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Economist Stuart Butler: Give states maximum flexibility under health reform

In this wide-ranging interview with Kaiser Health News, the Heritage Foundation's Stuart Butler talks about the proposal to have the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have a role in expanding insurance coverage to more Americans; the increasingly heated debate over the roles of the federal government and the states in implementing any legislation: and the merits -- or demerits -- of an individual mandate.

13 Jan 2010

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

A new study provides important evidence that the use of certain potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among the elderly may increase adverse events and health care costs.

13 Jan 2010

Record-breaking 8,300 health care professionals participate in online H1N1 vaccination education program

A record-breaking 8,300 front-line health care professionals participated in an accredited, online education program about H1N1 vaccination in November 2009 alone.

13 Jan 2010

FRC to discuss how House and Senate healthcare bills violate America's guiding document

On Thursday at 11 a.m. ET, Family Research Council will host a lecture featuring Family Research Council Senior Fellow Ken Blackwell and George Mason Law Professor Nelson Lund to discuss how both House and Senate health care bills violate America's guiding document.

13 Jan 2010

ACP supports equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today was one of 118 organizations that joined to send a letter to House and Senate leaders supporting equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services.

13 Jan 2010

Send Word Now to provide emergency voice and text communication services to Unity Health System's hospitals

Send Word Now, the leading provider of emergency notification and on-demand alerting and response services, announced today that Unity Health System, a 681-bed health-care network based out of Rochester, New York, has selected Send Word Now to provide emergency voice and text communication services to its hospitals.

13 Jan 2010

Consumer Watchdog calls for affordability and accountability changes to the health reform legislation

In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today, Consumer Watchdog called for strengthened oversight of the health insurance industry and greater affordability protections for consumers in negotiations with the U.S. Senate on final health reform legislation.

13 Jan 2010

NIH, D.C. Department of Health partner to decrease the rate of new HIV infections

Officials from the National Institutes of Health and the city of Washington, D.C. today announced the new D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, a collaborative research initiative between NIH and the D.C. Department of Health designed to decrease the rate of new HIV infections in the city, improve the health of district residents living with HIV infection, and strengthen the city's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

13 Jan 2010

ACP issues position paper to guide ethical relationships among patients, physicians and caregivers

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued a position paper to guide ethical relationships among patients, physicians, and caregivers.

13 Jan 2010

Autologous stem cell transplantation may benefit breast cancer patients

Compared to conventional chemotherapy, autologous stem cell transplantation can extend "event-free survival" for breast cancer patients. Clinical trials provide proof of this for breast cancer with and without distant metastases. However, there are indications that this type of stem cell transplantation can more frequently give rise to severe complications affecting almost all organ systems. This is the conclusion of the final report of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published on 16 December 2009.

13 Jan 2010

Lawmakers face political challenges as they return to health overhaul chores

During the holiday vacation, some Democratic lawmakers appeared to waver on health reform, faced with "tepid public support" for their proposal and "mounting electoral angst for the party," Politico reports. "But through it all — and through what is expected to be multiple near-death experiences for the health care bill in coming weeks — White House and congressional leaders plan to beat back the temptation of 'no' with a hardball argument: Democrats already voted 'yes.' And it would be politically disastrous to flip-flop now" (Brown, 1/12).

13 Jan 2010

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Two new studies are suggesting relatively simple ways in which hospitals can prevent many post-surgical infections by killing bacteria the patients themselves bring in, according to Monday's New York Times.

13 Jan 2010

Health care bill not as positive for seniors as stated, says TSCL

Health care reform legislation could be worse for America’s seniors than the Administration and Congressional leaders are publicly stating, according to The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation’s largest nonpartisan seniors advocacy organizations.

13 Jan 2010

Denmark's digital health system could pave way for U.S.

The New York Times reports that "using medical devices and notebook computers, patients can see doctors without leaving home, and have the information automatically logged into electronic records."

13 Jan 2010

Coalition asks Congress to eliminate excise tax on health benefits

American Dental Association President Ron Tankersley, DDS, says the provision as written, "[I]s the opposite of health care reform. It would compel many employers to drop critical dental and other coverage to avoid the tax. It dismantles exactly the type of preventive, primary care that everyone agrees this country needs more of."

13 Jan 2010

Congress expected to shun mammography recommendations in final health bill

The Wall Street Journal: "The final health-care bill is likely to require coverage for more mammograms than the new guidelines recommend after women's groups, doctors and imaging-equipment makers stepped up pressure on lawmakers -- one of many threads of the bill negotiated behind the scenes." In November, the federally funded U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a report saying that "routine mammograms weren't necessary for women in their 40s who have normal cancer risk.

13 Jan 2010

First phase of FDA's Transparency Initiative designed to explain agency operations unveiled

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today unveiled the first phase of its Transparency Initiative which is designed to explain agency operations, how it makes decisions, and the drug approval process.

13 Jan 2010

Budget and cost issues continue to plague states

The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune News: In California, local programs will be hit hard under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to plug a $20 billion budget gap. "In-Home Supportive Services would be cut entirely. Medi-Cal would be limited and participants would be called upon to share more of the costs"

13 Jan 2010

Pediatric specialists and pharmacists may get boost from health bills

News outlets report on how the health care bill pending in Congress might affect pediatric specialists and pharmacists.

13 Jan 2010

UNAIDS chief calls for reduction in MTCT in Africa

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe on Monday during a five-day trip in Kenya, called for a drastic reduction in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, Capital News reports. "In our continent we still have 400,000 babies born every year with HIV and we know if we are capable of making sure that testing will become available universally to all our pregnant women, (and) that pregnant women also have access to treatment, we will prevent the transmission," Sidibe said (Karong'o, 1/11).

13 Jan 2010

Health Care News and Research

Economist Stuart Butler: Give states maximum flexibility under health reform

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

Record-breaking 8,300 health care professionals participate in online H1N1 vaccination education program

FRC to discuss how House and Senate healthcare bills violate America's guiding document

ACP supports equality of Medicaid and Medicare rates for primary care services

Send Word Now to provide emergency voice and text communication services to Unity Health System's hospitals

Consumer Watchdog calls for affordability and accountability changes to the health reform legislation

NIH, D.C. Department of Health partner to decrease the rate of new HIV infections

ACP issues position paper to guide ethical relationships among patients, physicians and caregivers

Autologous stem cell transplantation may benefit breast cancer patients

Lawmakers face political challenges as they return to health overhaul chores

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Health care bill not as positive for seniors as stated, says TSCL

Denmark's digital health system could pave way for U.S.

Coalition asks Congress to eliminate excise tax on health benefits

Congress expected to shun mammography recommendations in final health bill

First phase of FDA's Transparency Initiative designed to explain agency operations unveiled

Budget and cost issues continue to plague states

Pediatric specialists and pharmacists may get boost from health bills

UNAIDS chief calls for reduction in MTCT in Africa

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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