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$650 million funding from HHS to benefit black and Latino communities

The health of the nation's black and Latino communities stands to get a significant shot in the arm from the $650 million in health and wellness funding announced this afternoon by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy organization.

18 Sep 2009

HDFS develops program to build healthier relationships in American families

Connecting For Baby (CFB) is a program for low-income, unmarried couples who are new parents or soon-to-be parents. The program, developed by researchers in the Human Development and Family Studies Department (HDFS) in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, takes a prevention approach by targeting young couples, ages 18-27.

18 Sep 2009

African Americans at higher risk of developing potentially deadly DVT and PE than other ethnic populations

Speaking at the Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) Annual Meeting today, Dr. Garth Graham from the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services followed up on last year's Surgeon General's Call to Action by focusing attention on the African American population which is at significantly increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE).

18 Sep 2009

A not-for-profit mission from Wellcome Trust and Merck to develop affordable vaccines for low-income countries

The Wellcome Trust and Merck & Co., Inc. today announced the creation of the MSD Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories (www.hillemanlaboratories.in), the first of its kind research and development joint venture with a not-for-profit mission to focus on developing affordable vaccines to prevent diseases that commonly affect low-income countries.

17 Sep 2009

Secretary Sebelius' new initiative to improve health care delivery

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle today announced an initiative that will allow Medicare to join Medicaid, and private insurers in state-based efforts to improve the way health care is delivered.

17 Sep 2009

NIH to fund grants for epigenetic research

The National Institutes of Health announced today that it will fund 22 grants on genome-wide studies of how epigenetic changes -- chemical modifications to genes that result from diet, aging, stress, or environmental exposures -- define and contribute to specific human diseases and biological processes.

17 Sep 2009

Health care system has reached a breaking point: HHS Secretary

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new state by state analysis of last week’s U.S. Census numbers regarding the uninsured. The results are sobering and confirm that health insurance reform cannot wait another year.

17 Sep 2009

Workshop to educate women on urinary incontinence

UCSF and the National Association For Continence (NAFC) are holding a public workshop on October 3 to help women understand how they can control and treat incontinence.

17 Sep 2009

Fully-insured members of Capital BlueCross to receive coverage for administration fee for H1N1 Flu vaccine

Capital BlueCross announced today that it will cover an administration fee for the H1N1 Flu vaccine for fully-insured members and those with individual coverage during the upcoming 2009-2010 flu season. Self-funded groups may opt to have their coverage customized to include this benefit.

17 Sep 2009

HMS to provide third-party liability services to Medicaid agencies

HMS today announced that it had been awarded a contract by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide additional third-party liability services. With the addition of Minnesota, HMS now provides third party liability services to 39 state Medicaid agencies.

17 Sep 2009

VOICE clinical study for testing the efficacy of two HIV prevention strategies

A new, large-scale clinical trial is examining whether antiretroviral medications normally used to treat HIV infection can also prevent HIV infection in women when applied as a vaginal gel or taken as oral tablets once daily.

16 Sep 2009

Nutrition and exercise program for children

While research shows many American children become more sedentary in adolescence, a nationwide program - Triple Play - is reversing the trend by motivating them to be more physically active, according to a report released today.

16 Sep 2009

State news round-up: Insurance coverage, infection reporting, immigrant health

News outlets report on a range of state health stories including infections in New Hampshire, children's insurance in Michigan, increased insurance coverage in North Carolina, immigrant health in Texas and long-term financial planning on Florida.

16 Sep 2009

Newborn screening website to support quality health care for children

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) today launched the Newborn Screening Coding and Terminology Guide (http://newbornscreeningcodes.nlm.nih.gov), an important step toward efficient electronic exchange of standard newborn screening data.

16 Sep 2009

Four H1N1 vaccines approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available, which is expected within the next four weeks.

16 Sep 2009

Biocryst signs agreement with three partners to represent its anti-viral peramivir outside U.S.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today announced that it has signed binding letters of intent with three partners who will exclusively represent BioCryst and its anti-viral peramivir for influenza stockpiling opportunities, as well as for marketing and distribution of peramivir for seasonal influenza upon local regulatory approval, within their territories outside the U.S.

15 Sep 2009

Winner of 2009 Annie E. Casey Innovations Award announced

The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University today announced Wraparound Milwaukee of Milwaukee County as the 2009 winner of the Annie E. Casey Innovations Award in Children and Family System Reform. As part of Milwaukee County’s Department of Health and Human Services, Wraparound Milwaukee is the first government-operated managed care service designed to treat emotionally disturbed youth in the home setting.

15 Sep 2009

Somatic Systems accelerates efforts on projects to provide pain care services to the US Military

Somatic Systems, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SMAS) stated that they have accelerated their efforts on their projects to provide pain care services to the US Military and establish Military health insurance coverage for Somatic Systems' powerful Clinical Somatics pain treatment method.

15 Sep 2009

CTIA issues statement on the health effects of mobile usage

Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® President and CEO Steve Largent issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing on “The Health Effects of Cell Phone Use:”

15 Sep 2009

Rib-X and NIAID collaborate to develop an antibiotic treatment for N. gonorrhoeae

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of multi-antibiotic resistant infections, today announced that it intends to enter into a Clinical Trials Agreement with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

15 Sep 2009