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First Edition: May 12, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about the upcoming speech by GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, during which he is expected to confront what many say is his main vulnerability: his home state's health reform.

12 May 2011

Children can benefit from The Asthma Management Plans in School Act

New legislation introduced by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) would provide grants for asthma management programs in schools across the U.S. in a step to ensure the nation's 7.1 million children with asthma have access to care that could save their lives.

12 May 2011

Kool Smiles inaugurates new San Angelo dental office

Kool Smiles, a leading dental health provider for children and adults, now has opened its doors to additional families in Texas with a new office location in San Angelo. Kool Smiles of San Angelo officially opened on February 7 as the organization continues to expand access to quality dental care for families in underserved communities across the nation.

12 May 2011

Florida's largest insurer enters Medicaid system; Texas may ask feds for block grant

In a potentially huge change, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida plans to enter the Medicaid program and compete in what likely will become a statewide managed-care system. Blue Cross, the state's largest health insurer, has stayed out of Medicaid in the past. But its new stance comes as Florida lawmakers seek to enroll almost all Medicaid beneficiaries in managed-care plans -- and as last year's federal health law prepares to funnel more people into the system.

12 May 2011

Study links physical inactivity with high risk of cardiovascular disease in young children

Even healthy children as young as nine-years-old can start to show an increased risk of future heart problems if they are physically inactive, according to a study in the May issue of Acta Paediatrica.

12 May 2011

Study finds link between high prenatal BPA levels and infant's neurobehavioral abnormalities

A new case study examining an infant's neurobehavioral abnormalities and extremely high bisphenol A concentration of the baby's mother suggests a link between the two.

12 May 2011

HHS announces new initiatives to improve patient care and reduce Medicaid costs

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced a series of initiatives to work with states to save money and better coordinate care for the 9 million Americans enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

12 May 2011

Minister for Health and Children launches first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

The first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a national study of 8,000 older people aged 50 and over in Ireland, were launched this week by the Minister for Health and Children, Dr James Reilly.

12 May 2011

New genome-wide study identifies causes of serious childhood immune disorder

A new genomics study, led by the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, sets the stage for the first predictive diagnostic test in a serious immunodeficiency disease in children. If the disorder, common variable immunodeficiency disease, can be diagnosed early, children may receive life-saving treatments before the disease can progress.

12 May 2011

Reprogrammed herpes virus can improve early cancer diagnosis

Scientists have used a genetically re-engineered herpes virus that selectively hunts down and infects cancerous tumors and then delivers genetic material that prompts cancers to secrete a biomarker and reveal their presence.

12 May 2011

Researcher finds ultrasound as effective as CT scans for head and neck diagnoses

For diagnosing head and neck ailments, tests that use radiation are always less desirable than those that don't. Otolaryngologists have a wide range of techniques available to them, including CT or "CAT" scans, MRI and ultrasound.

12 May 2011

Three UH students to receive Albert Schweitzer Fellowship for yearlong service projects

Three University of Houston students, two from the UH Law Center and one from the Graduate College of Social Work, will lead health-related service initiatives for underserved individuals and communities during 2011-2012 under the Houston-Galveston Schweitzer Fellows Program.

12 May 2011

School-based prevention programs can help reduce alcohol problems in young people

School prevention programs aimed at curbing alcohol misuse in children are somewhat helpful, enough so to deserve consideration for widespread use, according to a large, international systematic review.

12 May 2011

Scientists to discuss latest autism research findings at IMFAR meeting

The 10th Annual International Meeting for Autism Research will host more than 1900 researchers, delegates, autism specialists, and students in the world's largest gathering of researchers and clinicians devoted to a better understanding of autism. The meeting will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt from May 12-14, 2011.

12 May 2011

Viewpoints: Tea Party on entitlement reform; Boehner's 'trillions' demand; California's silver tsunami

In a speech on Monday, the speaker of the House said that Republicans would insist on trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for votes to raise the debt limit. He did not mention a time frame. He also did not offer specifics on how he planned to make those cuts. After the beating Republicans took for their plan to slash Medicare, he clearly decided generalities were politically safer. There is no way to solve the country's fiscal ills without an accurate diagnosis and rigorous prescriptions for a cure. Mr. Boehner's speech was devoid of both.

12 May 2011

Analysis: Ryan's GOP budget plan would cause deep reductions in Medicaid coverage

The analysis, advanced by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute, could lead to as many as 44 million people being cut from the rolls in the next decade. Meanwhile, Politico reports that, in the background, some states are fast-tracking their efforts to expand coverage — in keeping with the requirements of the health law.

11 May 2011

First Edition: May 11, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Hilary Abramson writes: "Now comes the hard part. California, which has had a long, sometimes-tortured history of trying to overhaul its health care markets, beat every other state last year when it passed a law creating a health insurance exchange - an online marketplace where millions of uninsured residents will be able to get insurance".

11 May 2011

NAA calls for immediate Congressional hearings and scientific investigation into autism-vaccine link

Despite numerous studies cited repeatedly by federal officials as proof that vaccines do not cause autism, a new study released today in the Pace Environmental Law Review revealed that over the last two decades, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has been quietly compensating dozens of vaccine injury cases involving a child with autism.

11 May 2011

Study stresses importance of rapid intervention to prevent Self-Embedding Behavior in adolescents

While the disturbing act of self-injury is nothing new to adolescents, researchers and physicians at Nationwide Children's Hospital have identified a more severe type of behavior that is raising some concern among medical professionals.

11 May 2011

Safety tips for athletes with asthma and allergies

As athletes of all ages take the field this summer, the most fearsome opponents for those with asthma and allergies might be triggers that can sideline even the toughest competitors.

11 May 2011

Children News and Research

First Edition: May 12, 2011

Children can benefit from The Asthma Management Plans in School Act

Kool Smiles inaugurates new San Angelo dental office

Florida's largest insurer enters Medicaid system; Texas may ask feds for block grant

Study links physical inactivity with high risk of cardiovascular disease in young children

Study finds link between high prenatal BPA levels and infant's neurobehavioral abnormalities

HHS announces new initiatives to improve patient care and reduce Medicaid costs

Minister for Health and Children launches first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

New genome-wide study identifies causes of serious childhood immune disorder

Reprogrammed herpes virus can improve early cancer diagnosis

Researcher finds ultrasound as effective as CT scans for head and neck diagnoses

Three UH students to receive Albert Schweitzer Fellowship for yearlong service projects

School-based prevention programs can help reduce alcohol problems in young people

Scientists to discuss latest autism research findings at IMFAR meeting

Viewpoints: Tea Party on entitlement reform; Boehner's 'trillions' demand; California's silver tsunami

Analysis: Ryan's GOP budget plan would cause deep reductions in Medicaid coverage

First Edition: May 11, 2011

NAA calls for immediate Congressional hearings and scientific investigation into autism-vaccine link

Study stresses importance of rapid intervention to prevent Self-Embedding Behavior in adolescents

Safety tips for athletes with asthma and allergies

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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