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Hospice family caregivers require unique care needs

A study led by the University of Kentucky researcher Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles found that hospice family caregivers are "second order patients" themselves and require their own unique care needs.

1 Dec 2011

UL researchers to develop a medical device to improve detection of delirium

Researchers at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick (GEMS) have been awarded €175,000 funding to develop a portable automated device that can be used in any clinical or community setting to allow early diagnosis and treatment of delirium.

30 Nov 2011

Experts available to discuss on HIV/AIDS prevention at Penn Nursing

Experts in HIV/AIDS prevention at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing are available to talk with media for stories on World AIDS Day, which is on December 1.

30 Nov 2011

URMC earns Gold Seal of Approval for Palliative Care Program

In the latest development in its decades-long leadership in the area of palliative care, the University of Rochester Medical Center's Palliative Care Program is one of the first nationwide to earn advanced certification from the Joint Commission, the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

29 Nov 2011

Older home health care patients are prescribed PIMs three times higher than others

Older adults receiving home health care may be taking a drug that is unsafe or ineffective for someone their age. In fact, nearly 40 percent of seniors receiving medical care from a home health agency are taking at least one prescription medication that is considered potentially inappropriate to seniors, a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine has revealed.

22 Nov 2011

State roundup: Provider groups merging - or not

A selection of health policy stories from California, Illinois, Georgia, Connecticut, Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts.

21 Nov 2011

UK to offer master's degree in music therapy

The University of Kentucky will be the first higher education institution in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to offer a graduate degree in music therapy. The program, housed at the UK School of Music, was officially approved by the state's Council on Postsecondary Education earlier in November and will start accepting graduate students in the spring of 2012.

18 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 17, 2011

In today's headlines, reports that the Supreme Court's review of the health law shocks Medicaid advocates and more on the continuing struggles of the super committee.

17 Nov 2011

Chemed board authorizes additional $100M stock repurchase program

Chemed Corporation announced today that the Board of Directors has formally authorized an additional $100 million for stock repurchase under Chemed's existing share repurchase program. These share repurchases will be funded through a combination of cash generated from operations as well as utilization of its revolving credit facility.

7 Nov 2011

Calif. Hospital Association sues over Medi-Cal provider cuts

The trade group for California's hospitals has sued state and federal officials to block a 10 percent cut in government reimbursements for health care providers who treat low-income patients. The California Hospital Association said in its suit, filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, that cuts to the Medi-Cal insurance program will threaten the ability of many hospitals to continue operating skilled nursing facilities.

4 Nov 2011

Home health payments will fall 2.3% in 2012

The pay cut for home health agencies was announced in a regulation that was issued Monday. Although this reduction is less than initially proposed and will be phased in over two years, industry voices described it as "severe."

2 Nov 2011

MSU to establish statewide Division of Geriatric Medicine

An unprecedented decade of economic demise and a population older than 80 percent of all other U.S. states is putting Michigan in a precarious spot: More aging residents needing health care with fewer resources to pay for it.

1 Nov 2011

Medicare costs rise as hospice use increases

The Orlando Sentinel reports that this increase tracks with other increases in costs from for-profit hospice organizations.

31 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: Super committee's secrecy; alternatives to CLASS; solving the drug shortage

The Congressional "super committee" charged with finding $1.5 trillion in debt savings through 2021 is under growing attack from both the left and the right for carrying out most of its work in secret. … History reveals the importance of extensive private talks for members of a bipartisan group to get to know one another and pursue compromises.

20 Oct 2011

Snowe breaks from GOP pack on health care spending issues

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is one of two Republicans who did not sign on to the Finance Committee GOP recommendations for the super committee. Snowe reportedly took issue with calls to tighten Medicare eligibility requirements and to block grant the Medicaid program.

19 Oct 2011

Six new Bristol-Myers Squibb grants to reduce cancer disparities in CEE

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation today announced six new grants totaling more than $900,000 that focus on improving cancer awareness, prevention and care by developing cancer nursing skills and building nurse-community partnerships in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Russia.

15 Oct 2011

Experts to discuss current challenges in pediatric palliative care

In a two-hour seminar at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Boston, experts will discuss current challenges in this growing field, including building partnerships between hospitals, pediatricians and hospice services, and how to improve funding to promote better quality of care.

15 Oct 2011

Brown signs Calif. measures to aid children with autism, ban kids younger than 18 from using tanning beds

In other state news, Wisconsin last month began scrutinizing health insurance rate increases, Los Angeles County steps in ahead of health law's mandated coverage expansions and a Georgia report notes the state's progress in providing services for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities.

11 Oct 2011

Loyola participates in Pink Glove Dance competition to raise breast cancer awareness

Not since the likes of Fame, Flashdance or Fred Astaire has the Chicago area seen such dancing talent as is showcased in Loyola University Health System's new Pink Glove Dance video. This video is part of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon that is sweeping the nation.

7 Oct 2011

NAHC statement on Senate Finance Committee report

Val J. Halamandaris, president of The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), issued the following statement regarding the Senate Finance Committee Report on Home Health Services.

3 Oct 2011