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Forbes.com interviews CEO of GeckoSystems

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (PINKSHEETS: GCKO) (http://www.geckosystems.com/) announced today that they are very pleased with the recent press coverage they have received from Forbes.com and other notable online authors. GeckoSystems is a dynamic leader in the emerging mobile robotics industry revolutionizing their development and usage with "Mobile Robot Solutions for Safety, Security and Service™."

21 Sep 2009

SmarterTravel releases precautionary checklist for travelers regarding swine flu

SmarterTravel(R), a comprehensive travel advice resource for the budget-conscious traveler, today released a checklist of strategies for staying safe while traveling during this highly anticipated flu season.

21 Sep 2009

Alzheimer Society of Canada stresses on early diagnosis of dementia

Startling new statistics on the worldwide prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are being released today as countries across the globe join together in recognition of World Alzheimer's Day.

21 Sep 2009

Better visualization of soft tissues using Toshiba's LCI

To continue its commitment to advancing medical imaging technology and improving diagnosis, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduces Low-Contrast Imaging (LCI) for Toshiba’s InfinixTM-i systems with mid (12” x 12”) and large (12” x 16”) flat-panel detectors (FPD). Toshiba will demonstrate its low-contrast imaging capabilities at this year’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) annual meeting in San Francisco, Sept. 21 – Sept. 25, 2009 (Booth #705).

21 Sep 2009

The 2009 National Pharmacy Study ranks Prescription Solutions second among mail order pharmacies

Prescription Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefits management (PBM) organization and a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, today announced that it received the highest rankings for customer service and cost competitiveness factors among mail order pharmacies in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 National Pharmacy StudySM.

21 Sep 2009

IUPUI offers new graduate program in international research ethics

A "Concentration in International Research Ethics" will be offered by the Department of Philosophy in the IU School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolisand the Indiana Center for Bioethics.

21 Sep 2009

Celebrities take part in competition to mark World Alzheimer's Day

Today, on World Alzheimer's Day, new data released estimates 35 million people worldwide -- a 10% increase over 2005 -- are living with Alzheimer's and dementia, highlighting the urgent need for action and response.

21 Sep 2009

Widespread misinformation about Obama's healthcare proposals

A new Harris Poll finds that large numbers of people either believe damaging misinformation about the health care proposals being discussed in Washington or are not sure what to believe. The polls also shows that almost half of all adults continue to support what they see as President Obama’s health care reform proposals, significantly but not substantially more than oppose them.

21 Sep 2009

Study: Racial health disparities cost $229 billion from 2003-2006

"Racial health disparities cost the United States $229 billion between 2003 and 2006 — money that could help cover an overhaul of the nation's health care system, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland researchers," The Baltimore Sun reports.

21 Sep 2009

Research counters criticisms of Canadian health care system

Bloomberg reports that allegations that the Canadian health care system offers inferior treatment, rationing and long lines are wrong, according to wide-ranging and long-standing research.

21 Sep 2009

Douglas: State Governors need 'time, flexibility' for successful health reform

KHN reports that "[w]hen it comes to making changes in the nation's health care system, states will need 'time and flexibility,' according to Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican head of the National Governors Association."

21 Sep 2009

Today's selection of opinions and editorials

There's enough wrong with the Baucus proposal as it stands to make it unworkable and unacceptable. But that said, Senator Baucus's mark is better than many of us expected. If it serves as a basis for negotiation, and the result of those negotiations is a plan that's stronger, not weaker, reformers are going to have to make some hard choices about the degree of disappointment they're willing to live with (Paul Krugman, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

Obama: Vitriol on health proposal is 'proxy' for other issues

To advocate for his health care proposal, President Barack Obama taped interviews with five Sunday talk shows (CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Univision) and each was allowed to use one excerpt before the programs are broadcast.

21 Sep 2009

Parties plot strategies, next steps on Baucus bill

Sen. Max Baucus' health reform bill has both parties plotting their next move in advance of a markup scheduled to begin next week.

21 Sep 2009

Medicaid: Budget gaps, informants, and a plan to expand coverage by going private

States are dealing with their unique Medicaid problems in different ways: New Mexico plans deep cuts, Florida seeks new Medicaid fraud informants, and a California gubernatorial candidate wants to privatize the program in the interest of covering the uninsured.

21 Sep 2009

PBS shows examine door-to-door medical counseling in Rwanda, malaria in Tanzania

NOW on PBS recently aired a segment examining a project in Rwanda, which is a collaboration of the government and Partners in Health, that uses local doctors, nurses and villagers "to deliver medicine and medical counseling door-to-door." According to the show, "In rural Rwanda, the simple and time-tested idea of medical house calls is not only improving the health of the community, but stimulating its economy as well."

21 Sep 2009

Some senators fear new tax meant to control health costs could spiral

A tax on generous health benefits in the health reform plan unveiled this week by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has raised eyebrows around Congress, the New York Times reports. The tax would apply to any plan with annual premiums in excess of $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families, and would initially impact only a small number of health plans, according to the Senator's own estimate.

21 Sep 2009

ICTs play a major role in the health care sector

Today the GridTalk project launches its 8th GridBriefing at the Enabling Grids for E-sciencE (EGEE) conference in Barcelona. The report covers how information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly computing grids, are used in the health and biomedical sectors of European research. EGEE has supported this research community since the project's birth and it is the second largest user group after physics research.

21 Sep 2009

Rural Coloradans have trouble getting health care, attracting physicians

Rural Coloradans often have to travel dozens — if not hundreds — of miles to see a doctor when they're ill. The Denver Post reports that "(i)t's a problem that worsens every year — and something rural health advocates are hoping national reform will fix. The major goal of reform is to add some 47 million uninsured Americans, including about 800,000 Coloradans, to the ranks of the insured."

21 Sep 2009

Lawmakers wonder if the Baucus Plan does enough to control premiums

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers fear a new plan unveiled by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., could impose added costs on middle-class people in the form of higher health insurance premiums, a problem they will seek to mitigate, The Washington Post reports: "Some Senate Democrats, along with a key moderate Republican, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), are now discussing ways to increase assistance for individuals and families who could face premium costs of up to $15,000 per year by 2016.

21 Sep 2009