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CalMHSA announces agreement with CDMH

The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), a newly formed California joint powers authority (JPA) of counties focused on the efficient delivery of California mental health projects and programs, announced today it has entered into a contract with the California Department of Mental Health (CDMH) to provide program development, administrative oversight, and fiscal management services to county members and other program participants choosing to assign specifically named mental health funds to the joint powers authority.

4 May 2010

Medtronic completes enrollment in first of two CURE-AF clinical trials

Medtronic, Inc., today announced completion of patient enrollment in the first of two studies in the company's CURE-AF (Concomitant Utilization of Radiofrequency Energy for Atrial Fibrillation) clinical trial.

4 May 2010

Statins may improve longevity of hip replacement surgery

The use of statins - drugs commonly prescribed to help lower cholesterol levels - may play an important role in decreasing complications among patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR), according to a study published in the May 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

4 May 2010

NYBC urges community to donate blood in recognition of Mother's Day

New York Blood Center and its divisions serving the 20 million people of New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey call upon the community to please donate blood in recognition of Mother's Day and families everywhere who are brought together by lives saved through the selfless gifts given by blood donors.

4 May 2010

Intermedix Corporation acquires healthcare IT solution company, EMSystems

Intermedix Corporation, the leading provider of technology-based business services to emergency healthcare service providers, announced today the acquisition of EMSystems, LLC ("EMSystems"), a leading provider of web-based healthcare information technology solutions in the public health and emergency services markets.

4 May 2010

Difference between grief and depression

"A son is a son till he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all her life," goes the old Irish saying. Though there is an extraordinary bond between every mother and child there is something unique about the relationship between a mother and daughter

4 May 2010

Pregnant Arab women have high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency: Study

Pregnant Arab women have an "extraordinarily high prevalence" of vitamin D deficiency - a potential health issue for them and their babies, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.

4 May 2010

Funds needed for prevention of needle stick injuries to nurses

According to the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) there are more than 18,000 reports of accidental needle stick injuries to nurses caused by syringes or other sharp items in Australia each year. This increases their risk of contracting deadly blood borne diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C etc. The authorities believe that these figures although alarming are not reflective of the true figures with many nurses choosing to keep their exposure under wraps.

3 May 2010

Boost for biologics manufacturing in Australia

AusBiotech has welcomed the news that Australia’s first major contract manufacturing facility for biologic medicines has secured backing and is set to be built in Queensland by 2012.

3 May 2010

Weight loss through caloric restriction and increase in physical activity improve symptoms of GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a debilitating problem for sufferers -- heartburn, difficulty swallowing, chest pain and acid reflux. According to a Mayo Clinic study that will be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2010 in New Orleans May 1-5, even moderate weight gain can exacerbate those symptoms, DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researcher in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

3 May 2010

GOP, Democrats increasingly use health reform lessons to shape other policies

The Associated Press: Politics within the Republican Party are having a profound affect on sweeping policy issues "such as immigration, health care and deficit spending." The reason behind this development is that many incumbent Republicans are moving to the right to protect themselves against primary election challenges.

3 May 2010

California community health centers face potentially crippling budget cuts

North Bay (Santa Rosa, Calif.) Business Journal: "While community health centers are widely seen as winners with the passage of a sweeping health bill in late March, such centers in California face potentially crippling state budget cuts, which could offset potential gains that won't take effect until 2014, according to clinic directors throughout the North Bay.

3 May 2010

Baltimore hospitals buying, consolidating doctors' practices in bid for efficiency

Hospitals and other systems in the Baltimore area are "buying practices, forming management agreements or structuring joint ventures with primary care practices that cannot afford to buy necessary electronic health records systems, hire more support staff or add another physician" in a bid to consolidate primary care in the area and lower overhead, the Baltimore Business Journal reports. For many doctors, the cost of doing business in a small, office-based setting is becoming prohibitive.

3 May 2010

Calif. doctors say e-health saved lives; in Mich., doctors visit patients online

Reuters/The Washington Post: An electronic medical system first introduced in 2007 has shown a 20 percent drop in hospital deaths -- the equivalent of about 36 lives saved -- over 18-months at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto California, doctors there have found. The system, a computerized physician order entry, or CPOE, allows "doctors to relay prescriptions to pharmacists without delay, and without the need for the pharmacist to decipher doctors' scrawl."

3 May 2010

SonoSite, Physio-Control announce development collaboration for point-of-care ultrasound in EMS market

SonoSite, Inc., the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, and Physio-Control, Inc., the global leader in the development and delivery of emergency medical response solutions, today announced a market development collaboration for point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency medical services (EMS) market. This alliance will enable SonoSite to expand its presence in the pre-hospital settings with the support of Physio-Control resources and extensive sales force.

3 May 2010

Stealth interventions may help people eat better, exercise more: Study

How do you get college students to eat better? A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that a "stealth" strategy of raising the students' awareness of environmental and social issues related to food can persuade them to eat more veggies and less ice cream.

3 May 2010

LifePoint Hospitals to acquire Sumner Regional Health Systems

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., a leading hospital company focused on providing quality healthcare close to home in non-urban markets, today announced that the Company has agreed to purchase Sumner Regional Health Systems (SRHS), a comprehensive three-market hospital system serving 11 counties in the northern middle Tennessee region.

3 May 2010

Intouch Health completes $10M private placement through Beringea-led financing round

InTouch Technologies®, Inc. (d.b.a. InTouch Health®), the world leader in Remote Presence Total Telemedicine solutions, announced today the completion of a private placement of $10 million. The financing round was led by Michigan-based Beringea through its InvestMichigan! Growth Capital Fund, which provides venture and expansion-stage capital to businesses with operations in Michigan.

3 May 2010

Researchers discuss challenges to improve vaccine coverage for American children

While national immunization rates remain high, vaccine refusals are troubling. In some parts of the country, pockets of unimmunized children have left communities vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, leading to outbreaks.

3 May 2010

First Edition: May 3, 2010

Today's headlines include analysis of how this year's health reform debate is shaping other national policy initiatives and the upcoming mid-term elections.

3 May 2010