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Software tool helps medical service providers respond to serious incidents and disasters affecting children

A statistical study by a specialist group at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California indicates that the victims of the January 12 quake include an extraordinarily high number of children- more than 110,000, nearly half of the estimated total.

28 Jan 2010

Medicare false claims: Los Angeles DME company owner pleads guilty

The owner and operator of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to submitting nearly $1 million in false claims to Medicare, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney George S. Cardona for the Central District of California.

28 Jan 2010

Home health care fraud: Detroit-area physical therapist pleads guilty

Detroit-area resident Jessica Vigil pleaded guilty today for her role in a Detroit-area home health care fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade; Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General's (HHS-OIG) Chicago Region.

27 Jan 2010

MAXIMUS recognized as 'Certified Center of Excellence' by BenchmarkPortal

MAXIMUS (NYSE: MMS), a leading provider of government services, announced today that its New York Medicaid CHOICE project call center has once again been recognized as a “Certified Center of Excellence” by BenchmarkPortal in collaboration with the Center for Customer-Driven Quality (CCDQ) at Purdue Research Park.

27 Jan 2010

Montana DPHHS approves Rethink Autism to provide services as part of Children's Autism Waiver

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has approved the use of Rethink Autism (http://www.rethinkautism.com), a web-based autism treatment platform, to provide services as part of the State's Children's Autism Waiver.

27 Jan 2010

ALEC congratulates Pennsylvania legislators for filing House Bills to protect the right of individuals

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) -- the nation's largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators -- congratulates Pennsylvania State Representatives Matthew Baker and Curt Schroder for filing House Bills 2053 and 2179, which protect the right of individuals to make their own health care choices.

27 Jan 2010

New contract gives U.S. Naval hospitals access to ECRI Institute's medical equipment advisory service and product safety alerts

ECRI Institute®(www.ecri.org), an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, announces a new contract, awarded by the U.S. Navy to ECRI Institute, to offer its comprehensive advisory service for managing medical equipment procurement, maintenance, and safety to all U.S. Naval hospitals and medical centers worldwide.

27 Jan 2010

Budget realities are rippling through states' health institutions

The (Raleigh, N.C.) News-Observer: "The state's drug assistance program for HIV patients has been capped at its current enrollment, with budget cuts hitting at the same time more people need help, state officials said Monday." Because patients with HIV are more likely to spread the virus when not on medications, public health officials are worried about denying medications (Avery, 1/26).

27 Jan 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation bans Merck's sales representatives for unwarranted pricing of Isentress

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe, including 18 healthcare centers in California, Florida, and Washington, DC, has banned pharmaceutical sales representatives from Merck and Co. Pharmaceuticals, from calling on AHF’s medical providers and staff in its US healthcare centers.

27 Jan 2010

Idaho Technology commences clinical trials of FilmArray RP

Idaho Technology, Inc. (ITI) announced today that clinical trials of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) have commenced at three US Hospital Laboratories.

27 Jan 2010

Obama acknowledges mistakes in health overhaul politics and processes

President Barack Obama acknowledged Monday in an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer that mistakes were made in the health reform debate, among the biggest "was the confusing way in which the health bill was shaped." Obama said: "'I think the healthcare debate as it unfolded legitimately raised concerns not just among my opponents, but also amongst reporters that we just don't know what's going on,' and that some 'stray cats' got in the bill." Obama also said he "didn't make a bunch of deals" and "I am happy to own up to the fact that I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked" (Mooney, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

Applied Biosystems signs cross-licensing agreement with Idaho Technology

Applied Biosystems LLC, part of Life Technologies Corporation, and Idaho Technology, Inc. have signed a cross-licensing agreement which covers a broad range of products including hardware, software and reagents.

27 Jan 2010

ACF and SAMHSA notify that TANF funds can be used to help families treat short term mental health

In the face of growing need for mental health and substance abuse treatment, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are notifying states about how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to help families in their communities in need of short term mental health or substance use treatment services.

23 Jan 2010

U.S. blood banks have sufficient blood to meet the needs of Haiti victims

The AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism has determined that the current blood supply in the United States is adequate to fill any requests received to support the present needs of Haitian hospitals, though ongoing infrastructure and transportation issues in Haiti could delay receipt of those supplies to patients.

23 Jan 2010

Detroit jury convicts physician for healthcare fraud conspiracy

Troy, Mich., physician Toe Myint was convicted today by a Detroit jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a $4.2 million Medicare Fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan; Special-Agent-in-Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

23 Jan 2010

New report describes state of lupus research, impact of disease and barriers to care

A major report on lupus from the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the U.S. Congress this week reviews the state of the disease and documents the need for a comprehensive national provider health education program to help eliminate the barriers of racial disparities in the early medical diagnosis and treatment of lupus.

23 Jan 2010

Emdeon introduces HIPAA Simplified to help guide healthcare industry's transition to new standards

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced the availability of HIPAA Simplified, a one-stop online resource for guiding the healthcare industry's transition to HIPAA 5010, NCPDP D.0 and ICD-10 standards.

23 Jan 2010

Controversy around Merck's pricing for its AIDS drug Isentress

The controversy around Merck and Co. Pharmaceuticals’ pricing for its key AIDS drug Isentress — at nearly $13,000 per patient yearly, the most expensive first line AIDS therapy on the US market today — continued this week following Merck’s reaction to recent public criticism of its AIDS drug pricing. Merck ramped up its damage control PR efforts, issuing a press release that sought to rewrite the history of Isentress and deflect attention by claiming AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been unfairly attacking them.

22 Jan 2010

Congress urged to stop child maltreatment deaths

As part of a campaign to stop child abuse and neglect deaths, National Children's Alliance and its partners – the Every Child Matters Education Fund, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National District Attorneys Association – are running ads that urge Congress to address the fatalities that claim the lives of innocent children every day. Specifically, the advertisements ask Congress to hold hearings and provide emergency funds to stop state cuts in child protective services.

21 Jan 2010

BARDA awards Duke University $3.7M to develop diagnostic test for detecting radiation exposure

Duke University has received a $3.7 million contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a rapid and accurate genomic-based diagnostic test that can determine if a person has been exposed to radiation from a dirty bomb or nuclear attack. In the event that all option years are exercised by the government, Duke University could receive up to $43.6 million from the contract.

21 Jan 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

Software tool helps medical service providers respond to serious incidents and disasters affecting children

Medicare false claims: Los Angeles DME company owner pleads guilty

Home health care fraud: Detroit-area physical therapist pleads guilty

MAXIMUS recognized as 'Certified Center of Excellence' by BenchmarkPortal

Montana DPHHS approves Rethink Autism to provide services as part of Children's Autism Waiver

ALEC congratulates Pennsylvania legislators for filing House Bills to protect the right of individuals

New contract gives U.S. Naval hospitals access to ECRI Institute's medical equipment advisory service and product safety alerts

Budget realities are rippling through states' health institutions

AIDS Healthcare Foundation bans Merck's sales representatives for unwarranted pricing of Isentress

Idaho Technology commences clinical trials of FilmArray RP

Obama acknowledges mistakes in health overhaul politics and processes

Applied Biosystems signs cross-licensing agreement with Idaho Technology

ACF and SAMHSA notify that TANF funds can be used to help families treat short term mental health

U.S. blood banks have sufficient blood to meet the needs of Haiti victims

Detroit jury convicts physician for healthcare fraud conspiracy

New report describes state of lupus research, impact of disease and barriers to care

Emdeon introduces HIPAA Simplified to help guide healthcare industry's transition to new standards

Controversy around Merck's pricing for its AIDS drug Isentress

Congress urged to stop child maltreatment deaths

BARDA awards Duke University $3.7M to develop diagnostic test for detecting radiation exposure

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

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