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Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program announced the award today of a four-year, $10.3 million grant to the State of Indiana to further enhance the quality and reach of the state's existing health information technology delivery system to improve health outcomes for Hoosiers and reduce costs across the continuum of health care.

16 Mar 2010

Metabolic drugs top the list of prescription drug expenses for elderly Medicare beneficiaries

Purchases of cholesterol and diabetes prescription drugs by elderly Medicare beneficiaries reached nearly $19 billion in 2007 - about one-fourth of the approximately $82 billion spent for medications for the elderly, according to the latest AHRQ News and Numbers.

16 Mar 2010

Gardasil vaccine: Two complaints filed in Washington Federal Claims court

Anapol Schwartz attorneys Lawrence Cohan and Melissa Fry Hague recently filed two Gardasil vaccine complaints – one on behalf of a Kensington, Calif., family, whose 15-year old daughter died after suffering from severe adverse reactions, and another on behalf of a 19-year old Lapeer, Mich., woman, who has a chronic, autoimmune disorder. The cases, filed in The Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., seek recovery under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

15 Mar 2010

Economists, Dems differ on who's to blame for insurers' rate hikes

Democrats assailed health insurers for hiking rates in recent weeks to gain popular momentum for their health overhaul, but health economists say insurers did cause high health costs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The economists "contend that insurance companies, while often meriting criticism for their practices, aren't to blame for high health care costs."

15 Mar 2010

Forensic Laboratories introduces first oral fluid test for Tapentadol

Forensic Laboratories, a Denver-based laboratory specializing in toxicology services for drug abuse, has unveiled the first oral fluid test for Tapentadol, a new federally approved drug prescribed by doctors for pain management. Previously, laboratories could only detect the drug through urine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology.

15 Mar 2010

Program to obtain transplant organs from ER patients creates controversy

The Washington Post: "In the hope of expanding a controversial form of organ donation into emergency rooms around the United States, a federally funded project has begun trying to obtain kidneys, livers and possibly other body parts from car-accident victims, heart-attack fatalities and other urgent-care patients.

15 Mar 2010

Immunizing children against seasonal influenza can protect unvaccinated community against influenza

Results of a clinical trial conducted in a largely self-contained religious community during the 2008-09 influenza season show that immunizing children against seasonal influenza can significantly protect unvaccinated community members against influenza as well. The study was conducted to determine if immunized children could act as a barrier to limit the spread of influenza to the wider, unvaccinated community, a concept known as herd immunity.

15 Mar 2010

Research roundup: Evaluating health bills, attitudes about uninsured, improving emergency rooms

The Cost Of Uncompensated Care With And Without Health Reform - This report analyzes various health bills. "The cost of uncompensated care will fall from $62.1 billion in 2009 to $46.6 billion in 2019 under the Senate bill, and to $36.5 billion in 2019 with the House bill. Without reform, the cost of uncompensated care will increase to between $107 and $141 billion in 2019, depending on growth in the economy and health care costs.

15 Mar 2010

Discovery may yield new strategies for blocking malaria transmission

Scientists studying the Anopheles gambiae mosquito - the main vector of malaria - have found that when the mosquito takes a blood meal, that act triggers two enzymes to form a network of crisscrossing proteins around the ingested blood.

15 Mar 2010

SafeMinds: Government refusal to compensate vaccine-injured children casts doubt on the integrity of national immunization program

Autism and mercury advocacy organization SafeMinds regrets today's ruling by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims against three families who argued that vaccines which contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal contributed to their child's autism.

15 Mar 2010

Combination therapy does not reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients

Lowering blood pressure to normal levels - below currently recommended levels - did not significantly reduce the combined risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes who were at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease events, according to new results from the landmark Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial.

15 Mar 2010

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Louisiana is 46th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Report shows District of Columbia stands 51st on maternal mortality ranking

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that the District of Columbia is 51st on a maternal mortality ranking, with 34.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: 15.8% of women in Georgia receive delayed or no prenatal care

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Georgia is 50th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 20.5 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Pregnancy-related deaths increase in Michigan, Amnesty International report

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Michigan is 42nd on a maternal mortality ranking, with 13.6 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

California ranks 35th in maternal mortality, records 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that California is 35th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

15.7% of North Carolina women receive delayed or no prenatal care

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that North Carolina is 37th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 11.4 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: Oklahoma ranks 39th on maternal mortality

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Oklahoma is 39th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 12.3 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Death from pregnancy-related complications: Mississippi ranks 45th in Amnesty International list

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Mississippi is 45th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 15.2 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Amnesty International report: One in five Arkansas women receives delayed or no prenatal care

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Arkansas is 44th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 14.6 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

Indiana receives $10.3M federal grant to enhance quality and reach of existing health information technology

Metabolic drugs top the list of prescription drug expenses for elderly Medicare beneficiaries

Gardasil vaccine: Two complaints filed in Washington Federal Claims court

Economists, Dems differ on who's to blame for insurers' rate hikes

Forensic Laboratories introduces first oral fluid test for Tapentadol

Program to obtain transplant organs from ER patients creates controversy

Immunizing children against seasonal influenza can protect unvaccinated community against influenza

Research roundup: Evaluating health bills, attitudes about uninsured, improving emergency rooms

Discovery may yield new strategies for blocking malaria transmission

SafeMinds: Government refusal to compensate vaccine-injured children casts doubt on the integrity of national immunization program

Combination therapy does not reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

Report shows District of Columbia stands 51st on maternal mortality ranking

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: 15.8% of women in Georgia receive delayed or no prenatal care

Pregnancy-related deaths increase in Michigan, Amnesty International report

California ranks 35th in maternal mortality, records 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births

15.7% of North Carolina women receive delayed or no prenatal care

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: Oklahoma ranks 39th on maternal mortality

Death from pregnancy-related complications: Mississippi ranks 45th in Amnesty International list

Amnesty International report: One in five Arkansas women receives delayed or no prenatal care

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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