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Administration seeks to distance reform effort from cancer screening fallout

As the intense debate continues over new cancer test guidelines, the Obama administration is trying to protect health care reform from the controversy's fallout.

23 Nov 2009

Senators prepare for upcoming health reform battles

The Wall Street Journal reports that, in a party-line vote Saturday night, "Democratic leaders finally moved their sweeping health bill to the Senate floor, where wheeling and dealing over major unresolved and divisive issues likely will shape the legislation before its next big test." Some centrists are busy saying they won't support a bill with a government-run public option in it. They are also divided over abortion.

23 Nov 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center among 10 institutions to share $56 million from NIH as part of ICAC

UT Southwestern Medical Center is among 10 institutions selected by the National Institutes of Health to share $56 million over five years as part of the Inner City Asthma Consortium (ICAC).

23 Nov 2009

GOP strikes back on Senate health vote

Republican senators turned out to criticize the Democratic health overhaul on Sunday talk shows, saying it is "something Bernie Madoff would really envy," would expand a "medical ghetto," and may "collapse of its own weight," The Hill reports. Supporting the bill, which cleared an initial Senate vote to bring the legislation to the floor Saturday night, is tantamount to ignoring "the wishes of the American people," the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Sunday (Johnson, 11/22).

23 Nov 2009

Digital divide appears between hospitals that treat the rich and poor

"Hospitals that disproportionately care for poor patients are less likely than other hospitals to have adopted health information technology," according to an October study published in Health Affairs, American Medical News reports. The economic stimulus legislation in February directed $19 billion in federal investments to help all types of hospitals adopt electronic records, but some researchers are concerned the money may not close that divide.

23 Nov 2009

CDC: 'Beggining to see some declines in swine flu'

Reuters: "The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the United States, health experts said on Friday. But they stressed that influenza, especially a pandemic, could hit several peaks in a single season. They said weeks or months more of disease could be expected.

23 Nov 2009

Eclipsys reaches milestone: 50 millionth order entered into its EHR system

Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, continues to strengthen its position as a leader in computerized physician order entry (CPOE) with the announcement today that long-standing client Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (Sarasota Memorial), located in Sarasota, FL, recently entered its 50 millionth order into its electronic health record (EHR) system. The notable physician order was entered by emergency medicine specialist Bill Colgate, MD.

23 Nov 2009

Arcadia Resources raises $11.1 million through sale of its shares

Arcadia Resources, Inc., a leading provider of innovative consumer health care services under the Arcadia HealthCare brand, announced today that it has completed the previously announced sale of shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase common stock pursuant to a registered direct offering to institutional investors, representing gross proceeds to Arcadia of approximately $11.1 million.

23 Nov 2009

Masimo announces the renewal of multi-year agreement by Advocate Health Care

Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low-Perfusion pulse oximetry, announced today that Advocate Health Care--Illinois' largest health care provider--has renewed its multi-year, system-wide contract for Masimo SET pulse oximetry technology.

23 Nov 2009

Zynx Health partners with Healthcare Solutions Division of Keane for EHR integration

Zynx Health, the market leader in providing evidence-based and experience-based clinical decision support solutions, today announced its partnership with the Healthcare Solutions Division of Keane, Inc., allowing the integration of Zynx Health solutions with Keane’s OptimumTM electronic health records (EHR) system.

23 Nov 2009

Verizon launches telehealth services

Time, distance and cost often hamper efforts to link patients with the right health care expert, causing further concern for those needing to consult with faraway doctors. Verizon is answering this need with new services for physicians, hospitals, clinics and insurers that enable providers to "see" patients through video consultations, as well as other collaboration services.

23 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 23, 2009

Today's headlines indicate that even after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found victory Saturday night with the first health bill test vote, his measure is likely to be the subject of an even more intense debate as the measure moves forward.

23 Nov 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center receives NIH funds for asthma research

UT Southwestern Medical Center is among 10 institutions selected by the National Institutes of Health to share $56 million over five years as part of the Inner City Asthma Consortium (ICAC).

23 Nov 2009

Congressman Chaka Fattah's statement on the Affordable Health Care legislation vote

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) issues the following statement upon the United States Senate's vote tonight to proceed to debate on Affordable Health Care legislation:

23 Nov 2009

OMA praises health care workers for their hard work and dedication during flu season

At its annual fall meeting, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) recognized front line health care workers for their hard work and dedication to patient during this unprecedented flu season. The OMA Council, which represents doctors from across the province, overwhelmingly passed a motion to express its thanks to Medical Officers of Health, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals for their leadership.

23 Nov 2009

BMI and co-morbidity do not explain racial survival disparity in colon cancer patients

A new study by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers shows that body-mass index (BMI) and co-existing medical conditions (co-morbidity) do not explain the decreased survival observed among African-Americans compared to Caucasians who also have colon cancer. The study is published online Nov. 23 in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society.

23 Nov 2009

Given Imaging introduces new PillCam system at GASTRO 2009 Conference

Given Imaging Ltd., the global leader in capsule endoscopy, today announced the launch of its second-generation PillCam® COLON capsule at the Gastro 2009 Conference taking place in London. Like Given Imaging's other capsule endoscopes, PillCam® SB and PillCam® ESO, PillCam COLON could be a more patient-friendly tool for imaging the gastrointestinal tract.

23 Nov 2009

New research examines screen time in home-based and center-based child care settings

In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares.

23 Nov 2009

AUL Action opposes anti-life health care bill

At 8:00 p.m. tonight, the Senate is expected to vote on cloture on the Motion to Proceed to debate on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's pro-abortion health care bill. Sixty Senators' votes are needed for the bill to move forward. While this vote has been touted by pro-abortion lawmakers as merely "procedural" in nature, according to the Congressional Research Service, over 97% of bills that require a cloture vote to begin debate ultimately pass the Senate.

23 Nov 2009

AARP hosts educational forum to address nation's health care system

With the U.S. House of Representatives passing the landmark Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), and the Senate moving key health reform legislation forward, Congress has taken decisive steps to fix our nation's broken health care system.

23 Nov 2009