Health and Human Services News and Research

RSS

HHS donates more than $119 million to support health promotion initiatives

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking-the four most important actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health

6 Feb 2010

Jerry Hill and Nathan Fletcher receive CHI Advancing California Biomedical Research and Innovation Award

CHI-California Healthcare Institute, a non-profit public policy research organization, honored Assembly Members Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) and Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) with the CHI Advancing California Biomedical Research and Innovation Award at a biomedical industry dinner on Feb. 2 in Sacramento.

5 Feb 2010

Safety checklist reduces bloodstream infections in ICUs

The state of Michigan, which used a five-step checklist developed at Johns Hopkins to virtually eliminate bloodstream infections in its hospitals' intensive care units , has been able to keep the number of these common, costly and potentially lethal infections near zero - even three years after first adopting the standardized procedures.

5 Feb 2010

NIH panel convened to increase the use and quality of colorectal cancer screening in the U.S.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite evidence and guidelines supporting the value of screening for this disease, rates of screening for colorectal cancer are consistently lower than those for other types of cancer, particularly breast and cervical.

5 Feb 2010

U.N. taps Bill Clinton to lead Haiti rebuilding; 200,000 people died in quake, Haitian PM says

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday asked former President Bill Clinton, currently the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, to oversee aid and rebuilding efforts in Haiti, CNN reports (2/3).

5 Feb 2010

Report shows more Americans are buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions

The number of Americans buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions climbed over 50 percent, rising from 18.1 million to 29 million people between 1997 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Feb 2010

NHLBI awarded four contracts to test new devices to help children with congenital heart defects

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded four contracts totaling $23.6 million to begin preclinical testing of devices to help children born with congenital heart defects or those who develop heart failure.

5 Feb 2010

Obama tries to bridge Democratic divide on health reform

Speaking with Senate Democrats Wednesday, President Obama "suggested that Republicans could be enlisted to play at least some role in negotiating a final bill, The Washington Post reports.

4 Feb 2010

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announces fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

4 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 4, 2010

Health care spending is taking an increasingly big bite out of the nation's economy, according to today's headlines.

4 Feb 2010

Secretaries to release new report on children’s health insurance

One year after President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit the Mazique Parent Child Center to discuss efforts to identify and enroll children in health coverage and announce new steps the Departments are taking to insure more kids.

4 Feb 2010

State of Michigan keeps lethal hospital infections in check

The state of Michigan, which used a five-step checklist developed at Johns Hopkins to virtually eliminate bloodstream infections in its hospitals' intensive care units , has been able to keep the number of these common, costly and potentially lethal infections near zero — even three years after first adopting the standardized procedures. A report on the work is being published in the February 20 issue of BMJ (British Medical Journal).

4 Feb 2010

Regular physical activity prevents chronic illness: Surgeon General urged to make outdoor time a health priority

National Wildlife Federation (NWF), more than 200 health, conservation, youth, and other organizations, and 16,300 Americans are urging the new surgeon general to make time outdoors a health priority for children.

4 Feb 2010

NAE and IOM join for panel discussion on 'Engineering Innovations in Healthcare'

WHAT:The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will join together for the first time at the regional meeting and panel discussion on "Engineering Innovations in Healthcare" at the University of Miami.

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

IBM announces definitive agreement to acquire Initiate Systems

IBM today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Initiate Systems, a market leader in data integrity software for information sharing among healthcare and government organizations. Initiate's software helps healthcare clients work more intelligently and efficiently with timely access to patient and clinical data. It also enables governments to share information across multiple agencies to better serve citizens.

3 Feb 2010

AtriCure announces definitive agreement with DOJ regarding surgical ablation devices

AtriCure, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRC), a medical device company and a leader in cardiac surgical ablation systems, today announced that it has executed a definitive agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to resolve the issues raised in the DOJ’s investigation and the related qui tam complaint regarding the marketing of the Company’s surgical ablation devices.

3 Feb 2010

Cognosante and Fox Systems announce merger

Fox Systems, a leader in Medicaid and HIPAA, and Cognosante, a leader in health information interoperability, today announced that the two companies have merged effective January 1, 2010. The combined company will be known as Cognosante, LLC, with Fox Systems operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cognosante.

3 Feb 2010

Ohio changes Medicaid drug program, N.C. weighs cuts in Medicaid personal care services

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Ohio's seven Medicaid managed care plans this month will make changes in the prescription drug plans that cover about 1.5 million people, although many of those beneficiaries will not face increased costs.

3 Feb 2010

ALEC commends Kansas legislators for filing Health Care Freedom Amendment

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — the nation's largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators — congratulates Kansas State Senator Mary Pilcher Cook and Representatives Peggy Mast and Brenda Landwehr for filing the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment, which would protect the right of individuals to make their own health care choices.

3 Feb 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

HHS donates more than $119 million to support health promotion initiatives

Jerry Hill and Nathan Fletcher receive CHI Advancing California Biomedical Research and Innovation Award

Safety checklist reduces bloodstream infections in ICUs

NIH panel convened to increase the use and quality of colorectal cancer screening in the U.S.

U.N. taps Bill Clinton to lead Haiti rebuilding; 200,000 people died in quake, Haitian PM says

Report shows more Americans are buying prescription drugs to treat digestive conditions

NHLBI awarded four contracts to test new devices to help children with congenital heart defects

Obama tries to bridge Democratic divide on health reform

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announces fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results

First Edition: February 4, 2010

Secretaries to release new report on children’s health insurance

State of Michigan keeps lethal hospital infections in check

Regular physical activity prevents chronic illness: Surgeon General urged to make outdoor time a health priority

NAE and IOM join for panel discussion on 'Engineering Innovations in Healthcare'

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

IBM announces definitive agreement to acquire Initiate Systems

AtriCure announces definitive agreement with DOJ regarding surgical ablation devices

Cognosante and Fox Systems announce merger

Ohio changes Medicaid drug program, N.C. weighs cuts in Medicaid personal care services

ALEC commends Kansas legislators for filing Health Care Freedom Amendment

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

Latest News