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FRG announces new molecular imaging division

Foundation Radiology Group (FRG), a premier provider of diagnostic imaging professional services, headquartered in downtown Pittsburgh, is pleased to announce its new division, FRG Molecular Imaging, which will be led by nationally renowned physician and PET/CT imaging pioneer, Todd M. Blodgett, M.D..

4 Feb 2010

PLX cell therapy may be an effective treatment for ischemic stroke disorder

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. today announced that the results of a pre-clinical study in an animal model of ischemic stroke demonstrated that its PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cell therapy may be an effective treatment for this disorder.

4 Feb 2010

Transplantation of pulmonary progenitor cells derived from hESCs promising for acute lung injury

Stem cell researchers exploring a new approach for the care of respiratory diseases report that an experimental treatment involving transplantable lung cells was associated with improved outcomes in tests on mice with acute lung injury. The lung cells were derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Findings by investigators at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are scheduled to appear in the March issue of Molecular Therapy.

4 Feb 2010

Mandatory flu shot program increases vaccination rate to more than 98% in BJC HealthCare

Making flu shots mandatory in 2008 dramatically increased the vaccination rate among St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare's nearly 26,000 employees to more than 98 percent, according to a report now online in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

4 Feb 2010

FDA approves Xiaflex drug for treatment of Dupuytren's contracture

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Xiaflex, a new drug to treat Dupuytren's contracture (or disease) that was discovered and developed by Marie A. Badalamente, Ph.D., and Lawrence C. Hurst, M.D., in the Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center.

4 Feb 2010

DNA variants in mother and fetus can increase risk of preterm labor

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified DNA variants in mothers and fetuses that appear to increase the risk for preterm labor and delivery.

4 Feb 2010

National consensus reached on Joint Technical Statement for drug products

A pan-Canadian initiative was announced today that will ultimately have a major impact on patient safety by reducing preventable medication errors.

4 Feb 2010

Despite improvements, aid delivery bottlenecks persist in Haiti

Three weeks after a major earthquake struck Haiti, challenges in getting aid to those in need persist, the Washington Post reports. "Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the relief effort has escalated in recent days and will continue to do so.

4 Feb 2010

Sudden infant death syndrome linked to low serotonin levels

Taking the next step in more than 20 years of research, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have linked sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with low production of serotonin in the brainstem, based on a comparison of brainstem samples from infants dying of SIDS compared to brainstems of infants dying from other, known causes.

4 Feb 2010

State round up: Florida considers eliminating popular Medicaid plan; State program for low-income adults changing in Minn.

e year the state of Florida eliminates its popular MediPass program, which gives more than half a million Medicaid recipients, mostly aged and disabled Floridians, an alternative to HMOs. Hints of its demise showed up in the governor's budget and letters from a powerful lawmaker.

4 Feb 2010

Tough economy adds stress to hospitals; Community health centers help fill gaps

Hospitals get mixed marks while many suffer from the effects of the struggling economy. Meanwhile, community health centers increasingly provide more care and help fill in health care gaps.

4 Feb 2010

Researchers discover anomalies that cause lack of motivation in ADHD children

Until now, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was related to alterations in the brain affecting attention and cognitive processes. Researchers at Universitat Aut-noma de Barcelona and the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital for the first time have discovered anomalies in the brain's reward system related to the neural circuits of motivation and gratification.

3 Feb 2010

MedCath announces unaudited operating results for first-quarter of fiscal 2010

MedCath Corporation, a healthcare provider focused on high acuity healthcare services, predominately the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, today announced its unaudited operating results for its first quarter of fiscal 2010, which ended December 31, 2009.

3 Feb 2010

Major study of perfusion imaging under way to assess value of alternative diagnostic methods

Cardiologists and heart imaging specialists at 15 medical centers in eight countries, and led by researchers at Johns Hopkins, have enrolled the first dozen patients in a year-long investigation to learn whether the subtle squeezing of blood flow through the inner layers of the heart is better than traditional SPECT nuclear imaging tests and other diagnostic radiology procedures for accurately tracking the earliest signs of coronary artery clogs.

3 Feb 2010

Lobbying, ads slow down on health reform

"Drugmakers, business organizations and other interest groups in the health care battle have dialed down expensive lobbying campaigns as they assess how last month's stunning Republican capture of a Senate seat from Massachusetts has altered Washington's political landscape...," The Associated Press reports.

3 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 3, 2010

Today's headlines highlight what might be the Democrats' next health reform move in the House, where Speaker Pelosi plans to advance legislation next week to repeal insurance companies' antitrust exemption.

3 Feb 2010

DLA stocks USNS Comfort with medical supplies for Haiti in a day's notice

Getting the USNS Comfort stocked with needed supplies before it steamed out of the Baltimore harbor and headed for earthquake-stricken Haiti was a high priority for logisticians and acquisition specialists at the Defense Logistics Agency's supply center in Philadelphia.

3 Feb 2010

Picis and ISOFT announce strategic alliance

Picis, the leading provider of information systems for the high-acuity areas of hospitals, and iSOFT, one of the world’s biggest healthcare information technology (HIT) companies, have entered into a strategic alliance whereby iSOFT will distribute, implement and provide international support for selected solutions from the Picis CareSuite® family of high-acuity solutions, focusing initially on ICU and anesthesia in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.

3 Feb 2010

Inadequate staffing, interrupted rest breaks and retirement benefit changes impact patient care and nurse safety

Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), representing more than 1,500 registered nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center, held an informational picket today to highlight issues critical to patient safety. Contract negotiations have stalled over several key issues including the ability to take uninterrupted rest breaks, inadequate nurse staffing levels, and changes to retirement benefits.

3 Feb 2010

New study compares two treatment options for clubfoot - Ponseti method and surgical treatment

Clubfoot affects one in a thousand babies born in the United States, but with proper corrective treatment and follow-up, infants born with clubfoot can have feet compatible with an active, normal lifestyle.

3 Feb 2010