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45% of American adults not inclined to get vaccinated against seasonal flu

Two in five at-risk American adults who would benefit from vaccination against seasonal flu are missing out on the protective shots because they believe they do not need them and are not inclined to be vaccinated. And among those who say they do intend to take up the vaccine, nearly half get around to it, according to Dr. Katharine Harris from the RAND Corporation in Arlington, USA, and her team.

23 Oct 2009

Ethiopia requests emergency food aid for 6.2m people

Ethiopian Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Mitiku Kassa on Thursday asked the international community for more than $121 million for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people, the Associated Press reports (10/22).

22 Oct 2009

Health reform changes could increase costs to states

Today's state news round-up includes the cost of health reform to New York, immigrants in California, a possible new mental health overhaul in Arizona and a delay in expanding the children's health program in Iowa.

22 Oct 2009

AFP examines recent HIV vaccine findings

Agence France-Presse examines how two recent studies have "boosted morale" among HIV vaccine researchers who have struggled for decades to develop a viable vaccine to protect people from the virus. "On September 3, researchers in the United States discovered two potent antibodies -- the frontline troops in the immune system -- that expose what may prove to be a viral Achilles' heel," the news service writes.

22 Oct 2009

Americans split on Obama's health care proposals, new poll finds

Americans are split evenly on President Barack Obama's proposals for health care reform, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Still, a "CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey indicates that a majority say (sic) it would be better to pass some sort of reform legislation than to leave the current health care system unchanged," CNN reports.

22 Oct 2009

Metro Health Village implements Wyse Technology's healthcare IT solutions

Wyse Technology, the global leader in thin computing and client virtualization, today announced another successful customer implementation. Metro Health Village, located near Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the most comprehensive health care providers in west Michigan.

22 Oct 2009

Caregiving is a major public health issue in the U.S, says expert

The demand for at-home caregiving will increase dramatically in the United States in the years ahead, said Richard Schulz, Ph.D., an internationally known expert on caregiving from the University of Pittsburgh.

22 Oct 2009

Accredo Health Group announces a 10-year renewal of its headquarters with Memphis

Accredo Health Group Inc. announced a 10-year renewal of its 240,000-square-foot headquarters at Century Center, positioning the nation's largest specialty pharmacy and a major fixture of Memphis' health care industry for future growth. The General Investment & Development Companies and Accredo agreed to renew all leases for Accredo's five-building campus, effective January 1, 2010.

22 Oct 2009

FMWC partners with SOGC and SCC to launch Pap test campaign

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) has joined forces with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the Society of Canadian Colposcopists (SCC) to launch this year's Pap test campaign during Cervical Cancer Awareness Week. Together, we hope to increase the scope, reach and impact of the campaign. With this collaborative effort, we aim to provide more Pap tests and deal with abnormal results in a more expeditious manner.

22 Oct 2009

FDA grants Response Biomedical a Special 510(k) clearance for the RAMP Influenza A/B Assay

Response Biomedical Corporation announced that the Company has been granted a Special 510(k) U.S. FDA clearance for an update to the Company’s RAMP® Influenza A/B Assay Package Insert to include analytical reactivity information for a strain of the 2009 H1N1 virus cultured from positive respiratory specimens.

22 Oct 2009

Progenika to provide blood group genotyping reference laboratory services to ARUP

Progenika, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with ARUP Laboratories (ARUP) of Salt Lake City, UT, to provide blood group genotyping reference laboratory services to ARUP to determine patient red blood cell antigen profiles when serology has logistic and functional limitations.

22 Oct 2009

Musculoskeletal patients and their advocates to participate in more than 175 Congressional visits

The United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) today announces that as part of its 2009 Advocacy Day nearly 80 musculoskeletal patients and patient advocates from across the nation are participating in more than 175 Congressional visits. Patients and their advocates -- physicians, family members and USBJD participating partners -- are raising awareness of the huge burden that musculoskeletal conditions plays on the U.S. These conditions are some of the most costly, common, and disabling conditions to date.

22 Oct 2009

Third-quarter fiscal 2009 results announced by Digirad

Digirad Corporation today reported the Company continued to generate positive cash flow, improved gross margins in its DIS (Digirad Imaging Solutions) business, and maintained its total cash and investments position of more than $31 million in its third quarter ended September 30, 2009, staying on track to record positive net earnings for the year, despite lower camera sales in its product segment.

22 Oct 2009

Schering-Plough announces 2009 third quarter financial results

Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) today reported financial results for the 2009 third quarter.

22 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 22, 2009

Some clear themes emerge from today's headlines. Among them: A new government report indicates that health costs grow even faster under Democratic legislation pending in the House; and, yesterday's Senate vote to block the Medicare pay fix bill represents an important loss for Majority Leader Harry Reid.

22 Oct 2009

Free medical application for health care professionals

Presents the most commonly asked pain management and/or addiction medicine questions, and presents them in easy-to-view, brief video vignettes. You can view 30-second to 2-minute videos in pharmacotherapy; assessment; abuse, misuse & addiction; best practices; and legal issues.

22 Oct 2009

FPB awarded $3.7M in six stimulus grants

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (FPB) at Case Western Reserve University was recently awarded $3.7 million in six stimulus grants from various federal offices to fund innovative research and academic programs.

22 Oct 2009

ACP disappointed by cloture vote on S. 1776; says repeal of SGR is necessary

The American College of Physicians, representing 129,000 internal medicine physicians and medical student members, is gravely disappointed by the failure of the "cloture" vote today in the U.S. Senate on S. 1776, the Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009.

22 Oct 2009

eHealthInsurance releases answers for FAQs on swine flu and their health insurance

eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: EHTH) today released a list of answers to questions frequently asked from people concerned about the H1N1 virus (also called swine flu) and their health insurance, who have called into its Customer Care Center, which includes a call center staffed with licensed insurance agents. Getting answers to these questions is particularly important for high-risk individuals: pregnant women, children and seniors.

22 Oct 2009

Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Houston files charges against six individuals for false and fraudulent claims

Medicare fraud charges have been filed against six individuals in the continuing operation of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Houston, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Tim Johnson and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), announced today.

22 Oct 2009