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Kindred Healthcare signs definitive merger agreement to acquire RehabCare

Kindred Healthcare, and RehabCare Group, today jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which Kindred will acquire RehabCare.

8 Feb 2011

State Roundup: Setting up health insurance exchanges; Community-based clinics cuts; Autism legislation; End-of-life care

The board of the Health Benefit Exchange is going to be small and mighty. ... This exchange will concentrate the health insurance buying power of millions of Californians, and will be the central force in implementing national health care reform in California (Gorn, 2/4).

7 Feb 2011

Hospice Foundation of America develops free online webinar to analyze impact of advanced cancer

The Hospice Foundation of America has developed "Coping with Cancer at the End of Life," a free online webinar that examines the impact of advanced cancer, and how family, professionals and volunteers can manage the demands of caring for someone with end-stage cancer.

5 Feb 2011

HCR to pay off existing term loan and revolving credit facilities

HCR ManorCare, Inc. has announced its intention to refinance its term loan and revolving credit facilities. The new term loan is for $400 million, and the revolving credit agreement is for $150 million.

5 Feb 2011

Research roundup: Comparing profit and nonprofit hospice care; Hospital mortality and spending; High-deductible insurance plans

Association Of Hospice Agency Profit Status With Patient Diagnosis, Location of Care, and Length of Stay - "The current Medicare Hospice Benefit reimburses hospices at a fixed per diem rate that does not consider the patient's diagnosis, location of care, or hospice LOS [length-of-stay]," and as such, "profit can be maximized by caring for patients with certain diagnoses that require fewer skilled services, patients residing in nursing homes, or patients with longer hospice stays."

4 Feb 2011

New findings: For-profit hospices may choose cheaper-to-treat patients

Study results released Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association report that for-profit hospice services may be selecting patients who are less expensive to treat — leaving the pricier patients to nonprofit agencies (Brown, 2/1).

3 Feb 2011

VNA's Hospice of Philadelphia becomes national partner of We Honor Veterans

It may surprise people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans. To provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Hospice of Philadelphia, a service of Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

29 Jan 2011

Research roundup: Barriers to trauma care, immunizations; Small business tax credit; Medicare coverage of preventive care

Possible Geographical Barriers To Trauma Center Access For Vulnerable Patients In The United States - This study analyzes disparities in geographic access to trauma centers in 2005, drawing from data from the 2005 American Hospital Association annual survey.

29 Jan 2011

AHF surpasses 150,000 patient milestone

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is proud to announce a major milestone in its mission to provide cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of a person's ability to pay. The organization has recently surpassed the 150,000 patient mark worldwide.

27 Jan 2011

ASCO urges physicians, medical schools to improve quality of life for people with cancer

The American Society of Clinical Oncology today called on physicians, medical schools, insurers, and others to help improve quality of life for people with advanced cancer.

25 Jan 2011

The Ensign Group to purchase CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa located in Utah

The Ensign Group, the parent company of the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, hospice care and assisted living companies, announced today that it has agreed to purchase CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa, a continuing care retirement community located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the CHRISTUS Marian Center, a behavioral health center operated within St. Joseph Villa.

21 Jan 2011

El Camino Hospital introduces CHI program to educate Chinese community on health disparities

El Camino Hospital has launched a Chinese Health Initiative, designed to address the troubling and unique health disparities in the Silicon Valley's Chinese community and to accommodate their cultural preferences in education, screening and health care delivery.

19 Jan 2011

Molecular imaging procedure may detect beta-amyloid in brain, increase accuracy of AD diagnosis

Preliminary research suggests that use of a type of molecular imaging procedure may have the ability to detect the presence of beta-amyloid in the brains of individuals during life, a biomarker that is identified during autopsy to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, according to a study in the January 19 issue of JAMA.

19 Jan 2011

F.N.B. Capital closes $5.0MM funding for Celtic Healthcare

F.N.B. Capital Corporation, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based merchant banking subsidiary of F.N.B. Corporation, today announced the closing of $5.0MM in funding for Celtic Healthcare, Inc., based in Mars, Pennsylvania. Celtic Healthcare is a leading regional full-continuum home healthcare and hospice services provider.

14 Jan 2011

Hospice of Michigan offers toolkit to help people on end-of-life decision making and planning

Hospice of Michigan offers a complete toolkit to empower individuals and families to take control of end-of-life decision making and planning. The free resource is the www.haveyouhadthetalk.org website from which a toolkit can be downloaded and printed for free.

10 Jan 2011

Today's Opinions: Brooks, Reich, Fund, Cook on repeal; End-of-life care controversy continues

The health care reform law was signed 10 months ago, and what's striking now is how vulnerable it looks. Several threats have emerged — some of them scarcely discussed before passage — that together or alone could seriously endanger the new system. ... After the trauma of the last two years, many people wish the issue would go away. But it's not going away, especially since costs will continue to rise. (David Brooks, 1/6).

7 Jan 2011

Skilled Healthcare Group updates 2010 full year non-GAAP earnings estimates

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. today announced it has updated its 2010 full year non-GAAP earnings estimates and expects consolidated revenue to be approximately $816 million to $819 million, Adjusted EBITDAR to be approximately $138.9 million to $140.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA to be approximately $119.7 million to $121.5 million. The Company expects adjusted earnings per diluted share for 2010 to be between $1.01 and $1.04.

6 Jan 2011

The Ensign Group procures $35 million seven-year term loan from RBS Asset Finance

The Ensign Group, the parent company of the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, hospice care and assisted living companies, announced that a group of its real estate holding subsidiaries has procured a US$35 million seven-year term loan from RBS Asset Finance, Inc., an affiliate of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

6 Jan 2011

LHC Group announces acquisition of hospice locations in Alabama and Louisiana

LHC Group, Inc., a national provider of home health and hospice, announced today that it has acquired hospice locations in Alabama and Louisiana and entered into a home health joint venture in Kentucky.

3 Jan 2011

Great River Medical Center's Board of Directors approve construction of new long-term-care center

Great River Medical Center's Board of Directors has approved construction of a new long-term-care center on the hospital's West Burlington, Iowa campus. It will replace the existing Klein Center at 2910 Madison Ave., Burlington, Iowa.

27 Dec 2010