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N.Y. tries to get more patients in clinical drug trials; Atlanta hospitals create partnerships

In New York, state medical centers and drug makers have begun an effort to address a problem associated with clinical drug trials: "getting patients to sign up. More than 3,000 clinical trials are actively recruiting in New York state, and an additional 8,000 trials involving New York are already running or were recently completed, according to the government clinical trials registry. Patient recruitment is one of the top reasons that clinical trials are delayed or fail, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.

19 Jun 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

The U.N.'s plan to improve maternal health is lacking "the one element that will make it work. Human rights," according to blog post on Huffington Post. "Medical causes of maternal death - hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertension, unsafe abortion, HIV and AIDS - are inextricably linked to human rights. Each one of these instances can be prevented or treated by simply respecting women's human rights in health policies and delivery of services, and addressing systemic gender inequality."

19 Jun 2010

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

If increased federal support for Medicaid isn't extended, states will have to fill budget holes next year that many legislatures have not anticipated.

19 Jun 2010

Hospitals work to reduce wait times, readmission rates

The Baltimore Sun writes about hospitals working to reduce emergency room wait times and then advertising the results. "St. Joseph Medical Center [in Towson, Md.] posts the anticipated wait time on its website. Harbor Hospital in South Baltimore has put up billboards and handed out brochures door-to-door to tell residents about its 'quick' emergency room experience.

19 Jun 2010

Equatorial Guinea strengthens health facilities to boost access to reproductive health services

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial, along with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is working to strengthen and equip health facilities throughout the country to boost access to reproductive health services. The rebuilding process includes the construction and renovation of health centers and maternity units as well as proper training for medical students.

19 Jun 2010

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

President Obama will order federal agencies Friday to establish a national 'do not pay list' to prevent the government from paying benefits, contracts, grants and loans to ineligible people or organizations, according to senior administration officials. The moves are part of a series to cut government waste and fraud and come amid calls for more fiscal restraint from Republicans and moderate Democrats.

19 Jun 2010

BFAR subsidiary signs agreement to acquire ZHRK

BioPharm Asia, Inc., a producer, distributor and retailer of medical products in China, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, China Northern Pharmacy Holding Group Limited, has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Beijing Zhihe Ruikang Hospital Management Ltd., a professional Chinese hospital management consultation group, for a consideration of RMB2,400,000 (approximately $350,000).

19 Jun 2010

Health care issues major factors in Utah, Florida races

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, is facing an angry progressive base as he pushes for re-election after his "no" vote on health reform legislation, Politico reports. "The pushback against Matheson took its fullest expression in early May, when a restless Democratic base delivered the lawmaker a surprisingly narrow 55 percent to 45 percent victory at this spring's party convention — an unimpressive result for an incumbent that fell short of the 60 percent necessary to avoid a primary for the nomination."

19 Jun 2010

Friday Opinions: Uwe Reinhardt, Reps. Ron Paul and John Sarbanes, Minnesota nurses' strike

Alas, the penalties baked into the bill for disregarding the mandate, though not trivial, are low enough that many younger and healthier individuals are likely to find paying the penalty cheaper than owning up to the mandate. If that happens in significant numbers, as well it might, the premiums that private insurers will have to charge for the mandated coverage in the small-group market will be driven correspondingly higher (Uwe Reinhardt, 6/18).

19 Jun 2010

Lawmakers want crackdown on drug agreements that keep generics out

Democrats are looking at proposals to crack down on licensing agreements between drug companies that keep generic drugs out of the market, Politico reports. In the agreements, pharmaceutical companies pay generic manufacturers to "delay introduction of generic drugs, which are often cheaper than brand-name drugs.

18 Jun 2010

Walgreens reaches agreement with CVS Caremark on participation in PBM national retail network

CVS Caremark Corporation and Walgreens today announced that the companies have reached an agreement on terms under which Walgreens will continue participating in the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) national retail network for existing, new or renewal plans. The companies are not disclosing the financial terms of the new contract.

18 Jun 2010

PCPCC welcomes Obama's announcement to promote primary care workforce training

The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative welcomed the announcement today by the Obama administration that some $250 million in new funding will be put towards funding of primary care workforce training.

18 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 18, 2010

The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement [Thursday] evening on a six-month Medicare "doc fix" that could open the way for the tax extenders bill to pass as early as Friday, a source tells The Hill. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope to pass the tax extenders bill by unanimous consent (The Hill's Healthwatch Blog).

18 Jun 2010

Model Formulary for Children provides information on how to use over 240 essential medicines

The first ever WHO Model Formulary for Children released by the WHO provides information on how to use over 240 essential medicines for treating illness and disease in children from 0 to 12 years of age. This means that for the first time medical practitioners worldwide have access to standardized information on the recommended use, dosage, adverse effects, and contraindications of these medicines for use in children.

18 Jun 2010

WTA report card: Many Canadian patients still face long waits for needed medical care

A Wait Time Alliance report card released today reveals troubling wait time hot spots in the five clinical areas deemed priorities by governments and more problems across a broader range of medical care.

18 Jun 2010

UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

The Hospitals and Health Centers unit of the University of Michigan Health System will finish its fiscal year in strong financial shape, with a positive operating margin nearly twice the size predicted a year ago.

18 Jun 2010

Offering support to partners of newly diagnosed RA patients

Partners of patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis are equally emotionally affected by the diagnosis and go through the same grieving process as the patients themselves, according to the results of a study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.

18 Jun 2010

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, visited the Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center (NTBLTC) to tour a multimillion dollar laboratory complex established by the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria. This U.S.-Nigeria partnership was established in 2004 through funding from the CDC and the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

18 Jun 2010

NAN warns health care practitioners about dangers posed by EPHINEPHrine shortage

A National Alert for Serious Medication Errors was issued yesterday by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, warning health care practitioners about dangerous medication errors that could be caused by a shortage of EPINEPHrine pre-filled syringes.

18 Jun 2010

ACP supports announcements of $250M in investments to expand primary care workforce

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today said it supports the announcements of $250 million in investments to expand the primary care workforce by President Obama and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

18 Jun 2010

Health Care News and Research

N.Y. tries to get more patients in clinical drug trials; Atlanta hospitals create partnerships

Recent releases in Global Health

Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

Hospitals work to reduce wait times, readmission rates

Equatorial Guinea strengthens health facilities to boost access to reproductive health services

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

BFAR subsidiary signs agreement to acquire ZHRK

Health care issues major factors in Utah, Florida races

Friday Opinions: Uwe Reinhardt, Reps. Ron Paul and John Sarbanes, Minnesota nurses' strike

Lawmakers want crackdown on drug agreements that keep generics out

Walgreens reaches agreement with CVS Caremark on participation in PBM national retail network

PCPCC welcomes Obama's announcement to promote primary care workforce training

First Edition: June 18, 2010

Model Formulary for Children provides information on how to use over 240 essential medicines

WTA report card: Many Canadian patients still face long waits for needed medical care

UMHHC expects to achieve 3.3% operating margin on revenues of $2.0 billion in fiscal year 2010

Offering support to partners of newly diagnosed RA patients

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

NAN warns health care practitioners about dangers posed by EPHINEPHrine shortage

ACP supports announcements of $250M in investments to expand primary care workforce

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

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