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Penn Medicine announces recipients of new Basser External Research Grant Program

The University of Pennsylvania's Basser Research Center for BRCA has announced $6.9 million to research teams both at Penn and at five other institutions across the United States, aimed at advancing the care of patients living with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations through multi-disciplinary collaboration.

15 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Hubris is the greatest danger in wealthy countries - a sort of smug assumption that advanced technologies and emergency-preparedness plans guarantee that Ebola and other germs will not spread. It was hubris that left Toronto's top hospitals battling SARS in 2003, long after the virus was conquered in poorer Vietnam. It was hubris that led the World Health Assembly in 2013 to cut the WHO's outbreak-response budget in favor of more programs to treat cancer and heart disease.

14 Oct 2014

Kindred Healthcare acquires Gentiva

The combined company, based in Louisville, Ky., will be the nation's largest provider of long-term care, hospice and home-health services.

12 Oct 2014

Penn prediction tool increases sepsis identification and care, indicates fewer deaths

An automated early warning and response system for sepsis developed by Penn Medicine experts has resulted in a marked increase in sepsis identification and care, transfer to the ICU, and an indication of fewer deaths due to sepsis. A study assessing the tool is published online in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

10 Oct 2014

Online learning module for medical residents can improve care of substance use disorder patients

Online learning interventions and small group debriefings can improve medical residents' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders, and may result in improved care for these patients, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University College of Medicine published online in Academic Medicine.

9 Oct 2014

PointRight announces phased strategic partnership with Prime Care Technologies

PointRight, the industry-standard predictive analytics leader and Prime Care Technologies, the post-acute industry's leading provider of technology-enabled business solutions, announce a phased strategic partnership whereby the industry-standard PointRight® Pro 30™ rehospitalization measure will be incorporated into primeVIEW, Prime Care Technology's business intelligence solution.

8 Oct 2014

Researchers develop potential fast-acting "vaccine" for myasthenia gravis

Nearly 60,000 Americans suffer from myasthenia gravis (MG), a non-inherited autoimmune form of muscle weakness. The disease has no cure, and the primary treatments are nonspecific immunosuppressants and inhibitors of the enzyme cholinesterase.

8 Oct 2014

Penn Medicine to explore therapeutic strategies for HIV positive women at risk of cervical cancer

The introduction of antiretroviral drugs in Botswana over the last two decades has increased the life expectancies of people living with HIV—many of whom are women co-infected with the human papillomavirus virus (HPV)—considerably: from 39 years to the low 60s. As a result, this co-infected group of women is at a much higher risk of developing HPV-associated cervical cancer.

7 Oct 2014

Reuters, ProPublica and The Huffington Post bag Barlett & Steele Awards

ProPublica, Reuters and The Huffington Post won gold, silver and bronze awards, respectively, in the eighth annual Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism, the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism announced today.

3 Oct 2014

Cancer specialist outlines 10 symptoms that should never be ignored

Patients often ask, "Doc, is this something to worry about?" Patients fear the worst yet often choose to ignore potentially deadly warning signs.

29 Sep 2014

Caring Brands International acquires Australia-based Just Better Care

Caring Brands International, which includes Interim HealthCare Inc., a national network of home care, hospice and health staffing franchises founded in 1966 and known for its continuum of care in the United States, today expands its global operations with the acquisition of Australia-based Just Better Care.

25 Sep 2014

ReCept receives Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation from ACHC

ReCept Pharmacy, LP proudly announces its approval of accreditation status by Accreditation Commission for Health Care for the services of Specialty Pharmacy.

24 Sep 2014

Study raises questions about educational efforts to increase knowledge of HPV vaccination

"Knowledge is power" is an old saying. Another cliché warns, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." When it comes to getting inoculated against the Human Papilloavirus (HPV), it seems that neither saying is true. In fact, according to a study by a multidisciplinary University of Pennsylvania research team, knowledge may in fact be a meaningless thing.

24 Sep 2014

Congress approves measure to tighten scrutiny, inspections of hospices

Hospice agencies must subject themselves to government inspections at least once every three years under new legislation approved by Congress, part of a measure that addresses concerns about substandard operators in the booming industry.

23 Sep 2014

NCH advances cardiovascular service line in northwest suburbs

Northwest Community Healthcare is strengthening cardiovascular care for patients in the northwest suburbs by advancing its cardiovascular service line. NCH has new relationships with cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons and cardiologists, and, in addition, has announced plans to open a new heart failure clinic this fall in Mount Prospect.

21 Sep 2014

Penn Medicine, Wistar Institute awarded NCI grants for four new melanoma research projects

Penn Medicine and The Wistar Institute have been awarded a prestigious $12.1 million SPORE grant from the National Cancer Institute. The five-year Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant will fund four new melanoma research projects that aim to translate fundamental laboratory discoveries into new therapeutics to treat melanoma and other skin cancers.

18 Sep 2014

WellStar establishes new health park in East Cobb

WellStar East Cobb Health Park opened its doors September 15, serving as a comprehensive, one-stop shop for outpatient medical needs.

15 Sep 2014

Researchers find learning and memory components of neurofibromatosis using zebrafish model

Using a zebrafish model of a human genetic disease called neurofibromatosis (NF1), a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that the learning and memory components of the disorder are distinct features that will likely need different treatment approaches.

15 Sep 2014

Researchers identify non-protein-coding RNA whose expression linked to ovarian cancer

Over the years researchers have made tremendous strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer by searching genomes for links between genetic alterations and disease.

10 Sep 2014

First Edition: September 4, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about a new government report that predicts a rebound in national health spending.

4 Sep 2014