improve lives following spinal cord injury: Researchers

CIGNA, CareCentrix team up to offer Care Transitions Program to decrease hospital readmissions

New $20M fund to support Haitian small-, medium-sized businesses announced after first Interim Haiti Reconstruction Committee meeting

Research article sheds light on liability concerns and electronic health records systems

Report says G8 countries short $10B on $50B commitment, reveals mixed progress on health goals

Lack of tracking of medical devices' performance raises questions about safety and efficacy

Protesters ask U.S. to boost funding for Global Fund, HIV/AIDS programs in Africa

Extenders bill in limbo, placing COBRA subsidy and Medicaid enhanced funding in even deeper jeopardy

Pfizer announces voluntary withdrawal of Mylotarg from U.S. market following FDA request

WHO issues comprehensive recommendations on children's medicines

USAID Administrator shares vision for agency reform

Health leaders formally launch new strategy for polio eradication

Tentative deal raises cigarette taxes in NY; Many Iowa hospitals close inpatient psychiatric units

Louisiana becomes first state with a Democrat legislature to oppose requirement to purchase health insurance

Number of uninsured grew by 3 million in 2009; Health safety net continues to fray

Hospitals shift business plans for waning economy, changing government policies

People who purchase insurance on their own faced premium hike rates around 20 percent, survey finds

Diabetes disease management program helps Medicare patients reduce cost of medical care: Study

Walgreens will stay in Caremark's prescription network

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