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Surgical care improvement measures associated with lower probability of postoperative infection: JAMA

An analysis of data on adherence to surgical care improvement measures finds that when analyzed as a composite infection-prevention score, the improvement measures were associated with a lower probability of postoperative infection. However, adherence to individual measures - the format of publicly reported performance data - was not associated with a significantly lower risk of infection, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.

25 Jun 2010

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

A judge approved a $712 million health settlement for thousands of emergency workers who responded after the Sept. 11 attack, in spite of objections from some who complained that the deal was unfair. Some workers who say they got sick working at the Ground Zero site argued Wednesday that the settlement shortchanged those suffering from certain types of diseases. One of the key factors in how much workers get paid under the settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, depends on the type of disease the person contracted.

25 Jun 2010

Saint Francis Hospital achieves Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services

Saint Francis Hospital has achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credential Center's Magnet Recognition Program. The unanimous decision was based on Saint Francis Hospital's adherence to strict guidelines and criteria for nursing professionalism, quality patient care and teamwork. Only 6 percent of hospitals across the United States currently have the Magnet designation.

25 Jun 2010

Consumer-grade camera detects cancer cells in real time

Using an off-the-shelf digital camera, Rice University biomedical engineers and researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have created an inexpensive device that is powerful enough to let doctors easily distinguish cancerous cells from healthy cells simply by viewing the LCD monitor on the back of the camera.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 25 Jun 2010

Governors, state attorneys general seek to counter lawsuit against health law

"Gov. Chris Gregoire is joining three fellow Democratic governors in asking a federal judge to consider their opposition to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the nation's new health-care law," The Seattle Times reports.

25 Jun 2010

KCI announces agreement to renew existing single-source contracts with KCI's TSS business

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. today announced an agreement with Novation, one of the health care industry's largest supply contracting companies, to renew its existing single-source contracts with KCI's Therapeutic Support Systems business through the end of 2013. Through Novation, KCI provides access to its innovative hospital beds, mattress replacement systems, overlays and bariatric products to more than 30,500 health care institutions across the U.S.

25 Jun 2010

Few insurers control chunk of Medicare Advantage market, report finds

A small number of insurers controls a big chunk of the market for Medicare Advantage health plans, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation report. [KHN is a project of the Kaiser Family Foundation.] The nonprofit foundation said three or fewer companies dominate the market in every state except New York for the plans, which are privately run versions of the government's Medicare program.

25 Jun 2010

Electronic medical records a national priority, but adoption lags

When optometrist Meera Sutaria opened up shop last year in Brambleton, Va., she had an electronic medical record in place, setting her at the "forefront of a national agenda to better utilize information technology in the health care industry," The Washington Post reports.

25 Jun 2010

Efforts to make medicine cheaper, more efficient underway

One of Minnesota's largest providers of supportive housing for seniors will begin testing telemedicine and sensor technology to help frail seniors stay healthier and delay institutional care under an $8 million grant announced Wednesday. It will be the largest project of its kind in the nation, involving about 1,600 clients in 40 rural cities.

25 Jun 2010

Automated calls can increase colon cancer screening rates by 30%: Study

Simple, automated telephone reminders can increase colon cancer screening rates by 30 percent, according to a Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study funded by the National Cancer Institute that appears in the July print edition of Medical Care.

25 Jun 2010

Abbott's new FreeStyle test strips receive FDA clearance

Following the recent clearance of its FreeStyle Lite® blood glucose test strips, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced that it has also received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new FreeStyle blood glucose test strips.

25 Jun 2010

Latino population less likely to receive basic preventive tests, says study

"Prevention" is the new buzzword for health professionals and the new emphasis for containing future health care costs. Yet Latinos, who currently represent about 15 percent of the U.S. population, have the lowest level of preventive care of all racial and ethnic groups in the nation.

25 Jun 2010

KHN column: About those presidential promises

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, James Capretta writes: "Over the past three years, President Barack Obama made many promises to the American people about his health care plan.

25 Jun 2010

Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

“The six-month Medicare patch Congress passed today is a very temporary reprieve for seniors and baby boomers who rely on the promise of Medicare. Delaying the problem is not a solution. It doesn’t solve the Medicare mess Congress has created with a long series of short-term Medicare patches over the last decade – including four to avert the 2010 cut alone.

24 Jun 2010

St. Luke's joins Dr. John Goss in celebration of his 1,000th liver transplantation procedure

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (St. Luke's) joins John Goss, M.D., in celebrating his milestone as he recently performed his 1,000th liver transplantation procedure. The largest liver transplant program in Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical Center, St. Luke's performs approximately 75 liver transplants annually. Additionally, St. Luke's liver transplant survival rate is the highest in the nation, with a one-year adult patient survival rate of 96.5 percent compared to the national expected survival rate of 89.38 percent.

24 Jun 2010

Association for Nutrition to be launched at The Royal Society in London

The launch of Association for Nutrition will take place today at The Royal Society in London. AfN is the professional body for the regulation and registration of nutritionists, embracing those involved in public health, care, food, exercise, policy and those who work with animals. One of the Association's responsibilities is running the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists.

24 Jun 2010

MHQP survey assesses patients' experiences with primary care since health reform law implementation

A report released today by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners provides the first comprehensive assessment of how patients rate their experiences with primary care since the state's groundbreaking health reform law was implemented.

24 Jun 2010

People with certain chitinase gene variants at increased risk of severe asthma attacks

Exposure to high levels of fungus may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks among people with certain chitinase gene variants, according to a study from Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

24 Jun 2010

Medica, HealthInsight partner to deliver value-based benefit program to commercial customers

Today, Medica, a leading health care insurance provider headquartered in Minneapolis, and HealthInsight, provider of the leading value-based healthcare incentive platform, announced that they have partnered to deliver a next generation value-based benefit program to Medica's commercial customers.

24 Jun 2010

Hoag Hospital launches IORT program for breast cancer treatment

Hoag Hospital announced the launch of its Intraoperative Radiation Therapy program as part of its progressive, comprehensive approach to breast cancer treatment. IORT is a radiation therapy technique in which a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancerous tumor site during surgery after the tumor is removed. Hoag Hospital is the first in Orange County to offer IORT brachytherapy for breast cancer as a component of a definitive treatment approach.

24 Jun 2010

Health Care News and Research

Surgical care improvement measures associated with lower probability of postoperative infection: JAMA

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

Saint Francis Hospital achieves Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services

Consumer-grade camera detects cancer cells in real time

Governors, state attorneys general seek to counter lawsuit against health law

KCI announces agreement to renew existing single-source contracts with KCI's TSS business

Few insurers control chunk of Medicare Advantage market, report finds

Electronic medical records a national priority, but adoption lags

Efforts to make medicine cheaper, more efficient underway

Automated calls can increase colon cancer screening rates by 30%: Study

Abbott's new FreeStyle test strips receive FDA clearance

Latino population less likely to receive basic preventive tests, says study

KHN column: About those presidential promises

Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

St. Luke's joins Dr. John Goss in celebration of his 1,000th liver transplantation procedure

Association for Nutrition to be launched at The Royal Society in London

MHQP survey assesses patients' experiences with primary care since health reform law implementation

People with certain chitinase gene variants at increased risk of severe asthma attacks

Medica, HealthInsight partner to deliver value-based benefit program to commercial customers

Hoag Hospital launches IORT program for breast cancer treatment

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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