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Infections remain a common problem in ICU patients

An international study that examined the extent of infections in nearly 1,300 intensive care units (ICUs) in 75 countries found that about 50 percent of the patients were considered infected, with infection associated with an increased risk of death in the hospital, according to a study in the December 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Dec 2009

Affordable Health Care Act to increase number of insured Americans by 36 million

According to Fitch Ratings' Fall U.S. Healthcare Sector Legislative and Regulatory Register, the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962) passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 7, 2009 will generally increase the number of insured Americans by 36 million through individual and employer mandates, coupled with a number of subsidies offered to lower-income individuals and smaller employers.

2 Dec 2009

ASH Annual Meeting to showcase latest research and treatments for blood disorders

The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world's largest professional association of blood specialists, expects more than 20,000 attendees at the 51st ASH Annual Meeting from December 5-8, 2009, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. The meeting will showcase the latest research and treatments for blood disorders.

2 Dec 2009

Baker College Online's new BSN degree program for registered nurses

Baker College Online officials today announced its new Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program. The BSN is based on accreditation standards established by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Registration for the new program is now underway for winter 2010 quarter.

2 Dec 2009

AHF protests against budget cuts to AIDS services

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is joining a coalition of AIDS advocates and patients to protest drastic California budget cuts to lifesaving AIDS services—including California’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)—that is jeopardizing the public health by eliminating the vast majority of funding for AIDS care and treatment, including lifesaving AIDS drugs.

2 Dec 2009

New nursing guideline to enhance improved care for MMT clients

A pregnant woman walks into a hospital in early labour. She feels nauseated and achy; her contractions are 20 minutes apart. There is more to her story than meets the eye. She is on methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and wasn't able to pick up her daily dose at the pharmacy this morning. Although her story may be hard to believe she is one of the estimated 17,000 clients in Ontario currently receiving MMT.

2 Dec 2009

URAC accreditation ensures round the clock access to quality health care

The spread of the H1N1 virus and the growing concerns about treatments have illustrated the need for reliable sources of health care information. URAC, the nation's leading health care accreditation and education organization, offers a Health Call Center Accreditation which provides a framework for call centers around the country.

2 Dec 2009

Cancer researchers find a way to turn ineffective new cancer drugs into cancer-fighters

Cancer researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found a way to turn ineffective new cancer drugs into cancer-fighters. By using their patented chemical compound, SHetA2, researchers tricked cancer cells into responding to new treatments and undergoing cell suicide.

2 Dec 2009

CMA and Pfizer Canada team up for new online CME program for physicians

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Pfizer Canada are pleased to announce a collaboration for a new online Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians across the country.

2 Dec 2009

Copper may help fight against healthcare-associated infections

In a busy Birmingham teaching hospital, researchers swapped a conventional toilet seat, tap-handles and a ward door push-plate for similar items made from 70% copper. They compared the number of microbes on the copper surfaces against the number of bacteria on the same items from another ward and found that the copper surfaces had 90-100% fewer live bacteria than the non-copper surfaces.

2 Dec 2009

World AIDS Day: IAC to be held in D.C.; examination of Obama's HIV/AIDS efforts; UNICEF report

During a briefing on the eve of World AIDS Day Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the International AIDS Society (IAS) has chosen Washington, D.C., to host the 2012 International AIDS Conference (IAC) now that the "decades-old ban on HIV-positive visitors" to the U.S. has been lifted, Agence France-Presse reports (11/30).

2 Dec 2009

U.N. calls for $7.1b in annual aid request

The 2010 appeal "is the largest ever since the creation of the Consolidated Appeal Process in 1991," PTI/Business Standard writes (Sharma, 12/1). "Last year the appeal sought $7 billion, which was then a record," according to the U.N. News Centre.

2 Dec 2009

South-South Cooperation conference kicks off in Kenya

The High Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation started Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya, with officials discussing prospects and challenges of the initiative, Xinhua reports (Ooko, 12/1).

2 Dec 2009

Emerging Healthcare Solutions announces their American health care initiative

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. today announced their American health care initiative. Fifty million new patients are set to explode on the healthcare system with the passage of national healthcare legislation.

1 Dec 2009

Women's insurance amendment slated for Senate's first health bill vote

As the Senate debates the health reform legislation, amendments are being advanced and Senators are reacting to the bill.

1 Dec 2009

Uninsured cancer patient gives human face to health care debate

The Sacramento Bee has a three-part profile of an uninsured cancer patient, which is tracked alongside the progressing health care reform debate.

1 Dec 2009

Op-eds on World AIDS Day: Research, funding, hunger, Uganda

The "National Institutes of Health - perhaps our best hope for funding a cure for AIDS - has been underfunded since 2003," Kate Krauss, director of the AIDS Policy Project, writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece.

1 Dec 2009

Swine flu cases appear to have peaked

The current wave of pandemic H1N1 appears to have peaked, with four weeks of declines in several key indicators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Despite the decrease, the outbreak is continuing to take a heavy toll of hospitalizations and deaths, especially among children.

1 Dec 2009

Seniors can be reluctant to switch Medicare drug plans

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz, in collaboration with The Washington Post, writes about the decisions seniors face regarding their health coverage.

1 Dec 2009

Political squabbles mark opening day of Senate health debate

The Senate on Monday began its health bill debate amid speculation regarding how long the floor consideration would last and how much the bill will change before a final vote is taken.

1 Dec 2009