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Obama hosts health care summit at White House

A White House health care summit hosted on Thursday by President Obama will enable attendees to discuss reform proposals for the U.S. health care system, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

Heart attack outcomes worse for blacks than whites due in part to individual characteristics

Black heart attack patients have worse outcomes than their white counterparts in large part because of preexisting chronic health conditions and socioeconomic factors, according to a study published in the March issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, Reuters Health reports.

4 Mar 2009

Contra Costa County considering health services cuts for undocumented immigrants, inmates

This month, the Contra Costa County, Calif., Board of Supervisors will consider a plan to prohibit undocumented adult immigrants from receiving nonurgent, county-funded care, the Contra Costa Times reports.

4 Mar 2009

Some physicians asking patients to sign 'gag orders'

Some physicians have begun to ask patients "to agree to what amounts to a gag order that bars them from posting negative comments" on Web sites where patients can rate their doctors anonymously because of concerns about the fairness of such reviews, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.

4 Mar 2009

Obama administration officials defend health care, other provisions in FY 2010 budget proposal

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag and Department of the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday during a House Budget Committee hearing defended health care and other provisions included in the $3.6 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget proposed by President Obama last week, the Washington Post reports (Montgomery, Washington Post, 3/4).

4 Mar 2009

Rhode Island Governor drops Medicaid consultant plans

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri (R) has canceled plans to hire a private consulting firm to lead the state's massive Medicaid overhaul under the so-called "global Medicaid waiver," and instead will use a team of state employees to provide oversight, the Providence Journal reports (Peoples, Providence Journal, 3/3).

4 Mar 2009

Boston Scientific launches Taxus Liberte drug-eluting stent in Japan

Boston Scientific Corporation has announced the launch of its TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System in Japan.

3 Mar 2009

Regular screening for colorectal cancer remains effective in preventing and detecting disease early

As the nation marks National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this March, the American Cancer Society is encouraging Americans to get lifesaving screening tests that have been proven to reduce the risk of the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.

2 Mar 2009

Having health insurance essential for people's health and well-being

The evidence shows more clearly than ever that having health insurance is essential for people's health and well-being, and safety-net services are not enough to prevent avoidable illness, worse health outcomes, and premature death, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

24 Feb 2009

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening persist

Colorectal cancer screening among patients with Medicare coverage is increasing, but a persistent gap remains between whites - who are screened most frequently - and all other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Washington.

20 Feb 2009

Traffic-related air pollution linked to repeated hospital encounters for asthma

Air pollution caused by traffic near the home affects asthma severity in children, resulting in repeated hospital encounters according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology , the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

17 Feb 2009

Race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer

Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

10 Feb 2009

Healthcare reform

Faced with a barrage of pressing issues, the Obama administration has placed health-care reform high on its agenda.

8 Feb 2009

Over a million U.S. cancer survivors foregoing vital treatments due to costs

More than a million cancer survivors living in the United States are foregoing what they believe is necessary medical care due to the cost, and Hispanics and African-Americans are twice as likely to go without services, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on the Science of Health Care Disparities.

5 Feb 2009

HIPAA privacy rule fails to adequately protect patient privacy and hampers health research

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule does not adequately protect the privacy of people's personal health information and hinders important health research discoveries, concludes a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

5 Feb 2009

Study finds vitamin use is highest in children who don't need them

A study by UC Davis researchers published in the February 2009 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine has found that most of the healthy children and teenagers in the United States who are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements probably don't need them.

2 Feb 2009