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Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom.

Charitable donors commit longer-term pledges and gifts, despite recession

In a sign of what to expect in 2010, businesses and individuals hit hardest by the economy's slide have shifted charitable giving patterns to longer-term pledges and gift commitments rather than ceasing to give altogether, according to a study of benchmarking data and effective philanthropic fundraising techniques released today by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

22 Dec 2009

Samaritans of New York expands suicide prevention campaign for holiday season

The Samaritans of New York is providing resources that could save people's lives to more than 250 NYC hotels, bars, department stores and health clubs to help staffers identify and respond to customers who are in crisis and may be suicidal over the holiday season.

22 Dec 2009

Genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released by scientists

People who identify as African-American may be as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent, just one finding of a large-scale, genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released today.

22 Dec 2009

Persistent disparities exist in melanoma diagnosis

White and Hispanic individuals are being diagnosed with melanoma more frequently in recent years, whereas Hispanic and black patients continue to have advanced skin cancer at diagnosis, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Dec 2009

Common variations in genes associated with microcephaly may explain differences in brain size

A group of Norwegian and American researchers have shown that common variations in genes associated with microcephaly - a neuro-developmental disorder in which brain size is dramatically reduced - may explain differences in brain size in healthy individuals as well as in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

22 Dec 2009

Senate Democrats win overnight procedural vote; move one step closer to approving health bill by Christmas

The New York Times: "After a long day of acid, partisan debate, Senate Democrats held ranks early Monday in a dead-of-night procedural vote that proved they had locked in the decisive margin needed to pass a far-reaching overhaul of the nation's health care system."

21 Dec 2009

Manager's amendment does not alleviate Americans' problems, says FRC

Early this morning, the U.S. Senate voted for cloture on the manager's amendment which includes abortion language that would force the federal government to pay premiums for private health plans that will cover any or all abortions while doing nothing to protect individual conscience rights.

21 Dec 2009

Medical Marijuana announces the Nationwide Launch of its Educational Seminar series

Medical Marijuana, Inc. endorsed today the unprecedented act of President Obama signing into federal law the removal of restrictions on the use of medical marijuana in the nation's capitol, which underscores MJNA's foresight in becoming the first US public company to emerge, providing solutions to this revolutionary growth industry.

21 Dec 2009

Abortion compromise does not address core problem in Senate health bill, says Cardinal DiNardo

The Senate health reform bill should not move forward in its current form, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City said December 19, as senators proceeded closer to a vote.

21 Dec 2009

FRC opposes Senator Reid's bill

Today Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released his long awaited "manager's amendment" with new language dealing with the abortion issue. The new language is being trumpeted as including an opt-out provision that actually makes the opt-out provision in the original bill worse by requiring the state to either cover all abortions or opt out of all abortions.

21 Dec 2009

With deal in hand, Senate Dems proceed on health bill

Reuters: "The White House on Sunday sought to preserve the fragile alliance of Democratic liberals and moderates backing broad healthcare reform legislation, with tough decisions looming on abortion and a new government-run insurance program.

21 Dec 2009

Nelson becomes the 60th vote as Senate Dems plod through a snowy work Saturday

The Washington Post: "Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the final Democratic holdout on health care, was prepared to announce to his caucus Saturday morning that he would support the Senate reform bill, clearing the way for final passage by Christmas."

21 Dec 2009

How the Senate health reform deal happened

A number of news outlets deconstructed the activity before Senate Democrats achieved the 60th vote for their health reform bill.

20 Dec 2009

Abortion language in Senate health bill draws strong criticism

In the hours after the latest abortion compromise was unveiled -- resulting from an agreement reached between Senate Democratic leaders and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.-- news outlets have reported on the reaction.

20 Dec 2009

XSPA Profile of SAML and XSPA Profile of XACML approved as OASIS Standards for Healthcare

The OASIS international consortium today announced two new information standards that give hospitals, insurers, and others in the healthcare community much-needed mechanisms for exchanging privacy policies, evaluating consent directives, and determining authorizations.

19 Dec 2009

UCSF/SFGH project to improve health outcomes among diabetes patients honored

A UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital project that used a novel communication tool to improve health outcomes among diabetes patients was honored recently with a quality leadership award from the California Health Care Safety Net Institute.

18 Dec 2009

Health care bill "compromise" proposal on abortion morally unacceptable, says Galveston-Houston Archbishop

Responding to reports of a new "compromise" proposal on abortion in the U.S. Senate's health care reform bill, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo today reaffirmed the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the legislation will be morally unacceptable "unless and until" it complies with longstanding current laws on abortion funding such as the Hyde amendment. Cardinal DiNardo is Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chairman of the Conference's Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

18 Dec 2009

Senate leaders in hot pursuit of the elusive 60th vote: Ben Nelson

The Associated Press: "With just days remaining to prove that they can meet a self-imposed Christmas deadline and pass President Barack Obama's signature initiative through the Senate, Democrats seeking a rendezvous with history instead detoured to an intraparty brawl. ... All eyes were on the only known Democratic holdout, moderate Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, whose primary concern is that abortion funding restrictions in the bill were too lax.

18 Dec 2009

Study provides new definition on dyslexia

Contrary to popular belief, some very smart, accomplished people cannot read well. This unexpected difficulty in reading in relation to intelligence, education and professional status is called dyslexia, and researchers at Yale School of Medicine and University of California Davis, have presented new data that explain how otherwise bright and intelligent people struggle to read.

18 Dec 2009

CHA's statements on ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009’

The Catholic Health Association is pleased to learn of the work being done to improve the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. As we understand it, the Senate intends to keep the President's commitment that no federal funds will pay for abortions and in addition, provide significant new support for pregnant women.

18 Dec 2009