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Only hope of future affordability is better utilization of health resources and teamwork among professionals

An article published this month in Canadian Chiropractor Magazine, co-authored by a health economist who had been instrumental in the evolution of Canada's Medicare system, argues that the only hope of future affordability is a better utilization of health resources and teamwork among professionals.

16 Feb 2011

NYU Langone one of 16 centers chosen to participate in American Joint Replacement Registry

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center has been chosen as one of only 16 centers across the country to participate in the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR). The AJRR is a national, independent, not-for-profit organization created to collect key joint replacement and revision data in order to better to monitor device performance and identify underperforming processes while providing information supporting best practices in safety, cost control and advances in technology.

16 Feb 2011

Racial disparities in readmissions related to both patient race and site of care

Elderly Medicare black patients have a higher 30-day hospital readmission rate for several conditions including congestive heart failure and pneumonia compared to white patients, that is related in part to higher readmission rates among hospitals that disproportionately care for black patients, according to a study in the February 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Feb 2011

Women, young people who experienced premium increase more likely to seek health care information

New findings by the Employee Benefit Research Institute show that women, younger individuals, and individuals who experienced an increase in either premiums or cost sharing are more likely to seek information on health care costs, quality, and access in order to make informed decisions. Additionally, people with a higher level of education are also more likely than those with less education to research information.

16 Feb 2011

NQF converts endorsed measures from paper-based format to electronic 'eMeasures'

The National Quality Forum announces the conversion of 113 NQF-endorsed measures from a paper-based format to an electronic "eMeasure" format.

16 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Budget disappointment; supporting CLASS Act; health law's Medicaid 'mess'

If fiscal sanity is to be restored, Americans need to be told the hard facts — not just that the national debt is out of control and that deficits can't go on and on, but that getting the nation's finances in order will require going everywhere in the budget: domestic programs, defense spending and the big entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that already consume three of every five dollars the government spends.

16 Feb 2011

New study finds 35% of imaging costs ordered for defensive purposes in Pennsylvania

Nearly 35 percent of all the imaging costs ordered for 2,068 orthopaedic patient encounters in Pennsylvania were ordered for defensive purposes, according to a new study presented today at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

16 Feb 2011

Microsoft, Visionshare partner to enhance health information transaction between physicians, patients

VisionShare, the nation's largest and most trusted healthcare information network, announced today that it is working with Microsoft Corp. to enhance the transaction of health information from physicians to their patients based on security protocols endorsed by the Office of the National Coordinator's Direct Project.

16 Feb 2011

Medicare pay cut for docs already drawing fire

Critics said the method used in the budget blueprint would cause serious problems. But some news reports indicate the inclusion of this Medicare "doc fix" would help build support within the physician community for the president's health care agenda.

16 Feb 2011

Obama budget draws GOP criticism for not taking on entitlements

Although reports indicate President Barack Obama's proposed budget would reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion over 10 years, it did not offer major changes to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security — which total about 40 percent of federal spending.

16 Feb 2011

Budget pushes health law implementation, provides some limited — but not easy — increases

However, news outlets report that funding gains within the Department of Health and Human Services come at a steep price.

16 Feb 2011

UC Davis and Sutter first to share electronic health records in the region

Steven Hedrick, deputy director of rehabilitative programs at the California Department of Corrections, was relaxing at home recently when a sharp pain rippled through his lower abdomen. The ache was so severe that he drove to the nearest treatment center Sutter Urgent Care, Yuba City. Physicians there quickly evaluated Steven, obtained a CT scan and diagnosed him with kidney stones. Hedrick was prescribed pain medication and counseled to check in with his primary care physician at UC Davis as soon as possible.

15 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 15, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about the health portion of the President's budget blueprint along with the politics that accompany it.

15 Feb 2011

CWRU's REC helps doctors to adopt electronic health records

Nearly $8 million of federal stimulus funds provided through the Ohio Health Information Partnership is already starting to help hundreds of doctors in northeast Ohio switch to electronic health records. Now, with a greater sense of urgency, the word is going out to providers who might not yet be aware that valuable advice is easily available to them.

15 Feb 2011

President to unveil $3.7 billion budget blueprint; challenge is to show fiscal discipline while funding health law's implementation

President Barack Obama's budget plan includes a two-year Medicare "doc-fix" that uses heavy cuts in other health providers' Medicare reimbursements to stave-off a scheduled 25 percent reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements. Meanwhile, news outlets also report the plan "avoids" tackling entitlement spending.

15 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Expediting SCOTUS health law review; birth control funding; budget cutting and the stock market

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the extraordinary step of leapfrogging past federal appeals courts to decide the constitutionality of the new health-care law.

15 Feb 2011

Hospital for Special Care announces opening of comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut

Hospital for Special Care (HSC), one of the nation's largest long-term acute-care hospitals, announces the opening of the first comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut, under the direction of board-certified intensivists and cardiologists.

15 Feb 2011

Elsevier / MEDai launches latest version of Pinpoint Review for hospitals

Elsevier / MEDai, a leading provider of advanced clinical analytic healthcare solutions, announced today the launch of the latest version of Pinpoint Review-, its real-time, clinical surveillance system for hospitals. The new version will feature an expanded set of clinical watch triggers, expanded core measure alerts and three new predictions: ICU Admission Prediction, Length of Stay Prediction and Mortality Prediction.

14 Feb 2011

K-V Pharmaceutical to raise $32 million through private placement

K-V Pharmaceutical Company today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a group of institutional investors to raise approximately $32 million of gross proceeds from a private placement of 9,950,000 shares of its Class A Common Stock at $3.25 per share.

14 Feb 2011

Elsevier / MEDai launch new version of Pinpoint Review clinical surveillance system for hospitals

Elsevier / MEDai, a leading provider of advanced clinical analytic healthcare solutions, announced today the launch of the latest version of Pinpoint Review(R), its real-time, clinical surveillance system for hospitals. The new version will feature an expanded set of clinical watch triggers, expanded core measure alerts and three new predictions: ICU Admission Prediction, Length of Stay Prediction and Mortality Prediction.

14 Feb 2011

Medicare News and Research

Only hope of future affordability is better utilization of health resources and teamwork among professionals

NYU Langone one of 16 centers chosen to participate in American Joint Replacement Registry

Racial disparities in readmissions related to both patient race and site of care

Women, young people who experienced premium increase more likely to seek health care information

NQF converts endorsed measures from paper-based format to electronic 'eMeasures'

Viewpoints: Budget disappointment; supporting CLASS Act; health law's Medicaid 'mess'

New study finds 35% of imaging costs ordered for defensive purposes in Pennsylvania

Microsoft, Visionshare partner to enhance health information transaction between physicians, patients

Medicare pay cut for docs already drawing fire

Obama budget draws GOP criticism for not taking on entitlements

Budget pushes health law implementation, provides some limited — but not easy — increases

UC Davis and Sutter first to share electronic health records in the region

First Edition: February 15, 2011

CWRU's REC helps doctors to adopt electronic health records

President to unveil $3.7 billion budget blueprint; challenge is to show fiscal discipline while funding health law's implementation

Viewpoints: Expediting SCOTUS health law review; birth control funding; budget cutting and the stock market

Hospital for Special Care announces opening of comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut

Elsevier / MEDai launches latest version of Pinpoint Review for hospitals

K-V Pharmaceutical to raise $32 million through private placement

Elsevier / MEDai launch new version of Pinpoint Review clinical surveillance system for hospitals

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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