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SAMHSA grants $14.4 million to help people in substance abuse treatment programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing up to $14.4 million in new grants to help people in substance abuse treatment programs.

23 Nov 2010

Health on The Hill - November 22, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writers Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Appleby talk with KFF's Jackie Judd about recent health policy developments, including the newly released Health and Human Services regulations dealing with the medical loss ratio and the status in Congress of the one-month patch to prevent physicians who see Medicare patients from having their payments reduced.

23 Nov 2010

HHS Secretary launches new application cycle for NHSC Loan Repayment Program

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the launch of the new application cycle for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program, during a visit to Total Health Care, a community health center in Baltimore.

23 Nov 2010

Frequent hemodialysis improves left ventricular mass, physical health than conventional treatment

Frequent hemodialysis improved left ventricular mass (heart size) and self-reported physical health compared to conventional hemodialysis for kidney failure, according to the Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) Daily Trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

23 Nov 2010

HHS details health law MLR requirement: insurers must spend at least 80 percent on medical care

The medical loss ratio, also know as MLR, rule requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 cents of the premium dollar on medical care and quality. For employer plans covering more than 50 people, the requirement is 85 cents, according to The Associated Press.

22 Nov 2010

Cerner products achieve CCHIT Complete EHR certification

Cerner Corporation announced today that PowerChart®, FirstNet®, ProFile®, HealthSentry®, Cerner Healthe, Cerner® Health Record, IQHealth® and P2Sentinel™ 2007.19.12 and P2Sentinel™ v4.2.1 is 2011/2012 compliant and was certified as a Complete EHR on Oct.28, 2010 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology - Authorized Testing Certification Bodies, in accordance with the applicable Hospital certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

22 Nov 2010

IsoRay to sell $2.25 million in common stock

IsoRay Inc. has entered a securities purchase agreement with an investor to sell $2.25 million in common stock with the potential of $2,075,000 additional funding through two subsequent short term warrant tranches of 90 days and 180 days assuming an average exercise price of $1.40 and that all Series A and B warrants are exercised. Additional funding will occur if Series C or D warrants are exercised.

22 Nov 2010

SIS perioperative modular EHR achieves ONC-ATCB meaningful use certification

Surgical Information Systems (SIS), a leader in perioperative information systems, announced today that SIS Version 5 has been certified to meet 2011/2012 Stage 1 meaningful use measures as a modular Electronic Health Record (EHR). Certification was conducted by the Drummond Group, an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB).

22 Nov 2010

Action Alliance to address preventable public health tragedy of suicide

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private partnership created in September to address the preventable public health tragedy of suicide, announced today the creation of its first three task forces.

20 Nov 2010

HRSA awards $8 million for Community Health Center Cooperative Agreements

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the awarding of nearly $8 million for existing Community Health Center Cooperative Agreements.

20 Nov 2010

McKesson's Horizon Clinicals software suite achieves Complete EHR certification

McKesson's Horizon Clinicals®, the industry's most comprehensive software suite used by clinicians, patients and healthcare executives to promote high quality, safe care, has received Complete EHR certification — deeming the software capable of enabling providers to meet the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

20 Nov 2010

HRSA awarded $1.6M in grants to support Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative

The Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded $1.6 million in grants to support the Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative. The funds will aid organizations implementing effective, focused interventions designed to increase access to and completion of Hepatitis C treatment for HIV-positive patients.

20 Nov 2010

PIPC's white paper provides guidance in defining CER procedures

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care today released a white paper that defines a Procedural Framework for the Conduct of Comparative Effectiveness Research. The paper and its executive summary provide guidance for policy-makers, patient and providers for establishing CER procedures that foster openness, transparency and patient-centeredness.

20 Nov 2010

Task Force for National Conference on Diabetes issues Call to Action to improve diabetes care

The Task Force for the National Conference on Diabetes issued a Call to Action today entitled Shaping our future: a call to action to tackle the diabetes epidemic and reduce its economic impact. This Call to Action is a result of the National Conference on Diabetes, held earlier this year in Washington, D.C., which was attended by nearly 100 participants representing the Administration, Congress, government officials, public health organizations and industry.

19 Nov 2010

HHS, AARP to provide tips for seniors to stay healthy during flu season

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Catherine Alicia Georges from AARP will lead an important webcast for seniors to discuss tips on how to stay healthy this flu season.

19 Nov 2010

Substance abuse treatment facilities offering nicotine replacement therapy increased by 6%: Report

The percentage of substance abuse treatment facilities offering nicotine replacement therapy to clients gradually increased by about 6 percentage points from 2006 to 2009, according to a new Spotlight report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released in conjunction with the "Great American Smokeout."

19 Nov 2010

SAMHSA: 4.8% U.S. adults suffer from serious mental illness

According to new results from a national survey, 19.9 percent of American adults in the United States (45.1 million) have experienced mental illness over the past year. The survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that 11 million adults (4.8 percent) in the U.S. suffered serious mental illness in the past year a diagnosable mental disorder has substantially interfered with, or limited one or more major life activities.

19 Nov 2010

Health law revision suggestions pour in from lawmakers, groups

Kaiser Health News reports that vulnerable Democrats are looking for alternatives to the health law's mandate that nearly all Americans carry health insurance. "Under political pressure as a result of the new health law, Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has asked the Government Accountability Office to study alternatives to the controversial mandate requiring most Americans to obtain coverage." Because Nelson is from a typically "red" state, Republicans have targeted him as one Democrat willing to play ball on scaling back the law (Vaida, 11/17).

19 Nov 2010

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launches projects to improve care, reduce cost

Kaiser Health News: "Promising fast action, the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is launching a series of initiatives aimed at improving medical care while reducing its cost, officials said Tuesday. ... In one initiative, eight states will participate in a Medicare demonstration project to evaluate the effectiveness of doctors and other health professionals working 'in a more integrated fashion and receiving more coordinated payment,' according to CMS, the parent agency of the center and a part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers reveal mechanism of early-stage anthrax infection

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have determined a key mechanism by which Bacillus anthracis bacteria initiate anthrax infection despite being greatly outnumbered by immune system scavenger cells. The finding, made by studying genetically modified mice, adds new detail to the picture of early-stage anthrax infection and supports efforts to develop vaccines and drugs that would block this part of the cycle.

18 Nov 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

SAMHSA grants $14.4 million to help people in substance abuse treatment programs

Health on The Hill - November 22, 2010

HHS Secretary launches new application cycle for NHSC Loan Repayment Program

Frequent hemodialysis improves left ventricular mass, physical health than conventional treatment

HHS details health law MLR requirement: insurers must spend at least 80 percent on medical care

Cerner products achieve CCHIT Complete EHR certification

IsoRay to sell $2.25 million in common stock

SIS perioperative modular EHR achieves ONC-ATCB meaningful use certification

Action Alliance to address preventable public health tragedy of suicide

HRSA awards $8 million for Community Health Center Cooperative Agreements

McKesson's Horizon Clinicals software suite achieves Complete EHR certification

HRSA awarded $1.6M in grants to support Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative

PIPC's white paper provides guidance in defining CER procedures

Task Force for National Conference on Diabetes issues Call to Action to improve diabetes care

HHS, AARP to provide tips for seniors to stay healthy during flu season

Substance abuse treatment facilities offering nicotine replacement therapy increased by 6%: Report

SAMHSA: 4.8% U.S. adults suffer from serious mental illness

Health law revision suggestions pour in from lawmakers, groups

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launches projects to improve care, reduce cost

Researchers reveal mechanism of early-stage anthrax infection

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