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Disparities in cardiovascular disease risk linked to socioeconomic differences between races: Study

A new UCLA study suggests that disparities in cardiovascular disease risk in the United States are due less to race or ethnicity than to socioeconomic status.

2 Aug 2010

Company creates cottages for aging, disabled relatives; Report examines rising costs for elderly health care

"On Monday, N2Care, a company formed by a Methodist minister in Salem, Va., showed off its first MedCottage, a 12-by-24-foot prototype filled with biometric technology that would allow a family and health-care providers to monitor the condition of an aging or disabled relative. … [T]he Virginia General Assembly this year passed legislation, HB1307, that supersedes local zoning laws and allows families to install such a dwelling on their property with a doctor's order."

21 Jul 2010

Responding to access-to-care challenges: Ideas from a rural doctor, a Washington, D.C. hospital

Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press reports on the struggles rural physicians face in providing care by focusing on Dr. Lloyd "Pat" McGinnis, a family medicine and geriatrics specialist who was "one of only five doctors in Spencer County, a rural area of Southwestern Indiana. … Doctors throughout the country are struggling with the same issues of providing quality care to patients with limited incomes in an environment of uncertainly as major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are phased in over the next five years.

20 Jul 2010

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks first: U.S. News & World Report survey

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks as one of the top five American hospitals -- and the best hospital in the western United States for the 21st consecutive year -- according to a U.S. News & World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-

17 Jul 2010

Johns Hopkins Hospital takes top spot in annual rankings of American hospitals for 20th year in a row

Once more — and for the 20th year in a row — The Johns Hopkins Hospital has taken the top spot in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of American hospitals, placing first in five medical specialties and in the top five in 10 others.

16 Jul 2010

VCU Medical Center ranked in 2010-2011 Best Hospitals

The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center on Thursday was ranked in the 2010-2011 Best Hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report, making it one of 152 medical centers nationwide selected out of nearly 2,000 eligible institutions.

16 Jul 2010

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital ranked among America's elite healthcare institutions

In its annual survey of "America's Best Hospitals," U.S. News & World Report has ranked St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (SLEH) among the elite healthcare institutions in the nation in five major areas of care. This includes the Texas Heart® Institute (THI) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, listed in the top ten nationally in heart and heart surgery for the 20th consecutive year.

15 Jul 2010

U-M Hospitals and Health Centers ranked 14th among America's best hospitals

The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers have been ranked among the country's best hospitals, placing 14th overall for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report magazine. This year, U-M was ranked in every specialty and those rankings went up in 11 of the 16 specialties.

15 Jul 2010

Length of average Medicare-certified hospice stay in nursing home doubled: Study

Researchers at Brown University have found that the length of an average Medicare-certified hospice stay in a nursing home has doubled during the last 10 years. The study, which will appear in the August issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated hospice use in U.S. nursing homes between 1999 and 2006. It found the typical treatment time has increased from 46 to 93 days. The researchers cited a standard daily payment rate for most Medicare hospice enrollment days as an incentive for some of the longer stays.

9 Jul 2010

Racism influences African-American women's beliefs about depression care: Study

African-American women's beliefs about depression and depression care are consistently and systematically influenced by racism, according to a new study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University. The results are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

8 Jul 2010

Vitamin E may help prevent cognitive deterioration in elderly people: Study

High levels of several vitamin E components in the blood are associated with a decreased risk for Alzheimer's disease in advanced age, suggesting that vitamin E may help prevent cognitive deterioration in elderly people. This is the conclusion reached in a Swedish study published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

8 Jul 2010

ASPREE study aims to assess health benefits of aspirin

In an effort to extend the length of a disability-free life for older adults, researchers from Rush University Medical Center are partnering with colleagues from across the U.S. and Australia in the largest international trial ever sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.

7 Jul 2010

Physically-active women have lower risk of dementia in later life

Women who are physically active at any point over the life course (teenage, age 30, age 50, late life) have lower risk of cognitive impairment in late-life compared to those who are inactive, but teenage physical activity appears to be most important.

30 Jun 2010

Florida State University College of Medicine to produce set of medical orders for dying patient's care

Living wills and advance directives often don't ensure that dying patients receive the kind of medical care they want — or don't want — to receive. Now an effort being coordinated by the Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine & Law at the Florida State University College of Medicine hopes to improve communication and produce a clear set of medical orders for a dying patient's care.

24 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 21, 2010

Today's news includes an exploration of the impact of Medicare payment rates on physicians, an analysis of the fate of the COBRA subsidy and how an innovation may offer a medical malpractice fix.

21 Jun 2010

Lawyer chronicles history, evolution of advance directives

When first developed in the 1970s, advance directives focused on providing specific legal instructions, such as a patient's wishes to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatment in cases of terminal illness or incapacity. The documents helped physicians avoid legal problems associated with fulfilling the patient's wishes.

19 Jun 2010

APTA accredits Fox Rehabilitation to offer post-graduate residency training program in geriatrics

The American Physical Therapy Association has accredited Fox Rehabilitation to offer a new, post-graduate residency training program exclusively in geriatrics. Fox Rehabilitation is the only private physical therapy practice in the nation to receive this prestigious designation.

11 Jun 2010

Researcher calls stroke specialists to further knowledge and understanding of stroke

To cope with the projected growth in the incidence of strokes in Canada, the public may need to take on roles traditionally performed by healthcare specialists, according to a leading Canadian stroke researcher.

7 Jun 2010

American Cancer Society and NPCRC award $1.8M for palliative care research

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) are awarding $1.8 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers. The studies will be conducted over the next two years. Since 2007, a collaborative effort by the organizations has awarded 51 grants totaling almost $7 million.

4 Jun 2010

Top physicians offer health advice to help people survive during summer

This summer a variety of top physicians at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are offering health advice to help survive the travails that come with one of the most active seasons of the year.

3 Jun 2010