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First Edition: February 24, 2010

Today's headlines focus on the run-up to tomorrow's White House health summit as well as the latest from Capitol Hill regarding the outlook for health reform.

24 Feb 2010

Asparity Decision Solutions reports 50,000 federal employees become better health care consumers

Asparity Decision Solutions, a leading provider of decision support and data solutions in health care and employee benefits, reports that 50,000 federal employees used PlanSmartChoice during the 2010 federal open season to become better health care consumers.

24 Feb 2010

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) confirmed that 3.5 to 5.3 million people (1-2 % of the U.S. population) have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Despite efforts by federal, state and local government agencies to control and prevent these diseases, they remain a serious public health concern. The major factor impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV is lack of knowledge and awareness among health care providers, social service professionals, members of the public, and policy-makers.

24 Feb 2010

Recent health-care figures point to the need for strategy: Keep more mid-career nurses in profession

Recent health-care figures point to the need for a strategy that will keep more mid-career nurses in the profession. According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario statistics compiled by the College of Nurses of Ontario and the Canadian Institute for Health Information show a dramatic decrease in the share of nurses aged 35-49.

24 Feb 2010

New report identifies enormous global impact of preterm birth and stillbirth

A new report issued today identifies the enormous global impact of preterm birth and stillbirth-and what can be done to decrease it. Globally, an estimated 13 million babies are born preterm each year. Newborn deaths now account for more than 42 percent of mortality in children under the age of five, a rise from 37 percent in the year 2000.

24 Feb 2010

Fresenius Medical Care fourth-quarter net revenue up 12%

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, the world’s largest provider of dialysis products and services, today announced its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2009.

24 Feb 2010

Consumer Watchdog calls for public release of Blue Cross premium hike investigation documents

Consumer Watchdog today condemned Blue Cross's transfer of $2.8 billion to its parent company since 2007, including approximately $719.5 million in 2009 alone, as a way of hiding its true financial condition from regulators scrutinizing steep rate hikes. Consumer Watchdog said Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner should seize on the transfers to invalidate recent premium hikes and should make Blue Cross documents available for public scrutiny.

24 Feb 2010

Different rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in different countries: Study

A study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics provides new insights in the different rates of post-traumatic stress disorder that are found in studies performed in different countries.

24 Feb 2010

Health care reform legislation: Americans still split, but several provisions find wide support

The latest Kaiser Tracking Poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, with 43 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed. However, the poll also finds that majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements.

24 Feb 2010

Multidisciplinary care teams can also reduce risk of dying in ICUs of hospitals without intensivists

The severe shortage of specially-trained intensivist physicians has hospital intensive care units (ICUs) nationwide struggling to staff units with critical care teams led by intensivists, even though the presence of these specially trained physicians reduces the risk of death for patients in the ICU. A new Penn Medicine report found that replacing intensivist-led teams with multidisciplinary care teams can also reduce the risk of dying in intensive care units. The study appears in the February 22 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Feb 2010

Pelosi holds news conference to discuss the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Peter DeFazio, and Wendell Potter, senior fellow on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy and a former insurance industry executive, held a news conference this afternoon in the Capitol to discuss the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act that will end the unfair anti-trust protection for the health insurance industry.

24 Feb 2010

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

A study by USC researcher Vivian Wu finds that despite the increasing clout of HMOs in the 1990s, hospitals maintained a dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions.

24 Feb 2010

Research study to develop new model of health care delivery for patients

GE Healthcare, Intel Corporation and Mayo Clinic are investigating a new model of health care delivery for patients at increased risk of rehospitalization that is designed to meet patients' needs where they are, including in their homes.

24 Feb 2010

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Sentry BioPharma Services announced today that The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) selected Sentry to store and distribute influenza vaccine in support of its national strategic reserve. Sentry will warehouse and distribute vaccine from its cGMP, FDA-registered facility located in Indianapolis, Ind. Sentry's vast experience storing and transporting regulated, temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products will ensure product integrity, supply chain security and fast, efficient distribution of the disease-preventing vaccines.

24 Feb 2010

Physicians’ average weekly hours decreased by 7% over the last decade

After remaining stable for 2 decades, the average hours worked per week by physicians decreased by about 7 percent between 1996 and 2008, according to a study in the February 24 issue of JAMA.

24 Feb 2010

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

The House Subcommittee for the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia heard testimony today on HR 4489, the “FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act.” The proposed bill would reform many aspects of how the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide prescription drug benefits to federal workers.

24 Feb 2010

USPSTF-recommended guidelines lead to decline in mammograms and early detection programs for women under 50

In some states women ages 40 to 49 have less access to mammograms since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its recommendations to change breast cancer screening guidelines last November, according to a recent survey conducted by the Avon Foundation for Women. The USPSTF recommended changing the current mammography screening guidelines for average risk women to begin biennial screening at age 50 instead of annual mammograms starting at age 40.

24 Feb 2010

PAREXEL International expands capabilities by opening new early phase unit in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that it has expanded its capabilities through the opening of a new early phase unit in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

From Parexel 24 Feb 2010

UK pharmacists overwhelmingly prefer dispensing preservative-free drugs

MeadWestvaco Corp. announced today results from an online survey of 100 pharmacists in the UK regarding their preference for dispensing preservative-free nasal medications. The survey showed that 67 percent of UK pharmacists have a preference for dispensing a preservative-free drug. This percentage increased significantly to 84 percent after the benefits of preservative-free drugs were reviewed with these pharmacists.

24 Feb 2010

Combination therapies effective for treating depression

Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep.

24 Feb 2010

Health Care News and Research

First Edition: February 24, 2010

Asparity Decision Solutions reports 50,000 federal employees become better health care consumers

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

Recent health-care figures point to the need for strategy: Keep more mid-career nurses in profession

New report identifies enormous global impact of preterm birth and stillbirth

Fresenius Medical Care fourth-quarter net revenue up 12%

Consumer Watchdog calls for public release of Blue Cross premium hike investigation documents

Different rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in different countries: Study

Health care reform legislation: Americans still split, but several provisions find wide support

Multidisciplinary care teams can also reduce risk of dying in ICUs of hospitals without intensivists

Pelosi holds news conference to discuss the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act

Hospitals maintain dominant position in determining health care pricing decisions: Study

Research study to develop new model of health care delivery for patients

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Physicians’ average weekly hours decreased by 7% over the last decade

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

USPSTF-recommended guidelines lead to decline in mammograms and early detection programs for women under 50

PAREXEL International expands capabilities by opening new early phase unit in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

UK pharmacists overwhelmingly prefer dispensing preservative-free drugs

Combination therapies effective for treating depression

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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