Health Care News and Research

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Novel breakthrough may lead to new methods for sterilizing food and medical equipment

Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Spore-forming bacteria, present almost everywhere in our environment, can also cause serious infectious diseases, such as tetanus, anthrax, and botulism.

12 Nov 2009

54% of Americans are inconsistent in taking prescriptions, reveals survey

A new survey finds that 54 percent of Americans say they do not consistently take prescriptions as instructed even though 87 percent believe prescription medicines are important to their health – pointing to a growing public health problem.

12 Nov 2009

USTeleradiology achieves Joint Commission accreditation for second time

USTeleradiology, LLC's reaccreditation survey by The Joint Commission was completed on September 10, 2009 with USTeleradiology achieving Joint Commission accreditation - the gold standard within the health care field - for the second time.

12 Nov 2009

UMass Memorial Health Care renews its supply chain relationship with Broadlane

Broadlane, the leading cost-management company for healthcare providers, announced today that UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest healthcare system in Central and Western Massachusetts, has renewed its supply chain relationship with Broadlane for another three years.

12 Nov 2009

Results from an analysis emphasizes the financial burden of SMI on the criminal justice and HHS systems

Results from a large, retrospective analysis of inmates with a serious mental illness (SMI) underscores the financial burden of mental illness on the criminal justice and health and human services (HHS) systems, and may provide useful information to policy makers.

12 Nov 2009

New strategies required to curb health care spending: Study

Slowing the growth in U.S. health care spending will most likely require adoption of an array of strategies as well as an improved approach to moving promising strategies into widespread use, according to a new analysis by the RAND Corporation.

12 Nov 2009

U.S. News & World Report rates HealthPlus' plans as one of the nation's best for the fifth year in a row

For the fifth year in a row, HealthPlus of Michigan's commercial and Medicare Advantage health plans are recognized by U.S. News & World Report/NCQA as among the nation's best.

12 Nov 2009

Video to improve patient-doctor communication

Amid growing concerns about racial, ethnic and language disparities in health care, The Joint Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights have released a video, entitled “Improving Patient-Provider Communication,” which supports language access in health care organizations.

12 Nov 2009

CVS Caremark's medication adherence program for people with diabetes has positive impact

CVS Caremark said the company's comprehensive adherence program for people with diabetes positively impacts medication adherence for both new and continuing patients. A review of data tracking the program found that 75.6 percent of patients continuing on a diabetes therapy who participated in the adherence program maintained optimal adherence to their prescribed therapy vs. 61.2 percent in the control group.

12 Nov 2009

Updated WHO data finds deaths caused by tainted food are underestimated

New WHO data finds that unsafe food kills an estimated 1.2 million people over the age of five in Southeast Asia and Africa each year, including three times more adults than previously thought, Reuters reports. "It is a picture that we have never had before," WHO Food Safety Director Jorgen Schlundt said. "We now have documentation of a significant burden outside the less than five group, that is major new information."

12 Nov 2009

Issue of uninsured Americans takes center stage this weekend in New Orleans

The issue of uninsured Americans takes center stage this weekend in New Orleans as the Morial Convention Center, which served as a temporary medical clinic in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, will become the nation's largest physicians' office for a day with free health care for uninsured Louisiana residents. Up to 2,000 patients are expected to be treated by several hundred physicians and other volunteers at the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic.

12 Nov 2009

South Florida man inspires "Ian's Law," fights against discriminatory health insurance practices

McClatchy/The Miami Herald reports on Ian Pearl, a South Florida man born with muscular dystrophy who is drawing attention to discriminatory health insurance practices against the disabled. Pearl is the "inspiration for 'Ian's Law,' legislation being introduced by two New York state legislators that would require insurance companies to get approval from the state before dropping coverage plans for existing clients."

12 Nov 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

"Traditional" infectious diseases — those, like flu and tuberculosis, that are caused by viruses or bacteria — are not the only aspects of health that can spread from one person to another. Taking up smoking is contagious; so is quitting. Obesity is contagious. So is happiness (Olivia Judson, 11/10).

12 Nov 2009

Obama nominates Senior USDA official to lead USAID

President Barack Obama Tuesday announced the nomination of Rajiv Shah - a medical doctor who is currently a senior official at the Department of Agriculture focusing on food security - to lead USAID, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, 11/11).

12 Nov 2009

Psychiatrist delivers high-risk meds, poor care in Chicago nursing homes

ProPublica/The Chicago Tribune examine the case of a controversial psychiatrist who delivered an anti-psychotic medication to thousands of Medicaid patients in Chicago's nursing homes. "Dr. Michael Reinstein is one of the most prolific providers of psychiatric care in Chicago-area nursing homes and mental health facilities. But he is trailed by lawsuits and complaints while getting government reimbursement for seeing a large number of patients."

12 Nov 2009

Physicians and researchers to develop kidney replacement device for children

When children need kidney dialysis because of disease or congenital defects, doctors are forced to adapt adult-size dialysis equipment. No FDA-approved kidney replacement devices exist that are specifically designed for children.

12 Nov 2009

Lawmakers call for emergency sick-leave requirement

Lawmakers are calling for new legislation that would require businesses to provide paid emergency sick-leave because of the swine flu pandemic.

12 Nov 2009

Health care legislation not fair to Hispanic small businesses and families

A number of Hispanic organizations have united to address major problems with the health care legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and urge the Senate to come up with a bipartisan solution for real healthcare reform. They are especially concerned the health care legislation will create a greater tax burden and unfair government mandates on Hispanic small businesses and families. During this critical health care debate, these organizations want their voices to be heard and believe that the current approach will lead to loss of jobs and reduced wages for Hispanic workers.

12 Nov 2009

Tentative agreement reached with Oklahoma lawmaker stalling veterans' health bill

Congressional Quarterly: "Senate Democratic leaders reached a tentative agreement with Tom Coburn, R-Okla., on Tuesday night that averted the necessity of filing cloture on a veterans' health care omnibus measure and could lead to passage of the bill early next week. ... On Monday, Coburn said he objected to the bill because its five-year, $3.7 billion cost was not offset" (Oliveri, 11/10).

12 Nov 2009

Health reform has fiscal, political burdens for states

"Bills in both the Senate and the House of Representatives would make more people eligible for Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor that states administer with reimbursements from the federal government," Reuters reports.

12 Nov 2009