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NHGRI support research to accelerate development of innovative sequencing technologies

GE Global Research, the technology development arm for the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today announced that scientists in their Biosciences Lab have been awarded a second round of funding from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to continue research that could reduce the cost and time of sequencing of an entire human genome to less than $1,000, in under a day.

9 Oct 2009

Children's access to health care poses significant health problem despite of health insurance coverage

Despite high rates of health insurance coverage among children in the District of Columbia, children's access to health care is inadequate and poses a significant health problem for the city's young residents, particularly those who are publicly insured, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.

9 Oct 2009

U.S. should provide more leadership in finding TB vaccine, opinion piece says

Tuberculosis deserves an effort as "substantial" as the one mounted against swine flu "to develop a new vaccine," David McMurray, a TB expert at Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, writes in a Houston Chronicle opinion piece.

9 Oct 2009

CIGNA and Prohealth Physicians to implement an enhanced care coordination program

CIGNA and ProHealth Physicians, Inc., have expanded their longstanding relationship by implementing an enhanced care coordination program that includes pay-for-performance provisions and many of the features of a patient-centered medical home program. This is the first program of its kind in Connecticut.

9 Oct 2009

Children on Medicaid still face difficulty getting dental care

Many children still don't get Medicaid dental care, state officials told the Government Accountability Office. The Associated Press reports:

9 Oct 2009

NAMM to provide Humana members with convenient access to quality care

North American Medical Management California, Inc. (NAMM) and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced today a long-term agreement enabling Humana’s Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization (HMO) members to receive medical care through PrimeCare Medical Network, Inc. (PrimeCare), an affiliate of NAMM and operating in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

9 Oct 2009

Americans cut back on health care, Consumers Union finds

Americans have cut back on health care to try to save money during the past year, a new poll by Consumers Union finds. To do so, they have stalled on doctors' visits, passed on medical tests and taken expired medication. McClatchy reports.

9 Oct 2009

Chinese health experts look to control spread of H1N1 In country's remote regions

As epidemiologists in China continue to investigate the country's first death from H1N1 (swine flu), Chinese health experts have called for strengthened measures to control the spread of the virus in remote regions, China Daily reports.

9 Oct 2009

CBO score a score for Baucus, but others balk

The Congressional Budget Office's score was mostly good news for Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus as he works to gain approval for his health bill and move it to the Senate floor.

9 Oct 2009

GOP continues health reform opposition, quotes concerned Democrats

"Congressional Republicans fired back Wednesday at the White House public relations campaign for health-care reform, highlighting concerns voiced by two Democratic governors about a possible expansion of Medicaid," The Washington Post reports. The cost of Medicaid is "already driving states to the fiscal brink."

8 Oct 2009

Health care varies significantly among states, Study finds

A new Commonwealth Fund study shows wide disparities in health care across states.

8 Oct 2009

Minority groups gear up to push for health care reform

Minorities are so far missing from the cacophony of voices - including doctors, insurers, industry lobbyists, and patient advocates - in the health-care reform debate, the Washington Post reports, even as they are "disproportionately represented among the poor and uninsured and could benefit the most from reform, and who are more likely than others to have chronic illnesses such as diabetes.

8 Oct 2009

Hospital ethics panels help families make difficult decisions

USA Today reports: "Every day, in a hospital somewhere in the USA, a group of strangers — the hospital ethics committee — is called in to help people make the choices of a lifetime.

8 Oct 2009

URAC expands its online courses for health care professionals

Training becomes even more challenging when budgets and resources are stretched thin. URAC, the nation's leading health care accreditation and education organization, has expanded its online courses to help health care professionals receive the training they need. The flexible courses cover a wide range of health care topics and are available in a variety of formats, including webinars and eLearning modules.

8 Oct 2009

New Merck Manuals provide trustworthy health information to consumers

Doctors are considered the most trustworthy source of health information, according to a recent survey, yet consumers typically don’t have 24/7 access to their physicians. Recognizing that need, Merck & Co., Inc. today released its new medical book, The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook and a new iPhone® application (app) The Merck Manual – Home Edition, written by more than 300 key worldwide medical experts.

8 Oct 2009

eClinicalWorks signs agreement with Healthwise to provide two Healthwise solutions to help its physicians

eClinicalWorks and Healthwise announced today an agreement to provide two Healthwise solutions to eClinicalWorks physician clients. Healthwise Information Therapy (Ix) Patient Instructions, take-home patient educational materials, integrates within the eClinicalWorks EMR; and the Healthwise Knowledgebase, an online health information library, has patient-specific connections within the eClinicalWorks secure Patient Portal.

8 Oct 2009

Kaiser Permanente launches osteoporosis prevention campaign

Encouraging everyone to “Embrace Your Inner Strength,” Kaiser Permanente has launched a campaign throughout Southern California aimed at getting teenagers, seniors and everyone in between to get serious about building up their skeletons and preventing osteoporosis.

8 Oct 2009

SearchAmerica launches E-Learning modules for hospitals and health care revenue cycle operations

SearchAmerica®, a part of Experian and a leader in financial clearing services for health care, today unveiled five new E-Learning modules designed to help hospitals and health care revenue cycle operations.

8 Oct 2009

Latinas have reservations about health care reform

Accentmarketing announced its latest release from its Latinas in Charge initiative - "Redefining the Meaning of Well-Being." This release further explores the U.S. Latina mindset on health, healthcare and health insurance - topics at the forefront of this nation's agenda.

8 Oct 2009

A.D.A.M releases Advisor Tools 2.0 application suite for brokers

The Employer and Broker Solutions Group of A.D.A.M., Inc., which provides client acquisition, retention, and agency management solutions to nearly 600 of the nation’s top health benefits brokers, today announced that it has launched Advisor Tools 2.0, A.D.A.M.’s comprehensive suite of applications for brokers that includes proprietary benchmark reporting, research and regulatory information, and other valuable HR tools.

8 Oct 2009