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HIGPA issues statement on adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures

Curtis Rooney, President of the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association, today issued the following statement on the adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures by the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative. The new initiatives were developed earlier this year with input from leading ethicists and Congressional staff at the fifth annual HGPII Best Practices Forum in Washington, D.C., and officially adopted this week.

9 Jul 2010

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

In an effort to accelerate the control of malaria and help eliminate it worldwide, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced approximately $14 million in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers around the world.

9 Jul 2010

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease prefer dopamine agonists, shows review

Of the three main types of oral drugs commonly added to levodopa therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, one might be the most effective, according to a new review.

9 Jul 2010

Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores wins Gold Quill Award of Merit

The Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences won a Gold Quill Award of Merit in the category of Brand Communication from the International Association of Business Communicators for the organization's rebranding project, A New Brand for a New Era.

9 Jul 2010

Cigarette smoking declines slowly among high school students: CDC survey

The latest survey of high school smoking rates, released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that the nation continues to make gradual progress in reducing youth smoking, but declines have slowed significantly since 2003 and nearly one in five high school students still smoke.

9 Jul 2010

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas named Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is the first hospital in Texas — and one of only three in the United States — to be named a Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery by the American Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

9 Jul 2010

Calif., R.I., move to strengthen review of health insurance rates; Ind. weighs changes in state employee health plans

The Los Angeles Times' Blog: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved Wednesday to implement a major element of the new national healthcare overhaul, seeking a $1-million federal grant to strengthen the state's review of health insurance rates. Much of the money would pay for actuaries to evaluate premium hikes sought by insurers.

9 Jul 2010

Hormonal contraceptives are less effective for birth control in overweight or obese women: Study

As obesity continues to be a worldwide health risk, one of its "side effects" could include less effective birth control for overweight and obese women who use hormonal contraceptives.

9 Jul 2010

MU researchers refine EHR technology to efficiently meet increasing health care demands

In 20 years, approximately 72 million older adults will reside in the United States, almost double the current number, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. Potential issues are compounded by the projected shortage of health care workers needed to provide elder care. As part of the solution, an interdisciplinary team of University of Missouri researchers is refining electronic health record (EHR) technology to more efficiently meet increasing health care demands.

9 Jul 2010

Blue Foundation approves grants to help uninsured Floridians access health care

According to a new report released by the Center for Disease Control, Florida ranks second in the United States for its high percentage of uninsured residents. More than 19 percent, or 3.5 million people, lacked insurance last year.

9 Jul 2010

IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

Independence Blue Cross now offers its members more personalized online information about their health – as the amazon.com experience is to the savvy shopper, the ibxpress.com experience is to the smart health care consumer. Personal health information began to flow into members' electronic health records this month – available through ibxpress.com, the company's member website.

9 Jul 2010

Accudial's weight-based rotating labels prevent underdosing and overdosing in children's OTC medications

There is plenty to worry about when it comes to the job of parenting. However, wondering if a child is receiving the correct amount of over-the-counter (OTC) medication can now be a concern of the past, thanks to Children's AccuDial(R), a patented new line of children's medication available across Canada, with a dosing system based on body weight, not age.

9 Jul 2010

Que She herbal weight loss supplement contains harmful ingredients, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned that Que She, marketed as an herbal weight loss supplement, contains active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on the product label that could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

9 Jul 2010

Woman sues California Blue Shield for alleged safety-net insurance overcharges

Los Angeles Times: A Los Angeles woman is suing Blue Shield of California for allegedly overcharging policyholders for safety-net insurance for the jobless or sick. "Amalia Lample said in her lawsuit that Blue Shield, the state's second-largest not-for-profit insurer, knowingly exceeded maximum insurance rates set by the state and falsely reported to regulators that the charges stayed within official guidelines.

9 Jul 2010

Medicare agency releases data on hospital performance

MedPage Today: "The public can now review data on the quality of outpatient care provided by individual hospitals at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare website. The site previously contained only data on inpatient care quality. All the data are derived from records of Medicare patients treated at more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide."

9 Jul 2010

Qualaquin for treatment of night time leg cramps leads to serious side effects, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned that the unapproved use of the malaria drug Qualaquin (quinine sulfate) to treat night time leg cramps has resulted in serious side effects and prompted the manufacturer to develop a risk management plan aimed at educating health care professionals and patients about the potential risks.

9 Jul 2010

Officials look to stop 'medicalization' to stem health care costs

The Florida Times-Union: Stopping the "medicalization" of good health is being targeted again by economists and policymakers as a way to stem health care costs. "If Americans would stop thinking of certain problems in a medical context, experts argue, it might chip away at the more than $2 trillion the nation spends annually on health care.

9 Jul 2010

Health Care REIT reports $292.9M of gross investments during second-quarter 2010

Health Care REIT, Inc. announced today that it completed $292.9 million of gross investments during the second quarter of 2010. During the quarter, the company had dispositions of $14.6 million, resulting in net new investments of $278.3 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the company completed $877.6 million of gross investments, offset by $47.5 million of asset sales and loan payoffs, which generated $830.1 million of net new investments.

9 Jul 2010

Lawmakers, pundits offer mixed reaction to Berwick appointment

Politicians and pundits are reacting to President Barack Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to run Medicare and Medicaid, with some saying such an appointment bypasses an important process while others praise the move.

9 Jul 2010

Experts to Medicare: Don't make the same pilot errors twice

The New York Times: Congress created the new $1 billion-a-year Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to experiment with new — and possibly better or more efficient — ways to pay for and deliver health care as part of the overhaul law. But, the Center's efforts won't be Medicare's first attempts at innovation.

9 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

HIGPA issues statement on adoption of aggressive new healthcare transparency and oversight measures

NIAID announces $14M in first-year funding to establish 10 new malaria research centers

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease prefer dopamine agonists, shows review

Communications and Public Affairs team at Ontario Shores wins Gold Quill Award of Merit

Cigarette smoking declines slowly among high school students: CDC survey

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas named Center of Excellence for gynecological surgery

Calif., R.I., move to strengthen review of health insurance rates; Ind. weighs changes in state employee health plans

Hormonal contraceptives are less effective for birth control in overweight or obese women: Study

MU researchers refine EHR technology to efficiently meet increasing health care demands

Blue Foundation approves grants to help uninsured Floridians access health care

IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

Accudial's weight-based rotating labels prevent underdosing and overdosing in children's OTC medications

Que She herbal weight loss supplement contains harmful ingredients, FDA warns

Woman sues California Blue Shield for alleged safety-net insurance overcharges

Medicare agency releases data on hospital performance

Qualaquin for treatment of night time leg cramps leads to serious side effects, FDA warns

Officials look to stop 'medicalization' to stem health care costs

Health Care REIT reports $292.9M of gross investments during second-quarter 2010

Lawmakers, pundits offer mixed reaction to Berwick appointment

Experts to Medicare: Don't make the same pilot errors twice

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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