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HCSC offers CareProfile tool to assist physicians, healthcare facilities identify health risks

Health Care Service Corporation is offering physicians and healthcare facilities access to a new tool that will assist them in identifying health risks for 9 million patients across the country. The CareProfile® is an electronic health record (EHR) created with the collaborative input of MEDecision, Availity and HCSC’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

16 Mar 2010

HealthyKidsMN.org Web site launched

The Minnesota Coalition for Kids Health Coverage today announced the launch of HealthyKidsMN.org, a statewide resource that aims to connect families with uninsured children to non-profit agencies that can assist them with eligibility requirements and enrollment into state-sponsored health care coverage options.

16 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 16, 2010

In today's headlines, ongoing efforts by President Obama and Democratic leaders to press and persuade wavering votes in support of health reform take center stage.

16 Mar 2010

Toshiba displays new, advanced ultrasound systems at ACC annual meeting

Health care facilities use ultrasound as a first-line diagnostic exam to quickly and efficiently perform a range of patient exams, including cardiac imaging. Developed to meet these demanding clinical needs, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. will showcase the advanced cardiac capabilities of its AplioTM MX and Aplio ArtidaTM ultrasound systems at this year’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Atlanta, March 14-16, 2010 (Booth #1944). This is the first appearance of the Aplio MX at ACC.

16 Mar 2010

Keynote speakers to discuss regenerative medicine therapies at upcoming forum

What regenerative medicine therapies are being applied to patients today? What hurdles stand between stem cell therapies and real treatments in the clinic? Keynote speakers at the upcoming inaugural Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum will discuss these topics as well as provide an update on various national and regional stem cell initiatives.

16 Mar 2010

National childhood varicella vaccination program reduces chickenpox hospitalization rates

Since the varicella vaccine was introduced in the mid-1990s, the number of patients receiving medical care for chickenpox in the United States has decreased sharply—particularly among children, according to a study in the March issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

16 Mar 2010

COSE statement on health care reform

While a popular target, beating up on health insurance companies will do little to provide changes in insurance costs. Insurance profits and overhead are just a small part of the insurance bill. It's the underlying medical services, technology, tests and drugs that drive cost.

16 Mar 2010

Vitamin D supplements might do more harm than good for African-American patients

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "go-to" remedy for treating a wide range of illnesses, from osteoporosis to atherosclerosis. However, new evidence from a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study suggests that supplementing vitamin D in those with low levels may have different effects based on patient race and, in black individuals, the supplement could actually do harm.

16 Mar 2010

CMAJ: As there is job retirement plan, there should be driving retirement plan

Public safety should win against personal choice especially when it comes to elderly seniors who shouldn't drive, states an editorial in CMAJ

16 Mar 2010

Obesity limits body's ability to fight infections

Obesity may limit the body's ability to develop immunity to influenza viruses, particularly secondary infections, by inhibiting the immune system's ability to "remember" how it fought off previous similar bouts of illness, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

16 Mar 2010

Studies demonstrate over-utilization of re-hospital emergency care

When people call for an ambulance, the personnel are expected to make a reasonable assessment of need within a few seconds. These assessments sometimes overestimate and sometimes underestimate the acute medical needs. Lena Marie Beillon in her thesis "To assess medical needs - a clinical dilemma" at the Nordic School of Public Health clearly demonstrates over-utilization of re-hospital emergency care.

16 Mar 2010

APHA urges Congress to finalize health reform legislation

"The American Public Health Association supports Congress as it seeks to finalize comprehensive health reform legislation this week. The measure before Congress and the plans to strengthen it represent the greatest opportunity our nation has had to improve our health system and strengthen public health. We cannot squander this moment.

16 Mar 2010

HHS announces awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health IT

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health information technology (health IT). Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, today’s awards are part of the $2 billion effort to achieve widespread meaningful use of health IT and provide use of an electronic health record by every citizen by the year 2014.

16 Mar 2010

Unani.ca consumer-minded PEHR now available in Canadian marketplace

The McGill University Health Centre announced today that anyone with an Internet access and a desire to manage his or her health and well-being can now subscribe to Unani.ca. Co-developed with Quebec-owned Medical.MD, Unani.ca is the first consumer-minded personal electronic health record (PEHR) in the Canadian marketplace that combines the expertise of a world-class academic health centre with that of award-winning information-technology developers.

16 Mar 2010

Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program announced the award today of a four-year, $10.3 million grant to the State of Indiana to further enhance the quality and reach of the state's existing health information technology delivery system to improve health outcomes for Hoosiers and reduce costs across the continuum of health care.

16 Mar 2010

UMass Memorial Health Care implements Picis CareSuite perioperative and anesthesia solutions

Picis today announced that UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest healthcare system in Central and Western Massachusetts, has selected Picis CareSuite® perioperative and anesthesia solutions for more than 60 operating rooms in its five hospitals. UMass Memorial chose Picis integrated technology to deliver clinical documentation and financial information more quickly and accurately across the UMass Memorial Health Care system, thereby promoting quality patient care.

16 Mar 2010

Alliance members advocate passage of Alcohol-Related Services Act

A diverse, statewide network of concerned individuals, treatment and prevention service providers, cities, counties, public health departments, enforcement, labor, youth and faith-based groups determined to pass a fair and meaningful alcohol-harm mitigation fee in California.

16 Mar 2010

Opinions: Discrimination against sexual orientation; WFP in Somalia; Haiti's recovery; WHO's policy role

In a Washington Post opinion piece, Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, speaks out against efforts to deny individuals "their fundamental rights and freedoms" based on their sexual orientation.

16 Mar 2010

Researchers study health gap between people of high and low SES in China

Studies in the United States have long shown that rich people tend to be healthier than poor people, and that this "health gap" between the haves and have-nots gets worse as people get older. But is that because the U.S. is a capitalist society? Apparently not. A new study from North Carolina State University shows that the same is true in China.

16 Mar 2010

Milwaukee community healthcare centers awarded $1M to increase access to primary care

The GE Foundation–the philanthropic organization of GE– and the GE Corporate Diversity Council today announced the award of $1 million in total to four Milwaukee community healthcare centers toward the goal of increasing access to primary care for uninsured and underserved populations across the city.

16 Mar 2010

Health Care News and Research

HCSC offers CareProfile tool to assist physicians, healthcare facilities identify health risks

HealthyKidsMN.org Web site launched

First Edition: March 16, 2010

Toshiba displays new, advanced ultrasound systems at ACC annual meeting

Keynote speakers to discuss regenerative medicine therapies at upcoming forum

National childhood varicella vaccination program reduces chickenpox hospitalization rates

COSE statement on health care reform

Vitamin D supplements might do more harm than good for African-American patients

CMAJ: As there is job retirement plan, there should be driving retirement plan

Obesity limits body's ability to fight infections

Studies demonstrate over-utilization of re-hospital emergency care

APHA urges Congress to finalize health reform legislation

HHS announces awards to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health IT

Unani.ca consumer-minded PEHR now available in Canadian marketplace

Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

UMass Memorial Health Care implements Picis CareSuite perioperative and anesthesia solutions

Alliance members advocate passage of Alcohol-Related Services Act

Opinions: Discrimination against sexual orientation; WFP in Somalia; Haiti's recovery; WHO's policy role

Researchers study health gap between people of high and low SES in China

Milwaukee community healthcare centers awarded $1M to increase access to primary care

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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