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Ranier's Cadisc-L spinal disc replacement granted CE Mark Approval

Ranier Technology, the medical device development company focusing on the commercialisation of spinal implants, has announced that it has received CE Mark approval for its Cadisc™-L; an elasto-mimetic spinal disc replacement device for the lumbar spine. The CE Mark approval was received following a review of the company's multi-centre European clinical study and its extensive portfolio of biocompatibility and biomechanical testing.

13 Sep 2010

Death and disability toll due to C. diff bacteria needs to be addressed

Almost 12,000 people died in alcohol-related vehicle crashes in 2008. About 15,000 Americans died of AIDS-related illness the same year. Both of these preventable causes of death have been the subject of massive, expensive and high-profile interventions by federal and state authorities. CRE encourages expenditures for these programs but the public health community should be even more concerned for greater society-wide risks.

10 Sep 2010

InHealth continues support for Northwestern and Duke with follow-on grants of over $830,000

The Institute for Health Technology Studies (InHealth) has awarded two follow-on grants totaling more than $830,000 to research teams at Northwestern University and Duke University.

10 Sep 2010

FASD ONE releases three research papers on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

To mark Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day the 9th day of the 9th month, the FASD Ontario Network of Expertise (FASD ONE) is releasing three research papers focused on the pressing issues identified by Ontario families and service providers. The papers cover topics of respite care, education, and effective practices.

10 Sep 2010

Assessing the needs of disabled Medicare beneficiaries

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jessica Marcy reports in this KHN short take: "Policy makers need more concrete information about the characteristics of the disabled community and its unique challenges, a senior White House adviser said today at a forum about Medicare disability and health care reform" (Marcy, 9/9).

10 Sep 2010

Kennedy Krieger Institute receives grant for Alzheimer's disease research in Down syndrome patients

Early signs of Alzheimer's disease can be difficult to distinguish from the normal aging process in any older adult. For adults with Down syndrome, who are particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, it is even more so. Because effective intervention needs to begin as early in the disease process as possible, prior to the onset of the irreversible impacts on the brain that are characteristic of this devastating disease, early diagnosis is of critical importance. To address crucial gaps in knowledge about Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome, the Kennedy Krieger Institute has been awarded an $8.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

10 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 9, 2010

Today's headlines highlight a government study that finds the new health law won't fuel significant increases in spending.

9 Sep 2010

JHN launches network to advance neuroscience care

Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN) is launching the Jefferson Neuroscience Network (JNN) to promote collaboration among area hospitals to advance neuroscience care throughout the region. Chestnut Hill Hospital is the first hospital to join JNN. Through this collaboration, Jefferson and Chestnut Hill will provide the most sophisticated care and expertise available to patients with time-sensitive neurovascular diseases.

9 Sep 2010

States continue to wrestle with federal funding issues, budget shortfalls

The Fiscal Times: "Nationally, the number of Medicaid beneficiaries has risen by 8 percent a year since 2008, and 44 states have reported that they will exceed their enrollment and spending growth projections this year, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured reported. A dozen other states, including Arizona, Utah, Wisconsin and Maryland, have experienced double-digit annual enrollment increases."

9 Sep 2010

Risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls for elderly adults are different: Study

The risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls for older adults are different, according to a new study by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, a fact that is often missed when the two are combined and may affect how falls prevention programs are structured.

8 Sep 2010

New vaccines fact sheet released by Research!America

Research!America is highlighting the vital importance of vaccines with a new fact sheet in its Investment in Research Saves Lives and Money series. CDC recently reported that routine vaccination rates are increasing among teens aged 13-17, but for many diseases the vaccination rates are far below the CDC's recommended 90% mark. With kids heading back to school and flu season fast approaching, now is a good time to remind readers of the importance of vaccines and disease prevention.

8 Sep 2010

Researchers investigate brain network to understand mind disorders

Uncovering the secrets of the brain requires an intense network of collaborative research. Building on a tool that was co-developed in his laboratory and described in a recent issue of Brain, Dr. Yaniv Assaf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology is collaborating with an international team of scientists to understand how different parts of the human brain "connect" and to turn this information into a "brain atlas."

8 Sep 2010

San Antonio podiatrist offers new MLS Therapy for pain management

Dr. Ed Davis, a podiatrist with offices in San Antonio, TX and Live Oak, TX, announces the immediate offering of a new form of laser therapy to patients in the San Antonio area. The addition is part of Dr. Davis' continued investment in advanced technologies and progressive procedures.

8 Sep 2010

OpEds: Health costs and new law; Penn. doctor supply; Anesthesiologists vs. nurses

Some sort of Medicare-for-all program remains the only equitable way that every American can be provided with adequate and affordable coverage. This wouldn't be socialized medicine and it wouldn't be state-run healthcare (David Lazarus, 9/7).

7 Sep 2010

KHN column: Social Security's Disabled Adult Child program: A key program often below the radar

In this Kaiser Health News column, Harold Pollack writes: "Intellectual disability is often accompanied by costly illnesses and social service needs.

7 Sep 2010

IBM announces computing projects to produce clean, safe water

IBM's World Community Grid, a worldwide network of PC owners helping scientists solve humanitarian challenges, today announced several computing projects aimed at developing techniques to produce cleaner and safer water, an increasingly scarce commodity eluding at least 1.2 billion people worldwide.

7 Sep 2010

New VA regulation helps to get recognition, treatment for three disorders in Agent Orange exposure

A new VA regulation adding three health conditions to the list of those presumed to have been caused by exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War was published this week. Pending a 60-day congressional review, the regulation will make some 200,000 veterans eligible for VA benefits over the next year and a half.

4 Sep 2010

TNS therapy improves depression: Study

Major depression is a common and disabling brain condition marked not only by the presence of depressed mood but also by its effects on sleep, energy, decision-making, memory and thoughts of death or of suicide.

3 Sep 2010

Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation provides update on trauma centers

Effective September 4, 2010 there will be 30 accredited trauma centers in Pennsylvania:

3 Sep 2010

Research Roundup: Heart disease and disability; Medicaid and health reform, mental illness

Urban Institute/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The Health Status Of New Medicaid Enrollees Under Health Reform - Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, authors of this paper found "strong evidence that those who will enroll [in Medicaid after 2014] are likely to be healthier than nondisabled adults currently enrolled in Medicaid ... There is, however, a high likelihood of adverse selection - the least healthy and older among the new eligibles will be more likely to enroll.

3 Sep 2010