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LFAGW celebrates 35th anniversary

The Lupus Foundation of America Greater Washington Chapter (LFAGW) will celebrate 35 years of success providing free day-to-day education, advice and resources for the 75,000+ people with lupus and their families in the greater D.C. area.

24 Nov 2009

New technology developed to rapidly identify compounds for the treatment of heart failure

Research conducted by University of Minnesota scientists, in collaboration with Celladon Corporation, has led to the invention of technology to more rapidly identify compounds for the treatment of heart failure.

24 Nov 2009

Eight nonprofit organizations receive Humana Foundation Economic Response Grants

During the ongoing economic downturn that has touched the entire country, many nonprofit organizations have found their services – such as food pantries, temporary shelters and medical clinics – to be increasingly important to their communities. Complicating

24 Nov 2009

USC University Hospital receives Heart Transplant Excellence Award

The University of Southern California (USC) University Hospital received a Heart Transplant Excellence Award from the independent healthcare ratings organization Health Grades, ranking among the top one percent of hospitals in the U.S. that perform heart transplants.

24 Nov 2009

Health Heritage: New website for maintaining family's health history

A team of researchers at the University of Virginia received funding from the National Cancer Institute, an agency of the National Institutes of Health, to enhance a Web site called Health Heritage®. This site will enable family members to enter their family medical histories so that other family members and their health care professionals can use this information while dealing with medical issues.

24 Nov 2009

Press Ganey releases 'Patient Perspectives on American Health Care' report

Press Ganey Associates, Inc. released today the 2009 Hospital Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care. The report examines patient satisfaction across the country; trends in overall patient perceptions; and variations based on metropolitan areas, services provided within the hospital, hospital size, and patient age.

24 Nov 2009

79% of children who lacked usual source of health care had an unmet need, reveals survey

Low-income children who don't access health care from the same place or provider over the long term are significantly more likely to have unmet health care needs compared with those do, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.

24 Nov 2009

HSA blows the whistle on the cuts to health services

The Health Sciences Association of BC, the union that represents more 15,000 health science professionals who deliver the diagnostic, clinical and rehabilitation services in BC's hospitals and communities, is sounding the alarm about the provincial government's broken promise to protect health care services.

23 Nov 2009

New initiative launched to take care of patients with sickle cell disease

The Medical College of Georgia is leading an initiative that could result in a paradigm shift in the care of patients with sickle cell disease.

23 Nov 2009

Opinion: China forced abortions; U.S. work in Africa; foreign aid; Uganda legislation

"One of the few incontrovertible assertions one can reasonably make is that no one supports forced abortion," syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker writes in a Detroit News opinion piece that examines reports of "coerced abortions" and involuntary sterilizations in China.

23 Nov 2009

New blog on health information technology

Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS’ National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, today announced the launch of Health IT Buzz, a new blog that will allow readers to learn more about health information technology (health IT) and provide a space for consumers, providers, policymakers, and technology experts to share their ideas and concerns regarding health IT. The blog is available at http://healthit.hhs.gov/blog/onc.

23 Nov 2009

Diabetics should keep blood pressure under control to protect kidneys from disease, says nephrologist

What’s good for your heart is also good for your kidneys, according to recommendations from the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health, a collaborative of health care stakeholders seeking to prevent kidney disease in the Lone Star State.

23 Nov 2009

New York Times magazine examines needle-exchange programs

In a New York Times magazine article, Tina Rosenberg examines how needle sharing has contributed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the viability of needle exchange programs as a prevention strategy.

23 Nov 2009

H1N1 spreading eastward, WHO says

The H1N1 (swine flu) virus appears to be spreading eastward across Europe and Asia, after appearing to have leveled off in the U.S. and some western European countries, the WHO said Friday, Reuters reports.

23 Nov 2009

Media examines food summit reaction, malnutrition in Liberia, Yemen

VOA News reports on reactions from last week's U.N. World Summit on Food Security in Rome: "The delegates in Rome promised to continue efforts to reduce by half the number of hungry people by two thousand fifteen. But critics pointed out that world leaders made a similar promise more than ten years ago. Several countries promised to increase aid for agriculture, to help developing nations become more independent. Still, critics deplored a lack of greater action" (Simms, 11/22).

23 Nov 2009

Inadequate asthma control is present in 26% to 45% of children, says review

Asthma is the commonest chronic disease in children and a major reason for admissions to hospital, yet inadequate asthma control is present in 26% to 45% of children, states a review http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj071638.pdf in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) www.cmaj.ca.

23 Nov 2009

Guardian examines challenge of testing, treating patients with HIV/AIDS in Kenya

The Guardian examines the challenge of testing and treating some of the estimated 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. "Deep-rooted stigma and patchy health education has led many to cower from the disease, which has seen the country's life expectancy rates shortened by 20 years in the last two decades," the newspaper writes. Even though "[t]he country's government has supplied antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress the virus to patients for free since 2006, … of the 390,000 adults estimated as being eligible for ART at the time of the survey, around 140,000, or 35%, were taking the medication," according to a 2007 country survey.

23 Nov 2009

AP/News-Observer examines state of vaccine research

The Associated Press/News-Observer examines revitalized vaccine research, including for such conditions as malaria, TB and HIV. "Vaccines are no longer a sleepy, low-profit niche in a booming drug industry.

23 Nov 2009

Guideline controversy: 'Politics is always intruding into the world of breast cancer'

Kaiser Health News' Peggy Girshman talks with Dr. Barron Lerner about the politics surrounding the recent release of mammography guidelines.

23 Nov 2009

Doctor shortage issue heats up with reform efforts

The Miami Herald reports: "Some parts of the country already lack an ample supply of general internists, pediatricians and family physicians, forcing patients to drive further or wait longer for care. If a comprehensive health reform bill passes and extends coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, many are asking if there will be enough primary-care doctors to handle the increased demand for medical services."

23 Nov 2009