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State roundup: N.Y. malpractice fight; costly prisoners in Calif.; abortion battles

Last week, hospital leaders stood alongside Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo at the Capitol, pledging their support for billions in cuts proposed by his Medicaid redesign team.

4 Mar 2011

AHRQ: More than 59 million Americans diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2008

More than 59 million Americans age 18 and older were diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

4 Mar 2011

First Edition: March 3, 2011

Today's headlines highlight the difficulties lawmakers will face in finding a compromise on long-term budget issues, such as Medicare and Medicaid spending.

3 Mar 2011

SAMHSA survey: 65% of substance abuse treatment facilities accept private health insurance

A new nationwide survey of substance abuse treatment facilities reveals that in 2008 nearly two thirds accepted some private health insurance payment.

3 Mar 2011

Lixte receives $244,479.25 U.S. government grant for QTDP program

Lixte Biotechnology Holdings announced today that the company has received a $244,479.25 grant under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project.

3 Mar 2011

New report finds 58% drop in CLABSIs in hospital intensive care units

A new report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a significant decrease in certain infections over the past nine years. The report found that central line associated bloodstream infections occurring in hospital intensive care units dropped by 58 percent between 2001 and 2009.

2 Mar 2011

AMIA releases position statement on EHR adoption and meaningful use

AMIA, the association for professionals in biomedical and health informatics, sent comments to the federal Office of the National Coordinator on Health Information Technology (DHHS/ ONCHIT), which has actively supported and incentivized the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) over the last year, and which solicited comment, through the HIT Policy Committee (HITPC), on the continuation of support for achieving meaningful use of EHRs in 2013 and 2014.

2 Mar 2011

Physician administered preventive dental program reduces tooth decay treatment among young children

A preventive dental program targeting preschoolers under age 4 administered by physicians instead of dentists effectively reduces the need for tooth decay-related treatment among young children, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study shows.

2 Mar 2011

VaxInnate receives $196 million BARDA contract to develop novel flu vaccines

VaxInnate Corporation today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, worth up to $196 million to fund the development of recombinant seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines.

1 Mar 2011

Fake pot now illegal in U.S.

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1 Mar 2011

Axolotl's two EHR systems receive ONC-ATCB certification

Axolotl Corp. announced that two of its electronic health record systems - Axolotl EHR, version 7 and Elysium EMR Lite - have received Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Authorized Testing and Certification Body 2011/2012 certifications in accordance with Eligible Provider certification criteria adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

1 Mar 2011

New GuLF STUDY to look at health effects of oil spill on 55,000 cleanup workers, volunteers

A new study that will look at possible health effects of the Gulf of Mexico's Deepwater Horizon oil spill on 55,000 cleanup workers and volunteers begins today in towns across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

1 Mar 2011

HHS awards two contracts to accelerate flu vaccine availability

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded two contracts today to help make vaccine available more quickly for seasonal flu outbreaks and pandemics. The contracts for advanced development of new types of vaccine and new ways to make flu vaccine known as next-generation recombinant influenza vaccine total $215 million.

28 Feb 2011

Obama’s health care reform: States may now choose to opt out

President Obama yesterday [Monday] has allowed states to choose to opt out of his big health-care reform overhaul and design their own health systems, as long as they meet the overall goals of the national plan. However critics feel, this was bound to happen anyway.

28 Feb 2011

Health law ups the ante in state-federal Medicaid budget battle

As this health insurance program for low-income people continues to place a huge burden on state budgets, governors are pressing for more flexibility regarding Medicaid's eligibility standards. The health law's expansion of this program — scheduled to take effect in 2014 — adds a sense of imperative to the conversation, as do the spending cuts being considered by Congress.

28 Feb 2011

Governors want flexibility from federal officials on health issues

The National Governors Association is meeting in Washington this weekend and some of the state leaders spoke out about their difficulties funding health programs and flexibility and changes they would like to see from the federal government.

28 Feb 2011

Progressive groups offer support for maintaining Medicaid requirements

The nation's governors are will be in Washington this weekend for the National Governors Association winter meeting. Budget issues, especially related to Medicaid spending and other health costs, will be a hot topic.

28 Feb 2011

CTSI awards NYU one-year pilot grant to assess feasibility of hemoglobin A1C diabetes test

New York University's Clinical and Translational Science Institute has awarded an NYU nursing-dental research team a one-year pilot grant to assess the feasibility of using gingival crevicular blood from periodontal patients to gauge hemoglobin A1C -- a blood glucose measurement -- as a means of diagnosing diabetes and identifying pre-diabetes.

28 Feb 2011

Study: Kinship caregivers receive fewer support services than foster parents

Children who are placed with a relative because of mistreatment at home fare better in some areas than those placed in foster care, but they may have a higher risk of substance use and teenage pregnancy.

28 Feb 2011

AHRQ: $52.2 billion spent on prescription drugs for treatment of metabolic conditions during 2008

Insurers and consumers spent $52.2 billion on prescription drugs in 2008 for outpatient treatment of metabolic conditions such as diabetes and elevated cholesterol, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

28 Feb 2011