Health Care News and Research

RSS

S2S translation systems for comunication between patients and doctors

Now, USC computer scientists, communication specialists and health professionals hope to create a cheap, robust and effective speech-to-speech (S2S) translation system for clinics, emergency rooms and even ambulances.

22 Sep 2009

Electronic medical records cut costs and helps medical facilities to provide quality healthcare to patients

Electronic medical records have been a cornerstone of the successful health care formula prescribed by Dr. Richard Merkin, CEO for Heritage Provider Network. HPN and its 25 medical facilities in California and Healthcare Partners IPA in New York have been eliminating waste and cutting costs while providing quality healthcare to their patients for the past 30 years by focusing on the importance of integrating electronic medical records.

22 Sep 2009

Free dental care for California's foster-care students

More than four hundred foster-care students within the Twin Rivers Unified School District will be able to receive free dental care thanks to a new telemedicine project created jointly by the California Dental Association Foundation, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and the California HealthCare Foundation with start-up funding from Verizon.

22 Sep 2009

50% jump in electronic claims submission by health care providers

Three out of every four insurance claims from health care providers are being submitted electronically to AmeriHealth New Jersey. That’s an increase of 50 percent over the past three years, the insurer said today.

22 Sep 2009

Bi-directional health information exchange to deal with disease outbreaks

Building upon four decades of research and real world operation of electronic medical records and health information exchange, Regenstrief Institute researchers have developed, tested and are now operating innovative technologies to allow for the bi-directional flow of evidence-based medical information between clinical sources and public health organizations.

22 Sep 2009

LSA's BCP in place to tackle demand for language assistance in the event of a potential swine flu pandemic

LSA (Language Services Associates), a leading provider of premium language-based solutions, today announced its comprehensive business continuity plan (BCP) for the 2009-2010 flu season. The strategy, which was devised by LSA’s BCP project management team, has been created to ensure the company is prepared for an increase in demand for language assistance in the event of a potential Swine Flu pandemic.

22 Sep 2009

Health of American workers trending downwards

In the midst of the most vigorous national health care debate in 15 years, and at a time of heightened economic insecurity, new data on employers show that the health of employed American workers is trending downward in a number of important areas. The State of Health in the American Workforce, a report released today by the Families and Work Institute (FWI), finds that only 28% of employees today report that their overall health is "excellent," down from 34% just six years ago.

22 Sep 2009

AHF’s first AIDS treatment center to open in Washington, DC

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the US’ largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, which provides medical care and/or services to more than 100,000 individuals in 21 countries worldwide, is honored to announce the September 24th grand opening of AHF’s first AIDS treatment center in Washington, DC, where the HIV rate is now reported to be 3%—higher than the rate in Lagos, Nigeria. The health care center, AHF’s first to be named in honor of Hollywood actor and longtime AIDS advocate Blair Underwood, will include a state-of-the-art, full-service HIV/AIDS treatment clinic as well as an on-site AHF Pharmacy. The facility will be known as the AHF Blair Underwood Clinic.

22 Sep 2009

Congress urged to delay pending Medicaid cuts

A diverse coalition of health care industry groups has sent an urgent letter to the bipartisan leadership in Congress seeking to delay pending Medicaid cuts and to enact a more equitable formula to reimburse pharmacies for dispensing generic drugs to Medicaid beneficiaries.

22 Sep 2009

CED urges Senate Finance Committee to adopt "Free Choice" amendment in health bill

The Committee for Economic Development (CED) today urged the Senate Finance Committee to amend the America's Health Future Act (sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)) by adopting the "Free Choice" amendment submitted Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). The "Free Choice" amendment is a key element of the Healthy Americans Act (S. 391) which was endorsed by CED in June of this year.

22 Sep 2009

Baucus: Bill will change to make premiums more affordable

"Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said Monday he intends to ease what he called the financial burden his health bill would impose on middle-income families, making adjustments financed in part by paring back the amount of deficit reduction in the legislation," The Wall Street Journal reports. "In an interview, the Montana Democrat said some $28 billion of the funds now dedicated to deficit reduction could be diverted into proposals that would make the bill more affordable to working-class Americans."

22 Sep 2009

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences launches new academic center

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences today officially opened a new 30,000 square foot, $10M academic center at 40 Foster St. in downtown Worcester. On hand at the event were Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Worcester City Manager Michael O’Brien, Worcester Mayor Konstantina Lukes and MCPHS President Charles F. Monahan Jr.

21 Sep 2009

Cook Medical launches the CE Marked Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent for treating PAD

In a breakthrough development that could dramatically reduce the number of leg amputations and painful bypass graft surgeries performed annually on European patients, a first-of-its kind drug-eluting stent for a widespread form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is now available to physicians throughout the European Union.

21 Sep 2009

Seniors worry about Democratic proposals as well as so-called myths spread by opponents

In response to Democratic health reform proposals, seniors are attending town halls, writing letters to lawmakers, showing support for the GOP in polls, and "giving their legislators a piece of their mind that a way of life is slipping away," The Washington Times reports.

21 Sep 2009

More on Massachusetts' reform lessons

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports: "Massachusetts is the only state that has adopted the core elements of the plan outlined by President Obama and congressional Democrats: an individual mandate; an employer mandate; subsidies for the poor; insurance market reforms; and an 'exchange,' under which consumers can shop for coverage."

21 Sep 2009

Some religious groups seek health care for illegal immigrants

NPR reports: "In the Hispanic community, there are issues in the debate over health care that spill over into the debate over immigration policy."

21 Sep 2009

Obama pushes new message while opposition continues

In his Sunday talk show offensive (related story: Obama Blankets Airwaves To Push For Health Reform) President Barack Obama called for civility, advertised his willingness to consider malpractice reform, said a proposed tax on health benefits would not have a large impact on working people and reiterated that illegal immigrants would not receive government coverage under the plans, the Washington Post reports.

21 Sep 2009

GOP lawmakers opposed to reform reflect on their own experiences

Two Republican lawmakers with extensive personal interactions with the health care system warn of the dangers in health overhaul.

21 Sep 2009

U.N. report calls for $1.48B to help developing nations cope with H1N1

The U.N. this week will request that wealthy nations and development banks donate $1.48 billion to help developing countries fight H1N1 (swine flu), Bloomberg reports. "Most of the money is needed for vaccines and drugs … to help the least-developed nations cope with the influenza pandemic, according to a U.N. report obtained" Monday by the news service.

21 Sep 2009

Full Senate Finance Committee to take up health reform

The full Senate Finance Committee takes up health care legislation this week and there are already a slew of amendments that would significantly alter the proposal from the chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

21 Sep 2009