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Investigators pursue N.Y. leads on hospital corruption; Crack down in Fla. fraud probe

A New York hospital system has become entwined in a corruption scandal that sent a state lawmaker to prison for six years, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Former trustees of one of the hospitals operated by MediSys Health Network, speaking for the first time, say MediSys executives kept board members in the dark about business dealings between company management and Anthony Seminerio, the former lawmaker who pleaded guilty to a federal corruption charge."

18 May 2010

MOCPS develops program to reduce patient care errors in EMS

While much attention is devoted to reducing medical errors in hospitals, there's a lesser focus on rooting out patient care errors in emergency medical services. To address that gap, the Missouri Center for Patient Safety is developing a program to help medical professionals systematically improve quality and reduce errors during treatment and transport provided by ambulance service providers.

18 May 2010

Electrical muscle stimulation prevents critical illness polynueromyopathy

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) can prevent critical illness polyneuromyopathy (CIPNM), according to Greek researchers. CIPNM is an acquired limb and respiratory muscle weakness that is a common and serious problem among intensive care unit patients, and can result in prolonged ICU and hospital stay. EMS can also shorten the duration of weaning from mechanical ventilation and the length of ICU stay.

18 May 2010

Medicaid growth in Utah slows; Arizona sees drop in CHIP beneficiaries

"Utah's Medicaid rolls grew by 405 people in April, the smallest monthly increase since March 2008, the start of an unprecedented growth streak for the low-income health program. Unemployment has also slowed, which economists believe is an early sign of economic recovery" (Stewart, 5/17).

18 May 2010

Apnex HGNS System shows promising results in people suffering from OSA

Apnex Medical announced today that preliminary data from a first-in-man clinical study showed significant improvements in sleep for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The Apnex HGNS™ System, developed by the St. Paul-based company, is a device designed to treat OSA, which is a serious life-threatening illness characterized by fragmented sleep and excessive day-time sleepiness.

18 May 2010

Sonablate HIFU treatment now available in Bermuda for patients with prostate cancer

US HIFU, a worldwide leader in the development, distribution and use of minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound technologies, is pleased to announce that its HIFU treatment for prostate cancer is now available in Bermuda. King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Bermuda joins more than 100 centers in 30-plus countries to offer the innovative treatment with the Sonablate 500 medical device.

18 May 2010

Altered blood flow leads to falls in elderly people: Research

A new study shows that altered blood flow in the brain due to high blood pressure and other conditions may lead to falls in elderly people. The research will be published in the May 18, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Each year, unintentional falls in the United States account for more than 16,000 deaths and 1.8 million emergency room visits.

18 May 2010

Echo Therapeutics first-quarter net loss increases to $1.9 million

Echo Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing its needle-free Symphony™ tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system and its Prelude™ SkinPrep System for transdermal drug delivery, today announced financial results for the period ended March 31, 2010.

18 May 2010

152 research and training grants awarded to researchers at 93 institutions nationwide

The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 152 new national research and training grants totaling $50,717,000 in the first of two grants cycles for 2010. The grants, primarily to early career researchers, cover a broad range of investigator-initiated ideas at 93 institutions nationwide, from whether cadmium exposure increases the risk of endometrial cancer, to studies of plant and bacterial-bourne compounds, to a study on a protein called survivin that could lead to novel drugs targeting prostate cancer.

18 May 2010

Four largest insurers in Mass. post first-quarter losses

The Boston Globe's Business Updates: Massachusetts' "four biggest health insurers today posted first-quarter losses totalling more than $150 million, with three of the carriers blaming the bulk of their deficit on the Patrick administration's decision to cap rate increases for individuals and small businesses." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Tufts Health Plan and Fallon Community Health Plan all reported loses.

18 May 2010

Is gluten the latest villain in the battle for better health?

If you've been food shopping or out to eat lately, you've probably noticed that "gluten-free" foods now claim their own grocery store shelves and dozens of national restaurant chain menus highlight "gluten-free" entrees.

17 May 2010

Australian doctors identify new disease and devise its cure

A team of Australian doctors have identified a new disease and its cure. In their report published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases the doctors from The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) report a case of a young NSW woman ill for almost a decade with repeated hospitalizations. She is now said to be suffering from a diseases that disabled the signaling processes of her immune system. The diseases is not named yet. Dr Maher Gandhi, head of QIMR's Immunohemotology Laboratory believes there are more cases of this disease. He said this Monday, “I haven't got a name for it other than T-cell signaling defect of which I assume there are quite a few different types… There are no recorded cases of this in the literature. Katie is unique ... I think we're at the tip of the iceberg here.”

17 May 2010

USAID's Shah on six-day visit to Africa

"[O]n his first visit to Africa since taking charge as the administrator of USAID in January," Rajiv Shah said in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday that the agency "is working to make Africa a bigger priority within the organization," the Associated Press writes. USAID, which "funds and runs programs to improve health, food security, democracy and entrepreneurship in Africa," has offices in 23 countries on the continent, according to the AP (5/15).

17 May 2010

WaferGen Biosystems first-quarter revenues increase to $389,785

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genome analysis systems, today reported performance results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

17 May 2010

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Officials and stakeholders are examining the new health reform law for changes that the reform will mean for their organizations and industries.

17 May 2010

Hospitals to get more bargaining clout for medical devices

The Wall Street Journal: "Hospitals lack leverage when negotiating prices for high-cost implants like defibrillators and replacement hips because individual doctors, rather than hospitals, typically select the products they use in their patients. Since these doctors often aren't hospital employees, they have little incentive to bargain-hunt.

17 May 2010

Aastrom Biosciences initiates treatment in Phase 2 catheter-based clinical trial for dilated cardiomyopathy

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., the leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today announced that the first patient has been treated in the company's U.S. Phase 2 catheter-based clinical trial to treat dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Treatment was performed by interventional cardiologist Timothy D. Henry, M.D., FACC, at the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

17 May 2010

Communication Intelligence first-quarter total revenue decreases to $207,000

Communication Intelligence Corporation, a leading supplier of electronic signature solutions for business process automation in the financial industry and the recognized leader in biometric signature verification, announced today its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

17 May 2010

FDA approves ROXRO PHARMA's SPRIX Nasal Spray

ROXRO PHARMA, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SPRIX™ (ketorolac tromethamine) Nasal Spray, for the short-term (up to 5 days) management of acute moderate to moderately severe pain that requires analgesia at the opioid level.

17 May 2010

Hemispherx Biopharma to conduct study of Ampligen antiviral in China

As part of its expanding international program Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., announced an agreement with Fountain Medical Development Ltd., a leading Chinese clinical research organization (CRO) to prepare, file and gain approval from the authorities in China to conduct a study of Ampligen, an investigational therapeutic.

17 May 2010